If you were anywhere near a dance floor or a radio in late 2012, you heard it. That distinctive, clean guitar riff. The buildup. Then, the voice of Example—raspy and melodic—delivering one of the most nostalgic hooks in electronic dance music history. We'll Be Coming Back wasn't just another track on Calvin Harris’s career-defining 18 Months album; it was a cultural snapshot. It captured that specific, bittersweet feeling of a night ending, a summer fading, or a phase of life closing out.
Honestly, it’s rare for a dance track to age this well.
Usually, EDM from the "golden era" starts to sound dated within five years because production trends move so fast. Synth sounds get "thin." Drum samples feel recycled. But there is something about the way Harris layered the organic guitar melody with that driving, gritty bassline that keeps it fresh. It’s a song about the inevitability of change, yet it promises a return. We're going to look at why this specific collaboration between the Scottish DJ and the London-based singer-rapper worked so well, and why people are still rinsing it at festivals over a decade later.
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The Magic of the Harris and Example Pairing
Calvin Harris was on an absolute tear in 2012. He was pivoting from the quirky, "I Created Disco" indie-electronic vibe into the global juggernaut who basically invented the modern Las Vegas residency sound. Then you had Example (Elliot Gleave). Example was coming off the massive success of Playing in the Shadows. He had this "lad-next-door" energy but with a vocal range that could carry a massive anthem.
They didn't just meet in a studio and throw some MIDI files together.
The chemistry was real. You can hear it in the tension of the track. Most people forget that We'll Be Coming Back actually replaced a different potential collab. Harris is a perfectionist. He knows when a vocal matches a frequency. Example’s voice has a certain "grain" to it. It’s not polished like a pop star's; it sounds human. That’s the secret sauce. When he sings about "taking it all in," you actually believe he’s standing outside a club at 4:00 AM watching the sun come up.
The track peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was held off the top spot by Wiley’s "Heatwave," which is a fun bit of trivia, but in terms of longevity? Harris and Example won that round.
Why the Lyrics Hit Different Today
"You can see it from afar, we were reaching for the stars." It’s a simple line. Kinda cliché if you look at it on paper. But in the context of the early 2010s—a period of massive optimism in music before the world felt quite so heavy—it resonates differently now. We look back at that era with a specific type of longing.
Music critics often dismiss dance lyrics as "functional." They are just there to fill space between drops, right? Not here. The narrative of the song is about the "high" before the inevitable comedown. It acknowledges that things are ending. "Everything we've done is try to make it last."
The Compositional Shift
Most EDM songs of that time followed a very rigid: Intro-Verse-Build-Drop-Verse-Build-Drop-Outro.
Harris played with the structure.
The guitar isn't just an intro; it’s the heartbeat of the whole song.
It feels more like a "band" song than a "computer" song.
This organic approach is likely why it gets played in "throwback" sets today alongside tracks like Avicii’s Levels or Swedish House Mafia’s Don’t You Worry Child. It has a soul. It’s not just a collection of aggressive sawtooth waves meant to make people jump. It’s a song you can actually listen to in your car while driving alone.
The Music Video and the "Fast Cars" Aesthetic
You can’t talk about We'll Be Coming Back without mentioning the video. Set in the Hollywood Hills? Check. High-speed chases? Check. Calvin Harris and Example playing high-stakes thieves? Absolutely.
It was directed by Sam Brown. He’s the same guy who did Adele’s "Rolling in the Deep." You can see that cinematic quality in every frame. The plot is basically a mini-movie where Harris and Example pull off a heist, hide the loot, and then get confronted by a crooked cop (played by female lead Agneitė Steponavičiūtė).
It perfectly mirrored the "larger than life" lifestyle that EDM was selling at the time. We weren't just listening to music; we were consuming a fantasy of eternal summer and consequence-free rebellion. The fact that they used a Ferrari 512 BB and a Porsche 911 (930) Turbo showed that they weren't just picking random cars—they were picking icons.
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The Technical Side of the "Calvin Sound"
If you’re a producer, you’ve probably tried to recreate that lead synth. It’s deceptive. It sounds like a single layer, but it’s actually a complex stack of distorted leads with very specific sidechain compression. Harris has always been a master of "the bounce."
