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.
Instant Weight Loss
Sparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't play that riff
Don't play that riff
That takes me back
Instant weight loss
There was a girl why
She called me Fats
Instant weight loss
One night, one steamy night
I'd lose a kilo each hour
In ten nights, ten steamy nights
And figure a kilo each hour
Instant weight loss
Then came this guy
Some foreign name
Had chubby hands
Wore lots of chains
Instant weight loss
That's it
What's done is done
Erase the past if you can
With ice cream, with coconut pie
In less than a week I'd undone
Instant weight loss
Don't play that riff
She sang that riff
All through the night
It's coming back
I've gained an ounce
I've gained a pound
Another pound
I've gained a ton
So last July
This girl pulls up
Blonde hair, so what
She says "hey Fats"
Instant weight loss
The lyrics of Sparks's song Instant Weight Loss are interesting because they are highly ironic. The song is about instant weight loss, but instead of promoting a healthy lifestyle, it mockingly suggests that losing weight can be achieved through unhealthy means such as indulging in ice cream and coconut pie. The first verse starts with the line "Don't play that riff", which is repeated several times throughout the song. This line refers to a musical riff that takes the singer back to a time when they were overweight, suggesting that there are certain triggers that can lead to weight gain. The repetition of this line creates a sense of urgency and desperation, as if the singer is trying to avoid returning to their previous weight.
The second verse tells the story of a girl who called the singer "Fats". However, in one steamy night, the singer claims to have lost a kilo each hour, resulting in instant weight loss. This suggests that the singer engaged in some sort of intense physical activity, perhaps a passion-filled night of love-making. The third verse introduces another character, a guy with a foreign name and chubby hands who wore lots of chains. Once again, the singer claims to have achieved instant weight loss after encountering this person, although it is unclear how this happened.
The final verse introduces a blonde girl who pulls up and calls the singer "Fats". However, this time, the singer experiences instant weight loss simply by being addressed in this way. The song ends with a repetition of the line "Don't play that riff", suggesting that the singer is once again trying to avoid being triggered into gaining weight.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't play that riff
Stop bringing up negative memories
That takes me back
That makes me think of unpleasant experiences
Instant weight loss
A relief from emotional baggage or physical weight gain
There was a girl why
There was a girl who
She called me Fats
She used to insult me based on my physique
But in one night
But in one instance
One night, one steamy night
One romantic night
I'd lose a kilo each hour
I would lose weight very fast
In ten nights, ten steamy nights
In ten romantic nights
And figure a kilo each hour
And calculate a weight loss of one kilogram per hour
Then came this guy
Then this man appeared
Some foreign name
A name from a foreign country
Had chubby hands
Had fat hands
Wore lots of chains
Wore a lot of jewelry
That's it
That's all
What's done is done
The past is unchangeable
Erase the past if you can
Forget about past events if possible
With ice cream, with coconut pie
By indulging in comforting foods
In less than a week I'd undone
I lost all the progress I had made before in less than a week
She sang that riff
She constantly reminds me of the bad memories
It's coming back
I am being reminded of the past experiences again
I've gained an ounce
I've gained a little bit of weight
I've gained a pound
I've gained a considerable amount of weight
Another pound
An additional amount of weight gain
I've gained a ton
I've gained a lot of weight in a short period of time
So last July
In July of last year
This girl pulls up
This girl comes over
Blonde hair, so what
She has blonde hair but it doesn't matter
She says "hey Fats"
She calls me by the name that used to make me feel bad about my weight
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.