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Our list looks at the Real Meaning Behind The Songs On Adele’s 21 Album. 21 was released in 2011. She recorded this album when she was 21 years old. This is Adele’s second album. Adele wrote this album after she experienced a bad break up. The songs on this album tell the stories about her heartbreak and her healing. The album was a sleeper hit for the artist. The album ended up being one the best-selling albums of 2011 and 2012. The album broke records in the US and in the UK. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 charts. It was number for an astonishing 24 weeks. 21 was number one longer than any other album since 1985.
The album sold over 10 million records in the United States. The album has sold over 31 million copies around the world. Adele won several awards for this album including seven Grammys. Three out of the five singles on the album reached number one on the charts. The album features the singles “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Rumour Has It” and “Turning Tables.”
# 1 – Rolling In The Deep
The first song on our list of the Real Meaning Behind The Songs On Adele’s 21 Album is “Rolling in the Deep.” The song has an r&b and soul sound. This was the first single from the album. People didn’t think this song was going to be a hit, but they were wrong. “Rolling in the Deep” is a song about a scorned woman in a relationship. Adele tells the story of her ex-lover who implies that she’s going to be alone and miserable because of their break up. She wrote this anthem because he left her for a model. She wants her listeners to know about his mistakes and the consequences that he will suffer because of what he did to her.
She wanted him to know that he was going to wish he never met her. Adele discusses how they could have had a good relationship, but he chose to walk away from her. She wanted him to pay for what he did to her. She wrote a revenge song for her ex-boyfriend because he hurt her. She kicks him out of her place and refuses to beg him to stay with her. She said the song was written in the heat of the moment. She reacted because he told her that she would be weak and miserable if she didn’t stay in the relationship with him. She thought it was a slap in the face for him to talk to her that way.
The song was her response to his comments without using the word that starts with an “f” and rhymes with “pluck.” The title of the song is a slang term in the UK that means someone has your back. Here is some trivia about the song. Adele wrote this track in three hours after she broke up with her boyfriend.
# 2 – Rumour Has It
The next song on our list of the Real Meaning Behind The Songs On Adele’s 21 Album is “Rumour Has It.” The track has an r&b, pop and jazz sound. This was the fourth single from the album. The song talks about the gossip that’s being spread about her ex. The gossip is about him moving on with a new woman. The title might have you thinking that the song is about gossip on blog sites or in magazines. Adele wrote this song about her friends gossiping about her behind her back. They talked about her because of her break up with her boyfriend. Her friends believed lies about her. They thought she was too involved in his new relationship.
The song is told in parts. The first part is about her confronting her former boyfriend about his new girlfriend. She lets him know that he doesn’t have a history with the new girl that he did with her. The second half of the song is a confrontation she has with him about being with a younger woman. She tells him that she’s half his age. She thought he was cheating with the younger girl because she lost interest in him. She wanted to warn him that he looks like a fool being with the younger woman. Adele also lets the listeners know how she felt when her friends were talking about her relationship.
# 3 – Turning Tables
The song has a pop beat. “Turning Tables” is the last single that was released from the album. The track is about the end of her relationship. She was tired of her boyfriend’s attitude and mood swings. The song is about an argument with an ex that leads to a bitter break up. She’s not going to put up with the way he keeps treating her. She is at the end of her rope and she’s ready to go. She used the term “turning tables” because he was indecisive about things. This argument was the last straw for her. She refused to be in the relationship anymore. She was ready to get out of the relationship for good.
Adele discusses how she refuses to let him keep hurting her. She won’t rescue him just so he could break her heart again. She refuses to love him the way he thinks he loves her. She informs him that it’s time for her to go. She wrote this song like a story about a relationship that no longer works. Here is a fun fact about “Turning Tables.” Adele wrote this song with Ryan Tedder.
# 4 – Don’t You Remember
The song has a country beat. “Don’t You Remember” is different from the other songs on this album. She is focusing on her mistakes instead of what he did wrong. She wants him to remember all of the good times they had at the beginning of the relationship. She wants him to remember her at her best and not at her worst. She wants him to think about the good times so they could find their way back to each other. Adele wrote this track after all of the bitter songs were added. This song was a challenge for the star to write. She had to look inside herself and see what role she played in their break up.
This track is one of the few that she’s written on this album about trying to reconcile with her ex. She wrote a lot of bitter anthems, but she wanted him to think hard about their relationship before walking away. Adele wanted her listeners to know that her ex wasn’t the only villain in the relationship. She explained how she used to feel when he touched her. She got excited and felt giddy about it. She felt like he wouldn’t remember why he loved her. She didn’t want him to forget what made him fall in love with her in the first place.
# 5 – Set Fire To The Rain
The next song on our list of the Real Meaning Behind The Songs On Adele’s 21 Album “Set Fire to the Rain.” The song has a pop sound. It’s the third single from the album. This song is about regretting a relationship that she knew wasn’t going to last. “Set Fire to the Rain” is her most open song. She informs the listeners how her ex has a dark side to him. He showed her parts of his personality that she didn’t see before. The side was so bad that she decided to walk away from the relationship. She digs deep in her soul to talk about how her ex cheated on her and lied to her. He misguided her.
