The Sid and Nancy in the song’s title refer to the infamous couple Sid Vicious, bassist of the punk band The Sex Pistols, and Nancy Spungen, his girlfriend. The two had an intense and destructive relationship in which the two were infatuated with each other, but ended up contributing to each other’s deaths.
Although “loyal” connotes something positive, in this instance, it is meant more of a word of caution. While the couple’s history communicates intense loyalty, this was on a backdrop of dangerous behavior and heavy drug addiction; Nancy got Sid addicted to heroin. When Nancy was murdered in 1978, their dynamic was far from over. While Sid was the prime suspect, showing just how complex and problematic their relationship was, Sid was rumored to have constantly been attempting to overdose and kill himself in order to “be with his Nancy”. He finally did die of heroin overdose in early ‘79.
Thus, their loyalty was ultimately self-destructive.
The track features many references to people and events with similarly tragic circumstances- both past and present.
There is an overall emphasis on the lyrics of this track because its official video on the band’s YouTube channel is a lyric video (and the first LV of the album).
Instrumentally, “Loyal Like Sid & Nancy” is a loosely hip-hop-inducing track with trap-flavored beats. Mark takes a rap-style approach—with verse three falling into spoken-word—to the verses of the song while experimenting with transitions between the heavy beats and lighter chorus.
Mark Foster said this song was the longest track to finish on the album:
"The music went through a lot of iterations before we finally settled on a three act play sort of format. But I went particularly insane writing the lyrics to that one. Also, it was important to me that the vocal delivery was right. The vocal needed to be sensual to offset the aggression of the lyrical message and the beat."
Loyal Like Sid & Nancy
Foster the People Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been stealing looks from shadows you conjure with your purse
Yeah, you're walking in stilettos, but your nose is bleeding out
I've been running from the devil, but the devil's on my back
I'm decreasing, took a leave of absence from the war
If the wall is coming down, then we gotta press the pedal
Got my hands up in the air, I'm saying I can't breathe
I got my hands up in the air, I'm saying
Hey, man, get away from me
Yeah, hey, man, get away from me
oh yeah
Never ask for any favours, nothing I want from you
I've been looking for an answer to keep me from falling through
But I'm waiting for the voice to speak, 'cause I can't see
I hope we'll hear the sound eventually
I felt their claws obstruct and refuse refugees in the new Rome
Lock our voices in the oven like s-Sylvia at home
My eyes are on the world, and my hands anxious to feel something real
True colours tend to glisten and then reveal
Where's the love?
And why are we so far from love?
Chased by badges, ducking lights
Push the dagger when it's right
Martial law, inshallah, mi casa es tuya
Ghosting like I'm Daniel Johnston, and I'm locked up in the basement
Where Satan lies in satin tweets and realigns his facelift
The criminals are laughing with their empty, toothless faces
We melted all our gold to recommence our idol worship
We all pretend one day we'll be the greatest of the Gatsbys
Hey, man, get away from me
You pretend you got control
Hey, man, get away from me
I never asked for any favours, nothing I want from you
Well, I've been praying for an answer to keep me from falling through
Yeah, I'm waiting for the voice to speak, 'cause I can't see
Oh, we'll hear the sound eventually
We'll hear the sound, we'll hear the sound eventually
The lyrics to “Loyal Like Sid & Nancy” by Foster the People are heavy with metaphor and allusion to historical events and individuals. The song begins by describing the band members "parading to the masses" and "coming so fresh to death," setting a confident and confrontational tone that carries through the rest of the song. Lead singer Mark Foster seems to be addressing an unknown person who he believes is trying to control or manipulate him: "Hey, man, get away from me / You pretend you got control."
The image of Sid and Nancy is used throughout the song to represent the idea of loyalty to the point of self-destruction. Sid Vicious, bassist for the Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen were infamous for their tumultuous relationship that ultimately ended in Nancy's murder and Sid's overdose. The lyric "Growling mouths with rabies and loyal like Sid and Nancy" seems to be a warning against blind loyalty to a destructive force.
The final verse of the song is particularly dense with meaning. Foster sings about "chased by badges, ducking lights," suggesting that he feels pursued or oppressed in some way. He also mentions "martial law" and "inshallah," which could be a reference to the state of emergency and police presence in France following terrorist attacks in 2015. The allusion to Sylvia Plath's confinement to the kitchen and the mention of Satan tweeting seem to be comments on the state of society and how individuals can feel trapped and powerless in the face of larger systems.
