Lyrics for When You Were Young as interpreted by sam_attack

When You Were Young Lyrics
You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy
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 gentlemen
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 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 gentlemen
Like you imagined when you were young
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

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lisap86
04-07-2007

Rated 0 
the first verse of this song sounds like it was about my life, I swear. I'm addicted to this song.

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fratboy_rick
04-07-2007

Rated 0 
I wish they'd written a real chorus. Still an amazing song.

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*nemelcy*
04-17-2007

Rated 0 
they say the devils water, it aint so sweet
you don't have to drink right now
but you can dip you're feet . . .

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Plasticworld
04-25-2007

Rated 0 
"He doesn't look a think like jesus" He doesn't look perfect, he doesnt look like a saint. "but he talks like a gentalman" but he is nice a treats the person right like the person imagined when they were young

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angeleyes07
04-25-2007

Rated 0 
. I really don't understand the song, but overall, I feel when I listen to it. Its just an interesting song, that could probably mean various things to any person.

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kyokitty44
04-28-2007

Rated 0 
I checked on an urban dictionary...and "devil's water" means alchol...I hope that helps ^_^

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CBFegyptiancateye
05-14-2007

Rated 0 
LOVE THIS SONG. reminds me of "when i was 'young'"

To me its about a girl who finds this guy who she thinks is her "beautiful boy" whose come to sweep her off her feet and he seems nice (he acts like a gentleman) she goes with him eventhough he's really not the greates guy because she's naive and doesn't know any better.

Things don't turn out as she wanted and then she's gotten herself into this relationship where this guy really doesn't care that much about her and in this case is maybe only using her or cheating on her.
so it's talking about those decisions made when "you where young" and didn't know anybetter.

also he mentions how you don't have to do anything right now "you don't have to drink right now"

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~*~nadine~*~
05-15-2007

Rated 0 
Beautiful song and I think its about a girl who is waiting for someone to save her, but looking at the wrong person! But is there ever a right person? Reminds me of when i thought someone was "the one" and was going to "To save me from my old ways" But he wasn't!

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EarlySunsets
05-17-2007

Rated 0 
I think this song is about a girl who just had a bad breakup or some "heartache" and is waiting for someone to save her from the things that have happened. She's waiting on a beautiful boy and eventually he comes "watch it now, here he comes"

He doesn't look like Jesus, which I assume means he's not someone she expects to be saving her. But, I guess she knows he was meant to save her because he emulates qualities which she has been looking for since she was young.

I think that these two people are developing a relationship and acknowledge the fact that there might be trials getting into it and helping her get over her heartache and save her, but they're willing to take it slow and try. He loses me with the burning and hurricane verse. :)

I think the "devil's water" represents maybe the wrong that happened in her past relationship that she's working to be saved from. It's kind of like a bad addiction or something. I'm fuzzy on that part too.

"But more than you'll ever know" I think means that he doesn't look like Jesus, but he will be the savior for this girl. Sorry that was so long. :P

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Kinst
05-20-2007

Rated 0 
To me this song will always be about two men. It's a very manly voice singing a love song about a beautiful boy come to save him. I don't see where any girls come into play. It sounds more like he's singing about himself. All of the you's are basically rhetorical and he says we a hell of a lot.

"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"

"Can we climb this mountain?" is asking if the two of them can make the relationship work. Why would he say we if he's not involved and it's about someone else?

I'm not saying Brandon's gay or bi or anything; just that it's sung from the perspective of a gay character.

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XDuncan21
06-16-2007

Rated 0 
This song is about a girl that the singer likes, but she is lesbian. He wants her terribly, but shes so used to everything being the way it is and she loves him but she is afraid of change. He's trying to tell her that he is perfect for her, and he understands what shes going through, and if they try they can make it together.

Atleast this is how I interpret it in my own life.

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lovetypething
07-22-2007

Rated 0 
This song is about a girl that the singer likes, but she is lesbian. At least this is how I interpret it in my own life."

You could paint spots on a tiger but you can't wash off it's stripes, dude. Just live with the heartache and move on, trust me.

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Booyah29
08-29-2007

Rated 0 
This song is sung to a girl that's in heart broken state. She is looking for love but can't find it in any one accept the person that she would least expect it from. This could possibly be the singer but it depends on how you would look at it. But any way, she finds it in the person. Saying that he doesn't look like Jesus means that he doesn't look like her imagined 'Prince Charming' kind of character that young girls often have of. How ever, he acts like it and that's the thing she falls in love with and he wouldn't care about her past and what she's done that she might regret. If you take a high school perspective of it it could be a popular girl falling in love with a guy that would be known as unpopular that know one really knows or looks down on. The mountain climbing part could be interpretted as them wondering if she could even have a relationship with this guy because of their different life styles.

The devil's water part is that it would be crazy if there ever was such a relationship with a person of her social and this guy. She would get made fun of and all that kind of stuff but the singer is telling her that its ok to do something she knows others wouldn't like and judge her for. Thats where she dips her feet in.

Oh and I kinda lost track of what I was saying while writing this and this is from the point of view of some one in high school that isn't the most popular kid but is up there, Im friendly with every one really and this is just an opinion.

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HellaHomo85
09-16-2007

Rated 0 
Ok, believe me when I say that.. I'm such an Atheist... However, I think I kind of want to interpret this a little bit differently. They're religious men. I think I have enough Christian friends to use their type of rhetoric on this.

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now- here he comes
--He's sad and he's praying to God to help him get through it. God is the beautiful boy.

