British singer Adele is an icon. Exploding onto the Pop Music scene with her debut album, 19, in 2008, this songstress came out of nowhere and blew everyone’s socks off. She won awards, accolades, and the respect of the music industry. And, of course, a horde of fans. But, at 19 years old, she was only getting started.
Her next album, 2011’s 21, was a dynamo. It included some massive hits, like “Set Fire to the Rain.” So, if you’ve been wondering about the meaning behind “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele, now’s your chance to find out what it’s all about. So, without further ado, let’s get into it.
Adele the Diva
Adele’s story is one of an incredible, almost rocket-like rise to stardom. She was born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins in London in 1988. Although, she’ll always be known as just Adele. Much like other single-named superstars, Madonna, Prince, and Beyoncé.
With her mother, she moved to Brighton for a short time and then returned to her much-beloved home city. From a very young age, she was focused on making voices and singing. This focus only grew and intensified as she got older.
As a teenager, she auditioned for and won a place in the prestigious BRIT School, a national creative arts high school in London. There, she honed her craft and built the foundation for her rise to stardom.
Once Adele graduated…
She wasted no time in jumping straight into a singing career. Adele began performing in small venues as a singer-guitarist and was “discovered” and signed to XL Recordings. She then released the song “Hometown Glory” when she was just 16. That got her a whole lot of attention.
In 2008, she dropped her debut album, 19 (the age she was when she wrote and recorded most of its songs). It ended up being massive. You’ll remember songs like “Chasing Pavements” and “Make You Feel My Love”. In that early work, she was mixing styles like Jazz, Folk, and Indie Rock.
This album has sold 8.5 million copies, won her two Grammy Awards, and made Adele, almost instantly, a household name. Pretty good for a 20-year-old.
Adele became famous almost overnight…
She was touring the world, playing TV appearances, and making huge amounts of money. Also, drinking and partying a lot. But, her almost obsessive love style got her into some binds.
First, with a younger guy who she made some pretty bad business decisions to be with. And, later, with an older man who broke her heart. This second relationship was the basis for many of the songs on her follow-up album, 21. You guessed it; she was just 21 when she put it together.
This album was an even bigger success…
It is the best-selling album of this century in the UK so far. And it has been certified diamond (over 10 million in sales) in the US. It included the songs “Rolling In The Deep”, “Someone Like You”, and, of course, “Set Fire to the Rain.” All those tracks are laden with emotion and show off Adele’s incredible singing talent. It won both the Brit and Grammy Awards for Album of the Year in 2011.
Since then, she has released two more albums. 25 in 2015 and 30 in 2021. She continues to write hits, win awards, and build her already enormous following. In 2022-2023, she took up a residency at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, performing 32 concerts. Only real divas get to do such things!
Now that we’ve gone into Adele’s background, it’s time to take a look at one of the songs that made Adele famous and the diva that she is today.
The Meaning Behind “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele
The song “Set Fire to the Rain” can best be understood against the backdrop of the record 21. This was her sophomore album and also Adele’s break-up album. It was almost entirely inspired by her relationship with an unnamed older man that left her reeling. Adele admits that her love style is intense, and bordering on obsessive. You get this feeling from all the deep emotion in the songs on 21.
And “Set Fire to the Rain” definitely explodes with deep emotion…
The relationship she sings about in this song was with an older man. It was something new, different, and all-encompassing for the young singer. She claims that he opened her eyes to a whole world of interesting things. Whereas in the past, she was only interested in drinking and clubbing.
She sings about being in a bad place when she was “saved” by this relationship. But she also admits to a power imbalance and her weakness and obsession. Then things fell apart as she learned that her partner was not who she thought he was. She learned that the relationship was built upon deceit and playing games. And even after the breakup, she still admits to being under the man’s spell at times.
So, what has this all got to do with lighting rain on fire?
While other songs on 21, especially “Someone Like You,” are sad and mournful, this song is sad and angry. This is another side of Adele’s emotions that she explores with this song.
She claims that she was inspired to write the song when her cigarette lighter stopped working in the rain once. This frustration is fairly commonplace. But, in the hands of an artist like Adele, it became an inspiration to do the impossible.
