Sparks are an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 197… Read Full Bio ↴Sparks are an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by brothers Ron Mael (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals), initially under the name Halfnelson. Best known for their quirky approach to song writing, Sparks' music is often accompanied by cutting and acerbic lyrics, and an idiosyncratic stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell's wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's sedentary scowling.

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.

Garbo Sings
Sparks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Ingmar Bergman]:
I'm waiting
I'm waiting
I'm waiting
I'm waiting

I'm not alone on the beach
A statuesque woman is walking towards me

I recognize her
I don't know if this is really Greta Garbo any more than I know
That this is really Hollywood

(To the woman) "If it's not too personal of a question,
Are you really Greta Garbo?"

[Greta Garbo]:
I'm going to turn you 'round
And I won't let you down
I'm going to turn you 'round, and I won't let you down,
And I won't let you down

I'm here to guide you home
To somewhere monochrome
But somewhere you will be
A certain kind of free
Dear Ingmar, follow me

You know that you'd be lost without me
You know that you'd be lost without me
You know that you'd be lost without me

Don't question me tonight
You really look a sight
But soon you'll have the chance
To give the Bergman glance
To Swedish girls again
A little ways away
A motion picture plays
A film I made when I
Was under Swedish skies
A rising Swedish star
A rising Swedish star

There is a small movie theater near here that is playing the film
That transformed me and I know it will transform you.Will you be
My date, dear Ingmar, to see The Story of Gosta Berling, the
Swedish film that made me a star? I think you will find it
Powerful and in ways you might not imagine. Let's walk.
The movie theater isn't very far.

You know that you'd be lost without me

You know that you'd be lost without me
You know that you'd be lost without me.

Overall Meaning

The Sparks song Garbo Sings depicts a conversation between filmmaker Ingmar Bergman and actress Greta Garbo, in which Garbo appears to be leading Bergman on a journey that will ultimately result in his artistic and personal transformation. Bergman is waiting on the beach in doubt, but Garbo offers to guide him "home," to a place where he can be "certain kind of free." She invites him to watch the film that made her a star, assuring him that it "will transform you." Garbo, who has been recognized by Bergman, seems to feel an affectionate connection to him, addressing him as "dear Ingmar." At the same time, she is authoritative and even domineering, telling Bergman not to question her and telling him, "you know that you'd be lost without me."

The song has a nostalgic quality, both in the imagery that it evokes and in its musical style. The setting -- a beach on the coast of southern California -- is a nod to the time when Greta Garbo emigrated there in 1951 and lived a reclusive life until her death in 1990. The reference to Ingmar Bergman's Story of Gosta Berling, a silent epic made in 1924, also suggests a yearning for the past. Sparks' use of a retro style of rock in this song evokes the world of Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s, which is the era when Greta Garbo was at the height of her fame.

Overall, this song is about Hollywood and its seductive power, as well as the ways in which film can transport us to other places and times. It also speaks to the idea that art can have a transformative effect on those who experience it, and that it is important to look back on the films of the past in order to fully appreciate the present.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm waiting
Ingmar Bergman is waiting on the beach

I'm not alone on the beach
There is a statuesque woman walking towards Ingmar on the beach

I recognize her
Ingmar recognizes the woman but is unsure if she is really Greta Garbo

If it's not too personal of a question, Are you really Greta Garbo?
Ingmar asks the woman if she really is Greta Garbo

I'm going to turn you 'round And I won't let you down I'm going to turn you 'round, and I won't let you down, And I won't let you down
Greta Garbo promises to guide Ingmar and not let him down

I'm here to guide you home To somewhere monochrome But somewhere you will be A certain kind of free Dear Ingmar, follow me
Greta Garbo promises to guide Ingmar to a place where he will be free, and asks him to follow her

You know that you'd be lost without me You know that you'd be lost without me You know that you'd be lost without me
Greta Garbo reminds Ingmar that he needs her

Don't question me tonight You really look a sight But soon you'll have the chance To give the Bergman glance To Swedish girls again A little ways away A motion picture plays A film I made when I Was under Swedish skies A rising Swedish star A rising Swedish star
Greta Garbo asks Ingmar to trust her and that he will soon have the chance to see Swedish girls again at a nearby theater where her film made her a star

There is a small movie theater near here that is playing the film That transformed me and I know it will transform you.Will you be My date, dear Ingmar, to see The Story of Gosta Berling, the Swedish film that made me a star? I think you will find it Powerful and in ways you might not imagine. Let's walk. The movie theater isn't very far.
Greta Garbo invites Ingmar to accompany her to a nearby theater showing her film that transformed her and will also transform him. She believes he will find it powerful and invites him to walk with her as the theater isn't far

Contributed by Jackson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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