“Pumped Up Kicks”—Foster the People: How does a song go from being a favorite at one time to, several months later, change and almost top the trash heap? Well, I have my teenage daughter to thank for this one. Apparently, every time I heard the song, I was listening to an edited version it. That, plus the fact that he was singing into a bullet mike to distort the vocal (which I originally thought was very cool!) kept me from catching the lyrics.
So, as I was wandering around the house whistling the song, my daughter asked me if I had actually listened to the words. I responded that, for the most part, I couldn’t even understand them. She told me to check them out because they were kind of creepy. And I have to agree with her. The song, in my opinion, now fits into that little niche alongside other infamous songs like The Boomtown Rats’ “I Don’t Like Mondays” written by Bob Geldof, but without the substance or the message.
And one last important thing: The video really isn’t that good. In this instance, it was the song that made the video seem like it was better than it was. Now that the luster has been eroded, there’s nothing left but an empty shell of a video. That makes the transformation complete and explains why it is now on the “Q” Bomb list. I, too, can be snookered. A hypnotic melody can make something seem that it is better than it truly is.
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Until next time, take care of yourself, and take care of each other!
Peace!
Q
