Pumped Up Kicks Lyrics
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 found a six shooter gun
In his dad's closet, oh in a box of fun things
I don't even know what
But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you
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
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
He be coming home late, and 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 sleight 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
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
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
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
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
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
The lyrics to Pumped Up Kicks were written by Mark Foster, the lead singer and primary songwriter of Foster the People.
The lyrics to Pumped Up Kicks were written by Mark Foster, the lead singer and primary songwriter of Foster the People.
Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People was released as a single on September 14, 2010. It was later included on their debut studio album, Torches, released on May 23, 2011.
Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People was released as a single on September 14, 2010. It was later included on their debut studio album, Torches, released on May 23, 2011.
its about a disturbed kid going on a killing spree (no shit).
1st verse: he is just about to start shooting, and is hanging around with a shifty look and a revolver and no one suspects a thing. and the cowboy stuff means he's having fun with the idea of how cool it will be (probably to hae that power). cowboys are also lone figures which is important. but the line "and i dont even know what" any ideas? also the fact that hes called "Robert", is that name significant?
Chorus: pumped up kicks are probably like Nike airs and stuff, which probably means all the trendy popular kids, and hes going to shoot them. by telling them to run (even if not literaly) he is playing with them and enjoying this, because you cant run faster than bullets.
second verse: it says "daddy works a long day" which i think has an ironic innocense in assuming hes working that whole time. i think whats actually happening when dad's coming home late and bringing a surprise is he's coming home late drunk and beating him. dinner on ice is neglection. dinner reference + "ive been waiting a long time" suggests that he is at the dinnertable waiting for his dad to walk in. on top of that i think it also means he has been waiting along time for the opportunity of revenge. now reasoning with the cigarette is entertaining himself while he waits. the cigarette is probably acting as his concience he personifies it but also dismisses its opinion "And say your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits"
if you think i got it right let me know and if anyone can help me with that first verse a bit that would be nice
I think the Von Maur shooting was a kid named robby, and the people that shop there are rich kids with pumped up kicks.
I think the Von Maur shooting was a kid named robby, and the people that shop there are rich kids with pumped up kicks.
Wow! I think that you certainly nailed it! What you said makes perfect sense. I'd like to know more -- for example, is this based on certain true events?
Wow! I think that you certainly nailed it! What you said makes perfect sense. I'd like to know more -- for example, is this based on certain true events?
I think you're right. I think the part about the first verse "and I don't even know what" isn't really meaningful--to me, it just sounds like the narrator's trying to say "I don't even know what [you should do], but he's coming for you." I don't necessarily think the song is non-fiction, so I would guess the name is just a name chosen for the character.
I think you're right. I think the part about the first verse "and I don't even know what" isn't really meaningful--to me, it just sounds like the narrator's trying to say "I don't even know what [you should do], but he's coming for you." I don't necessarily think the song is non-fiction, so I would guess the name is just a name chosen for the character.
I do think the second verse goes a little bit more into the abusive father, though; I think "I've been waiting a long time" is definitely about revenge; he's been...
I do think the second verse goes a little bit more into the abusive father, though; I think "I've been waiting a long time" is definitely about revenge; he's been beaten his whole life and he's finally getting even. "It's packed on ice" is referring to the ice pack he's going to have to put on his face after his dad hits him. I'm not really sure about "your hair's on fire"--I like the idea that it's about the cigarette, and he's just a little nuts.
I think the song is from the perspective of an outsider first and then from the character's perspective; I don't think it's the character putting himself in the third person...
Well... not to drag everyone a little deeper... but... The top layer analysis is relatively straightforward...
The real interesting thing is that the first stanza is written in THIRD person... He's singing about Robert coming for you... analysis as above...
The second stanza is written in FIRST person... "I've waited for a long time. Yeah the slight of my hand is now a quick pull trigger,"
You could conclude that this song is really about teenage copycat killers and identifying with the psychosis that leads kids to do these types of acts.
wow that...just blew my mind.
wow that...just blew my mind.
I actually don't like lyricaljoy's explanation. Especially when you look at the way it was written from 2 different perspectives..maybe three-the singer/friend(I mean who is saying the chorus..we don't really know). I did notice this about the song before I looked at the lyrics. Before I had a good look at the lyrics I basically thought the same thing that I still think about this song:
I actually don't like lyricaljoy's explanation. Especially when you look at the way it was written from 2 different perspectives..maybe three-the singer/friend(I mean who is saying the chorus..we don't really know). I did notice this about the song before I looked at the lyrics. Before I had a good look at the lyrics I basically thought the same thing that I still think about this song:
There is something about posers in general that tick him off. If I was singing a song about a boy who is ticked off by posers..this is exactly the light-hearted kind...
