Cover art for Only the Young by Journey

Only the Young

Journey
Track 11 on Frontiers 

Produced by

Jan. 8, 19851 viewer92.1K views

Only the Young Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Another night in any town
You can hear the thunder of their cry
Ahead of their time
They wonder why
In the shadows of a golden age
A generation waits for dawn
Brave carry on
Bold and the strong

[Chorus]
Only the young can say
They're free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burning like wildfire

[Verse 2]
They are seeing through the promises
And all the lies they dare to tell
Is it heaven or hell?
They know very well

[Chorus]
Only the young can say
They're free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burning like wildfire
[Solo]

[Chorus]
Only the young can say
They're free to fly away
Sharing the same desires
Burning like wildfire

[Outro]
Only the young can say
Only the young can say (Young can say)
Only the young can say
Only the young can say (Young can say)
Only the young can say

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Genius Annotation

A majestic and wistful paean to the strength – and putative naiveté – of youth. A story we’ve seen a million times since the 50s, essentially pathognomonic of rock and roll and rebellious youth. Alas, this oft-trafficked theme finds new life in the hands of Journey, where the innocent and inexperienced are the ones with the secret knowledge. Conterintuitively, only the young – which is to say, specifically not the older, presumably wiser – can answer the questions raised in the song. This sentiment recalls Graham Nash’s “Teach Your Children” from the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young album Deja Vu, where in the final chorus he implores the children to “teach your parents well”. The ever-brilliant Neal Schon reiterates the lyrical themes by providing an economical yet triumphal solo, neatly packed with turmoil and pathos, arguably the highpoint of the song.

Q&A

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Credits
Produced By
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Keyboards
Mixing Engineer
Lead Vocals
Background Vocals
Release Date
January 8, 1985
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