Youth

"**Youth**" is the third and final single released by Daughter from their debut album If You Leave. "Smoke" acts as a B-Side to this song.

## Reception

### Critical Reception

In a review for Not To Disappear, Kitty Empire of The Guardian commented on Youth, saying:

> "*For all their way with granular-level emotion, Daughter first made their name with a state-of-the-generation song called [Youth], in which Tonra sings prettily: “And if you’re still breathing, you’re the lucky ones/ ’Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs.” Someone thought this would be a good tune to advertise ITV’s coverage of the 2012 Tour de France, among other synchs. Judging from the huge singalong three-quarters of the way through the set, this is still Daughter’s defining anthem."*
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Danni Bauer of Our Vinyl listed "Youth" as a key track off of If You Leave, and commented on the song:

> *[....] ..they released the second EPs Wild Youth, “Youth”, which would prove to be the stand out track, landing a spot on Grey’s Anatomy and their first North American Television appearance on David Letterman. “Youth” would prove to make it onto the LP. It’s one of those cold winter night tracks, the kind that if you wrap yourself in a night to reflect while snow dances in the sky, the song will break your heart six ways till Sunday, “ And if you’re in love, then you are the lucky one/ Cause most of us are bitter over someone/setting fire inside for fun/ To distract our hearts from ever missing them/ But I’m forever missing him/ And you caused it.”*
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## In Popular Culture

* "Youth" was played in an advertisement for the Tour de France on ITV4; as well as in a commercial by Norwegian airline company Widerøe; as well as in Season 1, Episode 6 of *Lovesick* on Channel 4 (now owned by Netflix).
* "Youth" was featured in the 2014 feature film, *A Long Way Down*, starring Pierce Brosnan and Aaron Paul.
* "Youth" was featured in Series 7 Episode 4 of *Cold Feet*.
* "Youth" and "Home" were used in Season 8, Episode 19 and Season 9, Episode 6 of the American medical drama series *Grey's Anatomy*.
* "Youth" was used in the first season trailer for the BBC One series *Our Girl*
* "Youth" was featured in Season 1 Episode 4 of Ricky Gervais' *After Life*
* "Youth" was featured in Season 1 Episode 11 of the Tv show *The Gifted*
* “Youth” was featured in Season 2 Episode 7 of *Locke and Key*
* “Youth” was featured in Season 1 Episode 1 of Lethal Weapon
* “Youth” was featured in Season 1 Episode 20 of Forever
* “Youth” was featured in Season 1 Episode 1 of The End
* “Youth” was featured in Season 2 Episode 7 of Famous in Love
* “Youth” was featured in Season 2 Episode 4 of Arrow
* "Youth" along with many other songs by Daughter were used in the soundtrack for the 2017 video game "Life is Strange: Before the Storm"

## Lyrics

Shadows settle on the place, that you left

Our minds are troubled by the emptiness

Destroy the middle, it's a waste of time

From the perfect start to the finish line

And if you're still breathing, you're the lucky ones

'Cause most of us are heaving through corrupted lungs

Setting fire to our insides for fun

Collecting names of the lovers that went wrong

The lovers that went wrong

We are the reckless,

We are the wild youth

Chasing visions of our futures

One day we'll reveal the truth

That one will die before he gets there

And if you're still bleeding, you're the lucky ones

'Cause most of our feelings, they are dead and they are gone

We're setting fire to our insides for fun

Collecting pictures from a flood that wrecked our home,

It was a flood that wrecked this home

And you caused it,

And you caused it,

And you caused it

Well I've lost it all, I'm just a silhouette,

A lifeless face that you'll soon forget,

My eyes are damp from the words you left,

Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest

Ringing in my head, when you broke my chest

And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one,

'Cause most of us are bitter over someone

Setting fire to our insides for fun,

To distract our hearts from ever missing them

But I'm forever missing him

And you caused it,

And you caused it,

And you caused it

"**Smother**"
"**Youth**"
"Still"
"Lifeforms"

"Human"
"Touch"
"Amsterdam"

"Smoke"
"**Drift**"