What does Pumped Up Kicks mean?

Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks Meaning

Album cover for Pumped Up Kicks album cover

Song Released: 2010


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Pumped Up Kicks 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 of his mouth he's a cowboy kid
Yeah found a six-shooter gun
In his dad's closet hidden in a box of fun things, I don't...

  1. anonymous
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    Jun 15th 2012 !⃝

    this song is about someone who hates kids with pumped up kicks so he shoots them so he dosent have to put up with it

  2. anonymous
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    May 31st 2012 !⃝

    columbine shootings

  3. anonymous
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    May 23rd 2012 !⃝

    This song is about Billy the Kid...listen to the lyrics it's all there...Billy got his first six shooter stealing it from his stepdad. Then he referred to John Tunstall as his dad...the coming home late reffered to him not coming home at all cuz he was murdered after a business deal..the lyrics say he's bringing me a big surprise...that means rage, anger and revenge. thus "he's comin for yea he's comin for you
    Billy used to run with the gang called The Boys..a group of kids sometimes called the kids...some of who the Dolan/Murphy's hire and killed Tunstall...therefore the lyrics.All u other kids with the pumped up kicks u better run faster than my gun..u better run faster than my bullet

  4. anonymous
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    May 23rd 2012 !⃝

    I think this song is about billy the kid...think about it, it all add's up

  5. anonymous
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    May 14th 2012 !⃝

    i think the song is a metaphor itself.
    the tune is nice and cheery. if you were not really paying attention to the song's lyrics, you may not realize its meaning. but as soon as you start really paying attention to the lyrics, you realize that it has a very dark meaning (although its still a great song)
    the protagonist is the same: maybe a nice cheery, kid, maybe not, but surely not a homicidal maniac........ until you start paying close attention and you realize that he is deeply troubled

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 26th 2012 !⃝

    Bahaha! July. Hm. Iron Maiden, a bashed car and cell phone internet articles. Creepy.

    Despite loving Bad Company, the point of the song was, "somebody double crossed me, double crossed, oh, double crossed..." And "that's the way I play, dirty for dirty."

    Hacking into my life and his, you'd think you would have connected all the dots yet you are obviously not as "connected" as I thought.

    Also, I was never picked on or too much of a wierdo...I had a "clique" and I hated the dynamics of the whole situation. We are not a pack of wolves who are standardized according to what is socially "normal" we are human beings and the mob mentality is restrictive and ultimately cultivates that which is exactly contrived. Order must be established among a population and is achieved by social standards which should be according to THOUGHT and not strictly psychology coming from the top, nor should it be a pecking order or "alpha" vs "runt..."

    There is a hudge difference between percieving yourself as a loner merely because you can't stand senseless chatter, and being a psychotic killer.

    Nah, I like the whole psychotic killer thing. It makes me feel like a bad ass; like a cowboy.

    Or like a barbi doll. Omg. Plz.

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 26th 2012 !⃝

    I really enjoy twisted humor and find this song to be exceptionally that!

    I believe the boy is the son of a serial killer and is one in the making. His dad's box of fun things refer to the tools that his dad uses which could be as simple as a gun...or read a few true crime novels to gain an extended version.

    While "dinner" could refer to beer on ice, what else could be packed in ice? Fun.

  8. anonymous
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    Apr 25th 2012 !⃝

    A guy named Robert wants people to run, run faster than his gun, and out run that bullet, or die. Bottom line, this song is great anyway.

  9. anonymous
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    Apr 17th 2012 !⃝

    you know yea alot of people relate to robert because of all the bullshit they go thru everyday with all the assholes who think they are bigshits just because they have "pumped up kicks" all the ones who are assholes to him. and honestly i sympathize with robert cuz sometimes i want to do the same damn thing!

  10. anonymous
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    Apr 4th 2012 !⃝

    I think it's not about any of the school shootings involving a Robert, but maybe a possible future one where a Robert is the shooter. His father is probably abusive and killed the dude's mother, so the boy maybe decides to kill his father for it. He then probably decided he might as well kill his tormentors at school. The cowboy references allude to the fact cowboys were often seen on TV as gun-slinging loners, and the boy hero-worships cowboys, so he decides to be one. That's just what I think.

  11. anonymous
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    Apr 3rd 2012 !⃝

    I thank it is about a kid who has been shunned by students for the way he is. that puts him over the edge and kills the ones who insulted him.
    he then comes home to an abused family and a crazed home and just looses it

  12. anonymous
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    Mar 2nd 2012 !⃝

    I think it's about a school shooting. "Robert" is a physically abused child (caused by his dad) and the only way he knows how to take is by doing something has horrible as killing his teacher (because that was what it came to after it boiled up inside of "Robert".

  13. anonymous
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    Feb 25th 2012 !⃝

    The song could be related to the 1999 columbine high school massacre

  14. anonymous
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    Feb 24th 2012 !⃝

    This song is about the Von Maur shooting. Robert was the killer of 8 people before killing himself.

  15. anonymous
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    Feb 3rd 2012 !⃝

    I think it's about this kid who's bullied at school and abused at home and is going crazy. The band probably wrote the song to raise awareness of bullying and parental neglect.




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