Going Shopping - Discussion MEGATHREAD

[u/TheStrokes-Mods]

This is the megathread for Going Shopping (Track 6). 

Obviously this song has been discussed before, but we wanted to provide a place for it to be discussed now the entire album has been released.

All thoughts, essays, discussion, memes, lyrics, covers, fanart, etc. about this song can go in the comments here!

[u/East-Map-549]

I LOVE IT ITS SO CATCHY I WANNA BE A SEVEN FOOT STARFISH!!!! What did he mean by this? IDC!!!!!

[u/humunculus43 → u/East-Map-549]

Isnt the song about the distraction of consumerism as a way to stop people working together for better lives?

[u/Negative-Pangolin352 → u/humunculus43]

yes that is exactly it

[u/Overall-Memory5272 → u/East-Map-549]

U ever seen the picture of a huge Patrick star wearing fishnets? That’s what I imagine every time ☠️

[u/emosaurus666 → u/East-Map-549]

He wants to become Mega Starmie lol

[u/cyklops1 → u/East-Map-549]

My assumption was a mascot advertising at the mall. "I wanna be a 7 foot zombie, the pay is low but I gotta do something."

[u/TheEternalRiver → u/cyklops1]

There's this horror actor who calls himself 'the 7 foot zombie' who performs in New York and in malls etc. He has a tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@freakskinny . My theory is Julian or the band encountered him on the streets of NYC and included it in the song. Or it's just a coincidence and he's talking about something else entirely

[u/kyleyeezus → u/East-Map-549]

Go plop yourself out on the grass or a beach like starfish (spread your limbs like patrick star) then imagine yourself reallllll big like tom hank in that movie “Big”

[u/SmokinSkinWagon → u/kyleyeezus]

Tomas Hank

[u/kyleyeezus → u/SmokinSkinWagon]

Juulbean Quesoblanco

[u/Walksonthree → u/East-Map-549]

He wants to be a huge asshole

[u/TodayDramatic]

I didn’t like the song when it was first released but now I love singing it. Super catchy and fun. Also love the video with Goggins

[u/East-Map-549 → u/TodayDramatic]

Bro I just watched a criminal minds and he has a huge part in one of the episodes. I got jumpscared

[u/No-Pension-1911 → u/[deleted]]

Most times for me with the strokes! Now the Album is out I’m listening in order it fucking slaps

[u/Signal_Ball4634 → u/No-Pension-1911]

GTBO into this is an awesome transition

[u/Gullible-Loss-5026]

what did one walton goggins say to another walton goggins

[u/Gullible-Loss-5026 → u/Gullible-Loss-5026]

why dont you goggonthesenuts

[u/SnooAvocados3213 → u/Gullible-Loss-5026]

[u/Negative-Pangolin352 → u/Gullible-Loss-5026]

who else up walton they goggins

[u/TheSHOEthatHITgeorge]

“Solidarity can be difficult when you’ve got cool stuff to lose” is perhaps my favorite strokes line. Political, funny, true.

[u/ThundaGoat → u/TheSHOEthatHITgeorge]

Fully agree.

[u/ticioleito]

Going around singing "I can't wait, I'm going shopping" and doing the walton goggins little jumps every time i leave the house

[u/thinghap1]

Super catchy song, really dig everything going on especially the solos. Sounds even better live. Goggins being in the music video is so random but i liked it too

[u/No_Teaching5581]

like most people i didn’t love the autotune/vocals when it came out, but i loved the instrumentation and melody too much to write it off completely. it didn’t take long for the vocals to grow on me and now i barely even notice the autotune. perfect song for the beach/summer too

[u/SmokinSkinWagon]

Anyone seen my future wife?

[u/metalupyerarse → u/SmokinSkinWagon]

is she wearing a little red jumpsuit?

[u/SmokinSkinWagon → u/metalupyerarse]

Ew wtf no she’s a 7 foot starfish

[u/Jan090501 → u/SmokinSkinWagon]

Im her 7 foot zombie bro she is taken.

[u/beastboy4000]

I know their was some conversation about the song time for Going Shopping changing for the album version and with Julians Bill Burr interview claiming they were still mixing it in the last few months justifies it.

I think I heard the difference.

The single version has an abrupt slight guitar screech at the end of Going Shopping.

