This song was written at a time when both members of A Great Big World, Chad Vaccarino and Ian Axel, were experiencing individual heartbreak. Axel told Billboard magazine that writing the tune was part of the healing process, but they have had to get used to its public exposure. "We're both in a different place since we wrote the song, and have a totally different perspective on it," he said "Whenever we perform it, it's like revisiting the scar. It's always a part of me, and I can always go there and feel it."

They explain the story behind the song:

Ian Axel: For both of us, I want to say it's about really letting go. It's growing up. I feel like we lost a bit of our innocence. It was about realizing what we're worth, really loving ourselves, and understanding that to love someone else or be loved by someone else it requires loving yourself. We were both heartbroken in two different scenarios. I was stubborn and scared to let go for many reasons. That's a universal thing.

Chad Vaccarino: The process of writing this was one of gaining an awareness of this relationship. It was sort of built up in my head in terms of what I thought I could be. I'm letting go of that idea. I'm gaining a big understanding of what was going on at that moment. We can get stuck in our heads so easily. That song was me getting out of my head.

Ian Axel: It was such a profound writing experience. It felt like church. We were so deeply wounded at the time. We were feeling all of these things. Part of me died and came back to life. It was a really sacred experience. We write songs because we need to. We grow and learn together from them.