Brandon Flowers
Birthdate: June 21, 1981
Band: The Killers
Instrument: Singer / Keyboards / Bass
Age in 2026: 45
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals.) After the band went through a number of short-term bassists and drummers, Mark Stoermer (bass, rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums, percussion) joined in 2002.
The Killers have released seven studio albums, each of which topped the UK Albums Chart:
Hot Fuss (2004)
Sam’s Town (2006)
Day & Age (2008)
Battle Born (2012)
Wonderful Wonderful (2017)
Imploding the Mirage (2020)
Pressure Machine (2021)
They have also released a B-sides and rarities compilation, Sawdust (2007)
Live album, Live from the Royal Albert Hall (2009)
two greatest-hits albums:
Direct Hits (2013) and Rebel Diamonds (2023)
a Christmas compilation, Don’t Waste Your Wishes (2016)
Cody is a song from their 2021 album, Pressure Machine, which is a concept album about memories from where Brandon grew up in Utah. Cody was written by Flowers, Ronnie Vannucci Jr., and Jonathan Rado.
Personnel on Cody:
Brandon Flowers – vocals
Ronnie Vannucci Jr. – drums and guitar
Dave Keuning – guitars
Jonathan Rado – synthesizer, piano, bass, mandolin, organ
Sara Watkins – fiddle
Nate Walcott – trumpet
The spoken introduction to each song on the album is a powerful format. The band takes the quotes from the locals and puts their spin on them. Sometimes the quotes are fantasy and the songs are the reality. Sometimes the quotes are eerily honest and raw and the lyrics try to temper them with gentleness. Aspects of human nature saturate it all. In Cody’s case study you will see that the locals hold out hope for him, but collecting the bits and pieces of who he is, I think everyone sees where Cody is headed. He hurts people and the belief in higher powers wants to believe Cody will be stopped by the hand of God. After listening to Cody’s story, what do you think?
Cody
So higher powers, higher powers, higher powers
Higher power's in me, higher power's in me
I've seen them in the hill, you know
I've seen the spirits, you know
So definitely believe in the higher powers
'Cause I'm just little old human, you know?
Cody says he didn't start the fire
His parents know he probably did
He's always playing with a lighter
He's just a different kind of kid
And Cody says he didn't raise the dead
Says, "Religion's just a trick
To keep hard-working folks in line"
He says it makes his stomach sick
So who's gonna carry us away?
Eagles with glory-painted wings?
We keep on waiting for the miracle to come
Pour down the mountain like a heaven-fed stream
Cody's always got one on the line
He likes to walk 'em by the wrist
He does his pulling with his eyes
He does his talking with his fists
Bottle rockets on an August night
Raid the coolers in the trucks
If we're lucky we'll get loud and we'll drink
Whiskey from a plastic jug
So who's gonna carry us away?
Eagles with glory-painted wings?
We keep on waiting for the miracle to come
Fall from the firmament and give us nice things
Round and round it goes
Where it stops, nobody knows
Nobody knows
So who's gonna carry us away?
Eagles with glory-painted wings?
We keep on waiting for the miracle to come
Roll down the mountain to the sound of sad strings
We keep on waiting for the miracle
For the miracle
We keep on waiting for the miracle
For the miracle
Written by: Brandon Flowers, Jonathan Rado, Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
Album: Pressure Machine
Released: 2021
Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week, Jim wants us to find a musician or song written by someone who was born in June. I chose Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of The Killers. Good to be back to SLS!
Tao-Talk 
I love the Killers and this is a great choice it captures the exhausting weight of anticipation- by the time the outro fades out on the mantra we are left with a haunting sense of limbo – great pick Lisa 🩷
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Ange, I love your take on the song. Glad you are a fan of The Killers. Thanks!
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❤️
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I know a few songs from the Killers, but this was a new one for me Lisa. The Killers Cody has some problems, but it must not have been easy for Brandon Flowers to have struggled to find his identity with that pervasive Mormon culture around him. Nice tune, I really enjoyed this.
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Jim, I appreciate your insights. The album highlights a lot of the issues in that neck of the woods, especially the religious ones. That and drug abuse. Thanks for giving the song a chance and glad you enjoyed it.
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What a great song. I had never heard it before- and I feel as if that is a shame- cuz I really loved this. Thanks for the intro- and good to have you back.
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V, so happy you enjoyed the song. The whole album is worth at least a couple of listens. If you have interlibrary loans or hoopla you can probably find it. Thanks for the welcome back <3
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Great choice for the theme. I liked the way you went for one of their lesser-known songs 👍
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Clive thanks. I don’t think this album got the promotion it needed. Maybe Covid complications in marketing? It’s worth a couple of listens, especially once you’ve caught on to the locals’ intros and how they built songs around them (or vice versa, not sure how they did it.)
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It didn’t do badly, though Covid made recording it a bit difficult. I looked it up: #9 in the US and their seventh #1 in the UK. It’s different from their usual style, and I liked it.
