In 2011, Foster the People released an upbeat catchy song called Pumped Up Kicks that quickly rose to the tops of the charts. It began playing on radios, in stores, and even became a popular song at events and school dances, becoming number three on Billboard's Hot 100 list at the time. Although this song was super popular from its happy and upbeat sound, the lyrics themselves really were not at all what you would think just from hearing the music.
The song itself is actually about school shootings and the rise of mental illness in teenagers. The lead singer of the band came out and said that he wanted to “get inside the mind of a psychopathic teenager”. At one point the song temporarily stopped being played on U.S. radio stations due to the meaning and the events of the Sandy Hook school shooting, however it remained popular after that. I remember growing up being at middle school dances, this song would come on and everybody would dance and sing every lyric of the song at the top of their lungs without a single thought about what the lyrics they were singing were actually saying.
The idea of making the song with a popular pop-style sound, I believe, allowed it to reach a significantly larger number of people than it would have if the sound matched the lyrics. This allows the important message that the song is trying to convey to be widespread. However, I wonder if the deep messages from this song really accomplished anything that it was trying to do if many people sang along without really thinking about what they were singing. Do you think that this song conveyed its message and raised awareness like it was hoping to? What effect do you think incongruent songs have on the message of the song? If the song is upbeat with a sad or deeper and darker meaning, do you feel those messages are portrayed well? Would it be more beneficial to try to convey the message with a congruent sound to go with the lyrics?
As a veteran high school teacher and mother to teens, I have seen this song make the rounds for a while. My own, slightly subversive kids (and honestly self) love the deceptively dark meaning behind the bouncy melody. I personally don't feel threatened by it. If one looks closely at the lyrics, it seems more like the main character is fantasizing about the destruction he could cause, but then backing out of it. Probably the most disturbing part of it is first person perspective in the chorus.
ReplyDeleteTo me it this song is a cultural vent- a way to for kids to cope with an immanent and genuine threat. The incongruity of melody to lyric sends the message that we are scared, but we CAN talk about it and maybe even find some dark humor in an otherwise terrifying situation.
If you look all the way back to 1979, you'll see that Boomtown Rats crafted something similar with "Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays". I remember walking down the halls of my high school bellowing the chorus and it wasn't until years later that I discovered the real meaning. I was genuinely shocked, but I think more appreciative of the song than ever once I uncovered its origins.
Pumped Up Kicks was such a popular song when I was in junior high/high school, and I remember not really thinking much about the lyrics when I first listened to it. I did enjoy the catchy melody and others did as well as it shot up to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 list for 8 consecutive weeks. The song resonated with the audience because of the beat, sound, and after the meaning was revealed, the lyrics. I definitely don't think that Foster the People wanted to make light of the shooting, but rather draw attention to it. They used a creative tactic to share a powerful message, and I believe this was smart. I understand that certain messages fit better with other tones, but sometimes, the artist may fear that the intended audience might not pay attention. In this case, I think they were able to cultivate a strong response.
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