Crystal Aura Gaze

When I Was Young by MØ is a reflection on the resilience of youth. The song is about looking back on when you were young and realizing how tough and reckless you were. You didn’t care about the consequences. But as you get older, your heart becomes softer, and it gets harder to recover from hardships.

[Verse 1]
When the sky was gold
And I needed no protection

The lyrics begin with reflection and looking back. You’re looking back at a time when life was more vibrant – the sky was gold. And there is no need for protection – you feel brave, strong, and resilient. Like, nothing can hurt you.

But as the wind would blow
A thousand miles in no direction
Man, it was a beautiful sight
Days were soaked in sunlight
Just so long ago
But lately I like to imagine

The wind blowing is a metaphor for the chaotic energy happening all around you. There’s still so much anxiety, unknowns, and changes going on. And you are totally lost – there is no direction.

But despite all of this chaotic energy, the sky is still gold. It all still looks so beautiful to you – back then. You still felt such positive and sunny energy. And you’re looking back, imagining how great this once felt.

[Chorus]
When I was young
Whatever happened it would do me no wrong
As long as I could sing my favorite song
When I was young, oh
And the holidays went on and on

It used to be easy to get over things. When bad things happened, it didn’t matter that much. I could cope with the hard times just by simply putting on my favorite music, or just doing the things that I enjoy. It was easier to distract myself from the pain. Life was full of holidays, celebrations, partying. I could drown myself in dancing and music, or anything else that excites me, and move forward.

[Chorus continued]
We were so high
Let the freeway take us into the night
And in the dark you sang my favorite song
When I was young, oh
And the holidays went on and on
And on, and on, and on
When I was young
(Woo!)

The second part of the chorus shows that you are not alone in this feeling. When you are young, and you’re surrounded by others who are young, all of you are relating to one another in your resilience.

[Verse 2]
Now the sky is gray
But honestly, it doesn’t hurt me (no)

Now, in the present moment, the sky is no longer gold and sunshine-y. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you are depressed now. It means that you are seeing life for what it is. You can no longer ignore the pain the way that you were once able to.

Life is not as bright and vibrant as it used to be. But you learn to accept this and come to peace with it. You know that pain is something to learn from, not something to run away from. It is constructive and sometimes necessary.

I learned to find my way
On the path of no returnin’, oh, oh
Everything I’ve left behind
I’m reminded every time I meet your eyes

Growing up and aging means setting your life in stone. The past cannot be changed. So, you need to accept the way that life played out. You may burn many bridges, leave things behind, and no longer be able to go back to them. But you can still revisit them in your mind and remember those feelings.

And again, you find more peace and acceptance in this. You come to terms with letting things go, letting people go, and continuing to move forward.

But, were were so bold and brave
Baby, can you imagine?

And still, you will keep those feelings in mind of when you were young and so reckless. Even though those feelings are gone, it’s nice to imagine and remember what that once felt like.

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
When I was young
We would play with fire
When I was young
And we would fuck the price
When I was young
It was do or die

When you were young, you were playing with fire – you jumped into dangerous situations with a carefree attitude.

“Fuck the price” is saying that you didn’t care about consequences. You didn’t care about what price you would have to pay for your actions. It just didn’t matter.

It was do or die, all or nothing, now or never. Your mindset was intense and extreme. There was no “grey area” it was very much just black and white.

[Bridge continued]
I would give my life just to feel like
When I was young

This part is saying that you do miss having that feeling – and you know that it’s never going to come back again. Now, you are fully aware of responsibilities, consequences, and the impact of hardships. And it would be really nice to have a break from that and go back to that state of ignorance.

[Outro]
Ohh, oh-oh-oh-oh
(Oh, do or die)
When I was young
Do me no wrong
We were so high
Oh, and the holidays went on and on
And on, and on, and on
When I was young

The outro is the conclusion that ties together everything that has been said. Life was colorful, we were reckless and extreme, we just had fun. Nothing could bring us down.

I find this song to be more about observation and acceptance – rather than yearning. There is absolutely a sense of yearning, especially in that “I would give my life just to feel like I was young.” There is no denying that you miss this.

But this is only one part of the song in which the lyrics express an actual desire to go back. The rest of the song is much more about observing how your mindset has changed. The second verse especially shows peace and acceptance in aging – and saying it’s nice to just “imagine” how this felt.

I think that there is a small part of you that truly yearns to go backwards, into this state of delusion and ignorance, which makes you feel unstoppable and powerful. When you are young, it is so easy to look on the bright side, and it feels like nothing can hurt you and there will be no lasting impact. This is a pleasurable feeling to have and really does make you feel “high,” like being young is a constant state of being high.

This song is an excellent mix of nostalgia and yearning – but also observance, acceptance, and understanding.