Killers frontman Brandon Flowers wrote this song while his mother, Jean, was battling cancer. The lyrics are very abstract, but they tell the story of how his mother and father met when they were both 15 and living in the same trailer park. "It was an attempt to better understand my dad, who is sometimes a mystery to me," Flowers posted on his social media accounts. "To grieve for my mother. To acknowledge their sacrifices and maybe even catch a glimpse of just how strong love needs to be to make it in this world. It was my therapy. It was cathartic." Jean Flowers died in 2010 at 64.
Flowers told Rolling Stone magazine that this song started out "just kind of ripping off" the Velvet Underground song "Waiting for the Man." He said, "I guess it's the most like Sam's Town on the album."
Flowers told The Quietus why he wrote a song about his mom and dad. He explained: "It's an attempt to come to grips with the fact that they're getting older. I'm quite young for them - I was a mistake, heh heh. They're in their mid 60s, and my dad is my connection to the pure America. Yes, I pray every day. It's like a love letter I guess. I see what's happening now with the kids, and…it was just simpler back then. There's so much junk now."
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.