Blogocentric Formulations

Easy On Me

"The Soundtrack of Your Life"  | Day 5

"Easy On Me"
by Adele

I'm including the lyric video version of this song because the actual music video includes almost two full minutes of "intro" story, and that's one of my pet peeves. I get that every song tells a story and whatnot, but if the music in a music video doesn't actually begin until 30% of the way into the video, I'm out. So I found the lyric video instead, which gets right to it.

One of my favorite things about Adele's music (and her albums in general) is that they're a snapshot in time. She writes about what she's going through at the time, and she doesn't rush albums until she has something to write about. Each of her albums is titled after her age at the time of their release (19, 21, 25, and 30), and this particular song is from 30, which was just released in November 2021. It deals with a number of her personal and professional experiences over the preceding six years, including becoming a mother, getting divorced, dealing with the pros and cons of being famous, etc. It's an amazing album, and her raw emotional experiences shine through on every track.

While this song, for Adele, is a plea to her son (who had just turned nine when this album was released) to go "easy on her" and be kind to her despite her mistakes, including her divorce from his father. The lyrics at the end of the song - the last stanza and the repeated chorus - really had a particularly profound impact on me:

I had good intentions
And the highest hopes
But I know right now
That probably doesn't even show

Go easy on me, baby
I was still a child
I didn't get the chance to
Feel the world around me
I had no time to choose
What I chose to do
So go easy on me

As I get older, I'm learning how to deal with these own feelings in my life. Of things not turning out exactly the way I had hoped despite good intentions and high hopes. Of feeling like the choices you make aren't really choices at all because they're dictated by the circumstances you find yourself in and you're just trying to make the best of the hand you've been dealt. And the desire for grace for all the mistakes you've made and things you wish you would have done differently.

I really admire Adele for how raw her music is, for how nakedly honest she is with her audience and herself. It's the kind of art I think we can all learn something from because, as artists, most of us struggle with how much of our authentic selves to infuse in our work. This song is the kind of work I aspire to one day create... something beautiful and resonant that's also true to myself.