Thanks! It feels like the more you look at these songs as commenting on their own creativity, the more clever ideas reveal themselves. They’re such an inspiration band and I can’t imagine connecting with another artist in the way I do with Sparks.
I loved your thoughts on the line in the final verse “this town’s not big enough for the both of us”, not meaning competition between two individuals but London Town not being big enough for both brothers. Brilliant! Always insightful and you’ve really got me revisiting Sparks’ albums with fresh eyes (or, more correctly, fresh ears). Thanks for another great deep-dive.
Thank you :). I’m really glad you get something from it, because making these videos brings even more life to these songs for me, and I already loved them so much. Hunting for double meanings in the lyrics is my new favourite pass-time!
Wait ‘till you get the bit where i have a black eye! Continuity just isn’t my thing! Thanks for watching, and i’m glad the Mud reference clicked. I’m never sure if some of these ideas sound batshit!
That resonates for me too. Whether conscious or subconscious, Ron has the ability to use just the right word to conjure up an image or mood, and "tacky tigers" totally conjures up imagery of that grim early 70s period (not that I remember it, just based on how it appears these days...) "Tiger Feet" does have an inexorable stomp that you can totally hear in some of the Sparks stuff - "Who Don't Like Kids" has a similar beat.
Great point on ‘who don’t like kids’! If I’m right about Tiger Feet then it just goes to show how fresh ‘this town’ was, because it was only released a few months later. It does feel like a great summary of that time.
From "domestic flying" to "interior design", it all makes sense as always, Paul! Amazing to consider how consistent their approach and modus operandi has been at heart, despite applying these core values to a million different genres over the decades. Whether synthpop or glamrock or disco or avant-garde, the most important thing about Sparks is that a Ron song is always a Ron song, Russell's vocals are always Russell's vocals.
I’m so glad you picked up on that “domestic flying” and “interior design” link. I don’t think I did a good job of explaining this verse in the video because I’d need to go off on a whole tangent about homes and creativity. My next vid (I think) is My Baby’s Taking Me Home so I’ll be revisiting this line :). I couldn’t agree more with what you say about the consistency of what Sparks do, despite their work covering so many bases.
Hello Paul. New subscriber here. Thank you for your effort to analyse this intriguing song. The reason that Sparks, and in particular this song, resonate with me is that they make music that is not mainstream. This works well for me as an autistic. Thinking in layers and out of the box works for me.
Thanks! I think Sparks’ music works well for people on the spectrum, myself included. I don’t want to speculate too much but I think Ron might be on the spectrum too, or at least has a sympathetic worldview. I’m really glad you enjoyed this, and I’ve got a video that covers all of Kimono if that’s of interest to you. Thanks for watching 🙏
So glad you've done a video on This Town. It's such a great song that I never get bored of listening to it. But now I have another angle from which I can view it. Thanks for this and I look forward to the next episode.
Thanks! Speaking of ‘This Town’ and how it never gets boring, I had to listen to it over-and-over making this video and every moment of it still gives me a buzz. It’s the perfect pop song.
@MetaSparks I couldn't agree more. But I do sometimes wonder how they are able to perform it in every live show they do and still make it look and sound like it's new and fresh to them.
Another brilliant episode Paul. Fascinating. Like many other fans, I've been obsessed with Sparks since I first heard this song all those years ago. My son is called Russell btw. Please keep giving us these videos as they are so interesting.
Thank you so much. I love putting these together. They’re a lot of work but worth it for comments like this. This Town was that got me onto the Sparks train too, with a repeat of that classic TOTP performance. What a performance!
That was awesome! Again, I think your theories are dead on. We just need to find Ron and get him to confess to all this, would he admit that and say, "darn it, this Paul guy just spilled all the beans, he's on to me!"? 😉😂
Thanks Morris! I’d love to know what (if anything) I’ve got right on this, and where I’ve missed the mark. I’d love to hear R&R talk in detail about their writing - maybe one day!
