(Lyrics at bottom)
I wrote this song after a long camping trip alone. I would return to civilization and visit my mother while she babysat my nephew/her grandson at my brother's house. My nephew was probably around two or three years old, running around the yard naked on a hot summer day, playing in water. I was sitting on a blanket in the shade, noodling on my guitar, and I imagined what I would do if some stranger walked up to my brother's house requesting a drink of water.
I was raised to be skeptical and untrusting of others, but I had this feeling of peace where people are inherently good and deserve to be appreciated. I had also just been isolated for a long bout in the wilderness, so human contact was special and welcomed. The feeling of being giving of basic needs to those in need was profound for me at this time. I had the thought "what if I were camping and someone came up merely asking for some water...of course I would give them some!...so why is civilization any different?". Why don't we give people the respect they deserve, that we desire/demand for ourselves?
That is kinda what this song is about. Here is the Genius analysis.
People (lyrics) People think the world is upside down
Like the sky is falling
Others live their lives up in the clouds
Their world is just a fantasy
I don’t know you
Let me ask you, how was your day?
I could show you
That there’s something in this world worth saving
People.
People we know
People we love
People
He walks by with holes worn in his shoes
We just make-believe his story
You sit there, the air tastes warm, you brood
We forget about talking
I control you
Let me ask him about his day
I could show you
That there’s something in his world worth saving
People
People don’t know
People we love
People
People say, people say these things, but no one understands
People say, people say these things, but no one’s listening
I want you, to want to, to know that I’m inside of here
People say, people say these things, and we just disappear
People think the world is upside down
Like the sky is falling
Others live their lives all inside out
They worry ‘bout the little things
I don’t know you
Let me ask you, how was your day?
I could show you
That there’s something in your world worth saving
People say, people say these things, but no one understands
People say, people say these things, but no one’s listening
I want you, to want to, to know that I’m inside of here
People say, people say these things
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah
We just disappear
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
We just disappear
People
People
People
People
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