After the release of Only by the Night in September 2008, the band achieved chart success in the United States. The singles "Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody", and "Notion" all peaked at number one on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album was their first platinum-selling album in the United States, and the best-selling album of 2008 in Australia, being certified platinum nine times. The band's fifth album, Come Around Sundown, was released on October 18, 2010. Their sixth album, Mechanical Bull, was released on September 24, 2013. The seventh studio album, Walls, was released on October 14, 2016. Their eighth studio album, When You See Yourself, was released on March 5, 2021. The group has 12 Grammy Award nominations, including 4 wins.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kings_of_Leon
Studio albums
Youth & Young Manhood (2003)
Aha Shake Heartbreak (2004)
Because of the Times (2007)
Only by the Night (2008)
Come Around Sundown (2010)
Mechanical Bull (2013)
Walls (2016)
When You See Yourself (2021)
Back Down South
Kings of Leon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you get the chance
We're gonna spit on the rivals
All I wanna know
Is how far you wanna go
Fighting for survival
Underneath the stars
Ain't showing signs of stopping
Pretty little girls
Naked to their curls
Ready to lay in a coffin
If you wanna go
I'm gonna go
I got a fire burning
Go on take my hand
When we see the band
Baby's gonna be a big one, oh yeah
Baby's gonna be a big one
When we see the lights
And we hear the fights
It's gonna be a stunner
I've got something here
If you give me one more beer
I'm gonna call the runner
I don't wanna say
What I have to say
Babe, I'm kicking off now
If you wanna go
I'm gonna go
I'm going back down south now, ah
I'm going back down south now, ah
I'm going back down south now
If you wanna go
I'm going back down south now
Come on take my hand
I'm going back down south now
When we see the lights
And we hear the fights
I'm going back down south now
All I wanna know
Is how far you wanna go
I'm going back down south now, oh yeah
I'm going back down south now
I'm going back down south now, ah
I'm going back down south now
The lyrics of "Back Down South" by Kings of Leon tell a story of a wild night out with friends, dancing and drinking to live music under the stars. The singer invites his companion to join in the revelry, reassuring that they will face any opposition together as they “spit on the rivals” and “fight for survival.” The setting is a rural area where they’ve parked their cars and set up camp for the night. In this place, they are free to be themselves and enjoy the moment, surrounded by “pretty little girls… naked to their curls” who are “ready to lay in a coffin”– suggesting a sense of danger lurking in the night.
The lyrics are full of energy and excitement, building up to the climax of the night when the band comes on stage, the lights go up, and a fight breaks out, culminating in the declaration “I’m going back down south now.” The phrase “back down south” suggests a return to the singer’s roots and the place where he feels most at home. Going back down south is a metaphor for returning to a simpler life and enjoying the moment without worrying about the consequences. The song’s lyrics suggest a strong connection to the land and the people who inhabit it, as well as a desire to let loose and have fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on out and dance
Encouraging someone to join in and dance
If you get the chance
If you have the opportunity
We're gonna spit on the rivals
Defeating the competition with ease
All I wanna know
Curious to find out
Is how far you wanna go
What is your ambition level?
Fighting for survival
Struggling to survive
Underneath the stars
In the open air
Where we parked the cars
Where our vehicles are parked
Ain't showing signs of stopping
No indication of slowing down
Pretty little girls
Attractive young women
Naked to their curls
Wearing nothing but their hair down
Ready to lay in a coffin
Eager to indulge in dangerous pleasures
If you wanna go
If you're interested
I'm gonna go
I'll join you
I got a fire burning
Passionate about something
Go on take my hand
I'll lead you there
When we see the band
When we watch the musicians
Baby's gonna be a big one, oh yeah
This is going to be a memorable experience
When we see the lights
When we witness the spectacle
And we hear the fights
And we hear the commotion
It's gonna be a stunner
It will be an impressive sight
I've got something here
I have something to share
If you give me one more beer
If you provide me with another drink
I'm gonna call the runner
I'll ask for someone to bring something
I don't wanna say
I hesitate to mention
What I have to say
What's on my mind
Babe, I'm kicking off now
I'm leaving now
I'm going back down south now, ah
Returning to the southern region
If you wanna go
If you're interested
Come on take my hand
Let me guide you
I'm going back down south now
I'm heading back south
All I wanna know
What is your ambition level?
