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.
Confusion
Sparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hope it's all the same as then
I'm going back to see my girl
I hope it's all the same as then
Confusion, pardon the intrusion
This must not be the room I was in the other night
The number's the same as then
The color's the same as then
But something just isn't really right
Retrace your steps and see what happens, happens
Right from the doorway to your home
Back to your lonely room with
Only confusion
Was that her (yes, yes it was)
Was that him (yeah, yeah it was)
The girl was familiar but he wasn't me, no
Confusion, you think you know where you stand
But you're not even standing, you're flat on shaky ground
No clue then, and everything you knew then
Was only true in specialized cases, yes, in specialized cases
But in your case it wasn't true at all
Retrace your steps and see what happens, happens
Back to the day when you were born
Father and mother were just pictures, photos
The color was (the same as yours)
The surname (same as yours)
But you got the feeling, the feeling,
The feeling
Confusion, la tati
Confusion, oh pardon me
Confusion, la tati
It's lovely sitting next to you
There's no one within miles of you
It's lovely sitting next to you
There's no one within miles of you
Confusion, you think you know where you stand
But you're not even standing, you're flat on shaky ground
No clue then, and everything you knew then
Was only true in specialized cases, yes,
In specialized cases
But in your case, in your case
It wasn't the case, not at all
The lyrics to Sparks's song Confusion highlight the feeling of uncertainty that comes with returning to a place you once knew well but may no longer be the same. The opening lines imply that the singer is going back to see his girl, hoping that everything is the same as it was before. However, as the lyrics continue, it becomes clear that something is off. The lines "Confusion, pardon the intrusion / This must not be the room I was in the other night" suggest that the room he's in may look the same, but it doesn't feel the same.
As the song progresses, the lyrics dive deeper into the theme of confusion. The lines "Confusion, an optical illusion, you see, you see / The number's the same as then / The color's the same as then / But something just isn't really right" emphasize that sometimes things may look the same, but they aren't. Even the people he encounters aren't who he thinks they are. The lines "Was that her (yes, yes it was) / Was that him (yeah, yeah it was) / The girl was familiar but he wasn't me, no" further reinforce the idea of confusion.
The song ends on a note of uncertainty, with the lines "Confusion, you think you know where you stand / But you're not even standing, you're flat on shaky ground / No clue then, and everything you knew then / Was only true in specialized cases." The lyrics suggest that even the things we believe to be true may not actually be accurate, and it all adds to the feelings of confusion and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going back to see my girl
The singer is returning to visit his girlfriend
I hope it's all the same as then
He wishes that everything will still be as he remembers
Confusion, pardon the intrusion
The singer acknowledges his confusion and apologizes for intruding
This must not be the room I was in the other night
He realizes that the room is not the same one he was in before
Confusion, an optical illusion, you see, you see
He realizes that what he sees is deceiving him, and that he is experiencing an optical illusion
The number's the same as then
The room number matches the one he remembers
The color's the same as then
The room's color is still the same
But something just isn't really right
Despite everything seeming the same, something feels off
Retrace your steps and see what happens, happens
He advises himself to go back and retrace his steps to try and figure out what is happening
Right from the doorway to your home
He should revisit every location he remembers visiting
Back to your lonely room with only confusion
He will return to his own room which is now filled only with confusion
Was that her (yes, yes it was)
Was that him (yeah, yeah it was)
He's unsure if he saw his girlfriend and someone else, but finally realizes he did
The girl was familiar but he wasn't me, no
He recognizes the girl but another man is with her, not him
Confusion, you think you know where you stand
He is realizing that he thought he knew where he was before, but now he's unsure
But you're not even standing, you're flat on shaky ground
He is unsure of his situation now, and feels like he is on shaky ground
No clue then, and everything you knew then
Was only true in specialized cases, yes, in specialized cases
But in your case it wasn't true at all
Everything he thought he knew was only true in certain cases, but not in his case
Back to the day when you were born
He advises himself to go back to the beginning and start again
Father and mother were just pictures, photos
The color was (the same as yours)
The surname (same as yours)
He is thinking back to his parents, but now they feel like they are just pictures, and not real people
But you got the feeling, the feeling,
The feeling
Despite the confusion, he still has a sense or feeling about his situation
Confusion, la tati
Just a nonsensical phrase or word the artist uses, perhaps to represent his state of confusion
Confusion, oh pardon me
Another example of the artist apologizing for his confusion
It's lovely sitting next to you
There's no one within miles of you
He enjoys being near someone when there is no one else around
No clue then, and everything you knew then
Was only true in specialized cases, yes,
In specialized cases
But in your case, in your case
It wasn't the case, not at all
Reiterated again, he realizes that what he thought was true before, is not true for him now
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RONALD D 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.