I made a post couple of days ago about why common people fucked to hard with me. This interpretation of the song is purely personal, it's from the POV of me, as a queer person who's grown up in a a comfortable but conservative household where family and home is a huge sentiment, and how displaced I felt/still feel with my identity. It might be relatable to only a handful of you lot and if it does big hugs. Here we go:
(VERSE 1 + PRE CHORUS)
I came from a good home
A house full of terraced dreams
That was enough for me
You know, you had to see it to believe
All the late nights, good times
The mistakes and the heartbreaks
When I get lost, I go back to where I started
We have an idea that Louis is talking about Doncaster and about home in this song and basically coming from that place to where he is now and how even to date when he "gets lost" he finds comfort and pride in his hometown. But how I see it is that you come from a good home. A comfortable home. There might not be the love you want but at least you have "terraced dreams" you still get to work towards an aim, you have an opportunity. But you're also told over and over that you're lucky enough to get what you're getting. You have these late nights, these fights and whatever it is that you have and that you grow up amongst as a child, they're memories and they're not really bad ones. You still cannot hate this place and these people because you can't get rid of these memories and this attachment of a "home" and "hometown" with them.
(CHORUS)
Common people, nothing's changed
You'll hear strangers singin' your name
If you act like you're one of us
If you act like you're one of us
Common people, not who you know
But just how far you're willin' to go?
If you act like you're one of us
If you act like you're one of us
Before I dive into the interpretation, I think that the chorus has a two-approach thing going on. The first time it has one interpretation and the second time it has a different meaning and implication to it.
For instance, this one is more like you're still in this town. You're amongst these people, but you're grown now. And as you grow, you're taught that you're supposed to fit into these "common people", you're supposed to follow these rules and live up to these expectations, you're supposed to "act like you're one of us". Because that's how it has always been, hasn't it? "Common people, nothing's changed". You're cautioned against being "different" because then you're not common people. These strangers will not be singing your name. You can rebel, "But just how far you're willin' to go?" Because these common people have been your so-called home and and you still don't hate them. But to be able to keep being there to be amongst them, you have to act like you're one of them.
(VERSE 2 + PRE CHORUS)
I took her to the local
No deep pockets, but big hearts
Do you see what I see?
Now, we're all out screamin' on the dancefloor
All the late nights and the good times
And the heartbreaks, the mistakes
When I get lost, I go back to where I started
Now this is from a place where you're at a more comfortable place with your identity. You're seeing these people who are like you, you're seeing them live their lives. You're somewhat shocked by it too because how are they so happy, have "big hearts", just out there "screaming on the dancefloor". They're not fitting in with the said "common people" but they're still having the same "All the late nights and the good times, and the heartbreaks, the mistakes". You feel lost again because yet again you feel like you do not fit in- You can't see yourself with them because you haven't experienced the same, you don't see yourself with your people.
(CHORUS X2)
Common people, nothing's changed
You'll hear strangers singin' your name
If you act like you're one of us
Just act like you're one of us
Common people, not who you know
But just how far you're willin' to go?
If you act like you're one of us
If you act like you're one of us
Once again I believe the chorus before and after the beat drop have different implications (shoutout to production the beat drop left me teary eyed during one of my initial analysis listens).
The first chorus seems to be a reeling of sorts. When you're raised with the words "What will people say?" or "How will we show our faces to others if you do something like ______" or "Family will stick with you forever, not strangers who you find comfort in." Just the heavy implications on the rest of your life an awakening about your identity brings when you're raised in such a family oriented household is dreadful. You have moments of hate and spite- "Why can't they just take me for who I am?", "Why can't they change? Do they not love me enough to do that?", "Why me?" despite being taught values like empathy and compromise. You have moments where you are devastated because your fantasy of a "normal" life where you make them proud crumbles because what is your normal, it's not theirs.
You don't want to act like these common people because you're not them but you also don't want to let go because they were your everything. They were where you went when you got lost, they're your family.
