CWW: Adele

Adele 

 

Adele is one of the few artists in the music industry that can appeal to almost anyone with fans ranging from children to senior citizens.  Adele’s jazzy and soulful voice has earned her the fame at 24 years old that most musical artists never achieve in a life time.  Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born on May 5, 1988 in North London to her mother Penny Adkins and father Mark who left when Adele was 4.  Adele’s passion for music began to emerge while she was just a toddler and developed with artists such Lauren Hill and Destiny’s Child.  Because it was clear that Adele had talent, her mother enrolled her into a free performing arts school encouraging her to explore her options.  However, when Adele was 15 she found jazz records of Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald and she deems this moment in her life as her true awakening to music.  While attending the school for performing arts, Adele cut a three track demo which was posted on her MySpace page and then discovered by music executives from XL Recordings.  Therefore, four months after Adele graduated in November, 2006, she was signed for a record deal.  Adele’s first album was titled 19, indicating the age she was when she began recording it.  Hits from this album were two popular singles, “Hometown Glory” and “Chasing Pavement.”  It wasn’t long after the release of her album that Adele skyrocketed on almost all charts and became an instant success.  Following 19, Adele released her second album 21 which was again named for the age she was when she recorded it.  With hits such as “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You” Adele reached historic markers in the music industry which can only be matched by the Beatles in 1964.  For her largest accomplishments Adele broke the solo female artist record for remaining Number 1 for 11 straight weeks and swept the Grammy’s earning 6 awards including Album of the Year. 

“Rolling in the Deep”

“Rolling in the Deep” was written and produced by Adele and Paul Epworth.  Adele categorized this song as “dark bluesy gospel disco tune.” Adele wrote this song and essentially the album in response to the break up with her unfaithful boyfriend.  Adele states “It's me saying, 'Get the f--- out of my house instead of me begging him to come back. It's my reaction to being told my life was going be boring and lonely and rubbish, and that I was a weak person if I didn't stay in a relationship, I wrote it as a sort of 'F--k you.”  

"Rolling In The Deep"

There's a fire starting in my heart

Reaching a fever pitch, it's bringing me out the dark

Finally I can see you crystal clear

Go 'head and sell me out and I'll lay your ship [shit] bare

See how I leave with every piece of you

Don't underestimate the things that I will do

There's a fire starting in my heart

Reaching a fever pitch

And it's bringing me out the dark

The scars of your love remind me of us

They keep me thinking that we almost had it all

The scars of your love, they leave me breathless

I can't help feeling

We could have had it all

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

Rolling in the deep

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

You had my heart inside of your hand

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

And you played it, to the beat

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

Baby, I have no story to be told

But I've heard one on you

And I'm gonna make your head burn

Think of me in the depths of your despair

Make a home down there

As mine sure won't be shared

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

The scars of your love remind me of us

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

They keep me thinking that we almost had it all

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

The scars of your love, they leave me breathless

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

I can't help feeling

We could have had it all

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

Rolling in the deep

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

You had my heart inside of your hand

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

And you played it, to the beat

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

We could have had it all

Rolling in the deep

You had my heart inside of your hand

But you played it, with a beating

Throw your soul through every open door (woah)

Count your blessings to find what you look for (woah)

Turn my sorrow into treasured gold (woah)

You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow (woah)

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

We could have had it all

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

We could have had it all

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

It all, it all, it all

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

We could have had it all

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

Rolling in the deep

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

You had my heart inside of your hand

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

And you played it to the beat

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

We could have had it all

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

Rolling in the deep

(Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep)

You had my heart inside of your hand

(You're gonna wish you never had met me)

But you played it

You played it

You played it

You played it to the beat.

I chose to pick Rolling in the Deep by Adele for a number of different reasons.  First, the song is powerful and radiates the message that women are strong and more than capable of being independent with lines such as “Don’t underestimate the things that I will do.”  Moreover, it touches on a few of the current downplayed and accepted social norms that young men seem to engage in such as “playing” a girl or cheating on her.  Adele however makes it clear that these actions are not acceptable stating “You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow” and “I'm gonna make your head burn.”  All in all Adele’s writing reminds me of “Talking Back” by Margaret Cavendish with her very public way to basically get revenge on the boyfriend who hurt her.  Adele’s ability to use her connection with music allowed her to speak her mind and get the message across to her boyfriend that she is going to be more than fine without him.  This song also reminds me of the poem “For My Lover, Returning to His Wife” because it is from the opposite view of Adele however in agreement with her.  In the poem the mistress is explaining to her lover that his wife is the better choice and if Adele is symbolically the wife, she would agree but would ultimately not take her husband back after his unfaithfulness.  Also, the poem is dealing with the same topic as the song, cheating, just from different points of view. 

http://www.biography.com/people/adele-20694679?page=2

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=21312 http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/adele/rollinginthedeep.html

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/adele/rollinginthedeep.html