Adele released her second studio album, 21, in 2011. It became the world's best-selling album of the 21st century, with sales of over 31 million copies. It was certified 17× platinum in the UK (the highest by a solo artist of all time) and Diamond in the US. According to Billboard, 21 is the top-performing album in the US chart history, topping the Billboard 200 for 24 weeks (the longest for a female artist ever). She was the first female artist in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 to have three simultaneous top-ten singles as a lead artist, with "Rolling in the Deep", "Someone Like You" and "Set Fire to the Rain", all of which also topped the chart. The album received a record-tying six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and the Brit Award for British Album of the Year. The success of 21 earned Adele numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of Records.
In 2012, Adele released "Skyfall", a soundtrack single for the James Bond film of the same name, which won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Her third studio album, 25, was released in 2015 and became the year's best-selling album and broke first-week sales records in the UK and US. 25 was her second album to be certified Diamond in the US and earned her five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and four Brit Awards, including British Album of the Year. The lead single, "Hello", became the first song in the US to sell over one million digital copies within a week of its release. Her fourth studio album 30, which contains the chart-topping single "Easy on Me", was released in 2021 and became the year's best-selling album worldwide including US and UK. 30 won the 2022 Brit Award for British Album of the Year.
Adele is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 120 million records. Her accolades include fifteen Grammy Awards and twelve Brit Awards. In 2011, 2012, and 2016, Billboard named her Artist of the Year. At the 2012 and 2016 Ivor Novello Awards, Adele was named Songwriter of the Year by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors. In 2012, she was listed at number five on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music. Time magazine named her one of the most influential people in the world in 2012, 2016, and 2022. She was appointed a MBE at the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music. Her third tour saw her break attendance records globally, including in the UK, Australia, and the US, and her album 21 has been listed in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020).
Black And Gold
Adele Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of the ocean
And grew legs
And they started walking
And the apes climbed down
From the trees
And grew tall
And they started talking
And the stars
Fell out of the sky
And my tears
Rolled into the ocean
Now I'm looking
For a reason why
You even set my world
Into motion
'cause if you're not
Really here
Then the stars
Don't even matter
Now I'm filled
To the top with fear
But it's all
Just a bunch of matter
'cause if you're not
Really here
Then I don't want
To be either
I wanna be next to you
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold
I looked up
Into the grey sky
And see a thousand eyes
Staring back
And all around
These golden beacons
I see nothing but black
I feel a way of something
Beyond them
I don't see
What I can feel
If vision
Is the only validation
Then most of my life
Isn't real
'cause if you're not
Really here
Then the stars
Don't even matter
Now I'm filled
To the top with fear
But it's all
Just a bunch of matter
'cause if you're not
Really here
Then I don't want
To be either
I wanna be next to you
Black and gold
Black and gold
Black and gold
The lyrics to Adele's song Black and Gold depict a sense of loss and fear in the absence of a loved one. The first verse describes a world in which everything seems out of place and unfamiliar, where fish walk on land and apes can speak. The imagery is surreal and dreamlike, perhaps symbolizing the disorientation and confusion that come with the absence of a significant other. The second verse describes a feeling of being lost and disconnected from the world, as if everything is just a bunch of matter without meaning or purpose without the person you love.
The chorus repeats the phrase "if you're not really here" and uses repetition to emphasize the importance of this person's presence in the singer's life. The use of black and gold as a repeated motif suggests a contrast between darkness and light, and the desire for the comfort and security that come with being close to someone. The final verse adds an element of mystery, with the singer feeling a sense of something beyond what they can see, suggesting that there may be something more to life than what can be measured or validated by vision alone.
Line by Line Meaning
The fish swam
Life evolved, and the fish left the ocean.
Out of the ocean
Fish gradually evolved and left the aquatic environment.
And grew legs
Fish developed legs, which enabled them to walk on land.
And they started walking
The evolution of fish to amphibians was the beginning of the transition to land.
And the apes climbed down
The evolution of apes led to their movement from the trees to the ground.
From the trees
Apes existed in a tree-dwelling environment before eventually descending.
And grew tall
Apes underwent physical changes that allowed them to become taller and more upright.
And they started talking
As apes evolved into humans, they developed the capacity for language and communication.
And the stars
The celestial bodies in the sky, beyond our reach or understanding.
Fell out of the sky
The stars, representing a sense of cosmic order, became disordered or lost their significance.
