Living Proof

Album: I Don't Live Here Anymore (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Living Proof" finds The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel returning to an old neighborhood and discovering it's not what he remembered.

    I went down to the corner
    They're building up my block
    Maybe I've been gone too long
    I can't go back


    Granduciel continues to outline his emotional weather throughout this acoustic guitar and piano song. At the end, an electric guitar kicks in, as he declares, "I'm rising, and I'm damaged."

    "I had those lyrics basically very quickly," Granduciel told Mojo magazine. "I didn't think too much about it. I just felt like that."
  • The song is the opening track of I Don't Live Here Anymore. The War On Drugs recorded "Living Proof" in May 2019 in real time at Electro-Vox studios in LA, a deviation from Granduciel's normal writing style. Typically, the frontman assembles The War On Drugs records from reams of overdubs, but for this one, the band drew on their chemistry as a live unit.
  • Filmmaker Emmett Malloy directed the video, shooting it on 16mm film at the Panoramic studio in Stinson Beach, California. Malloy has also directed several of Vampire Weekend's visuals, including "Holiday," "Giving Up the Gun," "Harmony Hall," and "This Life."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse Pop

He Hit Me (And It Felt Like A Kiss): A History Of Abuse PopSong Writing

Songs that seem to glorify violence against women are often misinterpreted - but not always.

Colbie Caillat

Colbie CaillatSongwriter Interviews

Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.

Maria Muldaur

Maria MuldaurSongwriter Interviews

The "Midnight At The Oasis" singer is an Old Time gal. She talks about her jug band beginnings and shares a Dylan story.