I'll Be Waiting
Adele - FLAC Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hold me closer one more time
Say that you love me in your last goodbye
Please forgive me for my sins
Yes, I swam dirty waters
But you pushed me in
I've seen your face under every sky
Over every border and on every line
You know my heart more than I do
We were the greatest, me and you

But we had time against us
And miles between us
The heavens cried
I know I left you speechless
But now the sky has cleared and it's blue
And I see my future in you

I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I'll put my hands up
I'll do everything different
I'll be better to you
I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I'll put my hands up
I'll be somebody different
I'll be better to you

Let me stay here for just one more night
Build your world around me
And pull me to the light
So I can tell you that I was wrong
I was a child then but now I'm willing to learn

But we had time against us
And miles between us




The heavens cried
I know I left you speechless
But now the sky has cleared and it's blue
And I see my future in you

I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I'll put my hands up
I'll do everything different
I'll be better to you
I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I'll put my hands up
I'll be somebody different
I'll be better to you

Time against us (time against us)
Miles between us (miles between us)
Heavens cried
I know I left you speechless
Time against us (time against us)
Miles between us (miles between us)
Heavens cried
I know I left you speechless
I know I left you speechless

I'll be waiting
I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I'll put my hands up
I'll do everything different
I'll be better to you
I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I'll put my hands up
I'll be somebody different
I'll be better to you

Overall Meaning

The song "I'll Be Waiting" by Adele is a ballad about lost love and the desire to make amends. The lyrics describe the singer's regret for past mistakes and their willingness to change in order to win back the love of their former partner. The first verse acknowledges the wrongs the singer has committed and asks for forgiveness. The second verse reflects on the past and the strong connection that the two had, and the chorus reinforces the singer's commitment to change and their desire to be with their partner again.


The third verse is a plea to stay with the partner for one more night and to allow the singer to make things right. The repetition of "time against us" and "miles between us" emphasizes the difficulty of the situation and the challenges the couple has faced. The song ends with a reiteration of the singer's commitment to wait for their partner and to be a better person for them.


Upon its release, "I'll Be Waiting" received critical acclaim, with many praising Adele's vocals and the song's emotional depth. The song was included on Adele's second studio album, "21," which was released in 2011. The album went on to win multiple Grammy Awards and was a commercial success, selling over 31 million copies worldwide.


Line by Line Meaning

Hold me closer one more time
Please embrace me one final time


Say that you love me in your last goodbye
Express your love for me as you say your final farewell


Please forgive me for my sins
I ask for your forgiveness for my transgressions


Yes, I swam dirty waters
I have done wrong and engaged in questionable activities


But you pushed me in
However, it was your influence that led me astray


I've seen your face under every sky
I have encountered you in every situation and circumstance


Over every border and on every line
Even across different countries and boundaries


You know my heart more than I do
No one understands my inner feelings and desires better than you


We were the greatest, me and you
Our love was the strongest and most special


But we had time against us
Unfortunately, time was not on our side


And miles between us
We were separated by distance


The heavens cried
The universe seems to be mourning our separation


I know I left you speechless
I hurt you deeply and you were lost for words


But now the sky has cleared and it's blue
Now things have changed and there is a sense of optimism and hope


And I see my future in you
I am confident that you are the one for me and we have a future together


I'll be waiting for you when you're ready to love me again
I will wait for you patiently until you are willing to love me again


I'll put my hands up
I will do whatever it takes to make things right


I'll do everything different
I will change my ways and be a better partner


I'll be better to you
I promise to be kinder and more considerate to you


Let me stay here for just one more night
Allow me to spend one more night with you before we part ways


Build your world around me
Let me be a part of your life and your future plans


And pull me to the light
Help me leave my past behind and move forward into a brighter future with you


So I can tell you that I was wrong
I want to admit my mistakes and apologize for my wrongdoing


I was a child then but now I'm willing to learn
In the past, I was immature and foolish, but now I am ready to grow and change for the better


Time against us (time against us)
We were running out of time to make things work


Miles between us (miles between us)
Our physical distance was creating challenges


Heavens cried
Even nature seemed to be mourning our separation


I know I left you speechless
I hurt you deeply and made you feel speechless


I'll be waiting
I will wait patiently for you


I'll be somebody different
I will change my ways and become a better person for you




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, Paul Richard Epworth

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions