A música foi lançada como o principal single do Sam’s Town, em Setembro de 2006. Foi um dos singles da banda que obtiveram maior sucesso, alcançando a 14ª posição no US Hot 100 (apenas “Mr. Brightside” atingira posição maior, ficando em 10º no ano de 2004) e a 1ª posição no US Modern Rock Tracks. “When You Were Young” atingiu a 2ª posição no Reino Unido, e a 10ª na Austrália.

When You Were Young

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he comes

He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young

Can we climb this mountain? I don’t know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow
Let’s take it easy, easy now, watch it go

We’re burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young
When you were young

And sometimes you close your eyes
And see the place where you used to live
When you were young

They say the Devils water it ain’t so sweet
You don’t have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now, here he comes

He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young
(Talks like a gentleman)
(Like you imagined when)
When you were young

I said he doesn’t look a thing like Jesus
He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus
But more than you’ll ever know