Wonderful video, yet again, Paul. I love the way you call Ron's songwriting his superpower. I wonder if you also gave consideration to his love of caffeine, fueling up with it at the café every morning, and then sipping Mountain Dew throughout the workday. Remember the FFS song Things I Won't Get: But when I see you lying by my side Looking extra keen I'm in a state where I, I don't mind Just you and me and caffeine Is his muse the person beside him in bed, something in the zeitgeist, or the caffeine itself? Is "you and me and caffeine" a love triangle? It would be very interesting to see the movie clichés that they did not use for This Town, opting instead for sticking with the Western movie cliche throughout. I love the way that Russell sings one of their very best lines of all time, "They need their protein just like you do," sounding kind of like a scolding Shirley Temple. Just another example of his "mid-Atlantic" accent, the equivalent of Ron's facial poses aping old movies. This Town certainly is defiant and confident, though Ron said they "should" have been afraid about having no material. I guess that's where having a superpower comes in handy! I love your videos. Thanks so much for making them.
Another great insight as usual Paul. “Now was the verse Choosing, the girl is choosing Between the man who's well-to-do and the man who is you Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat There is a panic-selling jamboree Now he's a liability left off the original song or added to the Plagiarism version which to me says the whole song refers to a romance 🤔
Hey thanks Mike :). I do have a theory on that verse and was tempted to include it, but it would have added five or ten minutes to the runtime. My idea is that in the early days of Island-era Sparks there was competition between band mates to get their ideas onto Kimono, with Martin Gordon even saying that he asked for one of his songs to be included in the live set. I recently covered ‘Marry Me’ and made a similar point, where the English band mates were encouraged to contribute creatively but it wasn’t at all certain where the line was drawn, leading to some tension. So in this verse, the man who’s well to do is an English band mate who is hoping to change the direction of a song, so the creative muse has to “choose” between the “we’ll-to-do” band mate and Ron. A jamboree is when different groups of scouts (often international) meet up, which is akin to the English and US factions of Sparks coming together, and the panic selling is the fight for their song ideas (before it was clear that Sparks is no democracy). Therefore the band mate is now a liability. I absolutely love that verse by the way - “a panic selling jamboree” is such a funny line!
@@MetaSparksbrilliant analogy of the verse - both make sense - Sparks must be the only band who write about their own working lives past present and future and make it sound like something else - gets the listener thinking 💙
I have this idea that the 20 cannibals may be the people behind the scenes at the record label, who are also getting something out of whatever Sparks put out. Expecting something. Feeling the anxiety that can bring. What do you think, Paul? Another great video, by the way! 🎉
I like that a lot! It makes a lot of sense. I really like that Ron write “20 cannibals HAVE hold of you” not “grab hold” or “take hold”, and that fits your interpretation, like they’re in control.
nice work, sir. I thought you glossed over the cannibals verse a little...Ron expressing his concerns about the leeches that feed off of the work of the creative artist? But he needs them too.
That’s exactly the kind of thing I love! It’s the same as the album ‘No.1 in Heaven’ featuring ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’. The quirky little details are satisfying.
@@MetaSparks They are indeed. They are so easily missed but are there if you look hard enough. Sparks are always well worth the extra effort of course.
I think this song especially the singing melody part could be from a musical. Its souns kinda unfinished after singing part. So instead they choosing guitar play instead of extending the melody of the song. Cant explain better in English.
Apropos of nothing. Just listening to Big Beat tonight for the first time in years. Always thought that “Throw Her Away…” was a faux misogynistic stab at the punk movement at the time. But if your overarching theme about Ron’s lyrics is correct (and you’ve thoroughly convinced me of that), then the song is about tossing out one muse after another as they switched genres.
Thanks for sharing this, it’s how I see it too, and it feels right that it’s more than than just comedy misogyny. It could even be about throwing away the old band. It reminds me of ‘young girls’, which gives you every reason to hate the lyrics, but can also be about songwriting aimed young girls, which is far more like wholesome Sparks we know and love 😁
That’s nice and cryptic! My thinking is that the Zoo is when Ron is in the busy hussle and bustle of daily life putting Kimono together, and this interpretation fits well when applied to both ‘This Town…’ and ‘at home, at work, at play’. I’d love any thoughts you’ve got on these lyrics or music. I have a question - later versions of the song restored a verse that was chopped out of the original - “chosing, the girl is chosing between the man who’s well-to-do and the man who is you”. Did this ever make it to the rehersal rooms? The reason i ask is because i think it might be about you!
