" Both of my grandfathers were 96 when they passed away, so we got a lot of really good time with our grandparents. And I have a son now. You start to realize that your parents are getting older, and the realization that they're not always going to be there: It's a different way of facing mortality.
I think [the character of] Peter Pan, in a lot of ways, is emblematic of the modern man: He's kind of the dream of being young forever, always dressing like a teenager and always feeling young. But [this song] was trying to get a more direct, less ironic take on the desire to not have the people you love die."
-Win Butler, interview on 'All Things Considered', Aug 4, 2017
" Both of my grandfathers were 96 when they passed away, so we got a lot of really good time with our grandparents. And I have a son now. You start to realize that your parents are getting older, and the realization that they're not always going to be there: It's a different way of facing mortality.
I think [the character of] Peter Pan, in a lot of ways, is emblematic of the modern man: He's kind of the dream of being young forever, always dressing like a teenager and always feeling young. But [this song] was trying to get a more direct, less ironic take on the desire to not have the people you love die." -Win Butler, interview on 'All Things Considered', Aug 4, 2017