Did I drive you away
I know what you'll say
You say, oh, sing one we know
But I promise you this
I'll always look out for you
That's what I'll do

I say oh
I say oh

My heart is yours
It's you that I hold on to
That's what I do
And I know I was wrong
But I won't let you down
(Oh yeah, yeah, yes I will)

I say oh
I cry oh

And I saw sparks
Yeah I saw sparks
And I saw sparks
Yeah I saw sparks
Sing it out

La, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, oh
La, la, la, la, oh



Lyrics submitted by Ice

Track duration: 03:47

"Sparks" as written by Guy Rupert Berryman, Jonathan Mark Buckland, William Champion, Christopher Anthony John Martin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Sparks song meanings
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84 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I feel like this song, although very simple, has so much meaning when it comes to love that is not reciprocal.

    The singer is expressing how although the other person doesn't feel the same or was "driven away" he will still always be there for him/her.

    I also love the way Chris sings it with such sadness in his voice.

    Definitely a song worth listening to.
    Flag ginamar85on May 23, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It is about forlorn failings & earnest recompense on one side of the relationship

    It is about look of redemption and surety of forgiveness on the other side

    Which leads to sparks.

    or hope and the la la la of reconciliation.
    Flagged tebdanneron May 11, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This whole album is a really depressing album. I really like Coldplay and I love their songs, and most of all their depressing songs are my favorite.
    Flag Noerron April 10, 2013   Link
  • +3
    General Comment: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."
    Flag marz66on November 01, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment: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."
    Flag marz66on November 01, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Oh, and it's "Oh..someone I know" Not "Sing one we know".
    Flag mwanteroon October 02, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's about him losing his cool or temper. Aka "I saw sparks". I should know. It just happened to me.
    Flag mwanteroon October 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I think it's about him loving someone who didn't love him back and he thought for a moment when they knew each other so well that maybe she loved him back. In the song, he promises that he'll still be there for her, and wonders what it is that could've driven her away.
    Flag Ricketon April 15, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation: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?
    Flagged flocoon January 14, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:The speaker apologizes to his lover for past wrongs that made them drift apart, but promises, through tears, that he'll protect her and be faithful to her, even while admitting his imperfection. The apology reignites the relationship.
    Flag ferrariguy90on February 12, 2011   Link

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