Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
If you see something that looks like a star
And it's shooting up out of the ground
And your head is spinning from a loud guitar
And you just can't escape from the sound
Don't worry too much, it'll happen to you
We were children once, playing with toys
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound of
The low spark of high-heeled boys
The percentage you're paying is too high priced
While you're living beyond all your means
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams
But today you just read that the man was shot dead
By a gun that didn't make any noise
But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest was
The low spark of high-heeled boys
If you had just a minute to breathe and they granted you one final wish
Would you ask for something like another chance?
Or something similar as this? Don't worry too much
It'll happen to you as sure as your sorrows are joys
And the thing that disturbs you is only the sound of
The low spark of high-heeled boys
If I gave you everything that I owned and asked for nothing in return
Would you do the same for me as I would for you?
Or take me for a ride, and strip me of everything including my pride
But spirit is something that no one destroys
And the sound that I'm hearing is only the sound
The low spark of high-heeled boys
And it's shooting up out of the ground
And your head is spinning from a loud guitar
And you just can't escape from the sound
Don't worry too much, it'll happen to you
We were children once, playing with toys
And the thing that you're hearing is only the sound of
The low spark of high-heeled boys
The percentage you're paying is too high priced
While you're living beyond all your means
And the man in the suit has just bought a new car
From the profit he's made on your dreams
But today you just read that the man was shot dead
By a gun that didn't make any noise
But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest was
The low spark of high-heeled boys
If you had just a minute to breathe and they granted you one final wish
Would you ask for something like another chance?
Or something similar as this? Don't worry too much
It'll happen to you as sure as your sorrows are joys
And the thing that disturbs you is only the sound of
The low spark of high-heeled boys
If I gave you everything that I owned and asked for nothing in return
Would you do the same for me as I would for you?
Or take me for a ride, and strip me of everything including my pride
But spirit is something that no one destroys
And the sound that I'm hearing is only the sound
The low spark of high-heeled boys
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
I take the low spark of high heeled boys to be an energy force in a new generation. On the note of the title itself, the fact that the boys are in high heels tells me that they're shameless and that they'll smile in the face of ignorance for the sakes of being what they are, to paraphrase Sting.
In the first verse, the low spark is identified with loud music and of something mysterious (the star, for instance).
In the second verse, the low spark represents the feeling that haunts you (or disturbs you as it were) in regret of missed opportunities. The 'take a chance while you've still got a choice to even do so' attitude, again, fundamental teenager stuff. But in a classier way. Like a lovable bad guy. Dr Lecter kind of stuff.
The 'man in the suit' reprise focuses on class and justice. Rebellion over tradition, and doing something about corruption, elitism, and bigotry.
The final verse opposes my direct outlook on what the low spark is. I see it in this form to be the realization of when he's been betrayed, like your mother smacking you in the face after you gave her a compliment. But I find it more difficult to associate this with the youth and the respective vitality, awareness, and class analyzed in the other 3 stanzas other than the last line before the reprise: "but spirit is something that no one destroys".
So, to me of course, the low spark might not be exclusively about the dubbed 'glory years' of 16-25 year olds. But I do feel as if it's some otherwise ineffable, unexplainable energy force - I can't help but think it. It might have something to do with the power of the song. Most people take it to rather slow and bluesy, but I can feel the intensity in this song.
Sorry if some of what I said seemed righteous - nasty habit of mine. All opinions are subjective, of course. But I can just read so deeply into a song that's so great musically, even though it's long and repetitious the first few times you hear it, so great vocally even though Winwood has one of the thicker brittish accents in music, and lyrically even though it's not poetic and there aren't really any "big words" per se.
If I was to be quite literal and objective about this song in any way it would be to say that it is one of the best songs of all time. And it is. Truly a masterpiece. 10/10.
The second verse is obviously about credit and modern lending practices. The words "living beyond your means" refers to the fact that most people live in debt and the interest rates we pay allow the man to buy a new car - "From the profit he's made on your dreams"
The third verse is about that moment in life when we realize it's our last breath. It asks the question, will we ask for another chance? But reminds the listener that we still have those things in life that have done to hurt other people - "The thing that disturbs you is only sound of the low spark of high-heeled boys."
For some reason the singer decides to reinforce the lesson of hedonism from before when he again refers to living beyond your means.
The final verse I complete agree with the original assesment about the singer asking the listener if he would reciprocate any openness he presented. He asks if we would walk all over him and "take him for a ride".
In the third verse, it is turned around, because the singer says 'the sound that "I'm" hearing', not the thing that "you're" hearing, as is stated in the other two verses. In this case, the singer is putting the question to the audience: if he gives himself totally to us and becomes completely loving and vulnerable before us, would we do the same? He presumes we would not, and that we'd take advantage of him and walk all over him. In this case, we would be the manifestation of "the low spark of high-heeled boys". In other words, he's showing us a mirror in this verse.
To me, therefore, "the low spark of high-heeled boys" is a metaphor for the forces that lay us low in life: selfishness, exploitation, hunger for wealth and power, and ultimately, death ... to name but a few. In spite of our ideals, we all have to stop being "children playing with toys" and to face these forces. And, as the final verse points out, we ourselves, even as victims of these ills, also are agents who bring them into the world.
The first verse, "If you see something that looks like a star..." introduces the "star" and offers the warning at the end to aspiring musicians to be careful what you wish for because you might just get it.
The verse continues this theme, that fame carries with it a dear cost. The "man in the suit" is the agent (or A&R rep) who takes the lion's share of the money produced by the music. The part about the man being shot with a gun that didn't make any noise is about the prevalence of drug usage and, specifically, shooting up heroine.
"But it wasn't the bullet..." says that the drugs aren't really to blame, it is the evils (low spark) of fame and fortune (high-heeled boys) that are the real peril.
The second verse merely asks the question (of the famous, drug-using star) was it all worth it? If you had it to do over again, would you change anything? And then goes on to, once again, warn the aspiring musician, "Is this really what you want?"
The final verse is directed towards the agent (or, at least, suggests that the aspiring star be suspicious of the agent), and asks, "If I give you control of my music, can I trust you?".