Song Analysis: Someone Like You by Adele

Song Analysis

• The song is titled "Someone Like You" and is performed by Adele.
• The song's lyrics express the speaker's feelings after learning that their former love has moved on and is now married.
• The speaker acknowledges the happiness of their ex-partner, but also expresses their own lingering emotions.
• The speaker attempts to justify their uninvited appearance by saying they couldn't stay away.
• The speaker hopes that their ex-partner will be reminded of their feelings.
• The speaker acknowledges the inevitability of moving on and expresses a hope that they too will find someone like their ex-partner.
• The lyrics express a mixture of sadness, acceptance, and a desire for happiness for both parties involved.

Chorus Analysis

• The chorus is a repeated statement of the speaker's acceptance of the situation, acknowledging the inevitability of moving on.
• The speaker wishes their ex-partner well and expresses a desire to find someone like them.
• The chorus reflects a bittersweet blend of sadness and a hope for future happiness.

Connotation of Lyrics

• "Settled down": suggests stability and permanence in the ex-partner's new relationship.
• "Married now": reinforces the idea that the ex-partner has moved on and that the relationship is officially ended.
• "Dreams came true": implies that the ex-partner has achieved their goals and is living a fulfilling life.
• "Things I didn't give to you": highlights the speaker's perception of a discrepancy between their own contributions and the ex-partner's current happiness.
• "Shy": suggests a sense of awkwardness or hesitation on the part of the ex-partner in acknowledging the speaker's feelings.
• "Uninvited": emphasizes the speaker's unexpected and possibly unwelcome intrusion into the ex-partner's life.
• "Couldn't fight it": suggests the strength of the speaker's emotions and their inability to suppress their desire to reconnect.
• "For me, it isn't over": reveals the lingering nature of the speaker's feelings and their inability to fully let go of the relationship.
• "Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead": this repeated phrase serves as a life lesson about the complexities of love, acknowledging both its lasting joy and its potential for pain.
• "The time flies": signifies the passage of time and the inevitability of change.
• "Our glory days": evokes a nostalgic feeling for a shared past that is now gone.
• "Summer haze": portrays a carefree and happy period in the past, emphasizing the contrast with the present situation.
• "Bound by the surprise": expresses the feeling of connection and shared experience that bound the two people together.
• "Glory days": a nostalgic reference to a significant period in the relationship that is now over.

Figurative Language

• "I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited": This uses a metaphor to describe the speaker's arrival as unwelcome.
• "I wish nothing but the best for you, too": This is a concession, as the speaker acknowledges the ex-partner's happiness but expresses their own hurt.
• "For me, it isn't over": This is an understatement, as the speaker is clearly still emotionally affected by the break-up.
• "Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead": This is a refrain that emphasizes the speaker's acceptance of the painful reality of love.
• "Bound by the surprise of our glory days": This is a metaphor, as the speaker is comparing their past connection to being bound by the surprise of their "glory days", a significant period in their relationship.
• "We were born and raised in a summer haze": This is a metaphor for the carefree atmosphere of their past, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

Song Title: Someone Like You

• Artist: Adele
• This song is about unrequited love and moving on.
• The lyrics suggest a past relationship that ended, and while the speaker wishes the best for their former partner they also express their own lingering feelings.
• The songwriter feels they have been forgotten, but is hopeful that a chance encounter will remind their significant other of their love

Paraphrase:

• The Speaker learned about their former partner finding love and beginning a new life.
• The speaker is sad, but feels a sense of hope by thinking there might be someone out there for them too.
• The chorus emphasizes that the speaker wishes to remain in the heart of their former partner, but understands their happiness is important.
• The speaker will try to find someone new and wishes the best for their former partner.

Connotation

• "Settled down" - This phrase has a connotation of stability and domesticity, potentially implying that the former love interest has found a secure, conventional life.
• "Gave you things I didn’t give to you" - Emphasizes the speaker’s sense of loss and the perception that their ex-partner has found something they couldn’t provide.
• "Shy" - Suggests the shy, hesitant nature of the former partner, a stark contrast to the speaker's bold actions in reaching out.
• "Turn up out of the blue, uninvited" - Conveys the unexpectedness of the encounter and the vulnerability of the speaker, as they lack a formal invitation.
• "Couldn’t fight it" - Expresses the powerful, uncontrollable nature of the speaker’s feelings and their inability to resist reconnecting with their ex.
• "It isn’t over" - Suggests the speaker's unyielding belief in their former love, feeling the connection is still there.
• "I’ll find someone like you" - A mix of acceptance of the former love’s new life and the desire to find similar love in another person.
• "Don’t forget me" - A heartbroken plea of the speaker that signifies the pain of being forgotten by their ex-partner.