When I Was Young
by

Album: When I Was Young (2017)
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Songfacts®:

  • This nostalgic song is about looking back at fond youthful memories. MØ explained to V Magazine:

    "It's about longing for a lost past and the feeling of freedom and youth."

    She added: "Nostalgia has always been a key player in my songwriting cause within that space I find a great deal of inspiration. It may sound sad, but for me it's a very positive and uplifting feeling, and so even though the lyrics in this song are a bit mellow the instrumental chorus is there to celebrate the happiness and euphoria of the lost good times."
  • MØ wrote the track with Ronni Vindahl, Daniel Mizhrahi, James Allan, Kristoffer Fogelmark, Albin Nedler and Grant Harris. She explained:

    "I did this song together with a little group of people whom I love writing with and our main inspiration was simply just the sentiment of growing older and not really wanting to face the obligations and responsibility plus the harsh reality of life and adulthood. We always glorify the past and our youth (even though the fact is it wasn't AT ALL easy to be a confused teenager!) and this song is doing just that."
  • Mø began writing the track one day when she was sick. She recalled to Genius:

    "I was in Los Angeles, and I think I was doing Kimmel or something in the days to come. I actually remember the day where we started writing the song. I was bit sick with the flu or something, and I remember thinking on the way to the studio, "Oh my god, back in the days, you know I could party for four days in a row and still just be like, 'Hi! What's up?' Like have the biggest range in my vocal and stuff." I was off feeling sick. But in a good way - it was one of those things where you're feeling a bit sick but you're also being nostalgic and kinda emotional in a good way."

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