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.
Gone With The Wind
Sparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, for a buck we could stay here all night
Long live the Confederate plight
It's history, it drags on and on
It wasn't my fault it lasted 'til dawn
Your mammy's got to think like me
It's praised by the academy
So tell her please I'm an innocent lad
I'm telling her
Gone with the wind - there's a lot to be said for it
But I can't think just what
We didn't watch a lot
Gone with the wind - there's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
We didn't catch the plot
But we could mention that the South might rise again.
Cut! Now we want you to fall
Down the stairs without breaking your fall
Using no hands at all
That's fine, now again from the top
And make sure your face is not seen when you drop
So what did you do today?
I fell down the stairs today
For portraying Vivien Leigh they doubled the basic fee
We're telling you, gone with the wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
They don't tell my type the plot
Gone with the wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I couldn't say just what
All I did was bruise a lot
But they mention that the South will rise again
The South will rise again they're saying
But frankly, I don't give a damn
I'm telling you, gone with the wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
Without spoiling the plot
Gone with the wind - there's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
We didn't watch a lot
Gone with the wind - there's a lot to be said for it
But I couldn't say just what
All I did was bruise a lot
Gone with the wind - there's a lot to be said for it
But I couldn't say just what
They don't tell my type the plot
The song "Gone With The Wind" by Sparks is a commentary on the movie "Gone with the Wind" and the enduring legacy of the American Civil War. The lyrics reference the burning of Atlanta and the glorification of the Confederate cause, juxtaposed with the ironic detachment of the singer who claims not to understand the plot of the film. The verse "Your mammy's got to think like me, It's praised by the academy, And she'd rather Gable than your dad, So tell her please I'm an innocent lad" suggests a criticism of the romanticization of the pre-Civil War South and the perpetuation of racial stereotypes.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "There's a lot to be said for it, But I don't know just what" which could be interpreted as a sarcastic jibe at the film's supposed merits. The line "They don't tell my type the plot" could be seen as a statement on the exclusion of people of color from mainstream American narratives. The final line "But frankly, I don't give a damn" is a direct reference to the famous line from the film, spoken by Rhett Butler in response to Scarlett O'Hara's exclamation that she doesn't know what she will do, thus highlighting the apathy of the singer towards the whole debate.
Line by Line Meaning
Burn Atlanta tonight
Let's burn the city of Atlanta tonight.
Hey, for a buck we could stay here all night
We could stay here for the entire night for a mere dollar.
Long live the Confederate plight
Let's give a toast to the cause of the Confederate army.
It's history, it drags on and on.
This event happened a long time ago, and it's always brought up.
It wasn't my fault it lasted 'til dawn
I'm not responsible for this event lasting all night.
Your mammy's got to think like me
Your mother has the same opinion as mine.
It's praised by the academy
The Academy has given recognition or awards to this event.
And she'd rather Gable than your dad
Your mother would choose Clark Gable over your father.
So tell her please I'm an innocent lad
Please tell her that I didn't do anything wrong.
I'm telling her
I'm informing her of something.
Gone with the wind - there's a lot to be said for it
The movie 'Gone with the Wind' has many noteworthy aspects.
But I can't think just what
I can't come up with anything specific.
We didn't watch a lot
We didn't watch the movie in its entirety.
But we could mention that the South might rise again.
However, we could bring up the possibility of the South gaining power again.
Cut! Now we want you to fall
Stop! We want you to fall down now.
Down the stairs without breaking your fall
Fall down the stairs without trying to stop.
Using no hands at all
Don't use your hands to cushion your fall.
That's fine, now again from the top
That's good, let's do it again from the beginning.
And make sure your face is not seen when you drop
Make sure your face isn't visible while you're falling.
So what did you do today?
What did you do today?
I fell down the stairs today
I fell down the stairs today.
For portraying Vivien Leigh they doubled the basic fee
I received twice the normal payment for portraying Vivien Leigh.
We're telling you, gone with the wind
We're talking about 'Gone with the Wind.'
There's a lot to be said for it
There are many positive qualities about it.
But I don't know just what
But I can't think of anything specific.
They don't tell my type the plot
They don't reveal the plot to people like me.
The South will rise again they're saying
They say that the South will gain power again.
But frankly, I don't give a damn
Honestly, I don't care.
But I couldn't say just what
But I'm not sure what specific things I could say.
All I did was bruise a lot
All I ended up with were many bruises.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: 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.