KIDS
The Beatles vs. MGMT Lyrics


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(Five, four, three, two, one, ah)

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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Beatles vs. MGMT's song "Kids" speak to the idea of growing up and the contrast between the innocence of childhood and the harsh reality of adulthood. The opening lyrics, "Five, four, three, two, one, ah," set the tone for the song and create a sense of anticipation. The first verse talks about being a child, crawling on your knees and making your mother proud, but also having a voice that is too loud. The chorus then instructs to "control yourself" and only take what you need from life.


The second verse discusses the birth of a child and the memories that fade as time goes on. The decision to decisions are made and not bought line speaks to the fact that life doesn't always go as planned and that sometimes we have to make decisions we don't want to. The chorus is repeated again, emphasizing the message to control oneself and only take what is necessary from life. The final line, "A family of trees wanted to be haunted," is a metaphor for the fact that sometimes we want to be haunted by the ghosts of our pasts and have a sense of history and nostalgia.


Overall, the lyrics to "Kids" are about growing up, making decisions, and controlling oneself in the face of adversity. The contrast between childhood innocence and adulthood is explored, and the song speaks to the desire to hold onto memories and nostalgia while still moving forward in life.


Line by Line Meaning

You were a child
The singer refers to the addressee's childhood


Crawling on your knees toward it
The addressee marched eagerly towards something


Making mama so proud
The addressee was pleasing their mother


But your voice is too loud
The addressee is excessively noisy


We like to watch you laughing
The artist enjoys observing the addressee's jovial behavior


You pick the insects off plants
The addressee is engaged in nature


No time to think of consequences
The addressee is not considering future outcomes


Control yourself
The artist advises the addressee to be in charge of their actions


Take only what you need from it
The artist advises the addressee to prioritize their consumption


A family of trees wanted to be haunted
A group of trees desired to be threatened or disturbed


The water is warm
The temperature of the water is pleasant


But it's sending me shivers
Despite the comfortable temperature, the artist still feels unsettled


A baby is born
A child has just been born


Crying out for attention
The child is seeking attention


The memories fade
The singer's recollections are disappearing


Like looking through a fogged mirror
The memories are hazy and unclear


Decision to decisions are made and not bought
Choosing is an action done intentionally, not something obtained by purchase


But I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot
The singer overestimated their ability to handle something


I guess not
The singer now realizes their previous assumption was incorrect


Take only what you need from it
The artist reiterates their advice regarding prioritizing consumption


A family of trees wanted to be haunted
The same group of trees is still eager to be threatened or disturbed




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Andrew VanWyngarden, Ben Goldwasser

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Fargo

Do you remember, 21st night of September?
Love was changing the mind of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away
Our hearts were ringing
In the key that our souls were singing
As we danced in the night
Remember
How the stars stole the night away, oh yeah
Hey, hey, hey
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September
Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day
Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du, ba-du
Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du, ba-du
Ba-du, ba-du, ba-du-da, yeah
My thoughts are with you
Holding hands with your heart to see you
Only blue talk and love
Remember
How we knew love was here to stay
Now December
Found the love we shared in September
Only blue talk and love
Remember
True love we share today
Hey, hey, hey
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September
Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day
There was a
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September
Ba-dee-ya, golden dreams were shiny days
The bell was ringing, oh, oh
Our souls was singing
Do you remember, never a cloudy day, yow
There was a
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September
Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day
There was a
Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember?
Ba-dee-ya, dancing in September
Ba-dee-ya, golden dreams were shiny days
Ba-dee-ya, dee-ya, dee-ya



All comments from YouTube:

Flash-224

So this is what world peace sounds like.

Azrael The Casul

damn right!

Farhan Maleq

September 21 happens to be "International Day of Peace"!

elgooges

This was pretty clever 🙂

Christy Johnson

I hope so. I think this statement is true. Music will be out salvation.

AchranMallory

Enjoy it while it lasts.

58 More Replies...

Andy Wolf

I listen to this song all the time, and as dumb as it sounds, I periodically check in to read all the new comments- because I like feeling like I got to experience it with everyone here, and love seeing how happy it makes everyone.

TruthMalice

Hope you're doing well! And I totally understand checking on this a lot, its a super good Mashup :D

Raziel

I do this too

H. R. H. Kane

THIS IS SO SWEET I just did this exact same thing :')

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