Line by Line Meaning
Parading to the masses, we're coming so fresh to death
We're showcasing ourselves to everyone and looking amazing
I've been stealing looks from shadows you conjure with your purse
I'm admiring you from afar and appreciating your style
Yeah, you're walking in stilettos, but your nose is bleeding out
You may seem confident on the outside, but you're struggling within
I've been running from the devil, but the devil's on my back
I've been trying to avoid bad influences, but they keep chasing me
I'm decreasing, took a leave of absence from the war
I'm losing strength and taking a break from fighting
If the wall is coming down, then we gotta press the pedal
If something is changing, we need to adapt and move quickly
Got my hands up in the air, I'm saying I can't breathe
I'm feeling overwhelmed and suffocated by my surroundings
Hey, man, get away from me / Yeah, hey, man, get away from me / oh yeah
I don't want to associate with negative people
Never ask for any favours, nothing I want from you
I don't need anything from others, I'm independent
I've been looking for an answer to keep me from falling through
I'm searching for a solution to prevent failure
But I'm waiting for the voice to speak, 'cause I can't see
I'm waiting for clarity on what to do next
I hope we'll hear the sound eventually
I'm optimistic that the answer will come in due time
I felt their claws obstruct and refuse refugees in the new Rome
I witnessed people denying those in need of help
Lock our voices in the oven like s-Sylvia at home
Our voices were suppressed, like Sylvia Plath's struggles
My eyes are on the world, and my hands anxious to feel something real
I'm engaged with the world and eager for authentic experiences
True colours tend to glisten and then reveal
People's true intentions and personality will eventually show
Where's the love? / And why are we so far from love?
I'm questioning why there isn't more compassion and kindness in the world
Chased by badges, ducking lights / Push the dagger when it's right
I'm avoiding conflict with law enforcement but will stand up when necessary
Martial law, inshallah, mi casa es tuya
I'm referencing the military presence and welcoming others into my home
Ghosting like I'm Daniel Johnston, and I'm locked up in the basement
I feel isolated and alone, like Daniel Johnston's struggles with mental illness
Where Satan lies in satin tweets and realigns his facelift
I'm criticizing people who use social media to spread negativity and lies
The criminals are laughing with their empty, toothless faces
People who are doing wrong are smug and arrogant about it
We melted all our gold to recommence our idol worship
We were misguided and focused on worshipping unimportant things
We all pretend one day we'll be the greatest of the Gatsbys
We aspire to be like Gatsby, but his life was ultimately empty
Growling mouths with rabies and loyal like Sid and Nancy
People have vicious attitudes and are blindly loyal like Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen
I never asked for any favours, nothing I want from you
I don't need anything from anyone else, I'm capable on my own
Well, I've been praying for an answer to keep me from falling through
I'm hoping for divine guidance to prevent failure
Yeah, I'm waiting for the voice to speak, 'cause I can't see
I'm seeking clarity and direction to make a decision
Oh, we'll hear the sound eventually / We'll hear the sound, we'll hear the sound eventually
We'll eventually find the solution or hear the message we need to hear
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Mark Foster, Isom Innis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@esthersaucedo3971
Parading to the masses
We're coming so fresh to death
I've been stealing looks from shadows
You conjure with your purse
Yeah you're walking in stilettos
But your nose is bleeding out
I've been running from the devil
But the devil's on my back
I'm decreasing
Took a leave of absence from the war
If the wall is coming down
Then we got to press the pedal
Got my hands up in the air
I'm saying I can't breathe
I got my hands up in the air
I'm saying
Hey man get away from me
Yeah, hey man get away from me
Never ask for any favors
There's nothing I want from you
I've been looking for an answer
To keep me from falling through
And I'm waiting for the voice to speak 'cause I can't see
I hope we'll hear the sound eventually
I felt their claws obstruct and refuse
Refugees in the new Rome
They've locked our voices in the oven
Like Sylvia at home
My eyes are on the world
My hands anxious
To feel something real
True colors tend to glisten
And then reveal
Where's the love?
And why are we so far from love?
Chased by badges, duckin' lights
Push the dagger when it's right
Martial law, inshallah
Mi casa es tuya
Ghosting like I'm Daniel Johnston
And I'm locked up in the basement
Where Satan lies in satin tweets
And realigns his face lift
The criminals are laughing
With their empty, toothless faces
We've melted all our gold
To recommence our idol worship
We all pretend one day
We'll be the greatest of the Gatsbys
Growling mouths with rabies
And loyal like Sid & Nancy
Hey man get away from me
You pretend you got control
Hey man get away from me
Never ask for any favors
There's nothing I want from you
I've been praying for an answer
To keep me from falling through
Yeah I'm waiting for the voice to speak 'cause I can't see
We'll hear the sound eventually
We'll hear the sound
We'll hear the sound eventually
@InterEDGE
One of the most badass and unusual progressions in a song I've ever heard.
@Oscarito07
Si crack
@Oscarito07
@p g x2
@sanick4864
No lmao
@jofosho2
@p g chills every time
@justarug2589
Please dont talk about music theory it just ruins it.
@AH-lj8ut
Am I the only one who likes this new style? Torches and Supermodel aren't alike but are great for different reasons, bands go through phases and just because music style changes isn't a bad thing. It's still distinctly ftp-esque in my opinion.
@aaront7375
Alyssa H Yeah you can literally feel it. It's more than just his voice. It's the essence. 👍
@zitaengeljakob8485
I love it too!
@TheAmyable260
Why do I get the impression from several (not all) comments that many people aren't paying attention to the meaning of the lyrics? He's lacing things going on in society that are not ideal and then questioning, where's the love? He's using hyperbole for effect and juxtaposing yin and yang ideas. The title of the song: Two addicts that professed to love each other but died young and violently-no loyalty to each other, drugs were their first loves. Deep stuff in the lyrics to ponder. Excellent job as always Mark F!👍💘