Big Beat

Tracklisting

01. Big Boy
02. I Want To Be Like Everybody Else
03. Nothing To Do
04. I Bought The Mississippi River
05. Fill-Er-Up
06. Everybody's Stupid
07. Throw Her Away (And Get A New One)
08. Confusion
09. Screwed Up
10. White Women Lingering
11. I Like Girls
12. Tearing The Place Apart*
13. Gone With The Wind*
*These bonus tracks can be found on the Island UK CD reissue only



Reviews

'Sparks combines the music of kiss with the lyrics of Nietzsche...In this era of made-to-order decadance and faddish moral turpitude, Sparks stands out as the genuine article. Ten stars.' (The Northerner, 19 November 1976)


'’White Women’ and ‘I Like Girls’ make conventional sexual preferences sound like kinky obsessions. A good record, but definitely not for Barry Manilow fans.' (Pop Top, December 1976)


'’Big Beat’, as the title implies, represents a change. The look is the same but the sound certainly isnt...More importantly, Sparks can rock. Using musicians with a mid-Sixties bent, Sparks has come up with an album thats not only listenable but fun.' (Billy Altman, Rolling Stone, 1976)


'THIS IS Sparks....it doesnt sound like Mr. Sparkys Magic Piano Screwing A Metronome anymore. This is Sparks with less words but stronger songs. I like it so much that Ive been playing it all day., non-stop.' (Pete Makowski, Sounds, 12 November 1976)




Lyrics

01. Big Boy (Ron Mael)

The earth is shaking, so am I
If you don't run, it's suicide
Big Boy, Big Boy
My name is David, he don't care
He's never nice, he's never scared
Big Boy, Big Boy
Big Boy comes around
Throws his weight around
Throws our girls around
Leaves without a sound
Big Boy, Big Boy
He's well-equipped, the girls are sure
Is that a guess, or something more
Big Boy, Big Boy
We're bored to tears until he comes
And then we're crying cause he's come
Big Boy, Big Boy
Big Boy comes around
Throws his weight around
Throws our girls around
Leaves without a sound
Big Boy, Big Boy
The earth is shaking, so am I
If you don't run, it's suicide
Big Boy, Big Boy

02. I Want To Be Like Everybody Else (Ron Mael)

Dressing up when the world is Levi Strauss
Dressing down when tuxedos fill the house
Going out when the rest are coming home
Coming home when the rest are going out
And when I'm broke and really down
Everybody's throwing tons around
And when I finally get my pay
Everyone's in India or so they say
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be
I want to be like everybody else
I want to be like everybody else
Gravity don't work on me
I want to be like everybody else
Drink your milk, then your coke, then your rye
First you're born, then you live, then you die
First you cry, then you sing, then you moan
First you're wet, then you're dry, then you're bone
It's such a 1, 2, 3 affair
Where did I go wrong, I'm stuck out here
I'm stuck, it's up to you
Hold me so tight they think I'm you
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be
I want to be like everybody else
I want to be like everybody else
Gravity don't work on me
I want to be like everybody else

03. Nothing To Do (Ron Mael)

I want you
I want you bad
I need you
I need you
I do, I really do
Better drop the requirement that everything be great
Nothing to do, nothing to do
Nothing to do, nothing to do
I come home
I throw my coat down
I spin round
I plop down
Gimme a break, a break
Better drop the requirement that everything be great
Nothing to do, nothing to do
Nothing to do, nothing to do
If I had a million thumbs
I'd twiddle, twiddle
But I just have two
Nothing to do, nothing to do
Nothing to do, nothing to do
I see you
I don't want much
Just something
A little something
To do, to do
Better drop the requirement that
everything be great
Nothing to do, nothing to do
Nothing to do, nothing to do

04. I Bought The Mississippi River (Ron Mael)

I bought the Mississippi River
Of course that don't include the towns
or the people
around the Mississippi
Well, to cinch the deal the man threw
in a boat with crew
and then I knew I'd better grab that river fast
It wouldn't last
They never do, they never do
It wouldn't last, last, last
So now I own the Mississippi
I couldn't decide if I should leave it there
or lug it out West with me
The best thing was to think about it,
not to make a move I might regret
cause then I'd have to have the
Mississippi sent back East, complete
with boat and crew
That wouldn't do, do, do
It's mine, all mine
(You know, it's yours, all yours)
It's mine, all mine
(You know, it's yours, all yours)
Do rivers ever need companions
Should I enquire if the Seine is
available, yeah, I would rather have
a classy little Frenchy than a Nile or a Tybo, oh
Now wait a minute, how about the
Amazon, now that could be real fun
For Mississippi, for Mississippi, for
Mississippi, My Mississippi
I hope that I didn't make an error
I hope this ain't a lot more trouble
than it's all really worth