Maybe you, maybe Adrian Fisher, or maybe it’s just a product of my imagination. My theory about Ron’s songwriting is that it’s always allegorical and always about its own creative process, so “the man who’s well-to-do” could be yourself. If you and the other UK Sparks members were proposing ideas for these songs, and Ron personifies his creativity as a love interest, then she is “choosing” between Ron and the well-to-do band mate. Regardless of what I’m writing here, it’s a pleasure to hear from you, and thanks for making one of the greatest albums ever!
@@RadiantFutureRecords ladies and gentlemen radiantfuturerecords is the bass player martin gordon. he's in 2 of my favorite groups, sparks and jet (not the australian group). great musician, and nice guy.
Please wish Ron a happy 79th birthday today!
I learn a new angle about Sparks every time I view a episode.. And it sure has made me better "connect the dots" to Ron's writings. Good work !
Thanks! It feels like the more you look at these songs as commenting on their own creativity, the more clever ideas reveal themselves. They’re such an inspiration band and I can’t imagine connecting with another artist in the way I do with Sparks.
I loved your thoughts on the line in the final verse “this town’s not big enough for the both of us”, not meaning competition between two individuals but London Town not being big enough for both brothers. Brilliant! Always insightful and you’ve really got me revisiting Sparks’ albums with fresh eyes (or, more correctly, fresh ears). Thanks for another great deep-dive.
Thank you :). I’m really glad you get something from it, because making these videos brings even more life to these songs for me, and I already loved them so much. Hunting for double meanings in the lyrics is my new favourite pass-time!
Great stuff as always, Paul! I especially enjoyed the cheeky beard trim about 8mins in 😉 And 'tacky tigers' / Tiger Feet makes perfect sense!
Wait ‘till you get the bit where i have a black eye! Continuity just isn’t my thing! Thanks for watching, and i’m glad the Mud reference clicked. I’m never sure if some of these ideas sound batshit!
I wound back to minute six to make sure I wasn't seeing things. 😂
That resonates for me too. Whether conscious or subconscious, Ron has the ability to use just the right word to conjure up an image or mood, and "tacky tigers" totally conjures up imagery of that grim early 70s period (not that I remember it, just based on how it appears these days...) "Tiger Feet" does have an inexorable stomp that you can totally hear in some of the Sparks stuff - "Who Don't Like Kids" has a similar beat.
It goes to show how long it takes me to record these! Hopefully soon I’ll be good enough to zip right through!
Great point on ‘who don’t like kids’! If I’m right about Tiger Feet then it just goes to show how fresh ‘this town’ was, because it was only released a few months later. It does feel like a great summary of that time.
From "domestic flying" to "interior design", it all makes sense as always, Paul! Amazing to consider how consistent their approach and modus operandi has been at heart, despite applying these core values to a million different genres over the decades. Whether synthpop or glamrock or disco or avant-garde, the most important thing about Sparks is that a Ron song is always a Ron song, Russell's vocals are always Russell's vocals.
I’m so glad you picked up on that “domestic flying” and “interior design” link. I don’t think I did a good job of explaining this verse in the video because I’d need to go off on a whole tangent about homes and creativity. My next vid (I think) is My Baby’s Taking Me Home so I’ll be revisiting this line :). I couldn’t agree more with what you say about the consistency of what Sparks do, despite their work covering so many bases.
Great as always Paul. Always so interesting to hear your insights which always inspire a new appreciation for the songs, lyrics and Ron's genius.
Thanks so much!
Hello Paul. New subscriber here. Thank you for your effort to analyse this intriguing song. The reason that Sparks, and in particular this song, resonate with me is that they make music that is not mainstream. This works well for me as an autistic. Thinking in layers and out of the box works for me.
