They performed together on Sparks’s 1983 album ''In Outer Space''. "Cool Places" was a hit at #49 on the US Hot 100 that year. The other song performed by the collaboration was "Lucky Me, Lucky You" which featured on the same album.
Jane Wiedlin also helped promote the album on tour and appeared at a few gig to perform the duets.
I Predict
Sparks & Jane Wiedlin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're gonna get wet
(I predict)
You're gonna eat a bowl of chow mein
And be hungry real soon
(I predict)
Are my sources correct
They're gonna find the Queen is a man
But that Philip don't care
(I predict)
Lassie will prove that Elvis and her
Had a fleeting affair
(I predict)
Are my sources correct
Are my sources correct
Yes I know they're corect
(I predict)
Men, if you say your prayers
You'll never lose your hair(I predict)
L.A. is safe
Ain't gonna quake
Ain't gonna quake
(I predict)
And somebody's gonna die
But I can't reveal who
Cold beer will cure a cold
Cold beer and pretzels, takes care of cancer
Moscow will march to France
They'll do the Can-Can Dance
Don't worry, it'll work out
Maxim's will throw them out
They're gonna stop Saturday night
So you better have fun now
(I predict)
They're gonna stop having the sun
So you better get tan now
And this song will fade out
And this song will fade out
And this song will fade out
(I predict)
The lyrics to Sparks & Jane Wiedlin's song I Predict can be seen as playful and tongue-in-cheek, as the title suggests. They seem to be taking on the persona of a fortune teller making predictions about a range of topics, from the weather to royalty to celebrity scandals to international politics. The use of repetition of the line "Are my sources correct" highlights the comedy element and the fact that these predictions are not to be taken seriously.
The first set of predictions revolve around everyday occurrences - taking a walk in the rain and eating a meal, but with a humorous twist - getting wet and being hungry (as if that wasn't obvious!). Then the tone shifts to more outrageous predictions, including the revelation that the Queen is actually a man and that Lassie (yes, the dog), had a romantic fling with Elvis. The mention of men not losing their hair if they say their prayers, and that drinking beer and eating pretzels will cure cancer, shows that the song is not meant to be taken literally but metaphorically - perhaps as a nod to the idea that our thoughts and attitudes can have an impact on our health and wellbeing, and that sometimes we need to take life with a pinch of salt.
The song ends with a prediction about the end of the world (or at least the end of the song), with the amusing notion that the sun will stop shining and we better get our tan on now. Overall, the lyrics of I Predict convey a sense of fun, and the notion that life is unpredictable and sometimes absurd.
Line by Line Meaning
You're gonna take a walk in the rain
And you're gonna get wet
(I predict)
You're going to be in a situation that is inevitable and you should be prepared for it.
You're gonna eat a bowl of chow mein
And be hungry real soon
(I predict)
You're going to be unfulfilled even if you pursue the thing you're trying to achieve.
Are my sources correct
(I predict)
I'm checking if my predictions are indeed true.
They're gonna find the Queen is a man
But that Philip don't care
(I predict)
Someone in a position of power might be hiding something and someone close to them might not care.
Lassie will prove that Elvis and her
Had a fleeting affair
(I predict)
Two unlikely things might be connected or mixed up.
Are my sources correct
Are my sources correct
Yes I know they're corect
(I predict)
I'm very sure that my predictions are accurate.
Men, if you say your prayers
You'll never lose your hair(I predict)
A wishful thinking assertion with no basis in reality.
L.A. is safe
Ain't gonna quake
Ain't gonna quake
(I predict)
A declaration that a potential negative scenario is not going to happen in the near future.
And somebody's gonna die
But I can't reveal who
A vague and unhelpful prediction that something bad will happen without any real indication of what it might be.
Cold beer will cure a cold
Cold beer and pretzels, takes care of cancer
A ridiculous and absurd claim that one thing can cure an unrelated and serious condition.
Moscow will march to France
They'll do the Can-Can Dance
Don't worry, it'll work out
Maxim's will throw them out
An unlikely and irrational scenario with a humorous twist and eventual disappointment.
They're gonna stop Saturday night
So you better have fun now
(I predict)
A warning that something that you're enjoying is going to end soon.
They're gonna stop having the sun
So you better get tan now
An absurd and unhelpful remark that doesn't offer any helpful insights or advice.
