Given that this song was a demo, I think: “People say its suicide, but nothing from nothing is a real life.” Refers to people telling the band that trying to make a career of music is financial suicide. MGMT then counters with “but nothing from nothing is a real life,” which I think refers to the observation that it is possible to create a real life in our modern era that is in fact comprised of nothing. It is possible to create commodities (such as brilliant pop confections like this one) that make people happy and generate wealth for the band. This observation was prescient, given the subsequent success and fame which the band has now enjoyed.
Given that this song was a demo, I think: “People say its suicide, but nothing from nothing is a real life.” Refers to people telling the band that trying to make a career of music is financial suicide. MGMT then counters with “but nothing from nothing is a real life,” which I think refers to the observation that it is possible to create a real life in our modern era that is in fact comprised of nothing. It is possible to create commodities (such as brilliant pop confections like this one) that make people happy and generate wealth for the band. This observation was prescient, given the subsequent success and fame which the band has now enjoyed.