Parker originally conceived the project in Perth in 2007. After a series of singles and EPs, Tame Impala's debut studio album, InnerSpeaker, was released in 2010; it was certified gold in Australia and well received by critics. Parker's 2012 follow-up, Lonerism, was also acclaimed, reaching platinum status in Australia and receiving a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album. Tame Impala's third album, Currents, was released in July 2015,[6] and like its predecessor, it won ARIA Awards for Best Rock Album and Album of the Year. Parker won the APRA Award for Song of the Year 2016 for Currents' first track, "Let It Happen". The fourth and most recent studio album, The Slow Rush, was released 14 February 2020.
List of People
Tame Impala Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I gotta add yours to my list of faces to try and not think about
Now I gotta tell 'em I don't care and hope that nobody might work it out
It was obviously an illusion 'cause there's never been so much I've been wrong about
And I don't want to spend all my days thinking of the one I can't live without
So I'm gonna have to add you to my list of people to try and forget about
Try and for
Your name will fade out gradually
Don't think my heart will try
But it was waiting here
So now I gotta add you to my list of people to try and forget about
It could've been magic
Nearly had ya
Can you imagine
Nearly had ya
'Til it becomes another one of the things that I just can't talk about
I'm gonna have to keep you on my list of people to try and forget about
Try and for
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
They'll think my heart won't try
But it was waiting in the wings
And as the years go by
You're still a banished memory
They'll say my love has died
But it was waiting in the wings
The lyrics of "List of People" by Tame Impala are about trying to move on from a failed relationship. The singer has realized that the person he was with was not really who he thought they were and that he needs to forget about them in order to move on. He creates a mental list of people and faces to try and forget about and even tells others that he doesn't care anymore. However, he still can't help but think about the past, and even as the years go by, the memory of this person lingers in his heart.
The first verse talks about the initial realization that the relationship was an illusion. The singer thought he had found someone special, but he was wrong. He now has to actively try to forget about this person and move on. The second verse acknowledges that even as years go by, the singer will try to forget the person, but it will be difficult because they were waiting in the wings of his heart the entire time. The final section of the song speaks to the idea of the memory of the relationship fading over time, but also never fully vanishing.
Overall, the song is a reflection on the difficulty of moving on from a failed relationship and the haunting nature of memories. It highlights the struggle to let go of something that was once so important, even when it is clear that it must be done.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I gotta add you to my list of people to try and forget about
I have to make the painful decision to forget about you and move on.
Now I gotta add yours to my list of faces to try and not think about
I must remove your face from my mind so that I can stop longing for you.
Now I gotta tell 'em I don't care and hope that nobody might work it out
I must convince others that I am over you even though it's a lie.
It was obviously an illusion 'cause there's never been so much I've been wrong about
I realize now that our relationship was never really meant to be, and I was wrong to hold onto the hope that it would work out.
And I don't want to spend all my days thinking of the one I can't live without
I don't want to waste my life pining for someone I can't have.
Try and for
I will make an effort to forget you.
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
Don't think my heart will try
But it was waiting here
Over time, I will remember you less and less, but my heart will always hold onto the memory of our time together.
It could've been magic
Nearly had ya
Can you imagine
Nearly had ya
'Til it becomes another one of the things that I just can't talk about
I'm gonna have to keep you on my list of people to try and forget about
It seemed like we had something special, but now I am forced to accept that it was just a fleeting moment in my life that I cannot discuss openly.
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
They'll think my heart won't try
But it was waiting in the wings
And as the years go by
You're still a banished memory
They'll say my love has died
But it was waiting in the wings
Although memories of you will fade over time, my heart will always be waiting for you, even if others believe that I have moved on.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kevin Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mank95
Now I gotta add you to my list of people to try and forget about
Now I gotta add yours to my list of faces to try and not think about
Now I gotta tell 'em I don’t care and hope that nobody might work it out
It was obviously an illusion 'cause there’s never been so much I’ve been wrong about
And I don’t want to spend all my days thinking of the one I can’t live without
So I’m gonna have to add you to my list of people to try and forget about
Try and for-
[Chorus]
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
Don’t think my heart will try
But it was waiting here
[Verse 2]
So now I gotta add you to my list of people to try and forget about
It could’ve been magic
Nearly had ya
Could you imagine
Nearly had ya
'Til it becomes another one of the things that I just can’t talk about
I’m gonna have to keep you on my list of people to try and forget about
Try and for-
[Chorus]
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
They’ll think my heart won’t try
But it was waiting in the wings
And as the years go by
You’re still a banished memory
They’ll say my love has died
But it was waiting in the wings
@martinaolazarroccatagliata4586
Now I gotta add you to my list
Of people to try and forget about
Now I gotta add yours to my list
Of faces to try and not think about
Now I gotta tell 'em I don't care
And hope that nobody might work it out
It was obviously an illusion 'couse
There's never been so much I've been wrong about
And as the years go by
And I don't want to spend all my days
Thinking of the one I can't live without
So I'm gonna have to add you
To my list of people to try and forget about
Try and for-
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
Don't think my heart will try
But it was waiting here
So now I gotta add you to my list
Of people to try and forget about
It could've been magic, nearly had ya'
Could you imagine, nearly had ya'
Til' it becomes another one
Of the things that I just can't talk about
I'm gonna have to keep you
On my list of people to try and forget about
Try and fo-
And as the years go by
Your name will fade out gradually
They'll think my heart won't try
But it was waiting in the wings
And as the years go by
You're still a banished memory
They'll say my love has died
But it was waiting in the wings
@cameronkirkwood2549
I swear there's a Tame Impala song for every situation or feeling I have.
@domaldrof4923
bruh wheres their heavy metal "fuc my parents" song?
@infernalorchestra6085
Yeah same.
@DavidPaulandBillT
suck my steamboat willy Music is the one thing that I’ve related to more than anything in my life. The music, the lyrics and the singing ❤️
@dragonballteoriasymas6791
dude that's the same thing I've been saying all this time, it amazes me that someone else thinks the same about it.
@AmirulOmar
Same with me. Kevin Parker is a genius.
@Isakbruford
Tame Impala is definitely on my list of artists I'll never forget about.
@ctrlaltdestroy91
"And as the years go by
You’re still a banished memory
They’ll say my love has died
But it was waiting in the wings"
Damn, hits you right there.
@darraghocal8939
The wedding bells add a really nice touch to this song, they fit perfectly thematically with the possibility of marrying the person he's trying to forget about. The overarching theme of "what could have been" is pretty Central to the album, really stings in a bittersweet way.
@FirstnameLastname-lq3dw
Great analysis!