On 14 March 2009, Kings of Leon performed the song at the special Victorian bushfire relief concert Sound Relief in Melbourne, Australia.
It was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band music video game series on July 21, 2009.
In late October, it was released as a single in Canada and the United States.
Crawl
Kings of Leon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't ever need to apologize
As your lips unfold
Shakin' purple from the cold
You better learn to crawl
You better learn to crawl
Before I walk away
You broke my mouth
The bloody bits are spitting out
Is your grave unscathed
The worm is counting down the days
He wants to see you crawl
He wants to see you crawl
Before I walk away
Before I walk away
The reds and the whites and abused
The crucified USA
As their hypocrisy unfolds
Oh hell is truly on its way
As the rat, and the fly
They're searching for an alibi
As we await the wrath
They never went to Sunday Mass
They want to see us crawl
They want to see us crawl
Before they walk away
Before they walk away
The reds and the whites and abused
The crucified USA
As their hypocrisy unfolds
Oh hell is truly on its way
The lyrics to Kings of Leon's "Crawl" are quite cryptic and can have multiple interpretations. The song seems to be about a broken relationship where one person has hurt the other but doesn't want to take responsibility for their actions. The singer seems to be feeling a sense of pride and superiority and doesn't want to apologize, but he also realizes that the other person will have to crawl back to him before he decides whether or not to forgive them. The line "shakin' purple from the cold" can be interpreted as the person being physically affected by the emotional conflict, with purple being a color associated with bruising or being cold.
The chorus of the song, with the repeated line "before I walk away," suggests that the singer is still willing to salvage the relationship, but only if the other person is willing to humble themselves and show that they are willing to make amends. The other verses of the song touch on themes of hypocrisy, with lines like "as their hypocrisy unfolds, oh hell is truly on its way," suggesting that the singer is disillusioned with the world around him and sees the flaws in society.
Overall, "Crawl" is a powerful song that speaks to the complexities of human relationships and the struggle to admit when we are wrong and make amends. The lyrics suggest a sense of frustration, anger, and betrayal, but also offer a glimmer of hope that the relationship can be salvaged if both parties are willing to put in the effort.
Line by Line Meaning
You fault my pride
You criticize me for being proud
Don't ever need to apologize
You don't have to say sorry
As your lips unfold
As you speak
Shakin' purple from the cold
Showing signs of being cold, maybe even scared
You better learn to crawl
You better humble yourself
Before I walk away
Before I leave you
You broke my mouth
You hurt me badly
The bloody bits are spitting out
I am bleeding and in pain
Is your grave unscathed
Are you still safe from harm
The worm is counting down the days
Death is approaching
He wants to see you crawl
He wants you to beg for mercy
The reds and the whites and abused
People of different races and social classes, mistreated
The crucified USA
America, under attack and facing suffering
As their hypocrisy unfolds
As their lies and double standards are exposed
Oh hell is truly on its way
A terrible event is about to happen
As the rat, and the fly
As even the smallest creatures from different backgrounds
They're searching for an alibi
Are trying to find excuses for their wrongdoings
As we await the wrath
As we wait for punishment or retribution
They never went to Sunday Mass
They never practiced what they preached
They want to see us crawl
They want to see us suffer and beg for forgiveness
Before they walk away
Before they abandon us
The reds and the whites and abused
People of different races and social classes, mistreated
The crucified USA
America, under attack and facing suffering
As their hypocrisy unfolds
As their lies and double standards are exposed
Oh hell is truly on its way
A terrible event is about to happen
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joniarmel7308
My favorite of all their songs . They perform this live amazingly.
@sharona1981
There's an Irish wrestler called Sammy D, uses this as his entrance theme. It so works.
@jamieon2299
Only looked up the song because of Sammy the snake! 😄😄
@sharona1981
@@jamieon2299 Same here!
@spotcenternanana-nanana2413
Same! The Draw! 💪
@gilbertorodriguezmunguia3773
Also, this song sounds similar to the one Bret Hart used in his last run in WCW.
@TAWPTierJustin
Finally a comment about Sammy D on this song! "Your daddy's home!" Lol 😊
@user-ob6yu6oq7g
Such an underrated album man. Banger after banger
@jimmyh412
This is such an easy song to get into. The live performance of this tune is outstanding. Listen to it if you get a chance. Kings of Leon are superb.
@darrencurtin2386
Neck breaking deep groove on this one. Jesus. I've been listening to KoL since their first album. What a band