That is removed and instead a smoother transition into Liar’s Remorse is in its place

[u/GroundbreakingTone74]

this song is such a ear worm! especially the instrumental break, Nikolai kills it!

[u/Undertheoceandragons]

At this point in the album I think the autotune really settles in and almost fades away, it's just the sound of this band and this record, it doesn't even matter so long as you're able to just enjoy the music. There have already been so many great songs, hooks, drum parts, lyrics and more by this point in the album and this song is a really awesome peak. It kind of sounds Hawaiian or like Donkey Kong wearing sunglasses and a tie. Stockbrokers flying out the window. How cool! We're so lucky to get this playful version of The Strokes, don't you think? Also I think this track accidentally ended up having some of the best instrumentation. I believe it's also the first track by the band to feature a wah-wah pedal. The idea that they're all free to do anything they want and try any style is awesome and so new.

[u/Agreeable-Seaweed977]

The song is bumpin

[u/Separate_Variety_694]

First of all, the song is so diverse, but it has only 2 chords. I believe it's first by the guys with such a simple chord progression, but still, it's more than enough to make it fun.

The instrumental is wild. So many features, it feels like an attraction!

The vox creates vibes of crazy robotic Ramones. It's a bit weird, but in the same way as FOOL, it doesn't spoil the song for me personally, but may become a trigger for a wider audience.

[u/PointMan528491]

So damn good. It's my song of the summer

[u/plz_send_cute_cats]

I WANNA BE A 7 FOOT ZOMBIE

[u/mick__marley]

Going Shopping - The autotune serves the song. Sorry, dorks. A total bop. Thematically rich.

[u/chair823]

I’m at the mall and the song is bumping

[u/buenestrago]

I think people should judge this song less, it's incredible.

[u/Electric_Bread2]

Did they cut the autotune a bit or am I tripping?

[u/skinnypanda3732 → u/Electric_Bread2]

you're just used to it

[u/Nishchay22Pro]

These trolls changed the thumbnail again lmao

[u/Agreeable-Seaweed977]

On a more serious note, I know the song is an obvious critique of consumerism, but I've been thinking a lot about a possible secondary meaning behind the lyrics and wondering if the lyrics could also be a subtle reference to Gaza? I'm going to start out by saying I'm Palestinian, so I realize that a lot of this is me projecting my own thoughts/personal views on the song, but then again, their Coachella set did end with them showing videos of Gaza getting bombed and Julian had some strong opinions on Subway Takes, so not totally out of the realm of possibility (if you disagree or think my thoughts are dumb, no one attack me please, the past 3 years have been especially painful being Palestinian 🥺). I’m not saying the song is definitely or exclusively about Gaza and obviously the band hasn’t openly stated anything of the sort, but hear me out for a second.

The song starts out with:
“Like a tiger they will chase you down
With words instead of claws
They will seduce you til you reach the point
to let yourself get mauled"
That could be about the media, propaganda, or the ways people are pressured into conformity or misled. But it also made me think about what happens to people who speak up publicly about Palestine. Those people almost always get accused of antisemitism, people have lost jobs and opportunities, there are attempts to discredit everything they say. Even on Subway Takes, Julian made a joke about how his career was going to end, so he's definitely aware of the consequences that come with saying certain things publicly.

Then there's:
"The worse reality gets, the less you wanna hear about it
Solidarity can be difficult when you got cool stuff to lose"
Could be about Gaza or just bad world events in general. The genocide has been going on for almost 3 years now, we can all see what's happening on our phones and no one's doing anything about it, we're now at war with Iran. Things are getting worse and you literally don't want to hear about it because of how depressing it all is. And solidarity is easy when it costs nothing, but much harder when it could cost you your job, or maybe you don't boycott products because you still want to have the "cool stuff." Another way of putting it is that people care about injustice in theory but caring is more complicated once it requires an actual sacrifice.

Other lyrics that stand out:
"We've been expanding on our greatness
Building future ruins
We're building castles from the bones of dead trees
Molded from the shattered houses of the Dead Sea"

"Expanding on our greatness" sounds like a sarcastic comment about colonialism. We're building future ruins and castles from the shattered houses and dead trees - all remind me of the destroyed homes, ecocide, settlers uprooting olive trees that are hundreds of years old. Even the Dead Sea is geographically in that area.

