01. A Big Surprise
02. Occupation
03. Ladies
04. I'm Not
05. Forever Young
06. Goofing Off
07. Girls On The Brain
08. Over The Summer
09. Those Mysteries
'It's a lot easier to grasp what Sparks are doing...this album will finally enable (them) to break out of the too-small cultish following they have developed, reaching much more widespead markets.' (Donna McAllister, 1977)
'Introducing Sparks reveals yet another dimension in the Sparks sound. It's probably the most adventurous musical outing yet...Ron Mael is one of the most underrated and original lyricists in the galaxy.' (Pete Makowski, Sounds, 29 October 1977)
'Ron and Russell Mael can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned, and Introducing Sparks is only further proof...rock's second greatest brother team - after Ray and Dave - once again meet the same (high) standards they met with Kimono My House. I know its a cliche, but maybe Sparks really are too good to be popular in America. I hope not.' (Jon Young, Trouser Press, December 1977)
No use in our pretending we don't know what we know
We know a lot of things
I know each muscle on your back and every toe
But you've held out on me, I can tell from your eyes
Disguising the ace that you hold
I want a big surprise tonite
A really big surprise tonite
It's boy meets girl and here we go once again
Where is that Yankee ingenuity
Somebody told me how the motion picture would end
I turned and glared at them
And then I read the way the world was going to end
With a whimpering sound, not a banging away
I'm sorry I gave it away
I want a big surprise tonite
A really big surprise tonite
It's boy meets girl and here we go once again
I want a big surprise tonite
A really big surprise tonite
It's boy meets girl and here we go once again
Where is that Yankee ingenuity
I want a big surprise tonite
A really big surprise tonite
It's boy meets girl and here we go once again
Where is that Yankee ingenuity
Break the rules and make a fool out of me
Where is that Yankee ingenuity right now
I want a big surprise tonite
A really big surprise tonite
We cowboys are a hardy breed
We eat our beans and tumbleweed
We're good on horses, good with guns
We smell, but so does everyone
La, la, an occupation for you
La, la, an occupation for you
We doctors are important men
We make you feel well again
You open wide and we look in
And throw in several aspirin
La, la, an occupation for you
La, la, an occupation for you
There are soldiers, sailors, stuntmen, jailers,
Jewelers, G-men, unless your Daddy's rich
You need a
La, la, an occupation for you
We athletes run around and round
We moan and groan and hit the ground
And when we get to 35
We sell cosmetics and survive
La, la, an occupation for you
La, la, an occupation for you
There are bodyguards, bouncers, TV announcers,
Farmers, models, unless your Daddy's rich,
You need a
La, la, an occupation for you
We salesmen can sell a storm
We sell your blankets when you're warm
And if you're really, really warm
We'll sell you two, we've got that charm
We pilots take you anywhere
We'll be your father in the air
We'll try to look calm and cool
We're as scared as all of you
There are soldiers, sailors, stuntmen, jailers,
Jewelers, G-men, unless your Daddy's filthy rich,
You need a
La, la, an occupation for you
Ladies, ladies
On the sofa next to me are Dinah Shore and Sara Lee
Ladies, ladies
In the backyard climbing trees are Princess Grace and Margaret Mead
Ladies, ladies
Then you pull in the driveway
You've been out shopping
I've got to hide them,
Hide, all you ladies
They nod and smile
They're disappearing
They're fading out now
And welcome home my only lady, my only lady
Ladies, ladies
Jackie's in the powder room
And Lois Lane will be here soon
Ladies, ladies
Eva Braun is cracking jokes
While Joan of Arc just sits and smokes
Ladies, ladies
Then I call up some buddies
Hey, come on over
There's ladies present
'We'll be right over'
The ladies hear me
They're disappearing
They're fading out now
My friends say 'where are all the ladies, ladies'
Ladies, ladies
In my kitchen baking cake is Betty Crocker
Ladies, ladies
Dolly Parton's in my pool, and Aunt Jemima's acting cool
Ladies, ladies
They're really great in person
They get me going
But I'm not pushy
Don't want to blow it
'Cause if I blow it
They start a-fading
Come back my ladies
Where would I be without my ladies
First I wake up and not shave, not a very pretty day
Look at the time, it's time to not go out to work today
I'm not at my best today, I'm not getting dressed today
Look at the time, it's time to not eat lunch with you today
I'm not fooling when I say I'm not myself any day
I'm not
In or out or up or down
I'm not
Shutting up or yelling out
I'm not, I'm not
I'm not buying nothing new and I'm not trying nothing new
No one makes me feel as though it matters what I do
I'm not watching my TV and I'm not reading magazines
And I'm not missing much and that ain't hard for me to see
You're not my type but you can stay, that's long enough, now go away
