Comeback Story

It is a song about a man who met the love of his life, tried his best to woo her but is drained of all the unrequited love and disregard for his feelings and has decided to move on. It is about this story of him coming back into his senses.

The "..walk in a mile in your shoes" metaphor. He was more emotionally invested in the relationship. He always tried to catch her attention, he tried to see things from her perspective and gave her enough chances. All he expected was for her to take a few steps too which she never did.

He was honest with his feelings. His love was pure. He says without sounding condescending "You'll rue the day..when you understand..I tried to be an honest man".

He is hopeful about his future. His comeback story will involve meeting the love of his life - a love which will be reciprocated. He has moved on. For good.

Caleb has been sighted in numerous interviews saying that this song is about Kings of Leon themselves. He said that they had their backs against the wall and critics from all over the world were saying they were done for and had no chance at a comeback in the musical industry, given their meltdown on stage in Texas back in 2011. He said this song was all for them. He also stated that the beginning lyrics"Picking up the pieces in the world I know" was them picking themselves back up and getting back to writing music like they used to.

Caleb also explained the chorus and said that it was a funny joke their grandpa used to tell them as boys. He said that his grandpa would always tell them, "never talk about a man until you walk a mile in his shoes and until then you're a mile away." He laughed about this in an interview and claimed that he never thought he'd use that reference as lyrics in a song. Said it fit with the song perfectly and how everyone was saying how kings of leon were done and had no gas left, referring to the critics. Almost as if to be talking in the critics perspective, like they're saying "okay KOL, you got us."

They way I interpret the chorus is a relationship in which one person is clearly more attatched... "I walked a mile in your shoes" -- he tried persevering, giving the benefit of the doubt and getting to know her ("Bent on believing everything is alright")...but getting to know her only made him feel more distant and he feels guilty for giving her hope? He's got her "shoes"-- all her trust and affection that he earnt but doesn't really want or deserve

"The brighter the lights they're burning me out" I kinda think he finds it hard to be in love, "Everyone says it's a lovely sound", but the harder someone loves him the more he feels burnt out by it, I can relate to that..

I'm not sure...maybe I'm reading too much into it hah..but that's how I like to hear it 'nyway

Great song!

I believe they are talking about their father in song and the people as being described as "one in the fire and one in the snow" they are referencing their grandparents with one being cremated and one being buried. The main quote referenced as "I walk a mile in your shoes And now I'm a mile away And I've got your shoes" which was a famous quote from their grandfather, Leon, the namesake of the band.

Their father had difficulties with alcohol which led to him walking away from the church, a divorce, and I'm sure other difficulties. I believe they are talking about how their father turned his life around and at the same time also referencing the year hiatus they recently took in a sarcastic way.

All posts and interpretations I've read on this song are great. A song like this touches everyone differently. I almost never go looking for music videos because they usually destroy what a song looks like to me, in my minds eye.

Here's my vision of this great songs... I play guitar in a classic rock band (we do a couple of KoL covers). Last year our lead singer was diagnosed with cancer. A mass behind his nose and in is neck. He's a father of 4 and our good friend. As a band, we stopped playing gigs and started praying, and he started his long hard road of aggressive daily treatments of radiation and chemotherapy, and the fight for his life. For a long period, he couldn't eat, sleep, speak or swallow. He was reduced from a strapping man of 210 down to 140Lbs. He endured his torture every month, every day, every hour, and was fuelled to go on with this seemingly endless suffering by the encouragement of his friends, family and the thought and will of being present to watch his kids grow up. 3 months ago (1 year later), his team of doctors gave him back his life and said he had been cleared of all cancer. To all of us, this is our miracle. He is in remission now under close watch and enjoying his new lease on life with his family and friends, and singing again. The band is back together rehearsing for our first gig.

For me "Comeback story" refers to our singer's miraculous comeback. Every lyric in the song speaks about his journey to fight for his life and live each day walking the shoes of others who have done so before him, right up to his own "Comeback story of a lifetime". From the opening line "Picking up the pieces from the word that I know....", when he found out the bad news. "Bent on believe everything is all right....", the hope, inspiration and will that he was going to make it. "You'll rule the day when you understand, I did my best to be an honest man", A journey that gives you a most unique perspective on life and what we often take for granted. And never give up because "Race isn't over to the finish line". Our singer, our friend, has seen life from a special looking glass and "now I've got your shoes", I get in now, "and I'm a mile away", I'm past it (the horror).

Lou, you're our inspiration. God bless you man, we love you.

Another great song from this album!

A couple of corrections:

"I break with the day,and I bend with the night."

"I don't know where they are leading me" rather than "leaving me"

This is one of my favorite tracks off of the album, it is a pretty emotional song in my opinion and it is a shame there are no comments on it.

To me, this song is about leaving some things behind in an effort to move forward, whether it is sacrificing something else important to you, or burying a hurtful past. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in someday somewhere Island and you can find yourself stuck there and never moving forward with your life. I cannot help but feel this song is a recognition of that stagnant feeling you get when you realize there is no progression and captures that feeling of determination you feel when you realize you have to do something about it.

Possible reference from Billy Connolly, comedian/musician. Who also made a similar quot to walking in someone else's shoes. May or may not be a direct link or an old adage.

My take:

Sounds like a back and forth between a father and son.

"Comeback story" refers to the son's return "home" from seeing to world for what it is and realizing that his father was right about.. everything.

But now, it's too late to tell his father about it for one reason or another.

"I walk a mile in your shoes" = I've lived, experienced

"And now I'm a mile away" = I'm far away from you one way or another (distant relationship, death)

"And I've got your shoes" = I understand you now

"You'll rue the day when you understand I did my best to be an honest man Race isn't over to the finish line" = the father saying, "you'll get it one day"

Great song it has a lot of soul and depth