Thanks! I think Sparks’ music works well for people on the spectrum, myself included. I don’t want to speculate too much but I think Ron might be on the spectrum too, or at least has a sympathetic worldview. I’m really glad you enjoyed this, and I’ve got a video that covers all of Kimono if that’s of interest to you. Thanks for watching 🙏
So glad you've done a video on This Town. It's such a great song that I never get bored of listening to it. But now I have another angle from which I can view it. Thanks for this and I look forward to the next episode.
Thanks! Speaking of ‘This Town’ and how it never gets boring, I had to listen to it over-and-over making this video and every moment of it still gives me a buzz. It’s the perfect pop song.
@MetaSparks I couldn't agree more. But I do sometimes wonder how they are able to perform it in every live show they do and still make it look and sound like it's new and fresh to them.
@@stefanlacny814 I know! They love it even more than we do I’m sure!
Enjoyed your theories on this song.look forward to the next one.
Thanks! Hopefully I can get the next one out quite quickly.
Another great episode, my favourite so far. Keep up the good work.
Thanks so much!
@@MetaSparks No problem, look forward to the next episode.
Its been so great to see your production quality keep getting better. Keep it up man!
Thanks! I’m really enjoying that side of it and really appreciate the compliment. I still have a long way to go but that’s part of the fun ☺️
Another great video, with or without the haircut and black eye.. I look forward to seeing the next one. Thank you.
Haha! I go through so many changes of appearance in these - you’ll be able to see me ageing in realtime soon! Thanks for watching :)
Absolutely mesmerising! Your analysis is fantastic and I'm sure you have nailed it.
Thanks 🙏. Every time I put one of these out I’m worried about people thinking it’s a waste of time so that really means a lot :)
Another brilliant episode Paul. Fascinating. Like many other fans, I've been obsessed with Sparks since I first heard this song all those years ago. My son is called Russell btw. Please keep giving us these videos as they are so interesting.
Thank you so much. I love putting these together. They’re a lot of work but worth it for comments like this. This Town was that got me onto the Sparks train too, with a repeat of that classic TOTP performance. What a performance!
That was awesome! Again, I think your theories are dead on. We just need to find Ron and get him to confess to all this, would he admit that and say, "darn it, this Paul guy just spilled all the beans, he's on to me!"? 😉😂
Thanks Morris! I’d love to know what (if anything) I’ve got right on this, and where I’ve missed the mark. I’d love to hear R&R talk in detail about their writing - maybe one day!
Wonderful video, yet again, Paul. I love the way you call Ron's songwriting his superpower. I wonder if you also gave consideration to his love of caffeine, fueling up with it at the café every morning, and then sipping Mountain Dew throughout the workday. Remember the FFS song Things I Won't Get:
But when I see you lying by my side
Looking extra keen
I'm in a state where I, I don't mind
Just you and me and caffeine
Is his muse the person beside him in bed, something in the zeitgeist, or the caffeine itself? Is "you and me and caffeine" a love triangle?
It would be very interesting to see the movie clichés that they did not use for This Town, opting instead for sticking with the Western movie cliche throughout.
I love the way that Russell sings one of their very best lines of all time, "They need their protein just like you do," sounding kind of like a scolding Shirley Temple. Just another example of his "mid-Atlantic" accent, the equivalent of Ron's facial poses aping old movies.
This Town certainly is defiant and confident, though Ron said they "should" have been afraid about having no material. I guess that's where having a superpower comes in handy!
I love your videos. Thanks so much for making them.
Another great insight as usual Paul. “Now was the verse Choosing, the girl is choosing
Between the man who's well-to-do and the man who is you
Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat
There is a panic-selling jamboree
Now he's a liability left off the original song or added to the Plagiarism version which to me says the whole song refers to a romance 🤔
Hey thanks Mike :). I do have a theory on that verse and was tempted to include it, but it would have added five or ten minutes to the runtime. My idea is that in the early days of Island-era Sparks there was competition between band mates to get their ideas onto Kimono, with Martin Gordon even saying that he asked for one of his songs to be included in the live set. I recently covered ‘Marry Me’ and made a similar point, where the English band mates were encouraged to contribute creatively but it wasn’t at all certain where the line was drawn, leading to some tension. So in this verse, the man who’s well to do is an English band mate who is hoping to change the direction of a song, so the creative muse has to “choose” between the “we’ll-to-do” band mate and Ron. A jamboree is when different groups of scouts (often international) meet up, which is akin to the English and US factions of Sparks coming together, and the panic selling is the fight for their song ideas (before it was clear that Sparks is no democracy). Therefore the band mate is now a liability. I absolutely love that verse by the way - “a panic selling jamboree” is such a funny line!
