Sparks

I think the way the music of the song sounds, along with one particular lyric, tinge this song with doubt and melancholy. Yes, there is a lot of sweetness in a few of the lines, but when he says "I won't let you down" in full voice, then "yes, I will, yeah, I will" in half voice, you know that this isn't the unabashed assertion of total devotion that it might seem to be. I think this mentality carries through the whole album. It's not just about how nice and sweet and beautiful love is, it's about that, and about the far less glorious side of love as well. How you can hurt the people you love, how they hurt you, and how much it sucks to fail in love. But the first and last tracks are tinged with hope. That's what prevents the album from being a big bummer, and elevates it far beyond most other albums.

This song is very straight forward. For the first 10 seconds, the guitars build to what you believe will be a happy, pop song. The man is thinking about all of the happy times he spent with his (ex)girlfriend. The walks, the talks, the laughs... everything was perfect, and he was the happiest he'd ever been. Then, just as a smile appears on his face, the rest of the instruments come crashing in, with a down-beat, melancholy hook -- just as the man suddenly realizes all of that good stuff is now gone. It's over between them. The happiness is gone. He composes himself for 30 seconds, then silently asks to himself (and her) "Did I drive you away?" Not expecting her real answer (she is gone), he replies to himself with something she'd always say when he

asked a silly question... "Play one we know." She was disregarding the question, and simply telling him to play a song and stop being so morose. Have a

good time! She was always such an optomistic person. He realizes he has nothing to offer to her, otherwise she wouldn't have left. So he cried,

beckons, "I promise... I'll always look out for you," as a last-ditch effort to place himself above any other man. He realizes this is all in his thoughts, and

cries to himself "Ohhhhh." He again thinks of what he'd say to her, begging her to stay, telling her that his heart belongs to her, and that he needs her.

He apoligizes (again, only to himself) and says he will never let her down again. Again, he realizes he will never be able to say these things to her and

sings, cries "Ohhhhhhh." After crying every last tear, unable to cry anymore, he reflects once again on their love and remembers the good times. He

almost smiles again, as he reassures himself that he saw sparks -- they were meant for eachother. THERE WERE SPARKS between them!! Once again fully realizing she is gone, and obviously there were no sparks to her, he sings himself to sleep and tries to forget she is gone.... "la la la laaaaa"

I've always felt this was an unspoken promise to someone he had loved,but the relationship,didn't work out. Maybe she(or HE) are in a new relationship even,but seeing each other,there's that old familiar SPARK of attraction. it's those STRINGS that are still somewhat attached to the past when things were good between the two persons. Maybe it's that smile,or that LOOK, that they give,which may be, an acknowledgement, that says,"yes,there is still a special place for you,still,in my heart."

It's interesting to read all these comments about this song being about the love (or failed love) between a man and a woman. Although I feel the song is indeed about a (failed*) relationship my interpretation is very different to all those discussed above.

I have this song on my 18 month old son’s iPod playlist and its one of the songs which he falls asleep to most nights (along with, amongst others - Yellow and Us against the world) and to me it sounds like the relationship between a mother and her son as he grows up and becomes his own person......

"Did I drive you away" - when you carry a child, from the minute he is born you feel he is growing away from you - and he is - he's growing bigger everyday and one day, he'll no longer need you (even though he will always be your 'baby', the moment he is expelled from your womb you have effectively driven him away....

"I’ll know what you'll say, you say oh, sing one we know" - makes me feel of all these precious moments we'll have during his infancy, when I’ll know him better than he knows himself and we'll share lots of moments together, acting as one - singing nursery rhymes, playing, reading, learning and all great the stuff that parent/children do......

"But I promise you this, I’ll always look out for you, that’s what I’ll do"....self explanatory really!

And from there on in I’m so overwhelmed i feel I’ve been hit with a brick......this song makes me feel so happy and sad at the same time, because I feel so close to him but yet I’m loosing this beautiful little person - who will hopefully grow up to be an exceptional young man, who I’m so very proud of, and its knowing that these moments - this very special time we have together right now, will never be repeated!

You may think I’m wasting my energy playing the song out like this in my head and that I should think about all the positives I have with my son, but I can't help it, its what the song, what its words mean for me and its further rein-forced by the lyric "And I know I was wrong, but I won't let you down....." which for me signifies those battles we'll have when we get to his teenage years and despite everything my son will see me (his mum) as the enemy.....its inevitable, its about growing up I know - I was the same with my own parents, lol. My poor lad can’t even speak yet but already I can hear him yell “I never asked to be born…….”. This is the bit which I refer to as a *failed relationship in my opening paragraph.

But the icing on the cake has gotta be the "Sparks" - well it’s the chemistry between us that started with his creation, which exploded when he was born and which will continue to light up my whole world as long as I am in his life and beyond........

To me this song is about never ever stopping loving my little boy, but realising that there may come a time when he feels he doesn’t he loves me……(but I’m sure deep down inside he still will).

One day, I may show him this - I wonder if he'll understand?

I can't believe no one has added to this... ever! This is one of Coldplay's BEST songs... I can feel so much emotion in it. OH!! I love it. ;)

I'll agree that this is probably one of the top 3 best songs on the cd... maybe even 1 or two... This is another song that definately hits my heart really hard whenever I listen to it. I swear Coldplay has a satilite and they're spying on me when they write these songs. Cause they're all spies :)

I absolutely adore this song! Everytime I hear it, i start to bawl :'(! lolz! And I pretty much never cry from listening to a song... probably coz' I can relate to it on so many levels ya know? This song is a-okay lolz!

Like always...music, chris' voice as well as the way he sings, and..the lyrics fit together in a most perfect way...:"My heart is yours It's you that I hold on to That's what I do"...unbelievable touching, especially when you can relate the song to someone

Beautiful song....Wow !

This is defiately one of the top 3 songs from coldplay as dissingrace said. FAB! :)