What is "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People really about? Most people danced to it for years without realizing the lyrics are told from the perspective of a teenager planning to shoot his classmates. In this episode of Behind The Lines, we go inside one of the most disturbing Trojan Horses in pop music history.

We tell the full story of Mark Foster — the man who spent 8 years writing jingles for breakfast cereal ads before writing this song alone in 5 hours. We explain what "pumped up kicks" actually means and why it's about class and isolation, not just violence. We break down why the band's own bassist had a personal connection to Columbine. We reveal that Foster cannot remember which specific shooting inspired the song — and why that detail is the most chilling fact of all. And we explain why multiple mass shooters have listed this song as an influence, and what that has done to Mark Foster personally.

Foster the People. Pumped Up Kicks. Torches. Mark Foster. school shooting. gun violence. song meaning explained. hidden meaning. Columbine. Sandy Hook. indie pop. Diamond certification. Behind The Lines Podcast.

Behind The Lines – where every song has a story nobody talks about.