It was everywhere. If you spent any time on British indie radio or scrolling through festival lineups in the mid-2010s, you heard Callum Burrows—better known as Saint Raymond. Specifically, you heard that driving, anthemic hook. The young blood young and famous lyrics became a sort of shorthand for a very specific type of teenage yearning. It wasn't just about wanting to be a celebrity. Honestly, it was about the fear of being forgotten before you’ve even had a chance to start.
Saint Raymond didn't just stumble into this. The track "Young Blood" served as the titular lead for his 2013 EP and later anchored his debut album Young Blood in 2015. It reached a massive audience, partly because it captured that "Nottingham sound"—a blend of Jake Bugg’s grit and the polished indie-pop of bands like Two Door Cinema Club.
But when people search for those lyrics, they usually get the title mixed up. Is it about being famous? Is it about being young? It’s both. It’s the friction between those two states of being.
What the Young Blood Young and Famous Lyrics Actually Mean
Let’s look at the core of it. The song kicks off with a heavy sense of urgency. The lyrics "Run run away / We're the young blood, young and famous" aren't a literal claim that the narrator is on the cover of Rolling Stone. Instead, it's a defiant shout against the mundane.
Burrows wrote this stuff when he was barely out of his teens. He’s gone on record in various interviews, including chats with Wonderland Magazine and Nottingham Post, explaining that his songwriting often draws from the immediate energy of his hometown and the collective feeling of his peer group. When he sings about being "young and famous," it feels like an aspirational shield. You're famous in your own head. You're famous in your own small town for one night while you're running through the streets with your friends.
The "young blood" part is the biological clock. It’s the realization that this specific type of energy has an expiration date.
Breaking down the verses
The song moves fast.
- "We’re the young blood, young and famous."
- "We’re the ones you’ll always aim at."
This second line is the kicker. It acknowledges the target on the back of youth. There’s a weird pressure to perform, to succeed, and to stay relevant. In the context of 2015, this was the peak of the "indie-pop explosion." Everyone was looking for the next big thing. Saint Raymond was being hailed as that thing, touring with the likes of Ed Sheeran. Imagine being 18 and having thousands of people scream those lyrics back at you. The song becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
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The Production That Made the Lyrics Hit Harder
You can't talk about the lyrics without talking about the sound. The track was produced by Jacknife Lee. If that name sounds familiar, it should. He’s worked with U2, REM, and The Killers. He took Callum’s acoustic-driven demos and turned them into something cinematic.
The reason the "young and famous" line sticks is because of the syncopated drums and the shimmering guitar lines. It sounds expensive. It sounds like a movie trailer for a coming-of-age film. That was the magic of Saint Raymond's early work—it made everyday suburban boredom feel like a high-stakes drama.
Most people forget that "Young Blood" was actually a re-release of sorts. It gained momentum through word of mouth and BBC Introducing before it ever hit the mainstream charts. This "organic" growth made the fans feel a sense of ownership over those lyrics. It wasn't just a corporate jingle; it was a local kid making it big.
Why People Still Search for These Lyrics Years Later
Nostalgia is a powerful drug. For a specific cohort of Gen Z and late Millennials, Saint Raymond represents the "last great era" of festival indie before everything moved toward trap-influenced pop or hyperpop.
There's also a bit of confusion in the search intent. Sometimes people are actually looking for "Youngblood" by 5 Seconds of Summer. That's a completely different vibe. 5SOS is more about the aftermath of a relationship—the "dead" feeling of a love gone cold. Saint Raymond’s "Young Blood" is the opposite. It’s about the beginning. It’s about the heat of the moment.
If you're looking for the lyrics that go:
"Run run away, we're the young blood, young and famous / We're the ones you'll always aim at / We're the ones that they can't tame yet"
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You are definitely in Saint Raymond territory.
The Cultural Impact of the "Young Blood" Era
Back in 2014, "Young Blood" was named Zane Lowe’s "Hottest Record in the World." That used to be the ultimate gatekeeper stamp of approval. When that happened, the song shifted from a Nottingham anthem to a global indie staple.
It showed up in video games. It was on the FIFA 14 soundtrack (specifically the "Letting Go" track, but it brought eyes to the whole EP). The "young blood young and famous lyrics" became a mantra for the FIFA generation—kids who were discovering music through consoles rather than the radio.
The Saint Raymond Evolution
It’s worth noting that Callum Burrows didn't stay stuck in that 2015 sound. If you listen to his later projects, like We Forgot We Were Dreaming (2021), there’s a more mature, slightly more cynical edge. He’s no longer the 18-year-old shouting about being famous. He’s the artist who has seen the industry's inner workings.
However, "Young Blood" remains his most-streamed track. It’s the "Mr. Brightside" of his discography. You can’t escape it, and honestly, why would you want to? It’s a perfect three-minute capsule of what it feels like to have no money but infinite potential.
Common Misinterpretations
I’ve seen people online trying to dissect these lyrics as some sort of social commentary on the dangers of child stardom.
Give me a break.
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It’s not that deep, and that’s why it works. It’s an emotional state, not a thesis paper. When he says "we're the ones that they can't tame yet," he's talking about that brief window in your life where you don't have a mortgage, you don't have a boss you hate, and your biggest worry is where the party is on Friday night.
The "famous" part is metaphorical. It's the feeling of being the center of the universe, which everyone feels at nineteen.
Actionable Takeaways for Indie Fans and Musicians
If you're a songwriter looking at these lyrics and wondering how to replicate that success, or just a fan who wants to dive deeper, here’s the reality of how this track "made it":
- Vulnerability vs. Bravado: The song succeeds because it balances the cockiness of "young and famous" with the desperate instruction to "run, run away." It admits fear while acting brave.
- The Power of the Hook: The repetition of the keyword "young blood" creates an instant brand. In a world of short attention spans, you need a phrase that sticks.
- Local Roots: Saint Raymond never hid his Nottingham accent or his roots. That authenticity made the "famous" lyrics feel earned rather than manufactured.
If you want to experience the track properly, don't just stream it on crappy phone speakers. Find a live version. There’s a session he did for Mahogany or his various BBC Radio 1 appearances where you can hear the strain in his voice. That strain is where the truth of the lyrics lives.
For those trying to track down the full discography, start with the Young Blood EP, then move to the album. If you find yourself wanting more of that "young blood" energy, look into early Catfish and the Bottlemen or The Hunna. They all drank from the same fountain of mid-2010s British indie spirit.
The most important thing to remember about the young blood young and famous lyrics is that they aren't a status report. They’re an invitation. They ask the listener to stop worrying about the future for three minutes and just run. In 2026, with the world being as chaotic as it is, that message probably resonates even more than it did back then. It's a reminder that youth isn't just an age—it's a refusal to be tamed.
To get the most out of this track today, listen to the acoustic version. It strips away the Jacknife Lee polish and reveals the skeletal structure of the song. You'll realize that even without the big drums, the lyrics hold up because they tap into a universal truth: we're all just trying to be "famous" in the eyes of the people who matter to us.
Check out the official music video if you want the visual aesthetic of that era—lots of hazy lights, fast cuts, and that classic indie wardrobe. It's a time capsule worth opening.