The "bounce" is that rhythmic pumping effect where the music "ducks" every time the kick drum hits. In We'll Be Coming Back, the sidechaining is aggressive. It gives the track its energy. It makes you feel like the song is breathing.
He also used a lot of hardware back then. While everyone else was moving 100% into the box (using only software), Harris was still tactile. He wanted things to sound "expensive." And it worked. Even on a crappy phone speaker, that song cuts through.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Song's Meaning
There’s a common misconception that the song is purely about a breakup. "We'll be coming back for you one day." People assume it's a guy talking to a girl.
But if you listen to Example talk about his songwriting, it’s often more metaphorical. It’s about the fans. It’s about the stage. It’s about the feeling of being "on top" and knowing that you have to leave, but promising that the connection isn't broken. It’s a love letter to the moment.
There's also a darker undertone. The idea that "it's not enough" and "we're running out of time." There is a frantic energy to the track. It’s not a peaceful return; it’s a desperate one.
Longevity and the "Festival Anthem" Status
Why does a song from 2012 still show up in 2024 and 2025 festival sets?
- The Singalong Factor: The melody is easy to hum but hard to forget.
- Tempo: At 128 BPM, it is the "goldilocks" zone for house music.
- Emotional Resonance: It triggers nostalgia instantly.
When a DJ drops the intro to this song today, the crowd reaction is often louder than it is for current Top 40 hits. It has moved into the realm of "Classics." It’s in the same category as Titanium or Wake Me Up.
Re-evaluating the 18 Months Era
Looking back, 18 Months was a ridiculous album. Think about the tracklist:
- Feel So Close
- Sweet Nothing (with Florence Welch)
- I Need Your Love (with Ellie Goulding)
- Drinking from the Bottle (with Tinie Tempah)
- We'll Be Coming Back
Every single one was a hit. But We'll Be Coming Back feels like the most "complete" piece of songwriting on the record. It doesn't rely on a massive pop star's belt or a gimmicky vocal chop. It relies on a groove and a sentiment.
Practical Ways to Experience the Song Today
If you haven't listened to it in a while, don't just put it on your phone speakers.
- Listen to the Extended Mix: The radio edit cuts out some of the best atmospheric build-ups. The extended version (roughly 6 minutes) lets the guitar riff breathe.
- Watch the Glastonbury 2014 Performance: There is a specific energy when Calvin Harris plays this live to 100,000 people. You can find high-quality rips on YouTube.
- Check out the R3hab Remix: If you want something more "club-heavy," the R3hab remix was the definitive alternative version during the peak EDM era. It’s much more aggressive and "big room."
- Analyze the Lyrics for Your Own Playlists: It’s the perfect "end of summer" or "road trip" track.
What This Means for Modern Music
We are seeing a massive resurgence in the "2010s sound." Producers like Fred again.. or Dom Dolla are tapping into that same emotional, high-energy DNA. They are moving away from the "minimal" sounds of the late 2010s and back into big, melodic anthems.
We'll Be Coming Back serves as a blueprint. It shows that you can have a massive dance hit that still has a "heart." It proves that a simple guitar line can be more powerful than a thousand digital oscillators.
Honestly, we might never get another era quite like that 2012-2014 window. It was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment where underground dance music and mainstream pop collided perfectly. And right at the center of that collision was Calvin Harris and Example, promising us that even though the night was ending, they’d be coming back for us.
Actionable Steps for Music Fans and Creators
If you're a fan of this sound or a creator looking to capture that same magic, here is how you can apply the lessons of this track:
- Focus on the Hook First: Before you touch a synthesizer, make sure your melody works on an acoustic guitar or a piano. If it’s not catchy there, a "drop" won't save it.
- Embrace "Human" Vocals: If you're recording, don't over-tune the life out of the performance. The slight cracks and grit in Example's voice are what make the song relatable.
- Study the "Contrast" Principle: Notice how the verses are relatively quiet and atmospheric, which makes the energy of the chorus feel ten times bigger.
- Curation is Key: If you're making a playlist, pair this song with tracks that share its BPM but vary in texture. It bridges the gap between indie-rock and hard-hitting house perfectly.
The legacy of this track isn't just in the stream counts (which are in the hundreds of millions). It’s in the way it makes you feel like you're 19 again, driving too fast with the windows down, convinced that the best part of your life is just beginning. That’s a powerful thing for a "simple dance song" to achieve.