And I need to learn to lighten up and learn how to be young
But my heart is a valley, it's so shallow and man made
I'm scared to death if I let you in that you'll see I'm just a fake
Sometimes I feel lonely in the arms of your touch
But I know that's just me cause nothing ever is enough
When I was a child I grew up by the River Lea
There was something in the water, now that something's in me
Oh I can't go back, but the reeves are growing out of my fingertips
I can't go back to the river
It's in my blood and I stain every heart that I use to heal the pain
Oh, It's in my roots, in my veins
It's in my blood and I stain every heart that I use to heal the pain
Yeah I blame it on the River Lea, the River Lea, the River Lea
That I never meant to hurt you or lie straight to your face
Consider this my apology, I know it's years in advance
But I'd rather say it now in case I never get the chance
No I can't go back, but the reeves are growing out of my fingertips
I can't go back to the river
It's in my blood and I stain every heart that I use to heal the pain
Oh, It's in my roots, in my veins
It's in my blood and I stain every heart that I use to heal the pain
Yeah I blame it on the River Lea, the River Lea, the River Lea
So I blame it on the River Lea, the River Lea, the River Lea
Yeah I blame it on the River Lea, the River Lea, the River Lea
River Lea, River Lea
River Lea, River Lea
River Lea, River Lea
The River Lea-Lea-Lea-Lea
The River Lea-Lea-Lea-Lea
The River Lea-Lea-Lea-Lea
The River Lea-Lea-Lea-Lea
Adele here is acknowledging who she is, who she became and apologising in advance for things she thinks will happen in the future that are her fault. She's saying that the river Lea got inside her and somehow polluted her - she said in a interview that the river Lea is pretty disgusting - and is blaming it for how she is. She says that she uses lovers to heal some kind of pain in her, but it doesn't heal so she keeps on using them and blaming the river. Which is something very usual I guess, when you become something you don't like and you don't even notice so you blame it in your childhood, the people you grew up with or where you grew up which is the case in this song. Definitely one of my favorites on the new album.
i think it's about how she has to face the fact that this river, "Fame", is stuck to her now. It's in her veins and she can't change. Who knows though?