It reached #11 in the UK single chart and #15 in the Billboard U.S. Modern Rock Chart. It also received substantial radioplay in Australia, where it was ranked #39 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004.
The band claims that they wrote the song in 8 minutes.
The song originally featured on the Mr. Brightside EP released in September 2003.
The music video for this song shows ghostly figures of the band wandering around a house that the characters of the song presumably used to live in. While Flowers sings to the camera, flashbacks of the old house are shown behind him, including a children's party, a Christmas morning, a high school party, and a funeral. While these extras are oblivious to being watched, at the end they turn to the camera to look at the viewer while the band fades away.
Billboard said the song "seems to deal with coming to terms with growing up and getting older."
Chuck Arnold with People magazine called the song "a sardonic moper worthy of the Smiths." Billboard said the single is "more restrained and downtempo compared with the band's previous hits" but otherwise "pretty upbeat and is awash with soaring new wave synthesizers and 'killer' guitars." In the UK the song was voted at 91 on Absolute Radio's 100 Best Songs of the Decade.
David Gray performed an acoustic version of "Smile Like You Mean It" on BBC's Radio 1 in the Live Lounge. Tally Hall covered the song for the sixth The O.C. soundtrack: Music from the OC: Mix 6.
The song was released as a downloadable track for the music video game series Rock Band on November 25, 2008.
Smile Like You Mean It
The Killers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Change your ways while you're young
Boy, one day you'll be a man
Oh girl, he'll help you understand
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Looking back at sunsets on the East side
We lost track of the time
Dreams aren't what they used to be
Some things slide by so carelessly
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
And someone is calling my name
From the back of the restaurant
And someone is playing a game
In the house that I grew up in
And someone will drive her around
Down the same streets that I did
On the same streets that I did
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Smile like you mean it
Oh no, oh no no no
Oh no, oh no no no
The Killers' song "Smile Like You Mean It" is packed with emotion and thought-provoking lyrics. The first verse encourages the listener to "Change your ways while you're young" and "Smile like you mean it", implying that it is important to make the most out of life when you can. As the chorus repeats, "Smile like you mean it", it seems like this is a message to the listener to be genuine and present in their interactions with others, rather than just going through the motions with a fake smile.
The second verse takes a reflective turn, speaking of lost time and dreams that have fallen by the wayside. The imagery of sunsets on the east side and the slipping away of things that used to matter highlight a sense of nostalgia and longing for something that has been lost. The bridge amplifies this feeling with memories of childhood, as someone is calling the singer's name and playing a game in the house they grew up in. These memories seem to emphasize the fleeting nature of life and the importance of living in the moment.
Overall, "Smile Like You Mean It" is a song that encourages the listener to engage with life authentically and with purpose. The lyrics point to the importance of cherishing time and relationships, making the most of opportunities, and living in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Save some face, you know you've only got one
Be careful with your reputation, because once it's damaged, it's hard to restore
Change your ways while you're young
It's easier to make changes in your behavior when you're young, so don't wait until it's too late
Boy, one day you'll be a man
Growing up is inevitable, and with it comes greater responsibility and accountability
Oh girl, he'll help you understand
The singer is offering reassurance that someone will be there to offer guidance and support
Smile like you mean it
Appearances matter, even if you may not feel happy or genuine
Looking back at sunsets on the East side
Reflecting on the past and memories of specific experiences or people
We lost track of the time
Time passes quickly and it's easy to lose touch with things that once were important
Dreams aren't what they used to be
As people get older, their aspirations and desires may shift or fade
Some things slide by so carelessly
It's easy to overlook or neglect certain things, even those that are important
And someone is calling my name
From the back of the restaurant
Someone is trying to get the singer's attention, possibly reminding them of something from the past
And someone is playing a game
In the house that I grew up in
The singer is recognizing that the people and places from their past continue on without them
And someone will drive her around
Down the same streets that I did
On the same streets that I did
The singer acknowledges that others will have similar experiences and make similar memories in the same places they once did
Oh no, oh no no no
Expression of worry or concern for the future
Oh no, oh no no no
Reiteration of the previous expression
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brandon Flowers, Dave Brent Keuning, Mark August Stoermer, Ronnie Jr. Vannucci
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@peytondoesthings
I absolutely love this song.
I’m a 15 year old with a love for music, and this song has been one of my favorites because this song isn’t that metaphorical, although metaphorical songs can be fun to look at through a different lens. It’s just about a man telling his past self to enjoy growing up. That makes me realize why I need this song. I need to tell sixth grade me that everything is okay. People are gonna be there for you through good times and bad.
Now, as I go into high school while passing with flying colors, I need to remind myself of this song every once in a while just to make sure that I smile like I mean it and go through life always expecting the good in everything. I need this change in my life, and this song is the perfect soundtrack to it all.
Update: There’s almost two weeks left until I’m done with my summer break. I’m nervous but excited at the same time, and I just hope my first day goes well.
Edit: I’m a sophomore now. Everything’s going great, and I hope I have the best year I could ever ask for.
@aweha
Hot Fuss was without a doubt one of the best albums of the 00s.
@rabbit0664
Agreed hands down
@zehrasufian
Greatest debut of all time, hand in hand with Is This It
@alvaroa.4334
@@zehrasufian definitely maybe?
@mandelbomb99
Hands down. It’s a shame the best known song on the album is Mr. Brightside
@BenScho-nt3dr
@@zehrasufian Whatever People Say I Am is the best
@MothmanBaddie
The lyrics, “and someone is playing a game in the house that I grew up in... and someone will drive her around the same streets that I did..” damn. Hurts me a little more every time, man. Excellent song.
@RicardoR5
As someone who agreed to breakup still loving the girl of my life, due to very fucked up motives, and knowing she moved foward and is with another man now, this fucking lyrics hurt like a dagger straight to the heart
@aadarsha1487
@@RicardoR5 havent moved on yet have you dude its been the same for me just cant move on while she already has
@ricardorodrigues3508
@@aadarsha1487 no I didn't, i have tried, I was with other girls, but i find myself thinking of her and the very good moments we spent togheter, i know it's stupid and the logical thing is to move foward, and yet i just can't forget her.. Funny thing she once called me while i was spending the weekend with some girl i dated, she asked "are you with someone, i hear her laughing?" and i replied "yes I am, i'm trying to forget and its hard, I wish things were diffrent" she replied "me too..." a awkward silence between us followed that words, then we wished he best for each other and that was the last time i spoke to her... I imagined the night we broke up in so many diffrent ways i lost count, so many diffrent things I wish i had done, maybe we could still be togheter, idk...
Anyway, i wish you find hapiness bro, with someone who makes you complete.