People by The 1975 Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Raw Cry for Authenticity and Change
Lyrics
It’s Monday morning and we’ve only got a thousand of them left
Well, I know it feels pointless and you don’t have any money
But we’re all just gonna try our fucking best
Well, my generation wanna fuck Barack Obama
Living in a sauna with legal marijuana
Well, girls, food, gear
I don’t like going outside, so bring me everything here
(Yeah, woo, yeah, that’s right)
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the kids
Wake up, wake up, wake up
We are appalling and we need to stop just watching shit in bed
And I know it sounds boring and we like things that are funny
But we need to get this in our fucking heads
The economy’s a goner, republic’s a banana, ignore it if you wanna
Fuck it, I’m just gonna get girls, food, gear
I don’t like going outside, so bring me everything here
(Yeah, woo, yeah)
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the kids
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the kids
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the, fucking with the
People like people
They want alive people
The young surprise people
Stop fucking with the kids
The 1975’s ‘People’ is not merely a song; it’s an audacious battle cry from the heart of a generation teetering on the edge of existential dread and defiant hope. Released as a brazen wake-up call, it encapsulates a stark picture of contemporary society through a lens that’s both intensely critical and desperately seeking transformation.
At first glance, the anthemic declaration might seem like a relentless barrage of digital-age disillusionment, but beneath the raw chords and raucous shouts, there’s a deep well of insight waiting to be explored. Let’s plunge into the profound layers of ‘People’ to unearth the hidden messages and the urgency that compels us to listen closer.
A Countdown to Consciousness: The ‘Monday Morning’ Metaphor
When The 1975 beckons us to ‘wake up, wake up, wake up’ because ‘it’s Monday morning,’ they aren’t groaning about the mundane start of the work week. Instead, this is a gripping reminder of our mortality — ‘we’ve only got a thousand of them left.’ It’s a stark nudge, pushing listeners to consider the finitude of life and the significance (or lack thereof) we inject into our daily rat race.
The artistic choice to fixate on Monday symbolizes the collective apathy and routine that have engulfed the era. This isn’t just about the ‘pointless’ grinds or the lack of ‘money’; it’s lyricist Matty Healy’s scathing observation of a youth dulled by the ceaseless cycle, chasing momentary pleasures as a buffer against their innate quest for meaning.
More Than a Wishful Ode: Craving for Obama and Saunas
Amidst the verses, there’s a provocative name-drop — ‘my generation wanna fuck Barack Obama / Living in a sauna with legal marijuana.’ This isn’t just a throwaway line but a layered desire for progressive ideals and easy indulgence, symbolizing a yearning for the suave idealism of a political figure contrasted with a laissez-faire attitude toward pleasure and vice.
These lines serve a double purpose: highlighting both the flawed hero worship of political figures and the unapologetic escapism through hedonism sought after by a generation disillusioned by the socio-political circus and its banalities.
Digital Hermitude: A Critique on Indoor Isolation
As Healy repeats ‘I don’t like going outside, so bring me everything here,’ there’s an ode to the contemporary comfort in isolation, a sanctuary within the four walls powered by the endless stream of digital conveniences. The assurance of escapism, delivered through screens and doorsteps, becomes the modern hymn for an anxious generation.
In these lines, The 1975 spotlights the paradox of connection in modern times: excessive convenience breeds detachment, and the simplification of life’s experiences to a mere transaction reinforces the move towards a self-imposed exile from the tangible outside world.
The Chorus Unchained: Deciphering ‘People Like People’
At the core of the chaos is the chorus: ‘People like people / They want alive people / The young surprise people.’ It’s an electrifying loop that rejects the numbing down of individuality, an insistence on the characteristic that defines our species — vitality, the essence of living beings craving genuine human interaction and dynamic experiences.
The repeated line ‘Stop fucking with the kids’ serves as a defensive stand against the relentless intrusion — be it from commercial, political, or social sources — into the youth’s potential to reshape the world. The band casts a protective circle around their inherent power, signaling a plea to preserve their unabashed liveliness and the novelty they bring to the societal canvas.
Unforgettable Lines that Shake the Complacent
The verse that can’t go ignored is a reality check for the audience, ‘We are appalling and we need to stop just watching shit in bed.’ It’s a cathartic acknowledgment of the collective lethargy and a confrontation with the consensus to choose the passive consumption of life, as opposed to active participation.
Echoing through the relentless drumbeats are words that cut deep into the conscience of the listener. The song dares us to recognize our complacency, a habituation to the dismal headlines, and provocative tweets that we scan through half-hearted interest — a behavior that distances us further from the heat of action and the urgency to incite real change.