@@MetaSparksbrilliant analogy of the verse - both make sense - Sparks must be the only band who write about their own working lives past present and future and make it sound like something else - gets the listener thinking 💙
I have this idea that the 20 cannibals may be the people behind the scenes at the record label, who are also getting something out of whatever Sparks put out. Expecting something. Feeling the anxiety that can bring. What do you think, Paul? Another great video, by the way! 🎉
I like that a lot! It makes a lot of sense. I really like that Ron write “20 cannibals HAVE hold of you” not “grab hold” or “take hold”, and that fits your interpretation, like they’re in control.
@@MetaSparks Thank you!
Good to see you again Paul
Yeah I agree!
😋
Is TH-cam big enough for both of you ?
Oh wait, there’s only one meta sparks !
😉
Thanks! I sometimes wish there was more than one MetaSparks because there are so many songs to get through!
@@MetaSparks I some how doubt this
You love what you do and it shows
🙏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
nice work, sir. I thought you glossed over the cannibals verse a little...Ron expressing his concerns about the leeches that feed off of the work of the creative artist? But he needs them too.
Interestingly (to me at least), the actual title of the song is only sung once in the song (in the second verse).
That’s exactly the kind of thing I love! It’s the same as the album ‘No.1 in Heaven’ featuring ‘The Number One Song In Heaven’. The quirky little details are satisfying.
@@MetaSparks They are indeed. They are so easily missed but are there if you look hard enough. Sparks are always well worth the extra effort of course.
I think this song especially the singing melody part could be from a musical. Its souns kinda unfinished after singing part. So instead they choosing guitar play instead of extending the melody of the song. Cant explain better in English.
Apropos of nothing. Just listening to Big Beat tonight for the first time in years. Always thought that “Throw Her Away…” was a faux misogynistic stab at the punk movement at the time. But if your overarching theme about Ron’s lyrics is correct (and you’ve thoroughly convinced me of that), then the song is about tossing out one muse after another as they switched genres.
Thanks for sharing this, it’s how I see it too, and it feels right that it’s more than than just comedy misogyny. It could even be about throwing away the old band. It reminds me of ‘young girls’, which gives you every reason to hate the lyrics, but can also be about songwriting aimed young girls, which is far more like wholesome Sparks we know and love 😁
Yes but it was a real zoo.
That’s nice and cryptic! My thinking is that the Zoo is when Ron is in the busy hussle and bustle of daily life putting Kimono together, and this interpretation fits well when applied to both ‘This Town…’ and ‘at home, at work, at play’. I’d love any thoughts you’ve got on these lyrics or music.
I have a question - later versions of the song restored a verse that was chopped out of the original - “chosing, the girl is chosing between the man who’s well-to-do and the man who is you”. Did this ever make it to the rehersal rooms? The reason i ask is because i think it might be about you!
@@MetaSparks You think it was about me?!? I always thought it was about you!!
Maybe you, maybe Adrian Fisher, or maybe it’s just a product of my imagination. My theory about Ron’s songwriting is that it’s always allegorical and always about its own creative process, so “the man who’s well-to-do” could be yourself. If you and the other UK Sparks members were proposing ideas for these songs, and Ron personifies his creativity as a love interest, then she is “choosing” between Ron and the well-to-do band mate. Regardless of what I’m writing here, it’s a pleasure to hear from you, and thanks for making one of the greatest albums ever!
Thanks, geezer. I think one of your three solutions is certainly correct...
@@RadiantFutureRecords ladies and gentlemen radiantfuturerecords is the bass player martin gordon. he's in 2 of my favorite groups, sparks and jet (not the australian group). great musician, and nice guy.
I prefer Number One Song...
Good job, because I have a video on that too. Hope you enjoy it: th-cam.com/video/Wcx1MpfgqEo/w-d-xo.html