When You Were Young

Infobox Single
Name = When You Were Young

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Caption =
Artist = The Killers
from Album = Sam's Town
A-side =
B-side = "Where the White Boys Dance", "All the Pretty Faces"
Released = September 18, 2006
Format = Download, 12", 7", CD
Recorded =
Genre = Post-punk revival
Length = 3:40
Label = Island (U.S.), Mercury (UK)
Writer = Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
Producer = Flood, Alan Moulder, The Killers
Certification =
Chart position = * #1 (U.S. "Billboard" Modern Rock)
* #1 (Canada BDS)
* #2 (UK Singles Chart)
* #10 (Australia ARIA Singles Chart)
* #14 (U.S. "Billboard" Hot 100)
* #18 (U.S. "Billboard" Pop 100)
* #25 (Dutch Mega Top 50)
Last single = "Smile Like You Mean It" (2005)
This single = "When You Were Young" (2006)
Next single = "Bones" (2006)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Sam's Town
Type = studio
prev_track = "enterlude"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "When You Were Young"
track_no = 3
next_track = "Bling (Confession of a King)"
next_no = 4

"When You Were Young" is a song written and performed by Las Vegas-based rock band, The Killers, and is the third track on their second album "Sam's Town", released in October 2006. The song was released as the lead single from that album in September 2006. It has proven to be one of their most successful singles, peaking at #14 on the U.S. Hot 100 (only "Mr. Brightside" peaked higher on this chart at #10), as well as their only number 1 to date on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks. It is also their highest charting single to date in the United Kingdom and Australia, peaking at numbers 2 and 10 respectively.

The song displays the band's move towards a more "American" musical style, as it is part of an album that was supposedly heavily influenced by the music of Bruce Springsteen.Montgomery, James (2006). [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1529924/05012006/killers_the.jhtml "MTV News - Killers' Next LP Will Show Strong Influence Of ... Bruce Springsteen!?"] . MTV.com.] The song was nominated for the 2007 Grammy Award for "Best Rock Song", and the single's video, directed by Anthony Mandler, received a nomination in the category of "Best Short Form Music Video".Associated Press. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,235200,00.html "FOX Facts: Complete List of Grammy Award Nominations"] . Fox News. December 7 2006. Retrieved December 9 2006.] The single was ranked #69 on iTunes Top 100 Best Sellers: Songs of 2006. The song also made #4 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2006. The song has been covered by Coldplay live at an unplanned appearance for MENCAP, as well as by Finnish singer Astrid Swan, and Taking Back Sunday. It was also covered by Simon Webbe, a former member of British boy band Blue on Jo Whiley's Show on Radio 1 in the Live Lounge.

The song appears in the video games "", "SingStar Amped", and "Rock Band".

The song was featured in the third section of the 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and is played regularly before Baltimore Orioles games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Music video

The music video for this song was filmed in Tlayacapan, Mexico. [ [http://www.music-videos.duncans.tv/2006/the-killers-when-you-were-old The Killers in Mexico for When You Were Young » Music Videos Located and Reviewed Online at Duncan’s TV ] ]

In reverse chronology, it tells the story of a young Mexican girl around the age of 20. The video opens with her arriving at a large, white, wooden cross in the desert. She mourns in front of it until her supposed husband shows up and comforts her. In the next scene, she is praying at a church; after leaving, she meets up with her husband. One day she arrives home to find her husband in bed with another woman; seeing them together, she runs out crying, with her husband running out after her. The video flashes back to their wedding as she runs away. After showing the woman washing herself, the video cuts to a bar, which the woman enters. She sits at the same table as her future husband and the woman with whom he later cheats on her. As they introduce themselves, the other woman leaves. The band is playing in the bar, and the girl looks at Flowers as he sings the last verse, but turns away as the video ends. The final shot is of the cross that the woman visited in the first scene, with no one in sight.

There is also an alternate version of the video in which the girl jumps off a cliff instead of reconciling with the husband.

Track listings

CD: Island / ISLR16591-2 United States

# "When You Were Young" (radio version) - 3:39
* US Promo

CD: Vertigo / 170 765-8 United Kingdom

# "When You Were Young" - 3:39
# "All the Pretty Faces" - 4:44

CD: Island / 0 602517 07658 7 Europe & Australia

# "When You Were Young" - 3:39
# "All The Pretty Faces" - 4:44
# "When You Were Young" (video)

CD: Island / ISLR 16633-2 United States

# "When You Were Young" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Radio Edit) - 3:58
# "When You Were Young" (The Lindbergh Palace Radio Edit) - 4:31
# "When You Were Young" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) - 6:23
# "When You Were Young" (The Lindbergh Palace Remix) - 6:59
# "When You Were Young" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Dub) - 6:23
# "When You Were Young" (The Lindbergh Palace Dub) - 6:50
* US promo

2x12": Island / B0007884-11 United States

# "When You Were Young" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Mix) - 6:23
# "When You Were Young" (The Lindbergh Palace Remix) - 6:59

# "When You Were Young" (Jacques Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Dub) - 6:23
# "When You Were Young" (The Lindbergh Palace Dub) - 6:50

Chart performance

References

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxdrHbp6FzA Watch "When You Were Young" on Youtube]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI87zoywKzo Watch "When You Were Young" Alternate Version on Youtube]