Songfacts®:

• The title of this buoyant track came from an essay written by The View bassist Kieren Webster. Singer Kyle Falconer sings of letting go of youthful reckless behaviors to make way for a more mature and self-aware version of himself. It's as if he's expelling demons of the past to make room for a brighter future.
• The song is the opening track and title track of The View's 2023 album. They had the name in mind for a long time. "We recorded our 2011 album Bread and Circuses with Youth and we wanted to call it 'Exorcism of Youth' because when you record with him, he always wants to exorcise your demons, he has techniques," Falconer explained to The Sun. "He wanted us to stop drinking basically, and focus on other things. But the title didn't seem to fit that album."
  
  The Dundee three-piece reconvened with producer Youth in his studio in Spain to record their sixth album. This time, the title fit the record.
• "Exorcism Of Youth" was the first time Kyle Falconer, Kieren Webster and guitarist Pete Reilly wrote a song together from start to finish in the same room. "It's quite an important song," Falconer told NME. "I'd like to do a whole album just like that but you've got to be in the mood – even by the end of 'Exorcism Of Youth', we started being like, 'Maybe we should put this bit in' or 'I need to get this line in'. But we got it finished."
• Released on August 18, 2023, Exorcism Of Youth marked The View's return after an eight-year hiatus. Lyrically, it finds the band exploring themes of aging, nostalgia, and personal demons. Musically, it was inspired by the Killers' album Pressure Machine and by Sam Fender.
  
  "I listened to The Killers' last album a lot during lockdown," Falconer told NME. "Everyone knows The Killers, but I wouldn't just go and buy the album. My mate suggested that album in lockdown, though, so I got it and I was like, 'Holy s--t' and I listened to it nonstop."
  
  "I listened to a lot of Sam Fender as well – that kind of simplistic stuff," he continued. "I was taking hints off him, like not too many drum fills and writing down-the-middle good songs."
• Exorcism of Youth peaked at #6 on the UK albums chart, showing continued fan support despite the long hiatus.