Only The Young
Written By Taylor Swift & Joel Little
Produced By Taylor Swift & Joel Little
About
From Genius, the ultimate source of music knowledge
This song is a ✨Single✨.
"Only The Young" is a political anthem encouraging young adults and teenagers to use their voice for what they believe in. Swift first announced the song in an interview with Variety, then released it alongside her Taylor Swift: Miss Americana documentary in late January 2020.
According to Variety, Swift wrote the song following the 2018 U.S. midterm elections, in which Republicans won most votes. This was the first election where Swift broke her infamous political silence — she publicly endorsed two Democrats in a post on Tumblr and Instagram before Election Day.
The song debuted at #1 on the US iTunes chart, making it Swift's 38th song to do this, and extending her record as the artist with the most #1s in US iTunes history.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
It keeps me awake, the look on your face
The moment you heard the news
You're screaming inside and frozen in time
You did all that you could do
The game was rigged, the ref got tricked
The wrong ones think they're right
You were outnumbered this time
[Chorus]
But only the young, only the young
Only the young, only the young
Can run
Can run
So run, and run, and run
[Verse 2]
So every day now
You brace for the sound you've only heard on TV
You go to class, scared
Wondering where the best hiding spot would be
And the big bad man and his big bad clan
Their hands are stained with red
Oh, how quickly they forget
[Pre-Chorus]
They aren't gonna help us
Too busy helping themselves
They aren't gonna change this
We gotta do it ourselves
They think that it's over
But it's just begun
[Chorus]
Only one thing can save us
Only the young (Only the young)
Only the young (Only the young)
Only the young (Only the young)
Only the young
Only the young (Only the young)
Only the young (Only the young)
Only the young (Only the young)
Only the young
Only the young (Only the young; Don't say you're too tired to fight)
Only the young (Only the young; It's just a matter of time)
Only the young (Only the young; Up there's the finish line)
Only the young
Can run
[Post-Chorus]
Don't say you're too tired to fight
It's just a matter of time (Can run)
Up there's the finish line (So run, and run, and run)
Don't say you're too tired to fight
It's just a matter of time (So run)
Up there's the finish line (And run, and run, and run)
[Outro]
Only the young
Only the young
Only the young