Then the beat drops. We have the chorus again. But this time, it's more acceptance than conflict and reeling. It echoes the sentiment of "You can start a family who will always show you love, you don't have to be sorry for doing it on your own." You will hear these "strangers singing your name" but these strangers are a community, they'll love you, they'll be YOUR common people, they can be your family. You are willing to go to them, you're willing to go that far to find YOUR people.
(OUTRO)
(One of us)
Just act like you're one of us
(One of us)
The feeling of dread and pain you feel when you realise that you might not be accepted by your family, your own people, your culture, your home just because of your identity is something that runs very deep. It's a cut that will bleed for a long time. It's a moment when you want to be able to fit it so bad, just so you can hold on to your place and your people because it's been home to you for so long and when you realise you maybe can't do that without forsaking an important aspect of yourself is the hardest thing to come to terms with. It's hard to find peace and comfort and a place to go hide when its something like this. But you will find your people. Your identity is valid, and you deserve love and a family and a place to go to when you get lost. You won't have to act to fit in one day. Until that day (and beyond), we got Louis <3
Do you think Louis’ promo has been good? I know he’s injured - but even forgetting that a tour of second tier radio stations and record shops for signings is pathetic. Where is the play listing and proper radio/tv exposure? It pissed me off that BMG said we were all teens who knew 1D from our siblings - like wth? I’ve been to 5 Louis shows and the demo was MUCH older. I saw more younger kids at Harry’s show (but a wider demographic overall - more older people than at LTWT - I feel Louis’ fans were 80% female 18-40)
The letter is a bit cringe but I think a few home truths would do BMG well. FITF deserves exposure beyond Louis fans.
How is doing signings and meet and greets at radio stations pathetic though? Louis himself said it’s an opportunity for him to actually MEET fans in cities that may not get opportunities. I got to meet him myself at the Rough Trade signing on Walls release day and it’s an interaction that still fuels my fandom to this day.
Proper TV exposure? You do know Good Morning America is the highest rated morning show in the United States, right? That Live with Kelly and Ryan is syndicated nationally? That he did two major late night shows in the US, and I believe Fallon remains the highest rated of the late night shows. What else do you WANT?
We don’t know what UK tv promo was derailed by his injury, but the strategy clearly had him launching the record in the US and then moving to the UK. We don’t know what may be planned for this winter/spring once Louis is recovered because they are sitting on a goldmine with Written All Over Your Face, and with the TikTok dance starting to pick up steam, I would imagine it will be a spring single.
Have we forgotten Watermelon Sugar was the fourth single off Fine Line? That it took weeks and weeks and weeks for Slow Hands to hit number one? I swear to god, this fandom is all about instant gratification and when they don’t see the results they want, the instinct is to blame the teams and say they are sitting around with their thumbs up their asses. He’s gotten great promo and exposure for this album compared to Walls.
Do I wish some of Louis’ promo was different? Of course. I’d love for him to never talk about Freddie in an interview again and I’d love for him to start steering away from the “the hiatus took me off guard” narrative. But that shit is not in my control and I’m also not going to armchair quarterback LTHQ with an open letter when it is literally not my job nor is it what I’m trained in professionally. And that’s all I have to say about that.
There is a hidden message in the album fitf (faith in the future indeed). Seems like no one has figured it out yet but soon.
If louis gets the uk no 1, both louis and harry will be at the Brits, in the same place publicly for the first time in YEARS. I know how much it means to the larry fandom.
I know I shouldn't be doing this and you have no reason to believe me BUT 369 should mean something right? it's a message that louis never wants to give it away for a reason.
more information soon! ♠️
Be prepared for the future.
I sent this to one of your friends too, just want to make sure everyone is happy! (and trying to see who cracks the code from fitf songs). Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
A probably incomprehensible, certainly incomplete list of what you need to know; whether you’re coming from a different platform or discovering Larry for the first time.
My credentials
Hello! I’m Emmu. I’ve had tumblr since… 2008? Maybe 2009. I moved over from deviantArt and used Tumblr as a personal art blog for many years. I joined the One Direction fandom in 2014, so my 1D blog has 8+ years at this point. That being said, I will get on my soapbox a bit during this. Please excuse me, I’m quite passionate about cultivating a happy and healthy fandom.
