I Will Steal You Back

Album: Damage (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This single was premiered on April 10, 2014 on KROQ 106.7fm's, The Kevin & Bean Show. Jimmy Eat World's Jim Adkins briefly explained to the hosts the grown-up sentiment behind the lyric. "Love songs are what make rock 'n roll go around. It's just sort me trying to take an honest look at what that might be in an older context. In a non-bubblegum kind of way," the frontman said. "It's also kind of more about bettering ourselves in the process. It's about focusing on making decisions instead of just resolutions."
  • This song isn't really about trying to win back someone's love. Jim Adkins told NME: "It's more about finding yourself and being okay with yourself than it is wanting or needing something from the other person in the relationship."
  • The band had trouble balancing this rhythmically tricky song. Drummer Zach Lind remembered: "In the original version of it, there was these really heavy, like straight guitars, like palm muted... so you had this sort of straight, very rigid-sounding guitar part, but then you had this sort of groove go back and forth."

    They ended up relying on the acoustic guitar to hold the song together, but instead of abandoning the heavier elements, they pushed them to the background. Lind said: "They're lower in the mix, and it worked really well that way because they kind of provide an energy and power to the parts they're in, but they didn't overpower the song."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Song Cities

Song CitiesMusic Quiz

Nirvana, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are among those who wrote songs with cities that show up in this quiz.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Rosanne Cash

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.