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Clive, thanks for looking up the stats!
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You’re welcome 😊
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I always liked these guys. Some very creative lyrics at times
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Someone, totally agree on what I see as their brilliant lyrics in simple language.
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❤️
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Great song, new to me! I enjoyed it, and I like the idea of taking quotes and creating a song from them.
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Marina, glad you liked the song and yes, an original concept afaik, but not positive they were the first.
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Love The Killers and Brandon Flowers is brilliant; his songs are not just singing performances …. they’re acting performances too. He is so expressive, especially his eyes/face, which is obvious in the wonderful “Mr. Brightside”. Great pick, Lisa.
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Great comment, Nancy. Yes on all. “Mr. Brightside” is SO good. Thanks on the pick.
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Welcome, Lisa
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Its a fun train ride this morning, going from Sonny Rollins (Max) to the Killers.
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lol! Toot toot!
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Great pick, Lisa. While both The Killers and Brandon Flowers immediately rang a bell and I’ve mentioned the group on my blog before, I’ve yet to cover them!
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Well…. maybe it is time…. ;) Here’s one you may have heard (a cover):
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Love it, Lisa, thanks for sharing! :-)
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You’re welcome, Christian. That whole concert rocked.
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I really like this one, first time hearing it. That spoken words part was different, and how they used it in the songs theme was really good. I plan on finding more of these. Mr. Brightside was the onluy one I’d known. :)
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Barbara, I’m glad hearing this one is inspiring you to find others. It’s kind of a depressing album but they do such a good job with the topics.
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Sorry for the second comment. I’ve checked out the “Pressure Machine” album and love it! Speaking of The Killers, have you heard this one? :-)
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Glad you’ve checked it out. I reviewed it awhile back also. No, I hadn’t heard that wonderful cut. They played it a little slower than the original but still intact. Bruce and Brandon, the Dream Team! Thanks for sharing it.
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It’s funny, while I was listening to “Pressure Machine,” at one point I thought, ‘jeez the lyrics could almost be Springsteen.’ Next thing I knew/saw was that cool rendition of “Born to Run” with Bruce.
It’s part of a Killers single from April 2025, titled “Encore at the Garden,” which also includes a rendition of Springsteen’s “Badlands” and a Killers song called “Dustland”, featuring Springsteen on vocals and guitar.
I just found a clip of the entire thing – damn!
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Christian, thanks for sharing this! I see I liked it on YT so must have watched it before. When it is good it is good.
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Dang, Christian, I’m thrilled all over again. Their voices sound so good together.
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I used to listen to them back in the early 2000s… it’s been a while! This one sounds really good. I didn’t stop listening because I didn’t like them…just a lot of bands were introduced to me at that time at once. Some live cuts I’ve heard from them…impressed me with their rawness…I like that.
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Check out the link Christian shared, with The Killers and Bruce Springsteen performing together.
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I sure will! Thank you!
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Interesting lyrics! I’m woefully ignorant of The Killers, although I’m sure I’d recognize some of their songs. You and my husband could probably talk about music for HOURS, Li, lol. He can go on a deep dive like nobody’s business. I found out from him about Rush’s Neil Pert’s amazing drumming, things like that. As for The Killers and Brandon’s lyrics…yeah, if a religious point of view becomes too heavy and needs to be culled or thrown off entirely…not an easy thing to do if you’re one of the only ones…
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Hey Stacey! Does your hub have a blog? He would probably love talking music with some of the real deep music divers here. I’m just a tourist.
About being a non-cultie in the midst of a cult, no, not easy!
I took May off from blogging and started writing a book. It’s been rolling along pretty well. 7,000 pages and counting…
Will you please send me an email when you get time and give me an update on your haps?
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p.s. Stacey, if you get a chance listen to Toadies new album (and tell your husband about it!)
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Hey, yes, I did update you but I think it fell through the cracks! But I just went in and found it and forwarded it to you. Also, no, he doesn’t have a blog, but he should, especially for Hard Luck Harry, ’cause I don’t have time to do it. But I’ll mention the Toadies, see what he says. ALSO… your novel !!!! So exciting !!!! What’s it about??? Maybe if the timing is right, after you’re done, I can be a beta reader. I’d really like to do that; hopefully I’ll have time. But as you can see, my lack of appearance in the blogosphere is due to working like 24-7. I’m hoping something changes soon, but we’ll see. But in the meantime, CONGRATS !!!! And tell me more !!!!
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Stacey, my apologies on your update. I did have it but I both flagged and pinned it so as not to lose it but… Thanks for re-sending. Will respond soon.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot just yet, it’s still in its egg stage, and every time I write on it the egg rolls to other places. I’d like to get a sticky board or something and put sections on stickies and try to organize it. Will def take you up on beta reading it.
Sorry you’re working yourself to dust. Please find time to keep writing. The world needs you!
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