Following the release of their debut album in 2008, the album became certified gold by the RIAA and led to the release of six singles. The third was Young, which was released as a single on April 13, 2009, six months after the United States' release of Swan Songs but a month before the worldwide release. Prior to the single's release, several seven-second teaser videos of the music video were released on the internet. The full music video, directed by Kevin Kerslake, was released on the same day as the single. The song was included as one of twenty free songs downloadable to play for people who purchased new copies of "Rock Band 2."
On April 13, 2009, an official music video directed by Kevin Kerslake was released on iTunes. The video was later posted on the band's official website for viewing. The music video shows clips of Los Angeles and the band performing.
The band is shown playing in a narrow hallway with no doors or windows, only photographs on all four walls. The photos show fans and others wearing their own homemade rendition of the Hollywood Undead masks. Quick cuts and fast moving camera shots are used while the band is performing around the hall. Johnny 3 Tears raps both the first and second verses of the song with Deuce singing the chorus. A breakdown is placed after the second verse where choir girls sing angelic lines while the band raps between them. In the parts that the band isn't performing, clips of various people and places are shown.
The video begins with a distorted clip of an older man giving a speech over a classical piano tune. The man is shown behind of a pedestal with a phonograph microphone in front of three banners showing pictures of a grenade, a symbol for war. The image presented can be likened to World War II era videos of Adolf Hitler delivering oppressive speeches in front of the swaztika, to which the grenade flag itself strikingly resembles. The video progresses to show subliminal imaging of advertising and hate campaigns blaming youth for various things.
Later in the video, images of doves are shown to be spray painted over the advertising in a rebellious fashion. The dove is the second part to the Hollywood Undead's symbol, The Dove and Grenade, with the grenade standing for war and the dove for peace. The video pinnacles when all the images of fan's masks are shown in close up on the wall and fades out to the band ripping them all down and breaking free of the room.
The video ends with Johnny 3 Tears forcibly removing the speech giver from the beginning of the video from his pedestal and he takes his place.
It peaked at #34 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and #28 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
When reviewing the Swan Songs album, reviewer Sir Wylie commented that, "Young is the best song ... which features driving guitars and actual singing so when the rapping comes in, [it] adds a nice dynamic instead of failing miserably. The song also features one of the catchiest choruses on the album and the layered vocals at the end just make it even stronger."
Another review for Swan Songs by Brian Rademacher called Young "The track that will shoot Hollywood Undead to superstar status." Rademacher commented on the track, saying, "It is aggressive yet has chart-busting qualities and the addition of two young choir girls makes this song have class. Near the end of the track, you have the two girls singing 'Till the angels save us all' and that sent chills down my neck."
A reviewer for New Music Reviews called the track "Hard rock music at It's [sic] finest", and scored it a positive eight out of ten.
Not all reviews were as positive, however. Palmer Eldritch of the British online music magazine, Die Shellsuit, Die!, gave the song a one out of a possible ten, calling it "airbrushed nonsense."
The single reached a peak of number thirty-four on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, spending eleven total weeks on the chart starting April 25, 2009.
Young
Hollywood Undead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
I see the children in the rain like the parade before the pain
I see the life, I see the sky, Give it all to see you fly
Yes, we wave this flag of hatred, but you're the ones who made it
Watch the beauty of all our lies passing right before my eyes
I hear the hate in all your words. All the wars to make us hurt
We get so sick oh so sick, we never wanted all this
Medication for the kids with no reason to live
So we
March to the drums of the dammed as we come
Watch it burn in the sun, we are numb
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
As we walk among these shadows, in these streets, these fields of battle
Take it up, we wear the medal, raise your hands with burning candles
Hear us whisper in the dark, in the rain you see the spark
Feel the beating of our hearts, fleeting hope as we depart
All together, walk alone against all we've ever known
All we've ever really wanted was a place to call our home
But you take all we are, the innocence of our hearts
Made to kneel before the alter as you tear us apart
So we
March to the drums of the dammed as we come
Watch it burn in the sun, we are numb
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
The lyrics to Hollywood Undead's song "Young" speaks of the struggles and challenges of being young in a world that's falling apart. The opening lines say that despite their youth, they have heart and strength. They were born into a world full of chaos and conflicts, and they don't seem to belong in it. The chorus repeats these lines to emphasize the message that they are young, they have heart, they are strong, and they don't belong in this world that's crumbling.
The second verse of the song talks about the things they see in the world around them. They see the beauty and the ugliness, the love and the hate, and the life and the sky. They're willing to give it all up just to see someone fly. However, they also recognize the flag of hatred that the world waves, and they know that the world they're living in is full of lies. They hear the hate in people's words, see the wars that make people hurt, and witness the medicated children who have no reason to live.
The lyrics paint a dark picture of the world that the young people in the song live in. However, despite all of it, they march to the beat of their own drum, and they're willing to fight or fall until the angels save them all. The song's message is about holding onto hope amidst the chaos, and the chorus is repeated several times to drive home the idea that they are strong and will keep fighting.
