Goin' Back

"Goin' Back" (also recorded and released as "Going Back") is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1966. It describes the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood, along with an attempt, on the part of the singer, to recapture that youthful innocence.

The song, as recorded that year by Dusty Springfield, was a top ten hit on the UK Singles Chart. It was recorded and released as a single the following year by the Byrds; it was included on their album The Notorious Byrd Brothers and subsequently on many Byrds compilation albums as well. A critically lauded interpretation was recorded by Nils Lofgren at the start of his solo career in 1975 and has been a mainstay of his concert performances since. The song has also been recorded by many other artists, including Marianne Faithfull, the New Seekers, the Pretenders, Diana Ross, Richard Thompson, Phil Collins and Black Oak Arkansas, as well as by Carole King herself.