People

### Genre

Alternative rock • dance-punk • glam punk • anarcho-punk • screamo • industrial rock

### Composer(s)

Adam Hann • George Daniel • Ross MacDonald • Matthew Healy

## Music video

**“People”** is the lead single on The 1975’s fourth studio album, *Notes on a Conditional Form*. The song is a cry for people to act against the world’s problems, including the generation gap, conservatism, and other political issues.

## Background

*"This song is right back to where we came from—almost what we were like in our first incarnation of the band. Very inspired by bands like Refused and Converge and stuff like that. It was around the time of the Alabama abortion bill and we’d just played a show in Alabama. It was the feeling of oppressive, conservative religion. It happened up on the tour bus. It was kind of like our ‘Youth Against Fascism’—[UK journalist] Dorian Lynskey said that. I was definitely thinking about that Sonic Youth song. I think that it’s about fear and apathy and referencing how annoying responsibility can feel. I wanted there to be like a slapstick madness to its urgency."*
The song officially premiered on BBC Radio 1 on August 22, 2019, as the “Hottest Record in the World,” one day prior to The 1975’s headline set at Reading and Leeds Festival.

The song was teased through promos after the band returned from their usual disappearance from social media representing the start of a new era. With this began a countdown to the release of the song on the band’s website. A promo consisting of lyrics from the song was first shared on May 7, 2019, through frontman Matty Healy’s social media accounts.

*“I wrote ‘People’ on my tour bus in Texas on the day the abortion bill was circulating in Alabama. After playing our show there in Alabama, we were advised to leave quickly due to Alabama being an Open Carry state [ie, one where citizens may carry guns in public]. So we did, and we soon stopped in a truck stop in Texas. I bought some Cheetos that were next to a collection of knives for incels and various bumper stickers encouraging women to give oral sex to truck drivers as some kind of trade for the privilege of being in the truck and in the presence of such a great man. I was pretty pissed off. I am pretty pissed off. God bless.”*
## Lyrics

Wake up, wake up, wake up

It's Monday morning and we've only got a thousand of them left

Well, I know it feels pointless and you don't have any money

We're all just gonna try our fucking best

Well, my generation wanna fuck Barack Obama

Living in a sauna with legal marijuana

Well, girls, food, gear

I don't like going outside, so bring me everything here

(Hey, woo, yeah, that's right)

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the kids

Wake up, wake up, wake up

We are appalling and we need to stop just watching shit in bed

And I know it sounds boring and we like things that are funny

But we need to get this in our fucking heads

The economy's a goner, republic's a banana, ignore it if you wanna

Fuck it, I'm just gonna get girls, food, gear

I don't like going outside, so bring me everything here

(Hey, woo, yeah)

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the kids

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the kids

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the, fucking with the

People like people

They want alive people

The young surprise people

Stop fucking with the kids

## Personnel

* **Published by:** Good Soldier Songs
* **Produced by:** George Daniel, Matthew Healy, and Jonathan Gilmore
* **Drums:** George Daniel
* **Synths:** George Daniel
* **Vocals:** Matthew Healy
* **Guitar:** Matthew Healy and Adam Hann
* **Bass:** Ross MacDonald
* **Mixed by:** Mike Crossey
* **Mastered by:** Robin Schmidt
* **Co-production by:** Jonathan Gilmore
* **Engineered by:** Jonathan Gilmore

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/TwitterMusic/status/1263893798775644161
2. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/album/notes-on-a-conditional-form/1473599936
3. ↑ https://www.nme.com/big-reads/1975-interview-reading-people-notes-conditional-form-big-read-2541125#0opWdZUvL2K888Rh.99