“Hometown Glory”
Home is a dwelling place where one’s feelings are placed. It is a place where one feels comfortable and happy, but not everyone has the same definition of home. Others may express home in different ways like in a song, like artists who relate their music to personal experiences. Adele’s “Hometown Glory” expresses the definition of home as a country that is united, diverse, and a place to appreciate. This artist uses various literary items in her song to allow listeners to appreciate the piece and leave the song for their own interpretation. The use of her connotation in diction, imagery, metaphors, personification and structure help the listeners interpret the meaning of her piece and what home means to the writer. This song resonates to everyone’s hometown, no matter what the place she is really singing about.
The artist appreciates the “glory” of her hometown and she does not look at it as just a place, but rather for the people that she has met and the memories they have given her. Second line in of the song “Missing out the crack and the pavements”; great use of a metaphor explains how she has lived her life in her hometown ignoring all the bad (cracks in the pavement). Just like anyone’s hometown, it may not be the greatest of places. Every place has its ups and downs and can experience social disasters. Verses 21-23 in her song describe the strength of the people in her hometown. No matter the circumstance, “we are united” (Adele, 23). The way she structured these lines in her song gives a certain tone. The way she sings this verse shows the audience that her hometown is strong. Adele points out that her world is diverse because her people are different and they may not all have the same values. Although the people have different values and perspectives, her country acknowledges the views of others and learns from what people leave behind explained with a simple verse such as “I like it in the city when two worlds collide” (Adele, 16). Her lyrics leave room for interpretation and consist mostly of metaphors. She uses descriptive words and imagery so the listeners can imagine what her hometown is like. For instance, “the air is so thick and opaque….everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades” (Adele, 14-15). It needs to be brought up that this is a short song and she picked these words to describe a typical day in her hometown. Adele admires the diversity of the people in her hometown.
Touching back on leaving room for interpretation, this verse can also mean that people are superficial and materialistic, but that is where she grew up, and she accepts them. Which is why her bridge ends with “Shows that we ain’t gonna stand shit, shows that we are united” (Adele, 19-23). Everything comes together in her song. The way she structured her lyrics tell a story. She starts off the song expressing how everyone should appreciate where they come from. She acknowledges the beauty of her country when she starts the song with “I’ve been walking in the same way as I did” (Adele, 1). Here she admits that she has been blind of the wonders of her hometown. Then she says “tutting my heel and strutting my feet” which can be interpreted as she has been walking in vain, thinking she knows where she comes from (Adele, 3). It isn’t until she starts to “wander” that she realizes that she has been oblivious to the hidden beauty that her town has to offer. Then she explains what makes her hometown beautiful in verses 14-18, and backs it up with how prideful she is of coming from London in verses 19-23 and finally she ends it with the “wonders of her world”.
It is almost as if she were trying to persuade the reader that her hometown is the best there is. The glory of her hometown is a wonder of her world and she can finally see it. Overall, the song symbolizes that home should be a place that everyone should appreciate regardless of where they come from. It can also mean to be proud of one’s background. People need to stop being defiant and ignorant of where they come from. She expresses this through the tone of her voice when she sings verses 19-23 that illustrate the strength of her country. As she gets closer to the end of her song, her voice softens because she is reminiscing on the beauty of where she came from. The way she expresses the last verse of the song gives an appreciative and affectionate tone which also relates to the way she feels about her hometown. She is sending a message to those who were once lost like her, wandering around and acting selfish, to go back where they came from, recognize its true beauty and endure it. The setting of this music video is personal. It starts off as a dark setting which coincides with her emotions at the beginning of the song, which was explain earlier in the text. As she moves through the lyrics, so do the pictures in the background illustrating where she came from. Everything flows together. Her persona, the instrumental and the lyrics all give the audience an emotional connection and a sentimental message.
It symbolizes the emotional state of Adele as she sings the song. The listener becomes embezzled in her emotions and her passion as she sings the piece that one begins to think about his /her own hometown. One can tell that this peace has a sentimental value to her. It is also one of the pieces that made her famous. The setting plays an important role in the portrayal of the message, but so does the person delivering the message. Adele is sitting in an empty room and all that surrounds her are the images of her hometown. The setting is so simple, yet the message is so strong. She sings her words with much passion which is easily portrayed in her crescendo towards the end of her song. She knows exactly how to deliver each verse. Her emotions are painted in her face and this how she makes a connection to her listeners and to the message. “Hometown Glory” is a song that defines home not only as a country, but also as a place that builds a person. Adele expresses the love and appreciation she has for her hometown in a beautiful song.
This song leaves the audience with a sentimental message that is up to their interpretation. The lyrics have so much symbolism and metaphors, that each listener can make their own personal connection to the song. Adele uses simple descriptive words, and enough imagery to give the audience a clear picture of what her hometown is like. The setting and portrayal of the song adds to its sentimental value. Regardless of what place she is singing about, the song resonates to anyone’s hometown.
Works cited
Adele. “Hometown Glory”. 19. Universal Music Publ. Ltd, 2007. CD.
