Luke Combs' "Where the Wild Things Are" is a country song released on October 16, 2023, as the third single from his fourth studio album Gettin' Old
. The song was written by Randy Montana and Dave Turnbull and tells a storytelling narrative about an older brother who rode an Indian Scout motorcycle, moved out west to California ("where the wild things are"), and tragically died in a motorcycle accident
. The song reflects on living life to the fullest and the emotional impact of loss, with vivid imagery of the brother's wild spirit and his final resting place under the West Coast stars
. The song was originally pitched to Eric Church, who almost recorded it, but it eventually found its home with Combs, who had been holding onto the song for several years before releasing it
. It has been noted for its "outlaw" imagery and is considered one of the few storytelling songs in Combs's catalog
. Commercially, "Where the Wild Things Are" peaked at number three on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and reached number one on the Canada Country chart
. It is important to distinguish this song from the famous 1963 children's picture book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, which is a separate work entirely. The book tells the story of a boy named Max who imagines sailing to an island inhabited by wild creatures and becoming their king, a classic in children's literature
Summary:
- "Where the Wild Things Are" is a country song by Luke Combs from his album Gettin' Old (2023)
- Written by Randy Montana and Dave Turnbull, it tells a story about a brother who lived wildly and died young in a motorcycle accident
- The song was almost recorded by Eric Church before Combs released it
- It achieved commercial success, reaching high positions on country charts in the US and Canada
- Not related to the children's book of the same name by Maurice Sendak