There is something about posers in general that tick him off. If I was singing a song about a boy who is ticked off by posers..this is exactly the light-hearted kind of track I would do it to! Awesome track, can't WAIT for the EP.
Probably already said, but I'll give a stanza-by-stanza inderpretation.
"Robert's got a quick hand."
I'm sure Robert is an allusion. Research gives three possibilities (that I've been able to find after a broad search, at least): Robert Steinhäuser, Robert A. Hawkins, and (most recently) Robert Butler Jr. "Robert" is ready to shoot at any point. Cowboy reference (quick draw).
"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."
He's probably cocky, feels powerful. Cowboys are loners who do things to feel mighty. They're also quick to resort to gunfights. The cigarette only emphasizes the idea of being a "badass." Cigarette is also another cowboy reference
"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."
At this point, I think the allusion (Robert) is now solely referring to Robert Steinhäuser; Robert S. brought a glock to his school. The terminology of "six shooter gun" is typically limited to revolvers, a gun popular in Western movies. They were popular because they were small, easily hidden. Glocks are standard for police-officers, so it's viable that it could be found in a father's closet. "Fun things" in so ambiguous no one could ever get direct meaning from it, but I'd assume he found other police-like items (tazer, perhaps?). But, then again, for all we know it's just a bunch of bondage equipment.
"But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you."
It's meditated and he's resolute. There's clearly a lot of though going into this. I've read a lot of cockiness into the statement, too.
"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."
"pumped up kicks" would refer to some sort of trendy shoe. Considering it's an article of clothing that kids wear, I assume they're popular. I can't decide on "other's" meaning–it's either "everyone else with the kicks" is going to get shot, or it's making a distinction: ONLY the kids (the popular, perhaps rich childen) will be fired upon. The repetition of run really emphasizes the insanity of the guy. The terminology is devilishly coy, too. He's trying to cause a panic–there's more to it than just shooting the kids, he WANTS them to flee; "Robert" wants to hunt. Chilling.
"Daddy works a long day. He be coming home late, yeah he's coming home late. And he's bringing me a surprise."
I don't trust the wording. The phrasing doesn't depict "Daddy" well. Is he working? We have no evidence, but he's probably abusive. I'd argue the "surprise" is a fist, after "coming home late" from the bar.
'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice. I've waited for a long time.
I have two ideas for the first line. My first thought is that it's booze covered in ice. My other thought is maybe he'll have to eat an icepack after the beating? My boyfriend says it's a reference to a boy who killed his parents and packed her into the freezer, but I can't find anything on google to verify such a thing existed. Though, regardless of the connotation, anything "packed with ice" doesn't sound like a particularly good dinner. At this point there's also a shift, which bothers me. Broadly, I'd argue that someone's been inspired by "Robert." If I were to write a thesis, I'd say that "Robert's" deliberate spectacle in his shooting (attempting to incite fear) is catching on among other deranged teenagers. Heh. I have this image of this kid just grinning from ear to ear as he's waiting. Cowboy reference.
"Yeah the slight of my hand is now a quick pull trigger,"
He's ready to shoot in an instant. Another cowboy reference.
"I reason with my cigarette, And say your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits, yeah."
Probably chewing on his cigarette, moving it around while he's deciding whether to go through with it (liken to what people do with pencils when looking at a problem). He retorts to his doubts that the head of the cigarette (the unfiltered part you light) is on fire, so what does it know?
A box of fun things I think is a reference to bullets, you can usually find a box near a gun.
A box of fun things I think is a reference to bullets, you can usually find a box near a gun.
'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice.- Revenge is a dish best served cold.
'Cause dinner's in the kitchen and it's packed in ice.- Revenge is a dish best served cold.
I completely agree with you Koriism, but I think he's waiting for his dad to come home so he can shoot him and end the abuse. Craziness!
I completely agree with you Koriism, but I think he's waiting for his dad to come home so he can shoot him and end the abuse. Craziness!
Mark Foster recently explained in an interview what Pumped Up Kicks is about: "Pumped Up Kicks' is about a kid that basically is losing his mind and is plotting revenge. He's an outcast. I feel like the youth in our culture are becoming more and more isolated. It's kind of an epidemic. Instead of writing about victims and some tragedy, I wanted to get into the killer's mind, like Truman Capote did in 'In Cold Blood.' I love to write about characters. That's my style. I really like to get inside the heads of other people and try to walk in their shoes."
@ledzeplover @ledzeplover Good explanation. One thing to add I guess is that this may have taken place in the early 90's. The reason I say that is, back then Reebok made their "Pumps." A shoe that you could inflate by pumping an air button on the shoe's tongue. A few kids in my school had them and they were all kinds of awesome, but most kids back then didn't get amazing shoes like that. So to me, "Pumped Up Kicks" also refers to that time, and possibly the feeling one might get seeing people in school with all the...
