Kevin
October 27, 2021
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Do you know the meaning of the song “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the song “Pumped Up Kicks,” including its meaning, lyrics, song facts, and more!
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According to Billboard, the song “Pumped Up Kicks” by the band Foster the People is written from the perspective of a psychotic kid named Robert who has plans to go through with a school shooting. The songwriter and band’s frontman Mark Foster say that the song is about Robert’s psyche and the teenage mental illness epidemic. Robert feels isolated and the outcast seeks revenge for the children who bully him. Foster noticed a growing trend in mental illness in teens over the last decade and wanted to explore the psychology behind it. According to an interview with CNN, Forster wrote the song to create dialogue around the crisis plaguing teens.
The pumped up kicks in the song reference basketball shoes made by companies like Reebok and Nike. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy in 2012, Mark Foster decided to pull the track out of respect for the victims. This song is on Foster the People’s debut album Torches which was released through Columbia Records and Startime, per Song Facts. Foster explores the issue of gun violence through the song, which is not something you see often in popular songs. He attempted to bring light to the isolation, lack of love and troubled nature of the next generation. He also referenced Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood” with the smoking gun.
The lyrics to the song are below, from Genius:
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 dad’s closet with a box of fun things
I don’t even know what
But he’s coming for you, yeah, he’s coming for you, wait
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
Daddy works a long day
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’ve lost your wits,” yeah
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
Run, run, run, run
Ru-ru-ru-run, run, run
Ru-ru-ru-ru-run, run, run, run
Ru-ru-ru-run
Run, run, ru-run, run
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run, outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run faster than my bullet
Foster the People is an indie rock band based out of Los Angeles, California. This was originally a solo project for Mark Foster, who is a vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist. He had been working as a composer for commercial jingles. As his songs became popular, he enlisted bassist Cubbie Fink and drummer Mark Pontius. The song Pumped Up Kicks debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart on May 7, 2011.
According to Song Facts, the band Foster the People has been around since 2009 and released all of the below songs. The band currently includes Mark Foster on vocals and guitar, Mark Pontius on drums, Sean Cimino on guitar and keyboards, and Ison Innis on various instruments.
Overall, the song Pumped Up Kicks is about a young troubled boy who plans to commit a school shooting. While the song was pulled after various national tragedies that were school shootings including the Sandy Hook tragedy, the writer and singer Mark Foster wrote the song to try and shed light on the teen mental illness crisis. This also took into account the issues of gun control and gun violence in the United States of America.