05. Fill-Er-Up (Ron Mael)

One gallon for that certain start
Two gallons once around the park
I don’t need any servicing
Just fill-er-up with anything
Five gallons gets me up the hill
Six gallons, I don’t need no pills
I’m never gonna stop again
So fill-er-up with premium
Ten gallons, everyone’s a her
Eleven gallons, I’m a blur
I’m coming and I’m going
So fill-er-up with premium
Twelve gallons gets me out of town
Where no one’s poor or black or brown
And nothing ever seems to change
I’m past all that, just fill-er-up
Fifteen, gallons, more, more
Twenty gallons, more, more
I feel I’m running out of steam
So fill-er-up with gasoline
Fill me up with premium
Fill me up with anything etc.

06. Everybody's Stupid (Ron Mael)

You fell for me, I fell for you
You think I'm great, I think you're good
and that's enough to prove
the point once more
Everybody's stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
I light my filter, then reverse it
And burn a mouth that's weak on verbs
and nouns and nouns
but I'm not sore
Everybody's stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
I traded you for Jean and Myra
I traded them for the Mormon Choir
Now I got some music and the Lord
And I'm feeling dumber than before
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
(Oh yeah) Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure
Everybody's Stupid, that's for sure

07. Throw Her Away (And Get A New One)(Ron Mael)

Just like everything else in this world
Time wreaks havoc on every girl
What do you do, what do you do, what do you do?
Throw her away and get a new one
If you've got a girl with elegant taste
It's only a matter of time
Bowling or root beer or taking the train
A girl in her decline
Throw her away and get a new one,
Throw her away and get a new one,
Throw her away and get a new one, a new one
Just like everything else in this world
Changes come to the strongest of girls
What do you do, what do you do, what do you do?
Throw her away and get a new one
Now may we present, she's the top of
the line a 1959
In top notch shape, but it's always the same
It's only a matter of time
Throw her away and get a new one,
Throw her away and get a new one,
Throw her away and get a new one, a new one
If you've got a girl, better look at her waist
If you've got a girl, better check out her face
Or maybe it's only a change in your taste
Throw her away and get a new one,
Throw her away and get a new one,
Throw her away and get a new one, a new one

08. Confusion (Ron Mael)

I'm going back to see my girl
I hope it's all the same as then
I'm going back to see my girl
I hope it's all the same as then
Confusion, pardon the intrusion
This must not be the room I was in the other night
Confusion, an optical illusion, you see, you see
The number's the same as then
The color's the same as then
But something just isn't really right
Retrace your steps and see what happens, happens
Right from the doorway to your home
Back to your lonely room with only confusion
Was that her (yes, yes it was)
Was that him (yeah, yeah it was)
The girl was familiar but he wasn't me, no
Confusion, you think you know where you stand
But you're not even standing, you're flat on shaky ground
No clue then, and everything you knew then
Was only true in specialized cases, yes, in specialized cases
But in your case it wasn't true at all
Retrace your steps and see what happens, happens
Back to the day when you were born
Father and mother were just pictures, photos
The color was (the same as yours)
The surname (same as yours)
But you got the feeling, the feeling, the feeling
Confusion, la de da
Confusion, oh pardon me
Confusion, la tati
It's lovely sitting next to you
There's no one within miles of you
It's lovely sitting next to you
There's no one within miles of you
Confusion, you think you know where you stand
But you're not even standing, you're flat on shaky ground
No clue then, and everything you knew then
Was only true in specialized cases, yes, in specialized cases
But in your case, in your case
It wasn't the case, not at all

09. Screwed Up (Ron Mael)

In 1900 you held hands and felt like you'd scored
In 1910 you'd never need a horse anymore
In 1920 you could dance
In 1930 lose your pants
In 1940 you could go to war really soon
In 1950 you could just be dull and a bore
In 1960 set the world on fire
That was then, this is now
And nothing's blowin in the wind
Chorus:
Screwed up, that's the problem
You're going down, down, down, down, down
Screwed up, that's your problem
You're coming unwound wound, wound, wound
You're wasting time seeking comfort
from any sight or any sound
I knew you when you weren't a bit screwed up
Now what you got is spreading around
It really doesn't matter if you know how to sing
The only thing that matters is the girl that you bring
So when I saw you sitting there just asking for some curly hair
I knew that I was getting where I wanted to be
But someone must have warned you, so it's Anchors Aweigh
This Johnny's marching home again tonight
You couldn't leave quietly
You had to tell the world and loud
Chorus:
Screwed up, that's the problem
You're going down, down, down, down, down
Screwed up, that's your problem
You're coming unwound wound, wound, wound
You're wasting time seeking comfort by having anyone around
I knew you when you weren't a bit screwed up
Now what you got is spreading around
I'm getting on my nerves I'm getting
on my nerves and
everything you're throwing at me's
coming up a curve
Swing & miss
Swing & miss
Swing & miss and then you're out