The title of the song is about doing the impossible…
When she sings that she “set fire to the rain,” she is talking about wrenching herself away from the relationship that was so bad for her. Even though she still obsessively wants his love. She uses the passionate and even violent imagery of setting a fire to evoke feelings of burning down and destroying the past. And even, perhaps, her past self. Maybe this is the only way she can go on with her life.
The imagery in the lyrics of “Set Fire To The Rain” struck a chord with her audience. This song went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and has sold over five million copies. And that’s not counting the tears that have been cried over it!
The Music Behind “Set Fire to the Rain”
The song was written by Adele with help from Fraser T. Smith, who also handled production. And it is heavily produced in its original version, creating a sort of orchestral Pop sound. In other versions, such as this video of her live performance at the Royal Albert Hall, her voice stands out more against the backdrop of the orchestra, creating even more intensity.
The album version on 21 begins with a soulful piano, and Adele’s voice comes in on top of a light beat. This creates a tension that is perfect for this opening verse describing her relationship. That is followed by a pre-chorus that builds things up with low, deep, and dark strings and a cool bass groove.
Then, the chorus swells with violins sweeping in to carry Adele’s voice away. In the second pre-chorus, backing vocals amp things up another notch. And in the second chorus, the orchestra also builds up. A short bridge with staccato strings adds more tension. Finally, the last chorus and outro let Adele’s voice soar into her high register.
Her voice is powerful and yet always in control…
This is thanks to vocal compression and other effects that made the album version radio-friendly. However, in live recorded versions, you get to hear Adele’s voice as it naturally is. The effect is even more powerful.
Her control is incredible, and she uses it to weave emotion into her performance. She lets her voice just barely crack in places to show the extremes of her emotions. In other places, she bends notes to suggest weeping. But, when needed, she soars up to reach her notes perfectly, as only a true diva can do.
The Video for “Set Fire to the Rain”
Do you remember the music video for “Set Fire to the Rain”? No? That’s because there wasn’t one. Not officially, anyway. That’s due, in large part, to the fact that Adele had throat surgery quite soon after the release of 21.
She had a polyp removed, and because her voice is her money-maker, she wisely took a long rest to make sure she would recover properly. Some fans have suggested that she did more than recover and that her voice sounded better than ever after the operation.
As for a video…
Adele released the live version at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s a great performance. But there are other wonderful live videos out there as well. For example, in her London Palladium performance in 2021 where she introduces the song with “This is an oldie.” And a light and sound extravaganza from her 2022 Las Vegas residency.
In all of her live videos for this song, Adele’s voice is unbridled. For me, that brings way more passion to her performance than the more-sterile album version.
Legacy of “Set Fire to the Rain”
This song has been a favorite of Adele fans for over a decade. It hit the top of the UK charts and was also Adele’s third #1 single from 21 in a row. In 2013, Adele won a Grammy Award for Best Solo Pop Performance for this track. She also won two BMI awards.
This song has been used in singing competitions by numerous performers hoping to achieve Adele-level fame. And the video for the Live at the Royal Albert Hall version has been viewed over 745 million times. “Set Fire To The Rain” was an instant classic Adele song and one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Curious About The Meaning Of Other Songs?
Well, then check out our thoughts on the Meaning Behind “Ghost” Song by Justin Bieber, the Meaning Behind “Purple Rain” Song By Prince, The Meaning Behind “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele, The Meaning Behind “Waterfalls” by TLC, and The Meaning Behind “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails for more song analysis and insights.
The Meaning Behind “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele Explained
Adele is a singing superstar who got famous by pouring her heart out through her microphone. On her 2011 record 21, she focused on a confessional-style break-up record that featured “Set Fire to the Rain,” a song about doing the impossible. This song looks at a relationship gone bad. And the nearly impossible task of putting that history behind you.
Adele’s voice is impassioned and full of power in the track. She sings from deep in her heart and her diaphragm, to deliver one of the best vocal performances of the 2010s. And she was only 21 when she did it. As she continues to grow and develop as an artist, I do not doubt that we’ll continue to hear bigger and better things from Adele.
Until next time, happy listening.