What makes Tumblr different
The biggest thing that makes Tumblr, as a site, different from Twitter or Instagram is the rejection of algorithms. The “following” tab on your dashboard is in chronological order (and if it isn’t, you can – and should – change that), and the “for you” tab is both a recent feature and rarely used. Tumblr has very little algorithm, and the algorithm they have isn’t very good. It means that you’ll get the most god awful ads you’ve ever seen on this site, because they don’t utilize your data well. And that’s to your advantage.
Tumblr is a great place because you can curate what you see more than other social media. The people that you choose to follow are the only people that you see on your dash (unless you choose to follow tags, which I guess is an option? @lululawrence says “it is and it used to not do anything unless you went to the search page and then it would like autofill your followed tags options, but NOW they take those followed tags and plop them on your dash... SOMETIMES. usually only on mobile. but if there's only one new post in the tag, it shows you that post OVER. AND OVER. AND OVER AGAIN. IT'S SUPER ANNOYING ACTUALLY. SO I STOPPED FOLLOWING TAGS. lol anyway”).
So, the site is in chronological order. This is its biggest selling point.
There is also the opportunity for long posts. Masterposts. Things that are searchable without having to read through pages of screenshots or condensed twitter threads. You can write a whole lot more without worrying about character limit. People publish whole fics on here (I suggest ao3 for that, but tumblr is technically an option!).
Another important thing to know about tumblr is that the archives on tumblr run deep. There are newer larries here, and a lot of them, but you can also find older larries. People whose 1D blogs go back to 2010 or 2011. You can dive into the archives and read firsthand accounts of what was happening with One Direction or larry at that very time. Doing a bit of research means you find cute fetus pictures of the boys, but also you’re able to figure out for yourself whether something actually happened. Rumors always seem to spread quite easily and fandom memory always seems impossibly short, but here on tumblr you’re able to find out for yourself. That means the next time you hear about how xyz thing happened a long time ago, check out some of those archives and see what you can find.
Also, my personal favorite part of tumblr is that old posts are just as valid as new posts. Find a masterpost about RBB and SBB from 2015? Go ahead and reblog that; bring it back to the circulating dash. People will love that. Find a fanartist that you really like? Search through their tags, reblog anything you want. It’s not considered stalking or weird in any way. We love bringing back old posts here. Tumblr is a website where you’re not meant to just talk about the present.
The cultural difference between Tumblr and Twitter
Speaking of the ways that tumblr and twitter are different, let’s talk for a moment about the 1D fandom in particular.
I’ve held this theory for a while that the twitter (and instagram) algorithm is fracturing the fandom. Because twitter is so dependent on the algorithm, people are more likely to split apart and join smaller and smaller communities based on smaller, more specific opinions. Tumblr, being a place where you don’t just get a post on your dash because someone else liked it, doesn’t have those smaller cliques. There are larries, and there are antis.
(if you get really in the weeds, there are also larry shippers [who don’t believe they’re together but like to read it in fic], and houis [who think they were together but broke up], but I just don’t hear about them as much).
While I do occasionally hear about blouies on my dash, for the most part this is a culture that exists primarily on other sites.
On another note, because tumblr doesn’t have that handy algorithm, we have to work to make it a more active space. Likes don’t do anything here for anyone other than you, and it doesn’t really change anything about what you’ll see on your dash. Think of them more like the bookmark setting on twitter or instagram. Reblogs are necessary to get anything spread. Anything that you enjoy, or that looks interesting for any reason? Reblog it! That’s the only way other people will see it! And leave a happy comment in the tags if you’ve got one (more on that later).
And, while lurkers do exist in this fandom (and we love them), it’s important to get an icon and blog header that make you look like a real person. People on tumblr have long been in the habit of blocking shady blogs, mostly because of a bot problem, so if you want to lurk, you have to look like a lurker. Maybe reblog a post or two to establish yourself, and make sure you don’t accidentally look like an icon-less bot posing as a sugar daddy.
