Music Review: The Killers "When You Were Young"
The Killers
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When We Were Young
Album: Sam’s Town
Year: 2006
Brandon Flowers censures his girl friend for living in the past in the derisive “When You Were Young.”
Glowering guitars open the single, setting a bossy tone. In the first verse, he says she goes to singles mixers and the bars looking for redemption from a sweet guy. As a teenager and young adult, she used to manipulate and cheat on her boyfriends. She now realizes she hurt them and it was wrong to do. He thinks she hasn’t changed at all and searches for passive guys.
In the chorus, he comments that man coming to their table is scruffy. However, he asks her to dance in a polite demeanor. He’s the bad boy with a golden heart she’s wanted since she was a teenager. It’s only going to implode on her, though, for not outgrowing the type.
In the second verse, he asks her if she is willing to take the steps to stop making the same mistakes she has made since 13. She can’t say she’s going to do something, try it for a couple weeks, and then return to her bad habits. He says it doesn’t have to be all at once. It can be done gradually. Then, she won’t let herself be obsessive about her past.
In the chorus, he says they are destroying every shred of her memories she’s had with a severe storm. It’s been brewing since they were children. Over the years, it has gotten stronger and harder to avoid.
In the bridge, he says she imagines living in her first home with her parents again.
A berating guitar solo follows.
In the second half of the bridge, he says the past is like the devil. It’s inviting and enticing to have the chance to relive a favorite memory or year. People can take glimpses into them and savor it. But once their mind exists on memories alone, they might as well have no soul. It’s not living.
A pressuring guitar solo follows.
The first verse is sung again.
The first chorus is sung again but with adlbs.
In the final section, he says he’s not going to be the savior in her life. In fact, he’s only going to bring her down like her previous boyfriends.
Flowers has grown up with his female friend. He’s watched her screw over every man she’s ever dated and claimed she didn’t mean to do it. She constantly says she wants a good guy but still goes out with the bad boys she hopes to change. He’s decided to finally call her out on her talk.
Flowers’ judgemental, uptight vocals are shaky and dusty. First, he lacks faith in his friend and automatically thinks of the worst. No matter what she does is wrong in her eyes. Whereas, she likes to think back of her childhood, he fears it. He twists her around if she even so much as glance at a memory. It’s a shame he’s projecting his issues onto her. Without the past and remembering mistakes, people wouldn’t be who they are. To erase it as though it never existed is to undo any growing at all.
The hawkish arrangement strikes and pounces to seize control. However, with each blow a flaw surfaces, weakening them. The grungy rock doesn’t suit the band. They chopped up their new wave leanings with such self-loathing; it’s tough to even equate them with their debut album. The Killers do not know who they are or what they want to be.
The disappointing “When You Were Young” chokes the band’s promise.
Album: Sam’s Town
Year: 2006
Brandon Flowers censures his girl friend for living in the past in the derisive “When You Were Young.”
Glowering guitars open the single, setting a bossy tone. In the first verse, he says she goes to singles mixers and the bars looking for redemption from a sweet guy. As a teenager and young adult, she used to manipulate and cheat on her boyfriends. She now realizes she hurt them and it was wrong to do. He thinks she hasn’t changed at all and searches for passive guys.
“You sit there in your heartache/Waiting on some beautiful boy to/To save you from your old ways/You play forgiveness/Watch it now/Here he come.”
In the chorus, he comments that man coming to their table is scruffy. However, he asks her to dance in a polite demeanor. He’s the bad boy with a golden heart she’s wanted since she was a teenager. It’s only going to implode on her, though, for not outgrowing the type.
“He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus/But he talks like a gentleman/Like you imagined/When you were young.”
In the second verse, he asks her if she is willing to take the steps to stop making the same mistakes she has made since 13. She can’t say she’s going to do something, try it for a couple weeks, and then return to her bad habits. He says it doesn’t have to be all at once. It can be done gradually. Then, she won’t let herself be obsessive about her past.
“Can we climb this mountain/I don’t know/Higher now than ever before/I know we can make it if we take it slow/Let's take it easy/Easy now/Watch it go.”
In the chorus, he says they are destroying every shred of her memories she’s had with a severe storm. It’s been brewing since they were children. Over the years, it has gotten stronger and harder to avoid.
“We're burning down the highway skyline/On the back of a hurricane/That started turning/When you were young/When you were young.”
In the bridge, he says she imagines living in her first home with her parents again.
“And sometimes you close your eyes/
And see the place where you used to live/When you were young.”
A berating guitar solo follows.
In the second half of the bridge, he says the past is like the devil. It’s inviting and enticing to have the chance to relive a favorite memory or year. People can take glimpses into them and savor it. But once their mind exists on memories alone, they might as well have no soul. It’s not living.
“They say the devil's water/It ain't so sweet/You don’t have to drink right now/But you can dip your feet/Every once in a little while.”
A pressuring guitar solo follows.
The first verse is sung again.
The first chorus is sung again but with adlbs.
“He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus/But he talks like a gentleman/Like you imagined/When you were young (Talks like a gentleman)/(Like you imagined) When you were young.”
In the final section, he says he’s not going to be the savior in her life. In fact, he’s only going to bring her down like her previous boyfriends.
“I said he doesn’t look a thing like Jesus/He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus/But more than you'll ever know.”
Flowers has grown up with his female friend. He’s watched her screw over every man she’s ever dated and claimed she didn’t mean to do it. She constantly says she wants a good guy but still goes out with the bad boys she hopes to change. He’s decided to finally call her out on her talk.
Flowers’ judgemental, uptight vocals are shaky and dusty. First, he lacks faith in his friend and automatically thinks of the worst. No matter what she does is wrong in her eyes. Whereas, she likes to think back of her childhood, he fears it. He twists her around if she even so much as glance at a memory. It’s a shame he’s projecting his issues onto her. Without the past and remembering mistakes, people wouldn’t be who they are. To erase it as though it never existed is to undo any growing at all.
The hawkish arrangement strikes and pounces to seize control. However, with each blow a flaw surfaces, weakening them. The grungy rock doesn’t suit the band. They chopped up their new wave leanings with such self-loathing; it’s tough to even equate them with their debut album. The Killers do not know who they are or what they want to be.
The disappointing “When You Were Young” chokes the band’s promise.