Is how far you wanna go
Do you want to be ambitious?
I'm going back down south now, oh yeah
Returning to the south with enthusiasm
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jayjenkins9113
Isn't that the damned truth...
Spent the days of my youth doing the craziest things...
Tractor racing in the mud fields in pouring rain...
Hunting, fishing, camping...
Stain fights with wild grapes and chunks of watermelons...
Working so hard during the day and somehow finding new energy to dance and play at night with friends...
Snipe hunting...
Cow tipping...
Riding bareback on the neighbor's horses in the field...
All the while hearing the call of the world telling me the answers in life were out there...
Toured the world in the military, met new people and saw different cultures...
In all the wide world, with all the wonders I saw, the things that hit me the hardest were the small communities around the world where it all, 'felt a little like home'.
You can be dazzled, shocked and awed, but it tends to be the simplest things you find that brings your focus back to what's most important... friends, family and all the love you find in small communities like this.
That's what pulled me back down south... I wanted my sons to grow up building memories like I have, doing the types of things I did when I was their age. Nothing makes my doubts and regrets fade away faster than the laughter and smiles on their faces when they tell me about their adventures down here.
If they grow up to view the world different than I do, it won't matter because we will always have the same memories growing up, and I never tire of talking about those and they never fail to bring that laughter and smiles back.
@jayjenkins9113
Lol... sounds like we have a lot in common, except possibly an age gap. Spent 4 years in Germany and was actually on patrol when the Berlin Wall fell. I was there the day history happened and helped welcome families that had been forced to live apart for 40 years.
Still have my chunk of the Wall sitting on my mantle at home. It took me years to really appreciate my time over seas... to appreciate, and I mean 'appreciate' in the most sincere sense of the word, the home I had left behind.
Personally, I can't think of any place I would rather be than here at home in South Texas. Me and my boys still play in the mud on our ATVs. We still have a fishing pole or 3 handy just in case we pass a small pond that looks too good to pass up.
The world is a busy place and you can get lost or just confused trying to figure out who you are... down here, it seems to just happen at a more graceful pace... sorta like those old boots that fit like no others... just takes a little time to grow into them.
Trust me, there is nothing 'pathetic' about your own small town... you'll see that with enough time, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
@halfaday1
Come on out and dance
If you get the chance
We're gonna spit on the rivals
All I wanna know
Is how far you wanna go
Fighting for survival
Underneath the stars
Where we parked the cars
Ain't showing signs of stopping
Pretty little girls
Naked to their curls
Ready to lay in a coffin'
If you wanna go
I'm gonna go
I've got a fire burning
Go on take my hand
When we see the band
Baby's gonna be a big one, oh yeah
Baby's gonna be a big one
When we see the lights
And we hear the fights
It's gonna be a stunner
I've got something here
If you give me one more beer
I'm gonna call the runner
I don't wanna say
What I have to say
Babe, I'm a kicking off now
If you wanna go
I'm gonna go
I'm going back down South now
I'm going back down South now
If you wanna go
I'm going back down South now
Come on take my hand
I'm going back down South now
When we see the lights
And we hear the fights
I'm going back down South now
All I wanna know
Is how far you wanna go
I'm going back down South now, oh yeah
I'm going back down South now
@willandrews6953
About 5 seconds of this video was filmed at my old farm. We are the ones shooting in the beginning. Good times
@nolangibbon3710
Not even 10 seconds of fame 😂
@youwebz
Did you get to meet KOL?
@youwebz
I guess not
@78thedan
Thats awesome Will, nothing better than in the country shooting skeet!
@johnrichards8933
@Nolan Gibbon more than you will ever have
@danielfregoso6254
This song is more country than 99% of music that is released under the "country" genre nowadays. Beautiful song.
@JoojieXD
+Daniel Fregoso you sure about that?
@rossodom2007
+Daniel Fregoso Too right, Daniel.
@GuMoura10
+Daniel Fregoso Nunca ouvi um ritmo country tão bom quanto esse...