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.
Music That You Can Dance To
Sparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That and that alone is enough for me
Stark naked modern music
Hotter than your momma will ever be
Music that you can dance to
Cracks you like a whip but it feels so right
Outside the world is colder
So what's it gonna be
A symphony tonight
Perhaps a little jazz
All I want to hear everyday, every night is
Music that you can dance to
Every single beat where it ought to be
Lip smacking good, good music
That and that alone is enough for me
So what's it gonna be
A symphony tonight
Perhaps a little jazz
I gotta, gotta move, to the beat to the beat tonight
Get up dear
Get up and try
Get up dear
Get up and fly
Get up hon
You're the one
Get up hon
Son of a gun
Shake it dear
Don't be shy
Shake it dear
Right in my eye
Shut up dear
Don't be weird
Get up dear
The boys are here
Music that you can dance to
Get yourself in tune with the real McCoy
No heavy message baby
Just the perfect blending of sex and noise
Get up dear
Get up and try
Get up dear
Get up and fly
Get up hon
You're the one
Get up hon
Son of a gun
Shake it dear
Don't be shy
Shake it dear
Right in my eye
Shut up dear
Don't be weird
Get out of here
The police are here
Music that you can dance to
That and that alone is enough for me
Stark naked modern music
Hotter than your momma will ever be
"Music That You Can Dance To" is a song by American rock band Sparks, released in 1986. The song is about the love of dancing to music and how that's all the singer needs in life. He describes the music as "stark naked modern music" that's "hotter than your momma will ever be.”
The song has an upbeat and catchy tune designed to get listeners dancing. The lyrics talk about how music that you can dance to is all that matters and how it can provide an escape from the cold, harsh outside world. The song also mentions various genres of music, including symphonies and jazz, but the most important thing is that it has a good beat.
Sparks are known for their quirky and unusual lyrics, and "Music That You Can Dance To" is no exception. The song has a humorous tone, and the lyrics playfully mock musical genres while celebrating the joy of dancing. The lines "Just the perfect blending of sex and noise" appear to allude to the intersection of rhythm and sexuality.
Line by Line Meaning
Music that you can dance to
The song only needs to have a good beat that makes you want to dance
That and that alone is enough for me
A great beat without any heavy message is all that is needed
Stark naked modern music
The music is modern and stripped down, without any unnecessary elements
Hotter than your momma will ever be
The beat is so intense and catchy that it's sexier than anything else out there
Cracks you like a whip but it feels so right
The beat is strong and can be overwhelming, but it feels amazing to dance to
Outside the world is colder
The world outside the music is harsh and unforgiving
Every single night it's another fight
Every night is a struggle, but the music makes it worth it
A symphony tonight
Maybe tonight's music will be more classical
Perhaps a little jazz
Or maybe some jazz will be played
All I want to hear everyday, every night is
No matter what style, all that's important is that it's a danceable beat
Every single beat where it ought to be
The rhythm is perfect and every beat hits at the right moment
Lip smacking good, good music
The music is so tasty and satisfying
Get yourself in tune with the real McCoy
Join in with the authentic and genuine music
No heavy message baby
There's no deep or profound message to this music
Just the perfect blending of sex and noise
This is just the perfect combination of catchy beats and sensuality
Get up dear, get up and try
Encouraging someone to dance and join in on the beat
Get up hon, you're the one
Telling someone that they can dance and should feel confident in themselves
Son of a gun
An expression of shock or excitement, indicating the music is exceptional
Shake it dear, right in my eye
Urging someone to move their body and really let themselves go
Shut up dear, don't be weird
Telling someone to be quiet and not be strange or awkward about dancing
Get out of here, the police are here
A playful reference to the music being so loud it might attract unwanted attention
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RON MAEL, RUSSELL MAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anna Backman
As Edgar Wright put it in his documentary on Sparks "Your favorite band's favorite band"!
Sparks has influenced so many other artists, and people have no idea. They here something from a young artist today, and say he/she certainly listened to this and that band from 90s, when THOSE bands ripped it from a couple of 80s Sparks songs.
Watch the documentary as soon as you have a chance! Out in theaters in the USA June 18! (2021)
Take a look at the trailer on YT, 'The Sparks Brothers' / Edgar Wright.
Also take a look at the trailer for the musical movie 'ANNETTE', original story, lyrics and music by Sparks, directed by Leos Carax, staring Adam Driver and Marion Cottilard. It will open the Cannes Film Festival on July 6.
As that wasn't enough, the youngest 70+ brothers ever are working on their 26th album...
You just gotta love them!
(Ron Mael, keyboard, programing, lyrics, main songwriter: born August 12, 1945. Los Angeles, Ca.
Russell Mael, vocals, music, mixing etc: born October 5, 1948. Los Angeles, Ca.)
AdamG1983
A song that takes the piss out of dance music but it's an actual banger
Only Sparks
Dan Harwood
If you watch The Sparks Brothers documentary you'll see that this was more in response to Music Industry mogul advising them what to write and not an attack on Dance Music. You'll see throughout their existence they've made many dance tracks.
Rodrigo Valero Sancho
They have a lot of dance music in their discography.
GT Marmot
It's far from clear that this song takes the piss out of dance music.
twisted view labs
Sparks were trolling before it was a real thing.
Anna Backman
The problem is that most people are either too lazy to pay attention to the lyrics, or too dumb to get irony. 🙄
Scotty Nelson
i have always loved this song since it came out back in 85 and i got it on some cassettee mix. NO ONE i have ever spoke to knew this song.. glad there are others out there that know this song (btw - its been in my workout mix for YEARS)
twisted view labs
I didn't get to hear it until late 1986. Didn't realize it was Sparks until 10 years later when I heard Richard Blade call it out during Flashback Lunch. I was working at the Disney Channel (in the mailroom) which was maybe a 5 minute walk from where KROQ was housed at the time. The reason I was a year late hearing it was because the year I lived with my biological "dad" (read: donor), he forbid me from listening to anything that wasn't non-secular.
DeAnna Savory
My sister and I put this song on every mixed tape we made. Lol
Steven Gatewood
I got this album when it first came out. Played it all the time.