The band's long career has seen them successfully adopt many different musical genres; including glam pop, power pop, electronic dance music and mainstream pop. Despite these many styles, a recognizable "Sparks sound" remains throughout, and they have enjoyed a large cult following since their first releases. Sparks have been highly influential on the development of popular music, in particular on the late 1970s scene, when in collaboration with Giorgio Moroder (and Telex subsequently), they reinvented themselves as an electronic pop duo, and abandoned the traditional rock band line up. In contrast to the esteem in which they are held by such peers as Depeche Mode, New Order, Morrissey and They Might Be Giants, who all cite Sparks as a major influence, their almost constantly changing styles and unique visual presentations have sometimes seen them dismissed as a novelty act.
The 2002 release of Lil' Beethoven, their self-described "genre-defining opus", and 2006's Hello Young Lovers (their 20th studio album) have brought Sparks renewed critical and commercial success, and seen them continue to "steer clear of pop conventions."
The 2021 documentary film 'The Sparks Brothers', directed by Edgar Wright, has renewed interest in the band for a new audience.
Angst In My Pants
Sparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It'll go away
It's just a passin' phase
It'll go away
You can dress nautical
Learn to tie knots
Take lots of Dramamine
But when you're all alone
And nothing bites
You'll wish you'd stayed at home
With someone nice
But when you think you made it disappear
It comes again, "Hello, I'm here", and
I've got angst in my pants
You can be smart as hell
Know how to add
Know how to figure things
On yellow pads
Answer so no one knows
What you just said
But when you're all alone
You and your head
What's the computer say, it's mumbling now
It says "hey Joe"
It's spelled it out and
"You've got angst in your pants"
"You've got angst in your pants"
But when you think
But when you think you've made it disappear
You're sure you made it disappear
And you've still got angst in your pants
I hope it doesn't show
It'll go away (go away)
It's just a passin' phase
It'll go away (go away)
I hope it doesn't show
It'll go away (go away)
Give it a hundred years
It won't go away
And I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
I've got angst in my pants
The song "Angst In My Pants" by Sparks is about unexplainable feelings of anxiety that seem to come out of nowhere, and persist despite the best efforts to distract oneself from them. The opening lines express a hope that others won't be able to see the angst, and a belief that it will eventually go away. The singer advises trying various distractions to beat the feeling, such as dressing up in sailor clothes, learning knots, taking anti-nausea medication, and going sailing. However, in the end, none of these things can fully quell the angst, which is always there waiting when the distractions fade away.
The singer goes on to detail the ways in which one might try to be smart and avoid feeling vulnerable to the angst, such as being good at math and science or speaking in a way that obscures what one is really feeling. But even these measures don't fully protect from the anxiety that persists despite any efforts to push it aside. The singer knows, from experience, that the angst will never truly disappear and that it is a part of them, something that they can only learn to live with. In some ways, the song is a celebration of the difficulty of understanding oneself, and the way in which we all have hidden parts that we can never fully control or explain.
Line by Line Meaning
I hope it doesn't show
I'm feeling anxious and worried, but I hope nobody can tell
It'll go away
I'm hoping this feeling will pass soon
It's just a passin' phase
I keep telling myself that this is just a temporary thing
You can dress nautical
You can try to distract yourself by dressing up in a maritime theme
Learn to tie knots
Or you can learn a new skill like tying knots
Take lots of Dramamine
Or you can take medication to calm your nerves
Out on your yacht
You can stay busy and active by going out on your boat
But when you're all alone
But when you're by yourself and have no distractions
And nothing bites
And you're left with nothing to do or think about
You'll wish you'd stayed at home
You'll regret not staying home with someone to keep you company
But when you think you made it disappear
When you think you've managed to push away the anxious feeling
It comes again, 'Hello, I'm here', and
It always seems to come back and make its presence known
I've got angst in my pants
I'm feeling anxious and uncomfortable
You can be smart as hell
Even if you're very intelligent and good at problem-solving
Know how to add
And can perform basic math operations
Know how to figure things
And can solve complex problems and puzzles
On yellow pads
Using a notepad to jot down ideas and notes
Answer so no one knows
You can pretend to know the answer even if you don't
What you just said
But when you're alone and reflecting on your own thoughts
You and your head
You can't escape from your thoughts and worries
What's the computer say, it's mumbling now
Even technology seems to be acting erratically and confusing
It says 'hey Joe'
The computer speaks through the text display, using Joe as an intended username
It's spelled it out and
The message is being spelled out on the screen
'You've got angst in your pants'
The message on the screen is identifying the feeling of anxiety that's being experienced
'You've got angst in your pants'
The message on the screen is identifying the feeling of anxiety that's being experienced
But when you think you've made it disappear
When you think you've overcome the anxiety and no longer feel it
You're sure you made it disappear
You're certain that the anxiety has passed and it won't come back
And you've still got angst in your pants
But the feeling of anxiety is still present and hasn't gone away
Give it a hundred years
Even if a long time passes
It won't go away
The feeling of anxiety may never really disappear
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
I've got angst in my pants
I'm still feeling anxious and uncomfortable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ronald D Mael, Russell Craig Mael
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Scheherazade
A great Sparks song.
Philip Kassabian
on Aeroflot
This song is amazing.
Philip Kassabian
on Irreplaceable
Sparks is an absolutely fantastic band.
Philip Kassabian
on It's Educational
An absolutely great Sparks song.
Philip Kassabian
on The Calm Before the Storm
A great and fantastic Sparks song.
Philip Kassabian
on Perfume
A very catchy and great Sparks song.