The band formed in Sydney in 2004 and were originally known as The Spark. The brainchild of Alex Burnett (vocals, guitar) and Dave Hall (drums), Sparkadia became a reality with the addition of Nick Rabone (bass) and Josephine Ayling (keyboards, guitar, vocals) in 2006.
They first came into prominence in Australia with their debut EP titled Things Behind the Sun. The EP was released in Australia on 20 February 2007; with the lead single "Morning Light" being the #1 most downloaded track off Australian national broadcasters Triple J's website with 32,000 downloads in two months. This was followed by extensive Australian touring and led to signing with UK label Ark Recordings.
With a line-up change in 2008 with Tiffany Preece replacing Josephine Ayling, Sparkadia released their debut studio album Postcards on 31 May 2008. The album was recorded with producer Ben Hillier (Blur, Depeche Mode, Doves, Elbow etc.) at Miloco Studios, London. The album peaked at #23 on the ARIA albums chart.
The debut single off the album Animals was The Guardian's single of the week and received rotation on BBC Radio One. This was followed by the release of the singles "Too Much to Do", "Jealousy" and "Morning Light".
Subsequent single "Too Much to Do" was B listed by Radio 2, played by everyone from Colin Murray to Terry Wogan, and earned accolades from Mojo, Q4 Music and The Guardian. All four singles received airplay on Australian radio station Triple J. In January 2009 Sparkadia's hit Jealousy was number 79 in the triple j Hottest 100 of 2008.
The singles "Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs" (10 September 2010) and "China" (27 January 2011) were released in Australia and "Mary" (14 February 2011) was released in the UK ahead of the album "The Great Impression" (18 March 2011). The Great Impression debuted at no. 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart and at no. 1 on the ARIA Australian Artist Albums Chart. Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs came in at number 24 in the triple j Hottest 100 of 2010.
In 2011, Burnett made a new name for himself with the release of Sparkadia’s The Great Impression on OK!Good Records. The 12 track debut album showcases Burnett’s great skill in songwriting, with definite influence from 80s pop groups. Stylistically, The Great Impression combines retro elements and sprawling, anthemic choruses with evocative lyrics to form a bold work that is heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. “I wanted to write big songs”, says Burnett. “I wanted to go there on The Great Impression and see what would happen. It felt right.” Already a big chart success in his native Australia and growing in popularity in the UK, The Great Impression is all set to make just that on US audiences as well.
http://okgoodrecords.com
Too Much To Do
Sparkadia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I wish I had the time
To get through to you
But all I can do is give you some space
To chase someone else
To be the sun sitting in your little sky
Too much to do
Walking past your place the other day
I wish that I could stay
For a little while
Oh no 'cos there's places to go
And people to see
Time runs away so easily
It never waits for me
Too much to do
And there's not enough time, not enough time
I told her all of this too late
She looked me up and down
And turned to walk away
In time we'll know that it's best we both go
Before the night becomes the day
And there's nothing more to say
In the first verse of Sparkadia's song "Too Much to Do," the singer expresses a longing to have more time for someone they care about. Despite hearing that this person is doing well, the singer feels there is more they could do to connect with them. However, given the chaos and demands of life, all they can offer is space for this person to pursue other interests and relationships. The singer acknowledges that this person is important to them and likens them to being the "sun sitting in your little sky."
In the second verse, the singer reflects on a recent visit to this person's place and how they wished they could have stayed longer. However, the singer recognizes that there are other obligations and responsibilities that need their attention. Time seems to slip away quickly, and the singer feels like they are always playing catch up.
In the final verse, the singer ruefully admits that they might have missed their chance to act on their feelings for this person and that it's best for them to move on. Before the night turns into day, they both need to leave, and there is nothing more to say. The song is a poignant lament about the struggle to balance our emotional desires with the demands of daily life, and the sense of regret that can accompany missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
They tell me that you're doing fine
Despite what they say to me, I am concerned about your wellbeing
But I wish I had the time to get through to you
I wish I had the chance to talk to you and help you, but my schedule is too busy
But all I can do is give you some space
Instead of being able to help you, the only thing I can do is leave you alone for now
To chase someone else
You are pursuing someone else instead of me
To be the sun sitting in your little sky
You have someone else in the center of your world, and I am not that person
Too much to do
I am extremely busy and have many things to get done
And there's not enough time, not enough time
Despite my busyness, I do not have enough time to accomplish everything
Walking past your place the other day
Recently I was walking by your home
I wish that I could stay for a little while
I wanted to take some time to spend with you
Oh no 'cos there's places to go
However, I cannot stay because I have other commitments elsewhere
And people to see
I also have to interact with other people
Time runs away so easily
Time passes too quickly and it seems there is never enough
It never waits for me
Time will not pause for me to catch up or complete tasks
I told her all of this too late
I communicated my feelings to her after it was too late to change anything
She looked me up and down and turned to walk away
Her reaction was not what I hoped, as she disregarded me and walked away
In time we'll know that it's best we both go
Eventually, we will both realize that it's best if we part ways
Before the night becomes the day
Before too much time passes and it is too late to make changes
And there's nothing more to say
Once we separate, there will be no reason to continue discussion or communication
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sudharsan S R
They tell me that you're doing fine
But I wish I had the time
To get through to you
But all I can do is give you some space
To chase someone else
To be the sun sitting in your little sky
Too much to do
And there's not enough time, not enough time
Walking past your place the other day
I wish that I could stay
For a little while
Oh no 'cos there's places to go
And people to see
Time runs away so easily
It never waits for me
Too much to do
And there's not enough time, not enough time
I told her all of this too late
She looked me up and down
And turned to walk away
In time we'll know that it's best we both go
Before the night becomes the day
And there's nothing more to say
Sudharsan S R
They tell me that you're doing fine
But I wish I had the time
To get through to you
But all I can do is give you some space
To chase someone else
To be the sun sitting in your little sky
Too much to do
And there's not enough time, not enough time
Walking past your place the other day
I wish that I could stay
For a little while
Oh no 'cos there's places to go
And people to see
Time runs away so easily
It never waits for me
Too much to do
And there's not enough time, not enough time
I told her all of this too late
She looked me up and down
And turned to walk away
In time we'll know that it's best we both go
Before the night becomes the day
And there's nothing more to say
B Teoh
These guys are fantastic live. Very nice bunch too, met them when they were playing in melb. talent + great album + top blokes/gal = they deserve success :)
Matt Douglas
No comments for 6 years 😱 have always loved this song 👍🏻
harpersneil
My friend was smart enough to buy their album, and I can assure all that's brilliant. 'Jealousy' is another highlight, but it's genuinely an album where you find yourself listening to from start to finish without skipping any bad tracks! A rarity! And Australian too! Love it, nice work boys and girls! :)
TheGallantGentry
Thanks, Pandora. I found a new favorite song! This is just my type of sound!
Elaine Smith
IM LOVING HIS VOICE
Tanner Efinger
so freaking amazing! tiff is a hot, talented wonder zone!!
WankerSmurf
Awesome track. Can't stop singing it. AMAZING!!! Not too sure about the video tho. Came on desperate to see the clip after hearing the song on the js. Gets repetitive and boring pretty quickly. This track deserves a better video. Looking forward to the next Sparkadia song (and hopefully a better video).
klaus2guck2raus
this song...makes me dream!
senojnomis
so catchy had this in my head for like a week... exam week...