@ledzeplover @ledzeplover Good explanation. One thing to add I guess is that this may have taken place in the early 90's. The reason I say that is, back then Reebok made their "Pumps." A shoe that you could inflate by pumping an air button on the shoe's tongue. A few kids in my school had them and they were all kinds of awesome, but most kids back then didn't get amazing shoes like that. So to me, "Pumped Up Kicks" also refers to that time, and possibly the feeling one might get seeing people in school with all the cool new toys that many can't afford.
The song is about gun violence (youth) and the lack of parental support and love that they feel causes some of it. The bassist had a cousin that survived Columbine so it could very well be about that shooting or just student on student violence in general.
I think the "six shooter" gun is hardly a reference to a toy or an imaginary handgun, but rather a literal reference to the type of gun that might be found in a parent's closet box hidden away from a child's reach (however ineffectively in this instance--and likely many others in reality). Any revolver is a six shooter! A .357 magnum is a six shooter or six gun, as is a 38 special. These are very real, and very common handguns, though the more common (at least on television and in films) Glock or Beretta 9mm are probably what spring to mind when one imagines a handgun.
As for the box of fun, sounds like porn, gun, ammo, maybe even some drugs and/or paraphernalia.
I, too, agree with the summation of neglect. I also agree with the assessment that pumped up kicks could be taken to mean highly sought sneakers, which represent the cool kids.
I think that the two points that I question are that perhaps the cigarette might be a joint (hand rolled, and exactly the type of thing a latchkey kid could develop proficiency in manufacturing). And the final issue I see at work is the psychological state created by combination of the neglect and/or abuse suffered at home at the hands of his father, and the likely ostracism experienced at school enacted by the pumped up kicks-wearing cool kids and/or jocks. This perfect storm of lacking a functional primary support system, immediate and regular access to lethal means, potential substance abuse, and repeated provocation via bullying or ostracizing behaviors at school could create a dissociative split or state of pre-psychotic decompensation wherein he begins to view himself in unrealistic terms to protect himself (i.e. The lone gunman or cowboy out to enact justice). This impending psychotic break could also explain his conversing with the cigarette.
Thus, a school shooter is born, and artfully presented in a groovy tune to make us bob our heads, AND think...imagine that! GO, FOSTER THE PEOPLE!! Well played!!
I think you hit it right on, except for maybe when he says he found " I don't know what". Either he's already psychotic, or he found some shrooms or similar and believes he's a cowboy. A kid I knew took shrooms and only managed to shoot himself with apparently dad's gun, in an orange grove. Also would explain talking to inanimate objects. ANyways liked your explanation, love the beats and sound, but unfortunately the meaning of the song will probably never hit the ears of the people it would benfit the most. GET...
I think you hit it right on, except for maybe when he says he found " I don't know what". Either he's already psychotic, or he found some shrooms or similar and believes he's a cowboy. A kid I knew took shrooms and only managed to shoot himself with apparently dad's gun, in an orange grove. Also would explain talking to inanimate objects. ANyways liked your explanation, love the beats and sound, but unfortunately the meaning of the song will probably never hit the ears of the people it would benfit the most. GET A GUN SAFE IF YOU OWN A GUN PARENTS.
No, every revolver is NOT a six shooter!!! "Six shooter" specifically refers to revolvers having cylinders with six chambers for holding individual rounds of ammunition. Five cylinders is another common configuration, but there are some that actually hold 10 rounds or more!
No, every revolver is NOT a six shooter!!! "Six shooter" specifically refers to revolvers having cylinders with six chambers for holding individual rounds of ammunition. Five cylinders is another common configuration, but there are some that actually hold 10 rounds or more!
GoPSYCHyourself -
GoPSYCHyourself -
It's so funny that you described the song as a "groovy tune". The first time I heard the song I thought the same thing. I thought the chorus part had a "60's" feel to it -- something like the "Mama's and the Papa's" (or some other 60's band) would have sang back in that era. I first heard the song while I was driving my car and by the end of the tune I was tapping my foot and bobbing my head. When I read the lyrics, I was shocked (and saddened) a little bit. For me, it brought...
It's so funny that you described the song as a "groovy tune". The first time I heard the song I thought the same thing. I thought the chorus part had a "60's" feel to it -- something like the "Mama's and the Papa's" (or some other 60's band) would have sang back in that era. I first heard the song while I was driving my car and by the end of the tune I was tapping my foot and bobbing my head. When I read the lyrics, I was shocked (and saddened) a little bit. For me, it brought back memories of the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. In 1999, I worked for the yearbook company that printed Columbine's yearbook. The shootings happened just a few weeks before the yearbook was supposed to be shipped. When we heard about the shootings, there were alot of emotions at the place I worked. We were shocked, very angry, and deeply saddened. So many tears were shed. When you work on these yearbooks every year, and you see all the faces of these young kids who are supposed to have their whole life ahead of them -- sometimes you can't help but feel like you've lost a member of your own family.
