We Are Young

In an interview in Rolling Stone Nate Ruess, the author and singer of the song. Explained the meaning. The song was written the day after a long night of partying. That night he got so drunk he could barely walk, he even puked in a cab. The song is the progression of the night. The beginning illustrates when he first got into the bar, he was completely there. Maybe their was someone who he broke up with, but that's not the point. The middle is a partially drunk Nate saying everything someone who is drunk says. The last verse is the end of the night. The idea of having someone carry him home is absolutely literal. In the Interview I read Nate explained that by the time he finally got home he had this song in his head, but he couldn't even see straight to write until the next day. This song is nothing more than a chronicle of a really drunk night.

This song clearly positive about the idea of youth, but I don't really understand why people think it's a "youth anthem".

The chorus begins "Tonight, we are young." The implication of the word "tonight" is that, either literally (age-wise) or figuratively (baggage-wise) that is not normally the case.

Now, given that this song was written by an actual person who would have actually been approaching 30 years old after an actual night of drunken carousing, I would be inclined to guess that he was mainly feeling nostalgic about someone from his past who he perceives would have always had his back had one of life's complications not come between them.

But that's just my opinion.

Am I the only one who thinks this songs is about drunken abuse? In the beginning the song goes ".. Asking about scar and I know I gave it to you months ago and I know you're trying to forget but between the drink and subtle things. The holes in my apologizes, you I'm trying to take it back..."

So "asking about a scar" "I know I gave it to you months ago "and "I know you are trying to forget" are both fairly clear. He beat her. She was left in scar and she is trying to get over it. "The holes in my apologizes" he knows he hurt her and he knows he's wrong for doing so, but he did and he is trying to make up for it. And he is saying that if she gets drunk to forget he will still "carry [her] home".

Am I the only one who thinks this song is deliberately ironic? He sings about being young and setting the world on fire, but they are just in a bar drinking. To a teen or young adult, they ARE living life, but in the scheme of things, they aren't really doing anything meaningful to "set the world on fire". The video seems to underscore this.

I don't dislike the song, I just think there's another perspective to it. I'd hate for kids to turn it into "we're young; let's get sh*tfaced in a bar and have it mean something."

It's about life, and living it to the fullest. It's about having a strong relationship with people and having their backs no matter what. Even you make a mistakes with those people you know they will always be there for you. Not evertything is about sex. It's saying go out set the world on fire, burn brightly in that moment but make sure help each other all get home safely so you can do it another time. Have fun but be responsible and if you make a mistake learn to get past it and forgive each other because even if you fall down you're going to need each other to lean on so you carry them or they can carry you home.

The guy who said DUI nailed it (or drunk-driving accident). It's all about having someone you can trust to take you home at the end of the night, and how you establish that trust after breaking it.

Great song! The meaning of the song is quite straight forward, its about a guy who has made mistakes and wants to amend and apologise but it was too late.

I don't really understand the music video, I guess cutting apple is somehow symbolic?

This may be complete tripe, but I'm posting it anyway.

"We Are Young" has a dual nature that is difficult to pick-up for most people. It’s very catchy chorus is the part most people are familiar with and can follow. And for many people, it’s the part that taglines the meaning of the song. In that respect, the song is a modern piece of carpe diem poetry. While this interpretation is not inaccurate, it fails to realize that the song encapsulates a dual nature. And the story presented goes far beyond the words. Let’s pretend for a moment that the chorus isn’t part of the song… yet.

The first verse lyrics give the song its complex scene. Our character has been left to fend for himself by his friends. His ex is at the bar. Perhaps he planned to be in the same place, perhaps it’s a coincidence. But right then, some other guy has approached her with interest. Feeling jealousy and regret, he wants to approach her. Composing his thoughts, and likely approaching her when the opportunity presents itself, he tries to deal with and apologize for the breakdown of the relationship. Even he recognizes his apology isn’t really good enough for what happened. But right then, at the moment, he wants to fix it. To start out, he offers to make sure she gets home.

The second verse plays like a conversation, and it adds to the realism of the moment. Maybe she has scoffed at his offer–rolling her eyes or going back to her drink. He knows she doesn’t need him. He stumbles trying to explain how they could try to be together again. They’re interrupted by the return of their group of mutual friends, but he senses he must have gotten through just a bit. He’s willing to throw it all into the group party, because he’s found someone to make sure HE gets home.

The third verse comes off of Janelle’s contribution to the song. I think it’s best to think of this portion as the unseen ex-lover, finally agreeing to be carried home. She’s accepted what he’s said, if not quite forgiven him. She has resigned herself to his help. Our main character reflects that he’s done his best, he’s quite drunk, but maybe things will be ok. It looks like things didn’t go perfectly (“the angels never arrived”), but what he HAS accomplished will do (“but I can hear the choir”). Liquored-up and emotionally tried; in the end he needs someone to carry HIM home.

Now put the chorus back into play. It’s an interjection of the “seize the day” spirit in the truest sense. It’s powerful, and punctuates the story almost as if it’s designed to interrupt things. And that’s exactly what it does. Our character approaches his ex, becomes insecure and feels the rejection coming. Then, quite suddenly, he rallies and is gripped by a different feeling. He says “screw it, what do I have to lose?” No matter how old or worn by experience he is, right now he’s young. Whatever mistakes are to come, no matter how things turn out later, right now he can do it all and it will be glorious. There’s also a note of desperation to the chorus as the night goes on. The chorus represents the one thing he’s holding onto in order to keep himself composed and to stay the course. He holds tightly to the spirit of the chorus: first as inspiration, then as a feeling in which to lose himself. As closing time approaches, the chorus level drops slightly, and he clings to it as the night ends and he must face the reality again.

This song is about living powerfully and brightly while you have a chance. Enjoying life, and taking the moment to feel young. Sometimes you just have to go and do it, and bask in the bright moment you create. But it’s also about accepting things. It’s about reconciliation, and having to face problems. It contains the distinct, bittersweet message that when the chorus dies down, you will still have many issues that you can’t put off and avoid forever.

That being said: by the time the bar closed, everyone burned-out by the youthful spirit of the bar party, both he and the ex were there to help eachother home that night.

Has anyone here ever heard of Carpe Diem poems? It seems like that's what this is. The speaker's pretty much saying: we've had our differences, but let's go home and have sex.

At least that's what I got. Maybe that's just cause I've spent too much time studying poetry though :-/

I think it's more about someone you have sex with, a complicated relationship, and saying that you gave yourself to them a while ago and you know they haven't given themself to you and they're sleeping with other people but you don't really care, you'll carry them home and heal their hurt. And they wind up healing yours too. And being young and messing up a little and having your world set on fire. I guess it struck home with me because it fits a situation I'm in at the moment.