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.
Scheherazade
Sparks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Others begged, crying "save me"
Wasted words, hatred tore me
Scheherazade, tell me stories
Ships at sea, all imagined
Bravery, all imagined
Scheherazade, who's behind this?
Scheherazade, there's a sameness
To the world in its plainness
But your worlds are on fire
Filled with lust
Filled with liars
Once upon a time
Very, very long ago
Once upon a time
Very, very far away
All I want are illusions
Scheherazade, no conclusions
Every night, entertain me
No repeats, entertain me
Ships at sea, all imagined
Bravery, all imagined
Bloodless blood, colorblindness
Scheherazade, you're behind this
Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Scheherazade
I won't kill you
The lyrics to Sparks's song Scheherazade seem to be primarily focused on the titular character. Scheherazade is known as the storyteller from One Thousand and One Nights, where she used her stories to keep herself alive. The song's first verse talks about how Scheherazade has enslaved the singer, with others begging her to save them. The second verse talks about the sameness of the world and its plainness, but Scheherazade's stories are different. Her worlds are on fire and filled with lust and liars. The chorus repeats the singer's desire to be entertained and have his illusions kept alive by Scheherazade.
The themes in this song are interesting, as they deal with the power of storytelling and escapism that one can experience through it. Scheherazade's stories transport the listener to a different place and time, allowing them to forget their present difficulties. The lyrics also mention bloodless blood and colorblindness, which seems to be a reference to how stories can make one forget about the harsh realities of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Scheherazade, you enslave me
The singer feels captivated and trapped by Scheherazade's storytelling abilities.
Others begged, crying 'save me'
Other people plead for help, but the singer is mesmerized by Scheherazade's tales.
Wasted words, hatred tore me
The singer recognizes the destructiveness of negative language and tone.
Scheherazade, tell me stories
The singer can't get enough of Scheherazade's storytelling and craves more.
Ships at sea, all imagined
The images Scheherazade conjures in her tales are imaginary and not reality.
Bravery, all imagined
The bravery displayed in Scheherazade's tales is not necessarily real.
Bloodless blood, colorblindness
The violent scenes in her stories lack real blood and exhibit a lack of distinction between different races.
Scheherazade, who's behind this?
The singer wonders who is responsible for creating these captivating stories.
Scheherazade, there's a sameness
Despite the wild variety of stories, there is a sense of similarity that ties them all together.
To the world in its plainness
Compared to the world outside, Scheherazade's tales are much more interesting and complex.
But your worlds are on fire
The intense passion and lust that burns within each tale is undeniable.
Filled with lust
The tales Scheherazade tells are incredibly passionate and filled with sexual desires.
Filled with liars
The characters in Scheherazade's tales often deceive each other and bring about chaos.
Once upon a time, very, very long ago
Scheherazade's stories are often set in the distant past and ancient times.
Once upon a time, very, very far away
Her tales are also set in faraway lands with exotic locations and cultures.
All I want are illusions
The singer desires the imaginative and unreal worlds that Scheherazade describes.
Scheherazade, no conclusions
The storyteller leaves an open-ended conclusion to her tales, making the listener always want more.
Every night, entertain me
The singer seeks to be entertained and enthralled by Scheherazade's narrative magic every night.
No repeats, entertain me
The singer wants Scheherazade to create brand new stories every night, rather than recycling old ones.
Scheherazade, you're behind this
The singer attributes the creation of these captivating stories to Scheherazade's creativity and imagination.
Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Scheherazade, Scheherazade
Repeating her name emphasizes Scheherazade's importance and magical powers in storytelling.
I won't kill you
The singer is so enraptured and captivated by Scheherazade's tales that they wouldn't dare harm the storyteller.
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Philip Kassabian
A great Sparks song.