Released: February 13, 2015

Songwriter: Imagine Dragons Ben McKee Wayne Sermon Dan Reynolds Daniel Platzman

Producer: Imagine Dragons Wayne Sermon Ben McKee Dan Reynolds Daniel Platzman

[Verse 1]
If only you, you could see
The darkest place that you could be
Oh, maybe then, you'd understand
From desert heat to cobbled streets
From broken home to the city beat
There's so much more than you could know

[Chorus]
So take me back when I believed
Back when I was unafraid, just like a thief
And all the heights that I could reach
Back when I was unafraid, just like a thief

[Verse 2]
If I could live a thousand times
If I could make a thousand tries
Oh, maybe then, I'd get it right
The more I see, the more I know
That everyone just wants a show
No, we don't want to see the truth

[Chorus]
So take me back when I believed
Back when I was unafraid, just like a thief
And all the heights that I could reach
Back when I was unafraid, just like a thief

[Bridge]
When the stars look down on me
What do they see?
When the stars look down on me
What do they see?
When the stars look down on me
What do they see?
When the stars look down on me
What do they see?
When the stars look down on me
What do they see?

[Chorus]
So take me back when I believed
Back when I was unafraid, just like a thief
And all the heights that I could reach
Back when I was unafraid, just like a thief

[Outro]
Thief

Imagine Dragons

One of the defining artists of the 2010s and perhaps the biggest band of the decade, Imagine Dragons is an American alt-rock band that originated in Las Vegas and led by Dan Reynolds. While the band began in 2008, the group boasted an entirely different roster than most are familiar. Before releasing their debut album, Night Visions, in 2012, the band released six EPs over four years, constantly shifting their sound and roster from folk to the crowd-shattering anthems they’ve been known for since.

The band’s roster was finalized before Night Visions‘ release with Daniel Platzman on the drums, Wayne Sermon on guitar, and Ben McKee on bass. Their break-out single, “Radioactive” was essential to putting Vegas on the map musically, citing The Killers before them. The song went on to become an international success, obliterating the record for the most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 at 87 straight weeks.

It wasn’t until 2015 the band released their sophomore album, Smoke + Mirrors. The album was extremely divergent from their freshman album, characterized by an accentuation of their Rock roots and an internal struggle, later described by Reynolds as being his bout with severe depression.