052: Sparks - Whomp That Sucker (1981) - I Married a Martian

Side A closes with a small sci-fi epic: a big, stadium-ready groove wrapped around a B-movie love story. I Married a Martian pairs crisp new-wave drive with glinting arpeggios, stacked vocals, and a lyric that zips from Vegas chapels to alien domesticity (“Vive la différence”)—even sneaking in luxe fur (“ermine”) for good measure. It’s witty, cinematic Sparks: pomp and punch balanced by deadpan humor.

Not released as a single, the track nevertheless became a KROQ favorite in Los Angeles in 1981, one of the songs that helped reboot Sparks’ momentum in the U.S. Its longer length and carefully layered arrangement make it stand out as one of the most ambitious pieces on Whomp That Sucker, showing the new lineup firing on all cylinders. Lyrically it balances parody and romance, while musically it blends grandeur with sly playfulness, closing Side A on a high.