[Intro]

When we were young

[Verse 1]

Well the first 21

It's a criminal ride

But whatever you've done

You can get out alive

The first 21

Is it heaven or hell?

But who really cares

We were under a spell

The first 21

And those hot summer nights

We were high as the stars

Under big city lights

[Chorus]

But when we were young

We learned to tell our own lies

Telling ourselves it was paradise

And sometimes we even believed it

When we were young

Was like nothing that we'd ever seen

Pushing ourselves to have bigger dreams

And sometimes we'd even believed it

[Post-Chorus]

When we were young

[Verse 2]

The first 21

Was a coming of age

We would take on the world

Like we're turning a page

The first 21

It's not what you think

Sometimes you fly

And sometimes you sink

[Chorus]

But when we were young

We learned to tell our own lies

Telling ourselves it was paradise

And sometimes we even believed it

When we were young

Was like nothing that we'd ever seen

Pushing ourselves to have bigger dreams

And sometimes we'd even believed it

[Post-Chorus]

When we were young

[Guitar Solo]

[Chorus]

But when we were young

We learned to tell our own lies

Telling ourselves it was paradise

And sometimes we even believed it

When we were young

Was like nothing that we'd ever seen

Pushing ourselves to have bigger dreams

And sometimes we'd even believed it

[Outro]

When we were young

When we were young

When we were young

When we were young

When we were young

We were just 21

When we were young