Coming Back Down

Background

The song "Coming Back Down" was originally sent to radio stations on February 24, 2011, as a promotional track for the album American Tragedy. Shortly after, an unofficial version leaked, leading to speculation that Kevin Rudolf was a featured artist. It later came out that Rudolf, along with Jacob Kasher and Jeff Halavacs, produced the track, with Don Gilmore serving as executive producer. On March 15, the band released it as the third official single from the album, following "Hear Me Now," and released "Been to Hell" as a single on the same day.

While a music video was made for "Been to Hell," "Coming Back Down" never received one. The lyrics tell the story of a narrator struggling to cope after the death of a loved one. Danny sings the chorus, J-Dog raps the first verse, and Johnny 3 Tears raps the second verse and also sings the bridge. A remix by Beatnick and K-Salaam appeared on the 2011 remix album American Tragedy Redux.

Reception

A reviewer for SoCal Music Today praised the song and said that it "tugs at the heart strings as the boys take a step back from aggression to let out some raw emotion". A reviewer for Sputnik Music called the track one of the best moments of the album and felt that the combination of "Coming Back Down" along with "Bullet" and "Levitate" on the album created a "three song knockout". The track was praised for incorporating "acoustic guitars and a chorus that wouldn’t sound out of place on an All Time Low album, with a love-lorn summery atmosphere that feels warm and comfortable for the band".

Brian Voerding noted that the song showed the band's strength in both singing and rapping while comparing the sound to Linkin Park, noting that, "The song bolsters the outfit as a force in rap rock with its sampled guitar riffs and swirling synths." Voerding also compared the production to that of Kid Rock mixed with pop-punk bands. He concluded by praising the lyrics, saying, "There's a spirituality in the lyrics, swollen with defeat, but rich with yearning.

It's an allowance that however dark the day, the following may lighten." Some reviewers were critical, however. One review from Revolver Magazine called the ballad "the weaker [point] in the record", despite having a positive review for the American Tragedy album as a whole.