Hype
Kid 'N Play Lyrics

The lyrics to Kid 'N Play's "Hype" offer a glimpse into the attitudes and culture of youth in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The opening lines, "You're only twenty nine / Gotta lot to learn / But when your mummy dies / She will not return," suggest a focus on living life to the fullest and seizing the moment, as well as an awareness of mortality. The following lines reinforce a sense of rebelliousness and individualism, as the singer declares, "We like noise / It's our choice / It's what [we] want to do." This embrace of noise and a non-conformist lifestyle contrasts with the image of the traditional, clean-cut, and obedient youth that dominated popular culture in other eras.

The lines "We don't care about long hair / I don't wear flares / See my face not a trace / No reality I don't work / I just speed that's all I need" continue to showcase a rejection of norms and expectations. Here, the singer makes clear that they reject fashion trends (long hair and flares were associated with the 1970s) and reject traditional markers of status and achievement, such as holding a job. Instead they embrace a carefree lifestyle characterized by constant movement and excitement ("I just speed that's all I need") and a lack of concern for consequences. The repeated refrain of "I'm a lazy sod I'm so lazy" may be interpreted as a nod to this carefree lifestyle or as an acknowledgement of a lack of direction or ambition.

Overall, "Hype" conveys a sense of youthful exuberance, self-confidence, and discontent with societal norms. It celebrates rebellion, non-conformity, and individualism, even as it acknowledges the inevitability of death and the emptiness of some aspects of modern life.