It is amazing how the victims are portrayed as the "bad guys," while alternatively we are positioned to accept the shooter and his decisions. This is really playing with my mind, because I feel as though "all the other kids" deserved it - though it would be so unnatural to watch a news reel of this event, and feel as though the killing was justified.
This song can have a serious impact on the audience, not just because its a twisted sort of character, but because the twisted can really get inside your head.
Like siding with Christian Slater's character in "Heathers," most of us can sympathize, even fantasize, but that doesn't mean we'd do it.
Like siding with Christian Slater's character in "Heathers," most of us can sympathize, even fantasize, but that doesn't mean we'd do it.
Totally know what you mean.
Totally know what you mean.
We want to root for the underdog, but the other side of us says not to.
We want to root for the underdog, but the other side of us says not to.
This song protagonizes an antihero of sorts.
This song protagonizes an antihero of sorts.
Actually, it's good characterization on the song writer's part that the protagonist blames his victims - the sort of psychotic anger driving his actions is ALWAYS outward-directed.
Actually, it's good characterization on the song writer's part that the protagonist blames his victims - the sort of psychotic anger driving his actions is ALWAYS outward-directed.
Dont'cha just love reading everyone's comments? This song's meaning is basically controversial. (Unless you watch the FTP interviews!!) I posted on here about three times already, but I wanna post a fourth time. Ok, so wanna know what Pumped Up Kicks is really about?? (Got this info from watching FTP interviews --That what I always do in my spare time) Ok, so Mark said that he heard more and more on the news about kids doing something violent, like bringing guns and other weapons to school - And he said it bothered him. He didn't get how, and WHY, kids (preferably ages 12-17) would ever even think considering doing something violent. So, he wanted to "get inside the head of a kid who was going insane". Mark was tryig to think of what would cause a kid to act that way, whether it being bullying, isolation, etc. He was trying to write from the perspective of that kid.
In one interview, he said, "There are two sides to a tragedy. One being the victim, of course... One being the side of the shooter [killer]..."
So, all in all, the song is describing what's going on in a kid's life that makes him think violent thoughts. For example, in the second verse, "Daddy works a long day, he be comin, home late, he's comin' home late"... I think that part is trying to say that his dad works a lot, is hardly ever home... Leaving the kid with no one to talk to. I bet all he needs is closure, but he's basically fending for himself. And obviously, he's taunting the victims... "Better run, better run, outrun my gun!"
I honestly don't get why some people say this is a bad song. Clearly, it's not trying to influence you in ANY way, shape or form. It's written as a story. Ok, if ya don't get that, think of it like this: You're reading a story. A murder mystery, to be exact. Someone dies mysteriously, police are trying to find the killer. Would you say that the author of that book is trying to influence murder?? I doubt it.
So yeah... That being said, I LOVE Pumped Up Kicks!! It's my most favorite song. EVER :D
Dude is a misfit. He's pissed off. He's going through that anger in his mind.
Sometimes you have to hear the sound and not just the words. It's distorted. It's syncopated and staccato. His mind is suffering. He's feeling a little dizzy. He's fantasizing about inflicting some serious pain. But there's an arrogant sarcasm to it. The whistling. He's enjoying the violent scene he's imagining. He's calm about it, somewhat cold even.
This song is a daydream in the mind of an angry young dude with some issues.
BOOM! Right there
BOOM! Right there
Oh goodness.. It's about how people would bully Robert until he hit his breaking point, went and got a gun, and started a school shooting. People are focusing on "kicks" in the wrong sense... maybe it's not universal, but where I'm from, Kicks is another word for shoes, and shoes are very often used as a status symbol.. ratty shoes often mean you're poor, whereas the newest Osiris brand shoes often mean you have a high social status. "All the other kids and their pumped up kicks better run better run, outrun my gun" means that they better use their super awesome status-symbol shoes that are completely impractical to run, or they're going to get shot.
And it was probably the kids with the nice "pumped up kicks" that were bullying him because maybe he was kinda poor and the kids with the pumped up kicks (the rich kids or the popular kids) would tease him because of that. I think your answer is correct.
And it was probably the kids with the nice "pumped up kicks" that were bullying him because maybe he was kinda poor and the kids with the pumped up kicks (the rich kids or the popular kids) would tease him because of that. I think your answer is correct.
Who wrote the lyrics to 'Pumped Up Kicks' by Foster the People?