10 Things You Didn't Know About Foster The People

8 . The Lyrics Of Pumped Up Kicks

Ask people if they've heard Foster the People and you may get a confused reaction. Play them the opening part to this song and they will instantly recognise them. It's a feel-good melody and a song that scream Californian beaches, but the lyrics of the song are surprising; it's actually about gun control.

Hidden away behind the indie-pop joy of the tune is a much darker,more serious message and story. Foster said he wrote the lyrics when he read about the growing mental health issues in teenagers and the increased shootings carried out by them. Lines like 'outrun my gun' and 'better run, better run, faster than my bullet' make more sense when you learn what they're writing about.

Written from the perspective of a teenager with homicidal thoughts, it focuses on the increasing issue of gun violence. Foster said that he likes to write 'about real life topics' while also 'writing from the perspective of characters'. Pumped Up Kicks is a message that lyrics should be studied, not just heard.