Kids
MGMT Lyrics
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You were a child
Crawling on your knees toward it
Making mama so proud
But your voice is too loud
We like to watch you laughing
You pick the insects off plants
No time to think of consequences
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
The water is warm
But it's sending me shivers
A baby is born
Crying out for attention
The memories fade
Like looking through a fogged mirror
Decision to decisions are made and not bought
But I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot
I guess not
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees
"Kids" by MGMT is a song about the youthful desire for excitement and adventure, and the consequences of indulging in those desires without self-control or consideration for the future.
The song begins by addressing the listener as a child, crawling on their knees towards something they desire. The imagery conveys a sense of innocence and vulnerability, while the mention of the child's voice being too loud suggests an eagerness to be heard and noticed. The chorus highlights the theme of control, with the repetition of the phrase "Control yourself, take only what you need from it" emphasizing the importance of self-restraint and consideration for the consequences of one's actions.
The second verse shifts to a more abstract and introspective tone, with the water being warm but sending shivers down the singer's spine, suggesting a mix of pleasure and unease. The metaphor of a baby crying out for attention highlights the need for validation and recognition, while the memories fading like a fogged mirror suggest a lack of clarity and purpose in one's past experiences. The final lines acknowledge the inevitability of making decisions, but express a sense of surprise at the unexpected pain that comes with them.
Overall, "Kids" explores the tension between the desire for excitement and the need for self-control, emphasizing the importance of taking only what is necessary and avoiding the temptation to indulge recklessly in one's impulses.
Line by Line Meaning
You were a child
The song starts off by bringing attention to the idea of being a child.
Crawling on your knees toward it
The child is crawling towards something they want.
Making mama so proud
The child is making their mother happy.
But your voice is too loud
The child is making too much noise.
We like to watch you laughing
People enjoy seeing the child happy.
You pick the insects off plants
The child is curious about their surroundings.
No time to think of consequences
The child is not yet aware of the consequences of their actions.
Control yourself
The song then shifts to the idea of self control.
Take only what you need from it
The idea of taking only what you need is emphasized.
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
The family of trees is personified to want to be haunted.
The water is warm
The song then brings up the idea of water being warm.
But it's sending me shivers
This situation is strange and unsettling.
A baby is born
The song then introduces the idea of birth and new life.
Crying out for attention
The baby is in need of attention.
The memories fade
Memories can disappear over time.
Like looking through a fogged mirror
Memories can become unclear as time passes.
Decision to decisions are made and not bought
Decisions are not something that can be purchased.
But I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot
Sometimes we make decisions we think won't hurt us.
I guess not
But in reality, they do.
Control yourself
The song repeats the idea of self control.
Take only what you need from it
Again, taking only what you need is emphasized.
A family of trees wanted to be haunted
The idea of the family of trees wanting to be haunted is repeated multiple times.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CTM Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Benjamin Nicholas Huner Goldwasser, Andrew Wells Vanwyngarden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MinerDiner
"Hey I got a good idea for a music video"
"yeah, what is it?"
"Let's mentally scar a toddler"
"genius"
@callumjerry
lol do better, watch 'the making of' video and then come back
@MinerDiner
@@callumjerry I'd say I basically got the gist of it
@rREC
@@MinerDiner then you know that the kid was an actor that got treated super good and whenever he got scared they would stop the whole recording to see if he was okay
@yanaantonio42
@@callumjerry I did. It's ridiculous. If you think that shows he was ok, you are deeply mistaken. The simple fact that mommy is there to tell him monsters are ok, sending him to them is a fundamental trust breach. Kids this age have no way of processing, of differentiating fake from real, it will get back at him and bite him in the ass as anxiety, trust issues, etc. This is really shameful. Maybe the fact that he can review the video as he grows up will help him process that. Maybe.
@ezakustam
@@yanaantonio42
Ostensibly, the issue is more that he wasn't even afraid of them. He doesn't equate them with danger. I have an injured friend who literally looks like a model with a zombie face, and neither one says a thing about her character. In any case, editing can hide a lot. What we do know is that in the making of, he didn't really seem upset by them, but in the video itself, in places he does. We don't see the whole picture. It did make me furious before I saw the making of. It would be one of the greatest videos of all time if they actually avoided traumatizing the kid.
@LVSkinny
Yoo that kid was prolly real life scared as shit 😭😭😭
@fernie6299
eh. he'll be fine.
@Kimblesgarage
Acutally. He's just a really good actor believe it or not. go search how they filmed it theres footage of him and its clear he knows he's pretending
@lildarney8116
@Sin Lockheart he’s now 12 or 13 and this was made in 2009