To Be Loved by Adele Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Echoes of Sacrifice and Courage
Lyrics
I was so young that it was hard to know
I’m as lost now as I was back then
Always make a mess of everything
It’s about time that I face myself
All I do is bleed into someone else
Painting walls with all my secret tears
Filling rooms with all my hopes and fears
But oh my, oh my
I’ll never learn if I never leap
I’ll always yearn if I never speak
To be loved and love at the highest count
Means to lose all the things I can’t live without
Let it be known that I will choose to lose
It’s a sacrifice but I can’t live a lie
Let it be known, let it be known that I tried
I’m so afraid but I’m open wide
I’ll be the one to catch myself this time
Trying to learn to lean in to it all
Ain’t it funny how the mighty fall?
Looking back I don’t regret a thing
Yeah, I took some bad turns that I am owning
I’ll stand still and let the storm pass by
Keep my heart safe ’til the time feels right
But oh my, oh my
I’ll never learn if I never leap
I’ll always yearn if I never speak
To be loved and love at the highest count
Means to lose all the things I can’t live without
Let it be known that I will choose to lose
It’s a sacrifice but I can’t live a lie
Let it be known
Let it be known that I cried for you
Even started lying to you
What a thing to do
All because I wanted
To be loved and love at the highest count
Means to lose all the things I can’t live without
Let it be known, known, known
That I will choose, I will lose
It’s a sacrifice but I can’t live a lie
Let it be known
Let it be known that I tried, that I tried
Let it be known that I tried
Amidst the thunderous applause for heart-rending ballads, Adele’s ‘To Be Loved’ stands as a monumental testament to raw vulnerability and the intrinsic complexity of love. The song is not merely a melody but an odyssey of courage, sacrifice, and the bittersweet trade-offs that come with loving deeply and earnestly.
In this soul-stirring composition from her album ’30’, Adele offers more than just her signature powerhouse vocals; she imparts a piece of her own heartbreak and revelation. As we navigate through the lyrical intricacies of ‘To Be Loved’, we delve into the transformative journey of confronting one’s truths for the ultimate act of self-respect and growth.
Constructing a Palace of Vulnerability
The song opens with a confession of naivety, where Adele recounts the idealistic beginnings of love, likening it to building a house with the expectation of nurturing sentiment. Yet, despite the passage of time, she admits to a persistent sense of disorientation, a soul still searching for direction.
In painting this picture, Adele raises a mirror to the audience, reflecting a universal struggle of attempting to curate perfect lives and relationships, only to be met with our inherently flawed human nature. The messes we make, the secret tears – they are the hidden strokes in the masterpiece of our own vulnerability.
The Duality of Love and Loss
The crux of ‘To Be Loved’ lies in its chorus—an electric charge of truth that resonates with a chilling clarity. Love at its paramount, as sung by Adele, demands a staggering price: the willingness to part with everything one deems indispensable.
This hauntingly beautiful paradox illuminates love’s most daunting aspect, the sacrifice. Yet, the song’s power emerges not from the loss itself but the conscious choice to embrace that loss. To love so profoundly that one finds strength in surrender is the battle cry echoing throughout the verses.
The Hidden Meaning: An Ode to Self-Respect
While at face value the song might seem to wade in the melancholy of love, a closer listen reveals a celebration of self-respect. ‘Let it be known that I will choose to lose’, Adele sings, showcasing that the ultimate decision to forego a lie in favor of truth is, in itself, an act of immense courage and love for oneself.
The recurring theme here is choice—active and deliberate. Adele isn’t passively experiencing love’s trials but intentionally participating in its reality, even when it culminates in her own hurt. This isn’t just about love shared with another; it’s about how loving oneself can sometimes mean walking away from what no longer serves our emotional well-being.
The Mighty’s Fall and Rise
By acknowledging her fear and simultaneously professing an openness to experience, ‘To Be Loved’ encapsulates the dichotomy faced by the strong and the mighty. The admission of fear in full-throated vulnerability signifies a fall from perceived invincibility, and yet it is in this very plummet that strength is found.
Adele’s lyrics successfully marry the imagery of resilience and reflection. It is not the absence of regret but the acceptance and ownership of past missteps that crown her narrative with relatability and hope. That even in stillness, through life’s tumultuous storms, there lies a preparation for love’s rightful timing.
Memorable Lines: The Clarity of Chosen Sacrifice
In a song where each phrase is delicately woven with intent, ‘It’s a sacrifice but I can’t live a lie’ arrests the listener with its stark honesty. These words distil the essence of Adele’s message and drive the song’s emotional resonance.
The admission of willing sacrifice juxtaposed with the refusal to live dishonestly creates an anthem for those who have loved not wisely but too well. It’s a lyrical nod to the ancient wisdom that true love isn’t blind adoration but the searing clarity of seeing—and loving—both the light and the darkness within another and within ourselves.