I'm not
In or out or up or down
I'm not
Shutting up or yelling out
I'm not, I'm not, I'm not
I'm gonna beat the devil and stay forever
(forever young, forever young)
I can't be pushed around and I won't get older
(forever young, forever young)
Forever young, forever young, tonite and every nite
Forever young, forever feeling right
I'll sit and watch the history books get thicker
(forever young)
(forever young)
I'll meet a million girls in a million places
(forever young)
Forever young, forever young, tonite and every nite
Forever young, forever feeling right
You say I'm playing God, but you're old and wasted
(forever young)
Bright lights will burn forever and I'll still see them
(forever young)
I've broken every rule and I'll break this last one
(forever young)
Well, the world has started spinning
'Cause the weekend is beginning
So grab anything that moves and bring some cash
Yeah, I'm looking at your body
And I think I need your body
Yeah, the whole entire body, bring it here
And we've got two days to try to forget
A week of crap and crud
And we've got two days, so get over here
We're gonna goof off good
Chorus:
Goofing off, goofing off
I can do it, do it, do it perfectly
Goofing off, goofing off
It's the only thing I gladly do for free
I'm goin' non-stop for 48 hours
Then I'll collapse right here
Then I'll be scooped up and carried to work
And propped up in a chair
Goofing off, goofing off, goofing off
Plough your way through Monday morning
Plough your way through Tuesday morning
Plough your way through Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday too
Then the world begins to spin and spin and spin
and spin and spin and I become a raving,
raving, ranting fool
We're in the weekend, don't blow it, oh no
Don't blow that two day pass
We're in the weekend, so get up and go
Don't sit down on your ass
(Chorus)
I searched the whole encyclopedia from A to Z
and had no luck
It listed beriberi, menopause, and even halitosis,
But no luck
And then I asked my brother who is kinda thick
Tell me what I got, I'm feeling really sick
Brother keep away from me, you got girls
on the brain
It's really rough when you got, you got girls
on the brain
Everytime I go to church I just can't think about the Lord at all
Everytime I go to work it seems I'm always walking into walls
It's getting worse and worse and then you pat me on the back
In fifty years you may outgrow it just like that
But until then I got, I got girls on the brain
Girls on the brain, girls on the brain
Boy I'm in pain, they drive me insane
It's really rough when you got, you got
girls on the brain
I'll give this hundred dollar bill to anybody who can help at all
Don't everybody shout at once, I guess there's nothing can be done at all
It's getting worse and worse but lately I can live with it
I'm starting to enjoy it just a little bitLike it or not, I got, I got girls on the brain
You've got to trust in summer, miracles can happen if you do
'Cause all that heat speeds change in everything, maybe even you
If you're a summertime believer
If you're a summertime believer
July, you were the plainest of Janes
Through August, you got rearranged
September, you're not just a brain
Over the summer, over the summer, over the summer
I tried to find myself this summertime,
I found you instead
And please forgive me Karen, but in June
you were kind of dead
But, then we had that three day hot spell
You really turned into a bombshell
July, you were the plainest of Janes
Through August, you got rearranged
September, you're not just a brain
Over the summer, over the summer, over the summer|
Over the summer you're under the summer sun
Over the summer you're under the summer sun
Over the summer you're under the summer sun
Lying there, lying there, lying there, getting hot
You know the records that I got in June don't sound good no more
And all the clothes I bought in June are now rotting in my drawers
But you're a different girl, much better
A little redder, but much better
Was it just the heat of the sun
Was it that you had lots of fun
I wish that the summer weren't done
Over the summer, over the summer, over the summer
Why is there time
Why is there space
Why are there dogs and cats and trees and the human race
And why am I here and not over there
And why are there nuns
And why do they pray
And where do we go when we pass away
And why, when I ask my Dad does he say
Go ask your Mom or just go away
And O.K., I'll go away, but they won't go away
Chorus:
Those mysteries
Tomorrow I'll find out all I should know
Those mysteries
I don't even know what I don't even know
Those mysteries
They're hanging around and around and around and around
Why is there you
Why is there me
Why does my Mother kiss my Father occasionally
And why am I sore whenever I'm hit
And why is there France
And why is there Spain
And why am I here and why is there rain
And why when I ask my Dad does he say
Go ask your Mom or just go away
And O.K., I'll go away, but they won't go away
(Chorus)
