Portugal. The Man's Single "Feel It Still"- Does It Reference Paul Revere's 1966 Hit "Kicks"?

Cafe Society
1

So this song " Feel It Still" was released in late 2017, by new rock/pop band Portugal. The Man. The single won the Grammy award for Best Pop/Rock Performance by a Group or Duo. In the months since, it’s been featured in commercials for Vitamin Water, Apple ipad pro and movie trailers for “Peter Pan”.

Ever since I have heard the song I have this gut feeling that “Feel It Still” is making some sort of reference to the 1966 Paul Revere and the Raiders single “Kicks”. The chorus goes like:

“Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
I been feeling it since 1966, now
Might be over now, but I feel it still
Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
Let me kick it like it’s 1986, now
Might be over now, but I feel it still”.

Also during the chorus there is a rift before he starts singing “ooh woo…”", and it reminds me of something out of the 1960s. I read the article for this song on Wikipedia and it mentions that it has interpolations from the 1961 song “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes(not the Beatles cover version).
So no mention of that Paul Revere song at all, so maybe I am all alone in getting this vibe though my 60s vibe is not misplaced.
Does anyone else hear this or am I tripping here?

So this song " Feel It Still" was released in late 2017, by new rock/pop band Portugal. The Man. The single won the Grammy award for Best Pop/Rock Performance by a Group or Duo. In the months since, it’s been featured in commercials for Vitamin Water, Apple ipad pro and movie trailers for “Peter Pan”.

Ever since I have heard the song I have this gut feeling that “Feel It Still” is making some sort of reference to the 1966 Paul Revere and the Raiders single “Kicks”. The chorus goes like:

“Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
I been feeling it since 1966, now
Might be over now, but I feel it still
Ooh woo, I’m a rebel just for kicks, now
Let me kick it like it’s 1986, now
Might be over now, but I feel it still”.

Also during the chorus there is a rift before he starts singing “ooh woo…”", and it reminds me of something out of the 1960s. I read the article for this song and it mentions that it has interpolations from the 1961 song “Please Mr. Postman” by the Marvelettes(not the Beatles cover version).
So no mention of that Paul Revere song at all, so maybe I am all alone in getting this vibe though my 60s vibe is not misplaced.
Does anyone else hear this or am I tripping here?

2

Sorry, dont know why the paragraphs repeat in my OP, strange for I did not type everything a second time.

3

Interesting theory, but I’m not hearing it. I’ll bet The Man hasn’t even heard of Paul Revere. And your OP reminds me of the song itself. :wink:

I’ll tell ya what, though. If I never hear that song again, I’d be okay with it.

4

I was 13 in 1966, and I must have heard Kicks a thousand times on the radio.

Paul Revere and the Raiders took an anti-drug lyric, drove it with a guitar/bass duel worthy of Keith Richards and Bill Wyman and delivered (according to Rolling Stone magazine) one of the best rock songs of all time.

The only thing the two songs have in common is a single word.

5

I guess new is subjective, but I’ve been hearing this band on the radio for at least 7-8 years now. Their first charting album was in 2009, also the same year of their first AAA, Alt, and Rock charting single. I don’t know the answer to the question but I also think it’s ridiculous to say things like “The Man hasn’t even heard of Paul Revere,” considering I’ve heard of Paul Revere and I’m only in my late 30s (I am 2 years older than their lead singer, though) and not a pro musician who has been releasing albums for over a decade.

6

The Raiders started in Portland and Portugal. The Man is now based there. You’d have to postulate a mind block for one never to have heard of the other.

Doesn’t matter. The songs have the word “kicks” in common and nothing else that I can hear or read into their lyrics.

“Feel It Still” is off a 2014 album. Hit huge as a single in 2017, but it’s not all that new.