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentlemen
Like you imagined when you were young
--God can come into our lives in mysterious ways. The way God comes into his life and gets him through this isn't the way he expected, but he recognizes that it's God, nonetheless (But he talks like a gentleman).

Climbing the mountain refers to God helping him get through obstacles in life.

And finally, the devils water refers to us as sinners, and we can dip our feet, but God will forgive us.

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jenny2r
09-27-2007

Rated 0 
I freakin love this song. To me, it's about a girl who is waiting on that one guy her whole life, the one who would never make her feel the pain she felt from her previous relationships.

He doesn't look a thing like jesus, meaning someone "perfect" in your eyes, but he's nice, and reminds you of that guy you dreamt of at such a young age.

I know at the end of the video the guy winds up betraying her like all the others, and she kills herself... could be the part about the devils water... but I can't figure it out.

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gabryska-
09-28-2007

Rated 0 
In my opinion he is talking about a girl that since she was young had some high standards, based on religion, family, media and friends. Now older, she just sits alone and wait for that guy to come and save her meaning to make her life perfect, to give her the love that she's lacking of and complete her in every aspect. The guy is described as "beautiful boy" so by that we know he must be good looking and sweet, cīmon a beautiful boy! As its known, that type of guys dont exist and if they do they are already taken. So what she finds is some guy that doesnt look a thing like her dream guy, maybe he is a bad boy, smoke pot, party a lot, or drinks, and certanly is not the beautiful guy that is gonna save her, more likely is the one that could screw her life more than already is. He also give us the clue that the guy talks like a gentleman, i think by this he doesnt mean the guy is a gentleman but he talks like one, which lead to more confussion to the girl. But as he later states "They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet... But you can dip your feet every once in a little while" meaning that it may not be so good to be with a such "not-your-prince-charming" guy but she can give it a try and maybe she end up liking him after all... and for last but not least he says "He doesn't look a thing like Jesus But more than you'll ever know" this tell us that he might be the closest thing, she will ever get, to her Jesus.

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MarkieP
10-29-2007

Rated 0 
Wow I just heard the Abby Road version and I think it's way better than the normal version.

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MajPops
11-08-2007

Rated 0 
I agree with most of the postings that the girl is looking for this ideal image of a boy she's had since she was a little girl. However it seems like most ppl see the girl as more innocent, being heart-broken over past relationships that have screwed her over. I interpreted this song slightly differently... the line "Waiting for some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways" always stuck out to me. Saving the girl from her old ways implies to me that she has some major flaw in her character. I think the girl's actions have set her up to be involved with some pretty scummy guys. Perhaps she's too easy. She feels like it's her fault and she deserves it, but she still holds on to that idea of a 'noble gentlemen'-type guy she imagined as a child... back when she was pure and innocent.
The girl finally meets a guy that she thinks is good... she's aware he isn't perfect, but that's ok because she still feels like she doesn't really deserve that. The two get into a relationship, and the girl is trying to take things slow for once. the whole devil's water part is the singer's reminder to the girl that 'yea, sex is good but it's also kind of overrated. You don't have to rush it... do it once in a while and it will be more special, and be better."

There's my two cents, hopefully it makes sense! (totally didn't mean for that to rhyme)

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jasons89
11-21-2007

Rated 0 
I heard somewhere that the lead singer of the band is a bisexual, though I can't give a source. I think the song means a lot more in that context though.

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thekillers255
11-21-2007

Rated 0 
I think this song is about a girl who expected too much as a child and got a rude awakening when she grew up and realized that nothing is perfect. The part; he doesn't look a thing like Jesus/but more than you'll ever know/ means that her "Perfect" guy isn't so perfect. but good enough and should be thankful for it.
ED

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xsteadyxasxyouxgox
12-17-2007

Rated 0 
After reading many of your opinions I sort of get what its about now.But I think the ''he doesn't look a thing like jesus'' doesn't mean anything religious or the actual Jesus himself I think it means "He doesn't look like the perfect man on the outside but hes the best person on the inside".

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theronman12
01-04-2008

Rated 0 
I pretty much agree with ShotgunXXWedding, ya know only i think there is an age difference between the girl and the boy, like the girl meets him and finds that he is the best guy out there, but hes like 4 years younger then her so.. yeah, and the devils water might be about them maybe doing something quick in bed?

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Annie4u2
01-07-2008

Rated 0 
I think its about a girl having this perfect idea of who she's going to marry and fall inlove with, and the song's saying its ok to "dip you feet" (mess about and go out with boys who aren't perfect, and it doesnt always have to be love).

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plathgirl
01-16-2008

Rated 0 
wow! so many comments I couldn't read them all. Ok my interpretation is kinda out there but here it goes. I think this "beautiful boy" who she wants to be with,is a good man.like jesus.the part about "the devil's water" implies that maybe she's tempting him. maybe they can't be together for whatever reasons. i don't know. but she still thinks this is the only man that can "save her". when he says "on the back of a hurricane that started turning when you were young" i think implies that the troubles (hurricane) have been there since she was young.but now with his help they are behind them. "on the back" of it. I think that both the part about the climbing the mountain and the highway both symbolize that she needs him to help her move ahead. to help her learn how to live. It's a great song and i'm sure it has more meanings than one.most songs do.

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cellophanegirl
02-08-2008

Rated 0 
Whn I first heard this song, I thought it was about a girl thinking about her father, and the love they shared. But then he got taken away for some reason, and now she needs him again.

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