And this song will fade out
And this song will fade out
And this song will fade out
(I predict)
A prediction about an event that is guaranteed to happen and there's nothing you can do about it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RONALD D MAEL, RUSSELL CRAIG MAEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Tabizel
Great lyrics by Ron as always :
You're gonna take a walk in the rain
And you're gonna get wet
(I predict)
You're gonna eat a bowl of chow mein
And be hungry real soon
(I predict)
Are my sources correct
(I predict)
They're gonna find the Queen is a man
But that Philip don't care
(I predict)
Lassie will prove that Elvis and her
Had a fleeting affair
(I predict)
Are my sources correct
Are my sources correct
Yes I know they're corect
(I predict)
Men, if you say your prayers
You'll never lose your hair(I predict)
L.A. is safe
Ain't gonna quake
Ain't gonna quake
(I predict)
And somebody's gonna die
But I can't reveal who
Cold beer will cure a cold
Cold beer and pretzels, takes care of cancer
Moscow will march to France
They'll do the Can-Can Dance
Don't worry, it'll work out
Maxim's will throw them out
They're gonna stop Saturday night
So you better have fun now
(I predict)
They're gonna stop having the sun
So you better get tan now
And this song will fade out
And this song will fade out
And this song will fade out
(I predict)
Anna Backman
I know that I heard that version. On Youtube. Can't find it?!
HOWEVER I found this, had been uploaded 20 minutes earlier 😂!
Live, audience, recorded for radio in America. Many screaming girls, but I like this a little tougher live sound! Enjoy!
https://youtu.be/hapgMcSZRSU
Also 'Monster of Love'
https://youtu.be/0I9xue9geVs
'Cool Places' with Jane
'Mickey Mouse'
'Moustache'
are what I have found so far!
Boss Nass
I think this is their best album, next to Kimono, in terms of pure listenability and “all killer no filler”.
It’s hard to categorize Sparks like that because they never really do “filler”, everything they do feels meaningful and labored over to some degree. But every single track on Angst is a gem, there are no songs I ever feel tired of or have the urge to skip.
moogandacasio
almost completely agree. only one that comes close for me is tarzan and jane, kinda forgettable, but the others are pure bangers
Rocky Wagner
Think for Interior design too.Personal favorite.
sandorx4
I rather think that the eighties was their worst decade. It was a bad decade for music and cinema in general.
Kyach Distent
@sandorx4 You are NUTS! 80s only decade were the majority of the music didn't suck. Granted they arrived cute but the majority of 70s Sparks is all glam rock and just about better from all those other 70s glam bands which doesn't make it memorable, but then come 1979, they utterly became brill and from on then pretty much filled their albums with good to great stuff that commanded attention. The electronic/synth approach always better than the dated guitar 70s sound, and they, unlike the silly Bee Gees, make disco beats sound electric and eerie, with far better lyrics and awesome singing to boot. They carried on being cool ever since and in their 70s now, still rock with new stuff. When was the last time those old fart Rolling Stones EVER contributed anything new-they can't! The 80s had THE best artists and singers BAR ABBA; ironically all the things that sucked that decade are the very things the masses call out for being cool!
The 90s began the slipslide into utter rubbish-you've only got to see old TOTP's clips to know that and we've been mired in shit ever since. You're not alive!
Kyach Distent
Odd you're okay here with a song called 'MIckey Mouse' with THOSE lyrics and 'Moustache' and titles like 'Eaten By The Monster Of Love' and lyrics like this single above has. Granted the album's good at the very least (and killer cover and title), but then all their 80s albums were, and I still feel the 1983 & 1984 ones can't be bettered, but I'm getting more familiar with their post-80s work for now. The 70s stuff, alas, struggled on the whole bar their awesome 1979 "beginning" (for me) but I do think "Kimono My House" is their only other 70s album to get into well. I'm not a 70s person for albums bar ABBA I'm afraid. Just too much guitar-heavy dated sound that bores from most acts. And Sparks' writing was yet to fully start firing all those great rockets.
Ashley Holtgraver
Got to see them play live in Boston last night... somehow, 40 years later, they are still at the height of their powers <3
Ashley Holtgraver
sadly no stripping tho
PJ T
Love this group. Never got the appreciation or recognition for their creative lyrics and beats.
David Green
Two Bona-fide Geniuses.....Ron and Russell Mael need to be in the R and R Hall of Fame...Ron Mael is one of the greatest songwriters of all time......Love Sparks