Young Veins (Die Tonight)

Album: Take a Vacation! (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Young Veins is the first musical project by guitarists Ryan Ross and Jon Walker after their departure from Panic! at the Disco in July 2009. The rest of the band comprises bassist Andy Soukal, keyboardist Nick White, and drummer Nick Murray.
  • This two-minute power pop song is influenced by 1960s British Invasion guitar rock and California bands like the Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas. Lyrically, it's a good-time anthem to Ross' adopted home of Los Angeles and having a good time with friends, but he told Spin magazine there's a double meaning. The verse - "If I were to die tonight, would you cry? / My place in your life / I'm aware that you're scared" - was "written with a girl in mind."

    Ross added: "It's like, 'does this person care about me as much as I care about her?' Sometimes when you're writing a song, even if you know what you want it to be about, it ends up being about whatever is really affecting you at the time."
  • Ross explained the band's name to Spin Magazine: "At first, when we were throwing around names in the studio, we wanted to call the band the Veins," he recalled, "but there was already a band called that. So we just called it the Young Veins. We liked the 'fresh blood' connotation. But really the name is a Spinal Tap reference. There's a part where the band is talking about when they were starting out. They were going to call themselves the Originals but that name was taken, so they call themselves the New Originals instead. So we're sort of just playing off the idea of adding an adjective in front of a band name that already exists."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Charles Fox

Charles FoxSongwriter Interviews

After studying in Paris with a famous composition teacher, Charles became the most successful writer of TV theme songs.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.