Noah Kahan explains the Hunger Games references in his Draw You Out lyrics
7 October 2026, 15:05 | Updated: 7 October 2026, 15:10
What are Noah Kahan's 'Draw You Out' lyrics about? Here's what he's said about the meaning behind the Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping song.
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Noah Kahan has opened up about what 'Draw You Out' from The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is about.
The Hunger Games is no stranger to iconic soundtracks. Since the franchise debuted, artists like Taylor Swift, Lorde and Ariana Grande have all contributed songs to its films. Not to mention, Olivia Rodrigo recorded 'Can't Catch Me Now' for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and Jennifer Lawrence and Rachel Zegler both sing in the movies.
Now, Noah Kahan has joined them but what are his emotional 'Draw You Out' lyrics about? Here's what he's said.
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In 'Draw You Out', Noah Kahan sings about carrying the memory of lost love with him and he's revealed that the song is directly based on Haymitch Abernathy and Lenore Dove's heartbreaking love story in Sunrise on the Reaping.
Taking to social media to celebrate releasing the song, Noah said: "This is something I’ve always wanted to do and I am so grateful for the opportunity to write for this moving film, having adored the works of art by Suzanne Collins."
Noah wrote: "I was already totally connected and inspired by the tragic yet hopeful story of Haymitch and Lenore Dove, and writing a song about the purpose, grief and perseverance through pain, that they exemplify, was an experience I’ll always be grateful for. This is an incredible film. I am so honoured to be a small part of it."
Noah Kahan - Draw You Out (from The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping - The Album) (Lyric Video)
The song has many references to Haymitch and Lenore. In the chorus, Noah sings: I carry you on with me / I promised you I would, and I do / And I float around, show up unannounced / In the places that you knew / I draw you out from the edge of my mouth / It feels good to say your name / It's all I have now, what a wonderful sound it makes.
The lines appear to refer to the fact that Haymitch would often seek out Lenore after her death: "For weeks, I wander through the trees, circle the lake, examine the soil under the apple trees, looking for any sign of her… Calling her name into the wind… “Lenore Dove! Lenore Dove!” I cry, but she doesn’t reveal herself."
Lines like "I was living in a stranger's house / So I found shelter by the river's mouth", also allude to Haymitch feeling like an imposter in Victor's Village after winning the games and taking refuge in nature.
No, I'm not crying! You are.
Noah Kahan - 'Draw You Out' lyrics
INTRO
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh
CHORUS
I carry you on with me
I promised you I would, and I do
And I float around, show up unannounced
In the places that you knew
I draw you out from the edge of my mouth
It feels good to say your name
It's all I have now, what a wonderful sound it makes
POST-CHORUS
(Ooh)
VERSE 1
I was born with someone else's face
A coward's anger and a fighter's rage
I wait around for them to take my place
And say, "Love, we're free now"
I've been caught in some old, borin' joke
The only punch line is how long it goes
I'm in a song with one descendin' note
I got nowhere else to be now
No one tells you just how long you'll last
Some go slowly, and some far too fast
I've got time I never planned to have
I got years and years of it
I've been feelin' like a wing-clipped bird
Been repeatin' this old phrase I learned
And no one's voice is ever really heard
'Til the whole world's screamin' it
CHORUS
I carry you on with me
I promised you I would, and I do
And I float around, show up unannounced
In the places that you knew
I draw you out from the edge of my mouth
It feels good to say your name
It's all I have now, what a wonderful sound it makes
VERSE 2
I was living in a stranger's house
So I found shelter by the river's mouth
And I go swimmin' 'til my feet touch ground
'Til I find somethin' permanent
BRIDGE
See the rain over the valley's edge
Won't be long until the whole world's wet
And all my drownin' will make way more sense
There ain't no better word for it
CHORUS
I carry you on with me
I promised you I would, and I do
And I float around, show up unannounced
In the places that you knew
I draw you out from the edge of my mouth
It feels good to say your name
It's all I have now, what a wonderful sound it makes
POST-CHORUS
Oh-oh
Ooh-ooh
Oh-oh
Read more from Capital Buzz here:
- Hunger Games prequel reveals heartbreaking reason why Haymitch raises geese in Mockingjay
- How does Katniss know 'The Hanging Tree' song? Hunger Games' Lucy Gray legacy explained
- Hunger Games' Sunrise on the Reaping reveals harrowing way Haymitch became a tribute
- Hunger Games' Rachel Zegler sang live for every Lucy Gray singing scene
- Sam Claflin says he wants to play Finnick's dad in Hunger Games prequel
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