How to set up your account
Okay, so you’ve got a tumblr. Let’s take a minute to fix up the settings so that you’re not getting, well, the worst version of the site.
My advice is to start by going into your dashboard preferences and:
Turn off the best stuff first (it’ll just show you things you’ve already seen)
Turn off “include stuff in your orbit” (you’ll see terrible posts that are mostly NOT in your orbit)
Turn off “Included based on your likes” (again, you’ll see posts you hate)
Turn off “shorten long posts”. It’s a ridiculous setting that, like many things on tumblr, had potential but was rolled out in an incredibly unhelpful and user unfriendly way.
Once you’ve got that squared away, go into filtering and block any tags and content you don’t like, as that is always proper fandom etiquette. Not seeing things you don’t like is your responsibility, not the responsibility of the person posting them. I personally suggest adding the topics you don’t want to see to both the content list and the filtered tags list, as that gives a much better likelihood of posts that are particularly unsavory for you getting caught by the filters. Please also note this might need to be done on both desktop and the app separately as, depending on where tumblr is at the moment, these filters do not always carry over from one application to the other.
Now scroll down to tumblr labs. These are their experimental things. Some are good! Some are very bad. They do change, though, so this might get out of date pretty fast.
Personally, I enabled fast queue
And disabled everything else
ALSO, an important note, if you are using the apple app, you need to go in and turn off the adult content filter. No idea offhand where that is, but it means posts that include tags like “mine” and “girl” are blocked. It’s ridiculous.
Who to follow and how to find them
So, you’ve got a new tumblr and need people to follow. This makes sense! To really fill up your dash, I’d suggest the following
Find one person you like. There’s a good chance you know at least someone from twitter who also has a tumblr, so you can start there. If you’re not from twitter, or are looking to start fresh, you can dive into the search function (I’ve never tried finding someone this way myself, but searching larry stylinson or something similar would probably get you started)
Find the people they reblog from and check out each of their blogs! Follow people that make you happy
Follow some update accounts! Thinking of some off the top of my head, there’s @HLUpdate, @Stylesnews, @dailytomlinson, @HLDailyUpdate, or @neilswaterbottles (there’s definitely more though).
Follow some fanart or fic rec accounts!
I’d always suggest @1d-fanart or @hlcreators for art.
For fic, you could check out @hlficlibrary, @ficsyoumayhavemissed, or @thelarriefics.
Or, recurring fic fests! @onedirectionbigbang or @wordplayfics, which happen every year.
And if you end up not enjoying someone you’ve followed? Unfollow them! It’ll make you happier.
How to interact with posts
Tumblr is all about tags. Do you have a comment or thought? Reblog a post and say your thought in the tags. That way anyone you follow will see it, and the person who made the post will see it. This way a post doesn’t end up with a lot of cluttery additions that don’t mean a lot to the average person reblogging it, but if you browse the tags of posts you’ll find lots of interesting things. Tags can be used to keep track of things, too, of course — some people tag all pictures with who’s in them, or tag art or fic with tags that mean they can find them again. Tags are versatile! But reblog, don’t just like, and tag! The more you interact, the happier content creators are!
What not to do
Don’t repost. If you see something you like on tumblr, reblog it. Even if it’s a really old piece of fanart (like circa 2011). Reblog that old post! Reposting means people don’t get credit, and it doesn’t link back to them. That’s not cool, and in the long term makes fandom less happy.
How to cultivate a happy and healthy fandom
Send happy anons! Ask how people are doing, do question memes, say how much you loved fic/art/edits, etc.
Reblog art. Reblog fic. Reblog what makes you laugh. The more you reblog, the more other people see, the more the fandom moves! Content creators just want their things seen; every time you reblog, their phone gets that little notification and you’ve given someone a bit of happiness.
Unfollow people who annoy you. Follow people who make you happy!
If someone has a take about 1D that you don’t agree with, don’t tell them or send them argumentative anons. Find people who will agree with you, and complain to them privately. Or make your own post, not shading anyone, just presenting your own opinion and theories!
Remember that everyone is a real person. Cut them some slack when you find them being annoying. But also, unfollow. Curate your dash.
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