Hailing from Scotland, Turtlehead offer some original stamina for the punk … Read Full Bio ↴Hailing from Scotland, Turtlehead offer some original stamina for the punk rock revival scene. Dave McIntosh (guitar), Paul Bourne (bass), Robert Francis (drums), and vocalist Brian Cooper shared the duties of the energizing Scottish team. The band first started their operations in 1994, and shortly after completing their steady lineup decided on recording their first demo tape. "High Flats" offered the band some media attention, and not long after they made their first showcase at a Scottish radio station. In April of 1996, and following the signing of their first record deal with Swedish label Bad Taste Records, Turtlehead offered their first single. The success of the disc granted the band the opportunity to record a full-length album. After the release of Go, a four-track EP, the album Back Slapping Praise from Back Stabbing Men hit the record stores at the end of that same year, eventually securing them with large acclaim, not only in Scotland, but also in Sweden. During 1997, the crew played numerous shows all across Europe, sharing the stage with bands like Millencolin, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and 3 Colours Red. Following yet another restless traveling season, the squad returned to the studio to record their sophomore effort in the beginning of 1998. I Preferred Their Earlier Stuff showed up in late 1998, confirming their ongoing recognition and enthusiasm among punk rock fans all over Europe. In 2000, the group embarked on their first North American tour, playing a large number of dates in Canada. The following year, they entered yet another extensive European tour, alongside Digger. After the tour ended, they returned home and started preparing for their first U.S. tour.
— Mario Mesquita Borges, All Music Guide

Sparkle
Turtlehead Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw sun thoughts sparkle in your eyes
Never won I never recognised
But when I said I wanted to see you I could never admit
But when I said I want to be near you I can't believe the things that you did

Words you spoke can't go through hurt again
Memories broken all along I faced the end
But when I said I thought I could hear you I could never see why

I would never belong just to leave you although my thoughts would just always deny

I want to see my lifetime sparkle in your lies
I want to feel the sunlight warming in my eyes
I want to be true again I want to be someone's friend
And I want to be hurt by you so I can, I can live again

Hopes you gave wrench at my soul again
Tried to save respect for better friends

But when I heard you wanted to see me I could never again
But when I heard you want to be near me I can't forgive the hate that you send

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Turtlehead's song Sparkle depict the struggle of a person who is torn between their desire to reconcile with someone and the pain and hurt that person has caused them. The opening lines "I saw sun thoughts sparkle in your eyes, Never won I never recognised" suggest that the singer had previously failed to understand the feelings of the person they are addressing. The lyric "But when I said I wanted to see you I could never admit, But when I said I want to be near you I can't believe the things that you did" underscores the singer's inner conflict - they want to see and be near this person, but cannot forgive their past actions.

The line "Words you spoke can't go through hurt again, Memories broken all along I faced the end" conveys the singer's fear of being hurt again, despite their desire to reconnect. The following line "But when I said I thought I could hear you I could never see why, I would never belong just to leave you although my thoughts would just always deny" suggests that the singer's mind is at odds with their heart - they feel a sense of belonging with this person but their thoughts are preventing them from fully committing.

The chorus "I want to see my lifetime sparkle in your lies, I want to feel the sunlight warming in my eyes, I want to be true again I want to be someone's friend, And I want to be hurt by you so I can, I can live again" speaks to the singer's longing for a renewed relationship with this person, but also acknowledges that they are willing to endure pain to truly live again.

Line by Line Meaning

I saw sun thoughts sparkle in your eyes
I observed optimistic thoughts shining bright in your eyes

Never won I never recognised
I always lost and could never identify

But when I said I wanted to see you I could never admit
Although I desired to see you, I couldn't confess it

But when I said I want to be near you I can't believe the things that you did
I can't comprehend the actions you took when I expressed my interest in being close to you

Words you spoke can't go through hurt again
I can't bear to hear the hurtful words you've said again

Memories broken all along I faced the end
I've had shattered memories all this time and now I face the conclusion

But when I said I thought I could hear you I could never see why
Although I believed I heard you, I couldn't comprehend why you said what you did

I would never belong just to leave you although my thoughts would just always deny
Even though I denied it, I knew I could never truly belong with you and then leave

I want to see my lifetime sparkle in your lies
I want to experience a bright, shining life with you, even if it’s through falsehoods

I want to feel the sunlight warming in my eyes
I want to feel the warmth of sunlight on my face

I want to be true again I want to be someone's friend
I want to regain authenticity and have someone to call a friend

And I want to be hurt by you so I can, I can live again
I want to experience pain from you again, so I can fully feel alive

Hopes you gave wrench at my soul again
The hope you gave me caused a wrenching feeling in my soul again

Tried to save respect for better friends
I tried to maintain my dignity for my true friends

But when I heard you wanted to see me I could never again
When I found out you wanted to see me, I couldn't do it again

But when I heard you want to be near me I can't forgive the hate that you send
I can't forgive the animosity you've directed towards me after learning you want to be close to me

Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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