She wrote this song about an older man she was dating. She was upset because he taught her things she wasn’t interested in before. She was only interested in doing things people her age were doing. She didn’t think he had a bad side to him because he was more mature than any other man she knew before him. She wanted to write a power anthem of survival. She refused to let his dark side win so she walked away from the situation.
# 6 – He Won’t Go
The song has an r&b sound. “He Won’t Go” is a song about a couple of things. The song gives her a chance to talk about something other than her relationship issues. She talked about her friends’ relationship. She has two friends who are in a relationship. She met the couple after she released her first album. The guy was an addict and trying to get clean by going to rehab. They bond trying to help him get sober. The situation touched Adele so she wanted to write about it. The song gave her a chance to focus on a relationship other than her own.
She wanted to share a story about a man battling his demons and trying to overcome them. She wanted her listeners to know that they can get help for their demons. This song shows that she’s willing to support another couple going through problems. She wanted to bring awareness to addiction and how it brings a couple closer together.
# 7 –Take It All
The song has a pop beat. “Take It All” is about a relationship that turned sour. She talked about a toxic relationship that she was involved in after she became successful. Adele wrote this anthem to give her listeners an idea of what happened once she became famous. She was arguing with her ex a lot. She gave him everything that she had and he dumped her. She was confused as to why he dumped her. She was devastated by the break up. She felt like he would pay for breaking up with her and she wanted him to change his mind about leaving. Adele decides to have a change of heart and leaves. She tells him that he could go if he wanted to leave. She wants him to take her love and go.
# 8 – I’ll Be Waiting
The song has a pop sound. “I’ll Be Waiting” is a song about not giving up on a relationship. She doesn’t want to get over a break up. Adele wanted this song to be a love anthem and not a break up anthem. She does talk about how the relationship ended, but she can’t get over her lover. She wants him to forgive her for what she did. The song is an apology for her wrongdoings. Adele goes into detail about what broke them up. She has hope that they will get back together. She wanted this to be a positive track about a break up.
A lot of her songs have a negative connotation on relationships so she wanted to take a break from that. She wanted her fans to know that she had hope that her relationship would work out despite everything that happened. Adele wanted to channel her inner Amy Winehouse on this track. She still maintained what works for her, but she wanted to put a positive spin on the break up. She insists she will be better to him than she was before. She admits to him what she did to ruin things. She explains the miles between them didn’t help, but she believes things will work out.
# 9 – One and Only
The track has a pop beat. “One and Only” strays from her pattern. She strayed away from the bitter anthems and wrote a love song. She wrote this song about someone she knew for years. They liked each other even though they never got together. She didn’t date him, but she had feelings for him. She was sure that she would marry him one day. She talks about the way she feels about him and how she wants him to hold her in his arms. Adele wanted to build up the courage to admit her feelings for him. She had feelings for him for a long time, but never told him.
Adele wanted to be vulnerable on this song and talk about how she much she loves the guy she wants. She talks about how he’s been on her mind. This song isn’t about the ex she discusses passionately throughout the album. She took the opportunity to express her love for a man who will never know how she feels. She wants him to get over his past and be with her. She asks him for a chance so they can be together. She feels like he loves her too, but doesn’t want to admit it.
# 10 – Lovesong
The song has a folk beat. “Love Song” is another song that strays from her bitter anthems. She chose this song as a dedication to her mother and friends. She relied on them when she was homesick. They made her feel good when she was feeling down. This is the only song on the album that she didn’t write. The Cure recorded this song before Adele. Adele got a chance to sing something positive about a relationship even if it’s not a romantic one. Adele talks about how she would always love the people in her life. She wants her listeners to know how much the people in her life mean to her. She made her version of the song more soulful and sensual than The Cure’s version of it.
# 11 – Someone Like You
The last song on our list of the Real Meaning Behind The Songs On Adele’s 21 Album is “Someone Like You.” The song has a soul beat. This song closes out the album with an epiphany. She starts the album talking about her hatred for her ex-boyfriend and ends it with a song about closure. She wants to move on and forgive her ex for what he did to her. She wishes him the best of luck with his life. She wants him to remember all of the good times they had together. The song is a change from the beginning of the album. The song shows that she is ready to move on from the bitterness and be positive.
Adele talks about coming to terms with the end of the relationship. She went from wanting to get revenge on him in “Rolling in the Deep” to wanting him to have the best in “Someone Like You.” She wants to show the public her mature side on this track. She wanted to write a song that was the opposite of her bitter anthems. She wanted to write about accepting the end of a relationship. She opens the song talking about how he marriage another woman. She’s happy for him and wants the best for him. She chose not to be bitter on the song.
Real Meanings Behind The Songs On Adele’s 21 Album article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2022
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
