This is a very emotionally intense song. I've listened to it several times over the last few days and having been in this situation, it's difficult to think back to feeling this way.
She loved someone, and he hurt her, lied to her, etc. and she's finally setting herself free, while still acknowledging very strong feelings for him.
Couple of things to point out:
"My hands, they were strong
but my knees were far too weak
to stand in your arms
without falling to your feet"
She's saying that she was weak and perhaps submissive while she was with him; she let him have a power over her and do things to her that she shouldn't have. She might be saying that she had a dependency on him, but I could be reading my own situation into it too much there.
These other two parts of the song:
"when I lay with you, I could stay there close my eyes
Feel you here forever, you and me together, nothing is better"
and
"Sometimes I wake up by the door, that heart you caught must be waiting for ya
Even now when we're already over, I can't help myself from looking for ya"
Are really painful to read. She's acknowledging that he's gone and it's over, but she still loves him, thinks about how it felt with him, and misses him.
Ultimately, the song is very strong because it's about how, despite her personal weaknesses in a relationship, and the power someone has/had over her, she was able to recognize that he was bad for her and was, ultimately, able to "set fire to" what was between them, burn it down, and push him out of her life for good.
I wouldn't have been able to listen to this song while I was going through it. Adele is an amazing artist and her voice with these lyrics is just incredible, I hope she continues to make music for a very long time.
This analysis is excellent but I believe you're missing a few key points.
This analysis is excellent but I believe you're missing a few key points.
"I let it fall, my heart, And as it fell, you also claim it."
"I let it fall, my heart, And as it fell, you also claim it."
In this line she's stating that she "let" her heart fall...but the heart falls wherever it wants to. She continues "you also claim it" because she can feel that pure love coming from another. She feels that she has to protect herself from receiving love rather than realizing that love can protect her.
In this line she's stating that she "let" her heart fall...but the heart falls wherever it wants to. She continues "you also claim it" because she can feel that pure love coming from another. She feels that she has to protect herself from receiving love rather than realizing that love can protect her.
"It was dark, and I was all right,
Until you kissed my lips and...
"It was dark, and I was all right,
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me."
What pops out here is that people who are "all right" don't need to be saved. It is an intentional contradiction in my opinion...meant to suggest that the love she BELIEVED in that one moment saved her.
"My hands, they're strong, but my knees were far too weak.
Stand in your arms without falling into your feet."
She's admitting that love is a stronger force than her will.
"But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew.
All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true.
And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win."
When we're afraid of love we test it...we "play games"....and every time we test our love we create doubt...doubt turns into anger and jealousy and a million other things..and we begin to think of those things as love. Love needs no test...everybody wins.
"But I set fire to the rain,
Watch it pour as I touched your face
Let it burn while I cry
'Cause I heard it screaming at your name, your name."
This lyric demonstrates the anguish that we will endure to avoid love. The acceptance of love means releasing all anguish...forgetting all mistakes...and knowing, deep in your heart, that the people that are around you love you. Instead...we almost always choose to turn it off...to shut it out...and live without love.
"When laying with you I could stay there
Close my eyes, feel you here forever
You and me together, nothing is better"
This is powerful because it demonstrates that the very thing she is trying to destroy is that which makes her happiest in her life.
"Sometimes I wake up by the door
That heart you caught must be waiting for you
Even now when we're already over
I can't help myself from looking for you"
Yet another contradiction because if two people are over then one cannot wake up by the door...looking.
"Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh
Oh, no
Let it burn, oh
Let it burn
Let it burn"
This may be the most honest lyric in the entire song. Until she heals the love and stops trying to let it burn then it will be the last time...but if she heals it...all her life will be love forever.
But I think your missing the biggest meaning that what she claims to have done is impossible, 'set fire to the rain', so even though she seemingly has thrown him in the flames 'for the last time', her trying to get rid of him are attempts to set fire to the rain, futile.
But I think your missing the biggest meaning that what she claims to have done is impossible, 'set fire to the rain', so even though she seemingly has thrown him in the flames 'for the last time', her trying to get rid of him are attempts to set fire to the rain, futile.
So for this reason, I think the song is more of a tragedy, and how Adele is 'damaged goods' as far as relationships with a man are concerned, also otherwise known as a 'alpha widow'.
So for this reason, I think the song is more of a tragedy, and how Adele is 'damaged goods' as far as relationships with a man are concerned, also otherwise known as a 'alpha widow'.
This is a very emotionally intense song. I've listened to it several times over the last few days and having been in this situation, it's difficult to think back to feeling this way.
She loved someone, and he hurt her, lied to her, etc. and she's finally setting herself free, while still acknowledging very strong feelings for him.
