Last weekend, I heard Foster the People's song Pumped Up Kicks on a radio countdown with Ryan Seacrest. He was talking to one of the guys from the band, and they were discussing the song content. The band guy basically said that the kids with the pumped up kicks are the cool, popular kids. The whole song is about a guy shooting the cool kids. I'm usually not offended by much, but this song bothers me immensely.
Lyrics:
Robert's got a quick hand.
He'll look around the room, he won't tell you his plan.
He's got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth he's a cowboy kid.
Yeah he found a six shooter gun.
In his dads closet hidden in a box of fun things, and I don't even know what.
But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet.
Daddy works a long day.
He be coming home late, yeah he's coming home late.
And he's bringing me a surprise.
'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice.
I've waited for a long time.
Yeah the slight of my hand is now a quick pull trigger,
I reason with my cigarette,
And say your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits, yeah.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet.
Re: thoughts on this song?
sounds like Janies got a gun
It worries me a little. It is interesting to me to see it described as an unpopular kid shooting the popular kids. As a teacher* at a school with students from households with various income levels, I interpreted it as a poorer kid shooting other kids for their shoes, which puts a different spin on it. (I am not saying that this makes it better or worse, just that I interpreted it differently, based on my experiences.)
*Currently on extended child care leave,
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