“To Be Loved” by Adele - meaning and lyrical analysis
When listening to Adele's "To Be Loved," the heartfelt ballad seems like an introspective piece about love, vulnerability, and self-growth. But as we immerse ourselves into the song's lyrics, we can find an unexpected and imaginative theory that peers far beyond the earthly realm we know: this song could be representing the cosmic fall of celestial bodies and the spiritual journey they embark on as remnants of their former glory.
To set the stage for our interstellar narrative, Adele sings, "I built a house for love to grow / I was so young that it was hard to know." If we interpret the "house" as a metaphor for the cosmos, Adele is channeling the voice of a cosmic body that created a space for life and love to flourish. Like a young star full of potential and unaware of its fate, the cosmic body is unsure of the road ahead.
The lines "Always make a mess of everything / It's about time that I face myself / All I do is bleed into someone else" evoke the supernova explosion and the dispersion of its elements into surrounding space. The cosmic body laments its inability to hold onto the love it created and the dissolution of its once-magnificent self into the nothingness of the galaxy.
Our celestial journey takes an interesting juxtaposition with Arcade Fire's "My Body is a Cage" line: "My body is a cage that keeps me from dancing with the one I love." Adele's celestial body also seems trapped in its nature, unable to fully experience the love it sought for, but it yearns for the freedom that comes with change.
Adele sings, "Ain't it funny how the mighty fall?" This line could be a direct reference to the adage "The bigger they are, the harder they fall" – the larger and more powerful the cosmic body, the greater its fall would be. This serves to emphasize the vulnerability of even the most powerful beings in the universe, which is a startling realization in itself.
Throughout the song, there is a recurring theme of sacrifice: "To be loved and love at the highest count / Means to lose all the things I can't live without." This can be interpreted as the celestial body's willingness to sacrifice its existence for the spark of life. The explosion of a star gives birth to new elements and foundations for life, a fitting parallel to this sentiment.
As we reach the end of the song, the cosmic body confesses, "Let it be known, let it be known that I tried." The celestial figure acknowledges its efforts, perhaps realizing that it has fulfilled its purpose. Just as David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" treads on the theme of a rock star's rise and fall, Adele's "To Be Loved" takes this concept to a cosmic level, reflecting the journey of stars and celestial bodies in the boundless universe.
Ultimately, Adele's "To Be Loved" transcends its seemingly earthbound theme of lost love and personal growth to become an allegorical tale of spectacular cosmic events. The celestial interpretation adds depth to the lyrics, and in doing so, opens up the listener's heart and mind to the vast and wondrous cosmos that surrounds us.
