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Foster the People - Pay the Man

[Intro]
What you need? What you need?
What you need, man? What you need?
What you need? Yeah, what'd you see?
What'd you see? Yeah, oh yeah

[Verse 1]
Well I need a little something to cool my head off
Need a little something to cool my head off, yeah
Need a little something
Because I've been running from a truce
We’ll never lose
Lies come from loose teeth
Tied to the noose
Climbing up my own tree hoping it can hold
All the things I’ve seen but have chosen to ignore
Well, I said, well, I believe I’ve been well fed, yeah
But the wolf’s not dead

[Chorus]
Say what you love, it’s alright
Don’t be afraid to find your light
Embrace the day
At night, we’re here to fight
We all go wild again
And you have the name
Of someone I love
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it’ll never be the same
We’ll see the sun again
And before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you

[Verse 2]
Pay the man, pay the man
Got to pay the man
Run as fast as you can
Call out to God, praise to the Most High
Call out for help cause I’m playing with fire
Call out on mountains till my voice goes faint
Echoes through time then comes back with new strength

[Interlude]
And when it’s raining
We’re sailing
Oh yeah, we’re sailing
We’re sailing

[Verse 3]
I'm off the leash
I go to war for peace
Cause I’ve been touching everything that I can
I got blood on my hands
Guess I’m going deaf from what the crowd is sayin'
Ah please forgive me I don’t understand
We all believe we’ve been well fed, yeah

[Pre-Chorus 2]
The deaf man heard what the mute man said
Then they all followed where the blind man led

[Chorus]
Say what you love, it's alright
Don’t be afraid to find your light
Embrace the day
At night, we’re here to fight
We on the wild again
And you have the name
Of someone I love
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it’ll never be the same
We’ll see the sun again
And before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you

[Bridge]
(Pay the man, pay the man, pay the man)
Pay the man, you got to pay the man
Pay the man, you got to pay the man
Pay the man
Well I was laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
Laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
I was laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
Need a little something, yeah
Need a little something
(A little something, little something, little something)

[Chorus]
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it’ll never be the same
We’ll see the sun again
And before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you

[Outro]
Can’t you see?
Can’t see me
Can’t see me
Can’t see me
And can’t see me
Can’t see me
We all run when the light comes on
Am I wrong for wanting it all?
But I warned you

Debuted on Triple J Australia on April 27th, 2017, “Pay the Man” is the first track off of the band’s first release in 3 years (the EP "III") and the opening track on "Sacred Hearts Club". The song is about navigating the world with people you love, especially in tough times when a lot of people’s well-beings are vulnerable. Most importantly, the chorus reminds us that no matter how hard times get, things will get better. The track’s character instrumentally is best captured by the end of the bridge, where the band incorporates its distinct, edited laughter (most recognizably heard in tracks such as "Don’t Stop...") into classic Philadelphia sound, giving the track a timeless element whilst maintaining a unique aspect of the band’s sound. This was their statement when releasing the EP: “One of my favorite things about music is that it’s unifying. We wrote these songs to reflect joy in a time where people have needed it more than ever and we thought it was a good time to share them with you.” The root of the song is the idea of finding hope and love in hard times. This theme is influenced in particular by the tough times the world is facing right now, and many lines can be interpreted as commentary on the world’s political situations. Aside from the critiquing aspect of it, overall it emphasizes the idea of ‘after rain comes a rainbow’.