Robert, the main character and narrator of the song, dreams of violence towards his rich classmates and peers. The song details his plans and ambitions for a school shooting, diving deep into the causes of his emotions.

During a 2011 Rolling Stone interview, Foster said:

I was trying to get inside the head of an isolated, psychotic kid.

Although this song is peppy and upbeat, Foster uses this to mask the true meaning of the song, and makes for a beautiful yet haunting composition, a tension which he referenced in the same interview:

It’s a ‘fuck you’ song to the hipsters in a way – but it’s a song the hipsters are going to want to dance to.

Despite many believing that this song condones and encourages violence, Foster said otherwise in a 2011 USA Today interview:

The song is not about condoning violence at all. It’s the complete opposite. The song is an amazing platform to have a conversation with your kids about something that shouldn’t be ignored, to talk about it in a loving way.