And my tears
The expression of sadness or grief, usually from personal experience.
Rolled into the ocean
Metaphorically, the tears represent a personal contribution to the vastness of the universe.
Now I'm looking
The singer is searching for an explanation for their feelings and experiences.
For a reason why
The search is for meaning, a purpose for why things have happened.
You even set my world
Referring to another person who has had a significant impact on the singer's life.
Into motion
This person has brought change and activity into the artist's life.
'Cause if you're not
If the person mentioned is not present or real.
Really here
If this person does not exist or is not actually part of the singer's life.
Then the stars
Without this person's presence, the cosmos and its natural order lose significance.
Don't even matter
The absence of this person has a profound effect on the artist's outlook and feelings.
Now I'm filled
The individual feels overwhelmed.
To the top with fear
The emotion of fear has been amplified.
But it's all
However, this fear and emotion are only temporary.
Just a bunch of matter
The fear is not based on anything substantial or tangible.
'Cause if you're not
Similar to the previous statement, but with greater emphasis.
Really here
The importance of this person's presence in the singer's life.
Then I don't want
If this person is not in the singer's life, they don't want anything else.
To be either
If this person does not exist or cannot be with the artist, the artist doesn't want to exist, either.
I wanna be next to you
The artist wants to be near this person, showing the depth of affection and need for closeness.
Black and gold
The singer associates the colors black and gold with this person, maybe in a symbolic or personal way.
I looked up
The singer shifts their perspective to the sky again, but this time not with wonder.
Into the grey sky
The sky is no longer an endless blue expanse; it is dull and lifeless.
And see a thousand eyes
The artist feels watched or scrutinized by an impersonal, unfeeling force.
Staring back
Their gaze is unbroken and unfeeling.
And all around
There are no signs of life or light.
These golden beacons
Referring to stars in the night sky, which should represent hope and order.
I see nothing but black
However, even the stars have lost their luster and significance.
I feel a way of something
The singer senses a deeper meaning or purpose, but cannot wholly grasp it.
Beyond them
This deeper meaning lies beyond the stars and cosmic order.
I don't see
The artist's understanding is limited by their vision.
What I can feel
Their intuition and emotions guide them towards something significant but elusive.
If vision
If our understanding is limited only to what we see.
Is the only validation
If we exclusively rely on visual confirmation to comprehend the world around us.
Then most of my life
The artist suggests that their life is comprised of more than what is visible or rational.
Isn't real
The artist's existence and experiences cannot be fully understood or explained by mere observation and logic.
'Cause if you're not
Returning to the central theme of the song.
Really here
This person's presence in the singer's life is pivotal.
Then the stars
Without this person, everything else pales in comparison.
Don't even matter
The universe and all its wonders lose significance without this person's presence.
Now I'm filled
The singer is overwhelmed again.
To the top with fear
Intensifying the feeling of fear and anxiety.
But it's all
Once again, emphasizing the temporary nature of these emotions.
Just a bunch of matter
The fear lacks substance and is ultimately insignificant.
'Cause if you're not
A final repetition of the song's central idea.
Really here
The singer cannot stress this person's importance enough.
Then I don't want
The artist's existence is conditional on this person's presence.
To be either
If this person is not a part of the artist's life, then they do not want to exist.
I wanna be next to you
Reasserting the artist's desire to be near this person.
Black and gold
Reiterating the symbolic or personal importance of these colors to the singer.
Contributed by Isaac N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rockerguy1213
Can we just take a second to appreciate the seriously shreddin guitar work here?
@AlmachtigeDikke
I was looking for this comment, because YES! That's some bomb comping. It walks, supports perfectly, and shines when it has to.
@GeordieJoshua
"I sing for the ears, not for the eyes." - Adele. Beautiful girl, beautiful voice. Beautiful cover.
@italobovier
Girl, I gotta tell you something...
@GeordieJoshua
@@italobovier girl youre 11 years too late
@7livingfearless
Never knew she covered this song... one of my favorite songs! My daughter knew the words at 5 yrs old lol <3
@ellieg919
Well Sam himself said on twitter that Adele's cover of his song is his favourite among the rest so he loves it too :D
@Blood0cean
Proof?
@xxSnoopyxx
No one sings it better than Sam Sparro. Period.
@backinstolaf
The more I listen to this version the more I love it.