Line by Line Meaning
We are young
Despite our youth, we possess passion and vigor
But we have heart
We have an intensity of emotion and conviction
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We were brought into a world in chaos and disarray
We are strong
We exhibit resilience, courage, and durability
We don't belong
We feel like outsiders, not fitting in or accepted in society's mold
I see the children in the rain like the parade before the pain
I witness the youth in their innocence, oblivious to the suffering they will soon endure
I see the love, I see the hate, I see this world that we can make
I observe both the good and evil in humanity and understand the potential for change
I see the life, I see the sky, Give it all to see you fly
I see the beauty of life and nature, and it is worth everything to see others succeed
Yes, we wave this flag of hatred, but you're the ones who made it
We express anger and animosity towards society, but it is their actions and decisions that caused our discontent
Watch the beauty of all our lies passing right before my eyes
I witness the impact of all the deceit and corruption in society, and it's devastating
I hear the hate in all your words. All the wars to make us hurt
I hear the spite and malice in people's speech, and it feels as if we're under constant attack
We get so sick oh so sick, we never wanted all this
We become ill, both physically and mentally, from the effects of society's injustices
Medication for the kids with no reason to live
Children are given medicine and drugs to cope with their suffering with little hope for a better life
As we walk among these shadows, in these streets, these fields of battle
We navigate through life's hardships, facing struggle and adversity at every turn
Take it up, we wear the medal, raise your hands with burning candles
We wear our scars and hardships with pride while seeking hope and light in the darkness
Hear us whisper in the dark, in the rain you see the spark
We speak softly in the midst of struggle, and in the midst of hardship, we ignite a spark of hope
Feel the beating of our hearts, fleeting hope as we depart
Our hearts beat with passion and hope but often only briefly before being snuffed out
All together, walk alone against all we've ever known
We stand in solidarity, but it can feel like we're the only ones taking a stand against the society we know
All we've ever really wanted was a place to call our home
We long for a sense of belonging and a place where we feel accepted and valued
But you take all we are; the innocence of our hearts
Society takes away our essence and purity, corrupting us with its disingenuous nature
Made to kneel before the alter as you tear us apart
We are coerced into submission, broken down and destroyed by the very society that is supposed to nurture us
We will fight or we will fall
We are prepared to take a stand and defend ourselves or accept defeat
Till the angels save us all
We hope for divine intervention to save us from the hardships and turmoil of society
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Aron Erlichman, George Arthur Ragan, Daniel Patrick Lohner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ralphjay Guevarra
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
I see the children in the rain like the parade before the pain
I see the love, I see the hate, I see this world that we can make
I see the life, I see the sky, Give it all to see you fly
Yes, we wave this flag of hatred, but you're the ones who made it
Watch the beauty of all our lies passing right before my eyes
I hear the hate in all your words. All the wars to make us hurt
We get so sick oh so sick, we never wanted all this
Medication for the kids with no reason to live
So we
March to the drums of the dammed as we come
Watch it burn in the sun, we are numb
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
As we walk among these shadows, in these streets, these fields of battle
Take it up, we wear the medal, raise your hands with burning candles
Hear us whisper in the dark, in the rain you see the spark
Feel the beating of our hearts, fleeting hope as we depart
All together, walk alone against all we've ever known
All we've ever really wanted was a place to call our home
But you take all we are; the innocence of our hearts
Made to kneel before the alter as you tear us apart
So we
March to the drums of the dammed as we come
Watch it burn in the sun, we are numb
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We will fight or we will fall
Till the angels save us all
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are young
But we have heart
Born in this world as it all falls apart
We are strong
We don't belong
Born in this world as it all falls apart
Cali C
One line in the song really hits me hard.
"medication for the kids with no reason to live"
it's surprisingly deep, in my opinion.
Zaden
@Jim James too true tbh
austin Ney
@Michaela Burks well maybe you should have tried them to ease into a drug free life..... sounds very ignorant. I can understand not wanting to use chemicals to get better, but if your idea is to get high, then maybe you have a deeper problem. While different antidepressants have different side effects, the fact you were paying for them, or wasting your insurance money on things you won't take, when you might need other things, is extremely childish
David Medred
Yea it is...
Michaela Burks
And I'm one of those "kids" I've been given medication for years that I don't even take lol. I've got bottles and bottles of Prozac and Zoloft over the years that I've never taken. If I can't get high off it then idgaf about it :)
Medley Chaos
it's that they treat the symptoms instead of the problem. it's the medicalization of "actually my life is objectively kind of a hellhole" instead of actually improving people's lives. if somebody is, say, traumatized, poor, suffering from chronic pain and living in constant fear of their abuser finding them again, then maybe their suicidal ideation isn't because of depression that must be medically treated (which, don't get me wrong, is of course also a real thing that people can suffer from) and actually a normal, sane reaction to the shit they're dealing with. it's the lack of "treatment" options for people like that.
So yeah, I agree that it really is that deep.
Newbie
I was 14 when my friend played this at her house, so i asked who is this and she said i dont know its my brothers fav group. I became a huge fan that day and 11 years passed like nothing. Great journey and thanks to her and her brother im here today listening to these good old songs.
That was actually the last day i saw her and everytime i listen to some HU songs it reminds me of her. I hope she is doing well.
Og Gilli
24 years old now still love this song and the whole swan songs album. I remember being like 11 listening to it lol
janelane187
Reliving my teen emo days now im just an adult with depression lmao
L-p Lef
Same bro...
Same