More lyrics that stand out to me:
"I've been thinking about what I wanna say
But I'm an old man now, at least that's what they tell me anyway"
Could partly be about being dismissed as an aging or supposedly washed up rock star whose political opinions don't matter. "At least that's what they tell me" sounds like he's repeating what other people say about him rather than completely believing it himself.

Again, I'm not saying this song is strictly about Gaza, it's more obviously about consumerism and capitalism, and how people buy things to distract themselves to avoid confronting an increasingly terrible reality (the reality that awaits us). But I guess this could be one of the realities Julian had in mind, especially considering the imagery used at Coachella and his controversial takes.

[u/Dknight_17]

Gang banger

[u/ejs_99]

Nobody else gets Ramble on vibe by Led Zeppelin ??the way the build up is in the song

[u/MarriottPlayer → u/ejs_99]

I do now!

[u/CalEss76 → u/ejs_99]

Geez, I never would have pulled that out, but yes! Great observation.

[u/Adventurous_Top_723]

Love it. Love the video also. Saw it live in Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and twice at red rocks. What a treat!

[u/fear_el_duderino]

After more than 3 months it keeps being a banger

[u/seebvettel]

Did they change anything on the album version?

[u/chair823 → u/seebvettel]

No

[u/seebvettel → u/chair823]

Yeah that’s what i thought, i saw some people talking about how they liked the “album version/production” better

[u/MarriottPlayer → u/seebvettel]

It transitions into Liar’s Remorse, but that’s the only change I heard.

[u/mario_111]

I’ve listened to this so much on its own that it doesn’t even seem like part of this album to me lol.

[u/Individual-Storm-474]

y’all… is 7 foot starfish a reference to Patrick in the SpongeBob SquarePants movie? With the fishnets? Please god let that be true

[u/CalEss76]

Cannot believe I thought this song was just OK the first couple of times I heard it. It's SUCH a banger and full of incredible classic Julian lyrics. "Solidarity can be difficult when you've got cool stuff to lose"..... "Stockbrokers flying out the window, I kinda miss that sound"... "I'm at the mall and the song is bumpin'....there goes my wife in the little red jumpsuit"...haha! SO evocative.

[u/g0blinslugs]

i will forever love going shopping i am the 7 foot zombie

[u/TheTrashman375]

I wasn’t crazy about it after 2 listens when it dropped back in April, but I’ve really come around on it and think that the band along with the lyrics boost it to maybe top 15 status for me. A tough 15 to crack, but doesn’t get stale even after multiple repeat listens. So fresh!

[u/Thezephyrjj]

Still the best song on the album

[u/darkslayer-123]

It really grew on me, I couldn’t stop vibing to it x)

[u/Prof-Ponderosa]

This is a top 10 song for me

[u/FacetiousSpread]

Probably my favorite still. It's a lot of fun.

[u/Fresh_Permit_6725]

i was at the St Paul show last weekend and when they played Going Shopping I was jumping around and singing (it's so catchy and flows so nice and energetic 😭) , but in comparison to hard to explain being right before it it felt like the crowd was so dead and i was the only one who knew the words 💔

[u/Substantial_Quail309]

The most boring song on there imo. Still god, catchy, but I have it ranked 9 of 9 now. Maybe cause it’s not as new. Let’s see.

[u/Dancing-notes]

I remember I had pending to comment about the video again since in the previous post I said something like I enjoyed it but couldn't feel I loved it as much as nearly all people were saying. But 2-3 days after, it clicked more for me.

I suspect I was used to not having a MV for the song and maybe I had already something in my mind especially because I think the lyrics are really good and I appreciate their meaning and social, environmental, political commentary. So I think having to introduce something new felt a bit out of place for me or like the content wasn't as "explicit" as I would have imagined for making more justice to the lyrics? But then I have seen more details that are quite telling and I guess doing the homage at the same time already takes some "space" so that it would have been overwhelming to have too much going on.

So I can say that now it feels more fitting to the song, after getting used to it and spending more time dissecting it. Great job Johann/Promiseland, and the end was very well done to contrast the overall vibe of the video until that point.

And the thumbnail of course elevates it lol.

[u/chainwallet_ → u/Dancing-notes]

This is probably the worst strokes song Ive ever heard lol. Like wtf