10. White Women (Ron Mael)

What's good enough for Adam
Is good enough for me
I'm awfully glad we got 'em
They're easy to see (as long as they're)
White women everywhere
There's always a replacement, anytime, anywhere
They walk without a swagger
Their power's on the wane
But something deep within me
Cries out all the same (it's gotta be)
White women everyday
To me it doesn't matter that their skin's passe
As long as they're white
As long as they're white
As long as they're white from head to toe
As long as they're white
As long as they're white
As long as they're white I'll have a go
White women, everywhere
The places that I'm cruising
The places that I stay
Are filled with Anglo-Saxons
And I get my way
White women, everyday
You can see'em blush, at least by light of day
I've tried most every package
From Peking to Berdoo
I'm sticking with a brand name
I'm sticking with you
Because you're a white woman, so very fair
Because you're a white woman, so very fair

11. I Like Girls (Ron Mael)

No one is restricted, no one is tied down
But the Greece of old collapsed 'cause no one liked their girls
We won't have that problem, I'm doing my part
No one asked me but I'll still answer la-la-la-la-la-la
I like girls, I like girls
I like girls, I like girls
I sweat in the daytime, I don't sweat much at night
No one asked me but I still answer 'I like girls, I like girls'
All those who are with me, let's all raise our hands high
When they ask you, you'll surely answer la-la-la-la-la-la
I like girls, I like girls
I like girls, I like girls
Day of wedding preparation, you must decide
Has your choice been made?
Yes, I like girls
I like girls

12. Tearing The Place Apart* (Ron Mael)

It's so easy
Tearing the place apart
I'm getting rid of every memory
I don't know where to start
So many memories all around me
Now that you've gone to someone else
Give me a reason I should keep, a world that is acres deep,
In what you touched, in what you saw, in what you were
It's so easy
Tearing the place apart
Each square of vinyl that you stepped on
Pulled up and thrown away
And burned with linen that we slept on
All my collections out they go
Stamps of all nations where we'd been
And we had been everywhere
They're ripped in two
They're ripped in four
They're in the wind
It's so easy
The walls that enclosed us they're crumbling, they're crumbling,
I'm stumbling, I'm crumbling
Tearing the place apart
Tearing the place apart
Down come the chandeliers
That lit our cozy little dinners
Shattered for ever more
One thing is certain
I'll grow thinner
No need to eat with company
No need to eat at all I guess
Away go the cabinets, so fully stocked
From soup to nuts to aubergine
The walls that enclosed us they're crumbling, they're tumbling
I'm stumbling, I'm crumbling
Tearing the place apart
Tearing the place apart

Tearing the place apart
I'll rip the doors off with the hinges
Who needs a door at all
The world can walk in and I'll let them
Help yourself to a magazine
Help yourself to,well, anything
Go and take anything
They're only things
They're only things
They're only things
It's so easy

13. Gone With The Wind* (Russell Mael)

Burn Atlanta tonight
Hey, for a buck we could stay here all night
Long live the Confederate plight
It's history, it drags on and on
It wasn't my fault it lasted 'til dawn
Your mammy's got to think like me
It's praised by the Academy
And she'd rather Gable than your dad
So tell her please I'm an innocent lad
I'm telling her
Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I can't think just what
We didn't watch a lot
Gone with the wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
We didn't catch the plot
But we could mention that the South might rise again
Cut! Now we want you to fall
Down the stairs without breaking your fall
Using no hands at all
That's fine, now again from the top
And make sure your face is not seen when you drop
So what did you do today?
I fell down the stairs today
For portraying Vivien Leigh they doubled the basic fee
We're telling you, Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
They don't tell my type the plot Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I couldn't say just what
All I did was bruise a lot
But they mentioned that the South will rise again
The South will rise again they're saying
But frankly, I don't give a damn
I'm telling you, Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
Without spoiling the plot
Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I don't know just what
We didn't watch a lot
Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I couldn't say just what
All I did was bruise a lot
Gone with the Wind
There's a lot to be said for it
But I couldn't say just what
They don't tell my type the plot

*These bonus tracks can be found on the Island UK CD reissue only



Credits

Big Beat:
Produced by Rupert Holmes
Associate Producer: Jeffrey Lesser
Engineered by Godfrey Diamond
Additional Engineers: Bob Clearmountain, Harvey Goldberg, Michael Barbiero
Vocals: Russell Mael
Keyboards: Ron Mael
Guitar: Jeff Salen
Bass: Sal Maida
Drums: Hilly Boy Michaels
Photography by Richard Avedon