Couple of things to point out:
"My hands, they were strong but my knees were far too weak to stand in your arms without falling to your feet"
She's saying that she was weak and perhaps submissive while she was with him; she let him have a power over her and do things to her that she shouldn't have. She might be saying that she had a dependency on him, but I could be reading my own situation into it too much there.
These other two parts of the song:
"when I lay with you, I could stay there close my eyes Feel you here forever, you and me together, nothing is better"
and
"Sometimes I wake up by the door, that heart you caught must be waiting for ya Even now when we're already over, I can't help myself from looking for ya"
Are really painful to read. She's acknowledging that he's gone and it's over, but she still loves him, thinks about how it felt with him, and misses him.
Ultimately, the song is very strong because it's about how, despite her personal weaknesses in a relationship, and the power someone has/had over her, she was able to recognize that he was bad for her and was, ultimately, able to "set fire to" what was between them, burn it down, and push him out of her life for good.
I wouldn't have been able to listen to this song while I was going through it. Adele is an amazing artist and her voice with these lyrics is just incredible, I hope she continues to make music for a very long time.
Why does it have to be for good? Can't he change?
Why does it have to be for good? Can't he change?
This analysis is excellent but I believe you're missing a few key points.
This analysis is excellent but I believe you're missing a few key points.
"I let it fall, my heart, And as it fell, you also claim it."
"I let it fall, my heart, And as it fell, you also claim it."
In this line she's stating that she "let" her heart fall...but the heart falls wherever it wants to. She continues "you also claim it" because she can feel that pure love coming from another. She feels that she has to protect herself from receiving love rather than realizing that love can protect her.
In this line she's stating that she "let" her heart fall...but the heart falls wherever it wants to. She continues "you also claim it" because she can feel that pure love coming from another. She feels that she has to protect herself from receiving love rather than realizing that love can protect her.
"It was dark, and I was all right, Until you kissed my lips and...
"It was dark, and I was all right, Until you kissed my lips and you saved me."
What pops out here is that people who are "all right" don't need to be saved. It is an intentional contradiction in my opinion...meant to suggest that the love she BELIEVED in that one moment saved her.
"My hands, they're strong, but my knees were far too weak. Stand in your arms without falling into your feet."
She's admitting that love is a stronger force than her will.
"But there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew. All the things you'd say, they were never true, never true. And the games you'd play, you would always win, always win."
When we're afraid of love we test it...we "play games"....and every time we test our love we create doubt...doubt turns into anger and jealousy and a million other things..and we begin to think of those things as love. Love needs no test...everybody wins.
"But I set fire to the rain, Watch it pour as I touched your face Let it burn while I cry 'Cause I heard it screaming at your name, your name."
This lyric demonstrates the anguish that we will endure to avoid love. The acceptance of love means releasing all anguish...forgetting all mistakes...and knowing, deep in your heart, that the people that are around you love you. Instead...we almost always choose to turn it off...to shut it out...and live without love.
"When laying with you I could stay there Close my eyes, feel you here forever You and me together, nothing is better"
This is powerful because it demonstrates that the very thing she is trying to destroy is that which makes her happiest in her life.
"Sometimes I wake up by the door That heart you caught must be waiting for you Even now when we're already over I can't help myself from looking for you"
Yet another contradiction because if two people are over then one cannot wake up by the door...looking.
"Cause I knew that that was the last time, the last time, oh Oh, no Let it burn, oh Let it burn Let it burn"
This may be the most honest lyric in the entire song. Until she heals the love and stops trying to let it burn then it will be the last time...but if she heals it...all her life will be love forever.
I really think that you have nailed the meaning here. :)
I really think that you have nailed the meaning here. :)
somestormygirl your words came out of my heart. I wish I hadnt sparked that fire..
somestormygirl your words came out of my heart. I wish I hadnt sparked that fire..
But I think your missing the biggest meaning that what she claims to have done is impossible, 'set fire to the rain', so even though she seemingly has thrown him in the flames 'for the last time', her trying to get rid of him are attempts to set fire to the rain, futile.
But I think your missing the biggest meaning that what she claims to have done is impossible, 'set fire to the rain', so even though she seemingly has thrown him in the flames 'for the last time', her trying to get rid of him are attempts to set fire to the rain, futile.
So for this reason, I think the song is more of a tragedy, and how Adele is 'damaged goods' as far as relationships with a man are concerned, also otherwise known as a 'alpha widow'.
So for this reason, I think the song is more of a tragedy, and how Adele is 'damaged goods' as far as relationships with a man are concerned, also otherwise known as a 'alpha widow'.
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