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.

Talent Is An Asset
Sparks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Albert is smart, he's a genius
Watch Albert putter, an obvious genius
Someday he will reassess the world
And he'll still have time for lots of girls

when he grows up he'll remember us
When he grows up we are sure that he'll remember us
We made sure that Albert wore his mac,

We kept all the strangers off his back

(Go away)
Everythings relative
(Go away Albert mother said to me)
We're Albert's relatives, and he don't need any non-relatives

Talent is an asset, you've got to understand that
Talent is an asset and little Albert has it
Talent is an asset and Albert surely has it.

One day he'll sever his apron strings
All of the while he'll be scribbling his genius things
Look at Albert isn't he a sight
Growing, growing at the speed of light.

(Go away)
Everythings relative
(Go away Albert mother said to me)
We're Albert's relatives, and he don't need any non-relatives

Talent is an asset and little albert has it

(go away)
Talent is relative (go away)
That's hypothetical (go away)
We are his relatives (go away)
That's parenthetical (go away)
Spare your superlatives (go away)
There's the receptacle (go away)
There's the receptacle (go away)

leave Alberts study room (go away)
Leave alberts happy home (go away)
Leave alberts neighrbourhood (go away)
Leave alberts city too (go away)
Leave alberts comfy seat (go away)
Leave alberts country (go away)
Leave alberts continent (go away)
Leave alberts hemisphere (go away)
Leave alberts planet too (go away)
Leave alberts universe (go away)

No one must see him now (go away)
Only the medical (go away)
No one must come near him (go away)
Don't be too cynical (go away)
Don't be too critical (go away)
Cancel the magazines (go away)
They're much too political (go away)
Don't buy him any jeans (go away)
They're much too casual (go away)

Talent is relative (go away)
That's hypothetical...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sparks’s song Talent Is An Asset, from their 1974 album Kimono My House, appear to be an ironic commentary on the notion of talent and the ways in which it is nurtured and celebrated in society. The opening lines introduce us to Albert, a child prodigy who is deemed to be smart and a genius. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that Albert is somewhat of a burden, with his relatives obsessively attempting to manage his genius, and keep him away from non-relatives.

The lyrics appear to be a critique of the ways in which talented individuals are often exploited or mismanaged by society, as well as questioning the notion of talent itself. The repeated refrain of "talent is an asset" highlights the tension between the view that talent should be celebrated and used to its fullest potential, and the problematic ways in which it can be monopolized and controlled. Meanwhile, the repeated pleas to "go away" suggest a desire for escape, perhaps from the pressures and expectations that come with being a genius.

Overall, the lyrics of Talent Is An Asset can be read as a tongue-in-cheek critique of the ways in which society views and manages genius, highlighting the often tense relationships between genius, society, and the individuals who possess it.

Line by Line Meaning

Albert is smart, he's a genius
Albert is exceedingly intelligent

Watch Albert putter, an obvious genius
Watch Albert make mundane activities appear effortless due to his talent

Someday he will reassess the world
Someday Albert will bring a fresh perspective to the world

And he'll still have time for lots of girls
Even with his genius, Albert will still make time for relationships with women

when he grows up he'll remember us
When he grows up, we, who have supported him, will remain in Albert's memory

We made sure that Albert wore his mac,
We protected Albert from inclement weather

We kept all the strangers off his back
We kept Albert safe from potential harm and intrusions

(Go away) Everythings relative (Go away Albert mother said to me) We're Albert's relatives, and he don't need any non-relatives
We, Albert's relatives, do not want any outsiders to interfere in his life

Talent is an asset, you've got to understand that
It's important to realize that talent is a valuable quality

Talent is an asset and little Albert has it
Albert possesses a great talent

One day he'll sever his apron strings All of the while he'll be scribbling his genius things
As Albert grows independent, he will continue to demonstrate his genius through his writing

Look at Albert isn't he a sight Growing, growing at the speed of light.
Albert is an impressive individual, constantly improving and advancing at a fast pace

Talent is an asset and little albert has it
Albert possesses a great talent

(go away) Talent is relative (go away) That's hypothetical (go away) We are his relatives (go away) That's parenthetical (go away) Spare your superlatives (go away) There's the receptacle (go away) There's the receptacle (go away)
We, Albert's relatives, don't want people to make much fuss about his gift; it's all contained here (in the family)

leave Alberts study room (go away) Leave alberts happy home (go away) Leave alberts neighrbourhood (go away) Leave alberts city too (go away) Leave alberts comfy seat (go away) Leave alberts country (go away) Leave alberts continent (go away) Leave alberts hemisphere (go away) Leave alberts planet too (go away) Leave alberts universe (go away)
Stay away from every aspect of Albert's life

No one must see him now (go away) Only the medical (go away) No one must come near him (go away) Don't be too cynical (go away) Don't be too critical (go away) Cancel the magazines (go away) They're much too political (go away) Don't buy him any jeans (go away) They're much too casual (go away) Talent is relative (go away) That's hypothetical...
Don't intrude in any way, even with well-meaning intentions

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RONALD D MAEL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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