When You Were Young – English Lyrics

• By: The Killers

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the poignant lyrics and driving melody of The Killers' hit song, 'When You Were Young'. This iconic track delves into the themes of lost innocence and changing perspectives as we grow older. Discover how the band crafted this heartland rock anthem, blending simple yet powerful musical elements with thought-provoking lyrics that encourage reflection on your own journey from youth to adulthood.

[English]

(wind howling)

(slow dramatic music)

(gentle music)

♪ And sometimes you close your eyes ♪

♪ And see the place where you used to live ♪

(slow dramatic music)

♪ When you were young ♪

(rock music)

♪ You sit there in your heartache ♪

♪ Waiting on some beautiful boy to ♪

♪ To save your from your old ways ♪

♪ You play forgiveness ♪

♪ Watch it now, here he comes ♪

♪ He doesn't look a thing like Jesus ♪

♪ But he talks like a gentleman ♪

♪ Like you imagined when you were young ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ We're burning down the highway skyline ♪

♪ On the back of a hurricane that started turning ♪

♪ When you were young ♪

♪ When you were young ♪

♪ And sometimes you close your eyes ♪

♪ And see the place where you used to live ♪

♪ When you were young ♪

♪♪♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪♪♪

♪ 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 comes ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ 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 ♪

(wind howling)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - in an early stage of life or development
heartache /ˈhɑːrteɪk/ B2	noun - a feeling of great sadness, usually because of something that has happened to you
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfl/ A2	adjective - very attractive
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to prevent someone or something from being harmed, lost, or destroyed
forgiveness /fərˈɡɪvnəs/ B1	noun - the act of forgiving someone or something
gentleman /ˈdʒentlmən/ B1	noun - a man who is polite and well-educated
imagine /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ A2	verb - to form a picture or idea in your mind of something that is not real or that you have not seen
climb /klaɪm/ A2	verb - to go up, or to go towards the top of something
mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ A1	noun - a very high hill, often with a pointed top
highway /ˈhaɪweɪ/ B1	noun - a main road for fast traffic
skyline /ˈskaɪlaɪn/ B2	noun - the outline of buildings or hills printed against the sky
hurricane /ˈhʌrɪkən/ B2	noun - a violent storm with very strong winds, especially in the western Atlantic Ocean
devil /ˈdevl/ B2	noun - (in some religions) the most powerful evil spirit, especially Satan
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having a taste like sugar adjective - pleasant or delightful
dip /dɪp/ B1	verb - to put something into a liquid for a short time
ways /weɪz/ B1	noun - methods or habits of behaving
close /kləʊz/ A1	verb - to move two or more parts of something together, or to move one part onto another, so that there is no space between them
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - an area, town, building, etc.
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - to have your home in a particular place
burn /bɜːn/ B1	verb - to be on fire, or to destroy or damage something with fire

Key Grammar Structures

• And see the place where you used to live

  ➔ Past habit/state with "used to"; Relative adverb "where"

  ➔ "used to live" describes a past habitual action or state that no longer occurs. "where" introduces a relative clause specifying the place.

• Waiting on some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways

  ➔ Phrasal verb "wait on"; Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ "Waiting on" means expecting or anticipating. "to save" is an infinitive used to express the purpose of waiting.

• He doesn't look a thing like Jesus

  ➔ Negative comparison/simile with "a thing like"

  ➔ "a thing like" is used in negative sentences to emphasize that something is not at all similar to something else.

• But he talks like a gentleman

  ➔ Simile with "like"

  ➔ "talks like a gentleman" uses "like" to compare how he talks to the manner of a gentleman.

• Higher now than ever before

  ➔ Comparative adjective "higher...than"

  ➔ "Higher than" is used to compare the degree of an adjective between two things or states.

• I know we can make it if we take it slow

  ➔ First conditional (conditional clause)

  ➔ "if we take it slow" is a conditional clause expressing a condition for "we can make it" (the result).

• We're burning down the highway skyline

  ➔ Present continuous for vivid description/ongoing action

  ➔ "We're burning" uses the present continuous to describe a dynamic, ongoing, and often metaphorical action.

• On the back of a hurricane that started turning

  ➔ Relative clause with "that"

  ➔ "that started turning" is a relative clause providing essential information about "a hurricane."

• You don't have to drink right now

  ➔ "Don't have to" for lack of obligation

  ➔ "don't have to" expresses that something is not necessary or obligatory.

• They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet

  ➔ Informal negative "ain't"

  ➔ "ain't" is an informal contraction for "is not," "are not," "has not," or "have not," often used in casual speech or song lyrics.