Young Once

Album: Southside (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Propelled by a mandolin and a drum loop, this song finds Sam Hunt looking back on those good old days.

    We were young once
    We were gung-ho, singing in the sun once
    Backroads in the wild, on the run once
    Cheap thrills, doing things in the wheat fields
    We were young, we were young, we were young once


    Zach Crowell, Matt Jenkins and Josh Osborne helped Hunt write the nostalgic song. Osborne and Hunt also co-wrote for Billy Currington a similarly themed track about youthful nostalgia, "We Are Tonight."
  • When Hunt set out to write a song that reflects nostalgically on youth, he wanted to do so in an original way. He explained he was able to so with some divine help. "For some reason," Hunt said, "God has just put ideas in front of me that sometimes when these ideas come into a room, whether I come up with it or a co-writer, it's like 'How's this not been written yet?' And this is one of those ideas that I thought how has nobody flipped this hook and written this song this way before?"
  • The dramatic video is a mini-movie that follows a young couple escaping their troubled childhoods in search of freedom and excitement. Dashiell Connery (grandson to Sean Connery) and May Daniels play the leads; midway through we see Hunt sipping coffee at a diner as the pair pass by him.

    Tim Mattia ("Take Your Time," "Break Up In A Small Town," "Hard to Forget") directed the clip.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Dr. John

Dr. JohnSongwriter Interviews

The good doctor shares some candid insights on recording with Phil Spector and The Black Keys.

Mike Love of The Beach Boys

Mike Love of The Beach BoysSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist of The Beach Boys talks about coming up with the words for "Good Vibrations," "Fun, Fun, Fun," "Kokomo" and other classic songs.

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.