Foster the People: Pumped Up Kicks Meaning
Song Released: 2010
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 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...
-
Does anyone else think that the song Pumped Up Kicks is about the Von Maur shootings in Omaha, NE in 2007? Robert Hawkins was the shooter. In his suicide note he said he loves his friends and includes the name Mark. Mark Foster wrote this song. A Mark Foster used to live in Omaha, NE. The Mark Foster who wrote this song moved to Los Angeles in 2008-9 when the band formed. I think Mark Foster wrote this song for his old friend Robert Hawkins.. agree or disagree?
-
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
Robert is a quiet kid who, at least partially, idolizes cowboys or the cowboy loner mentality, perhaps he can relate because he, himself, is a loner. His father owns a six shooter(revolver) in his closet, possibly with his cigarettes, and maybe marijuana and other drugs(box of fun).
Robert is a poor kid. He could never afford any of the "pumped up kicks"(nike shocks) and his mother isn't in the picture. His father is a working class man with a drinking problem and sometimes is abusive, he frequently comes home late leaving Robert to fend for himself, hence "dinner is packed in ice" (TV dinner). In retaliation Robert is going to invite the rich kids over and shoot them leaving his father to come home to the sight of many dead kids lying on the lawn. Robert is smoking a cigarette of some sort and waiting for the kids to come over at the time of this song. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
I think it's about Robert Hawkins. He took his father 6 shooter gun, which makes him feel like a "cowboy" having that freedom to do whatever he wanted. The line "I don't even know why? But hes comming for you, ya hes coming for you." I feel has to do with his mother not knowing why he would do such a thing, yet he's able to go after anyone. Then he goes to the mall where all the kids that where pumped up kicks ("Cool Kids")and when everyone starts running after hearing the gun shots it's kind of pointless because if he wants he'll get you anyways "you better run better run faster than my bullet." When he talks about his father comming home from work drunk with dinner "packed in ice" meaning tv dinners, Something thats the same all the time. Maybe in some way he blames his father for what happened to him. Than he talks about reasoning with his cigarette thats something only a crazy person would do. Robert had many psychological disorders by the time of the shooting. "And say your hair's on fire, you must of lost your wit, yeah" He ended up shooting himself in the head after he killed 8 other people, so it's more of a foreshadowing of what's to come of him.
-
first off nike never made pumps they were reebok. And i actually remember when walking down the streets of bmore with some sneakers on meant you might have to outrun(or return) a bullet to keep them. Nice melodious song though
-
The song is not about any historical shooting incident. It's a fictional account of a neglected latchkey kid who turns on his peers and parents.
The cowboy fantasy is a result of him being raised by television instead of his parents. He has no foundation at home to fall back on. His world is imaginary and isolated. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
"The song is about an outcast youth who doesn't wear the right clothes, doesn't say the right things and just doesn't fit in," Foster says. "It's really about the mental process of him going crazy. So it's a dark song with a really breezy melody."
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/26/136643883/foster-the-people-an-outsider-anthem-a-viral-hit -
I think the cheeriness of the song is a clue. I don't think Robert was planning to kill anyone, instead I think he's a kid who was playing cowboy, found his dads loaded gun thought it was a toy and went out to go play with the other kids. I think this is about parental neglect more than a depressed teen going on a killing spree. Otherwise the reference to being a cowboy doesnt really fit.
-
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
To me, this is a song about a kid contemplating killing people because he's miserable (his dad's typical dinner is beer on ice). He knows his dad has a gun in the closet and he sees himself gunning down the people who piss him off (the rich kids, the bullies, his dad). He's a lonely kid and being alone he's the only one who knows of what he's about to do. Very chilling, but I bet this is how the killing sprees in our nation start: inside the dreamy head of a lonely kid (or kids). Sad.
Amazing song, though! It's catchy, sticks in your head. :D -
He's got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth...
One final thing I forgot to mention. The "rolled" is very important. It's not just an ordinary cigarette, it's one that is rolled, meaning Robert actually created his "friend".
I'll talk about the other versus later, if I remember to. I gotta go... Later...
More Foster the People songs »
Latest Articles
-
Forgotten Weird Music Videos of the Ancient 80s | vol 3 -
Forgotten Weird Music Videos of the Ancient 80s | vol 2 -
Forgotten Weird Music Videos of the Ancient 80s | vol 1 -
Let’s Chase Taylor Swift Rumors -
When the Beatles Touched Off a Movie War -
When Mike Bloomfield Composed a Soundtrack For Andy Warhol
Trending:
Just Posted
| Ocean Breathes Salty | anonymous |
| Right Where It Belongs | HECKFRICKER |
| Monster | anonymous |
| Seasons in the Sun | anonymous |
| Somewhere Only We Know | anonymous |
| I'm a Slave 4 U | anonymous |
| Townie | anonymous |
| Show Me | anonymous |
| Happy? | anonymous |
| Rock Show | anonymous |
| Don't Go | anonymous |
| Tek It | anonymous |
| Don't Leave Me | anonymous |
| Chop Suey | anonymous |
| Taking Over Me | anonymous |
