Background and release
The backing track for the song was composed by two Australian musicians, Jason Resch and Kieran Jones, who would later play the song for Higgins.[4] Higgins and Miranda Cooper, afraid they'd "ruin the moment", waited weeks to write the song's lyrics; they wrote the song in seven minutes.[4] As soon as Girls Aloud heard the song, they decided it should be the first single from Out of Control.[4] The day before the song was due to be delivered to Fascination Records, the entire backing track was ditched and replayed.[4]
"The Promise" premièred on Switch on BBC Radio 1 on 14 September 2008,[5] and has been described by the band's website as a "stormer of a track".[2] Originally scheduled for release on 27 October 2008,[2] the release was inexplicably brought forward a week.[3] Girls Aloud performed "The Promise" on Jo Whiley's Live Lounge, as well as a cover of Timbaland and OneRepublic's "Apologize".[6] Nadine Coyle was not present, as she was ill with shingles.[7] Sarah Harding had originally wanted to perform "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon.[8] "The Promise" was also remixed by Dave Audé and Jason Nevins. The album version of "The Promise" is around fifteen seconds longer.[1]
The song was released in Germany on 16 January 2009 as a digital download.[9]
[edit] Critical reception
The song is notable for its 1960s influence.[10] "The Promise" has been called "a 60s-influenced pop gem given a contemporary Girls Aloud twist",[11] and "more interesting than the average retro-pop nugget."[12] Digital Spy referred to the single as "a cute, wistful pop song" with "some nice Spectorish touches in the production and a lovely, classic-sounding melody" that "grows more persuasive with every listen."[10][12] It was criticised for being "a shameless attempt at trying to cash in on the Duffy and Winehouse favoured 60's femme pop."[13] On the other hand, Slant Magazine said that while it "suggests the girls have [...] shallowly jumped aboard the retro-soul bandwagon led by Duffy and Amy Winehouse, [...] the song's go-for-broke, very modern re-imagining of Spector's Wall of Sound proves to be more authentic and entertaining than most other recent attempts".[14] Peter Robinson stated in the liner notes for an official Girls Aloud singles boxset that the song "also hinted at a mellower side of 70's New York disco, as if it were some sort of long soundtrack from a deleted scene in Saturday Night Fever.[4]
The Guardian, however, felt the song was "disappointing" because "Girls Aloud's producers have always been capable of making exciting and innovative pop music".[15] It has also received comparisons to Girls Aloud's previous single, "Can't Speak French".[10] Terry Wogan has also claimed that the tune features the melody from the theme song of Blankety Blank, a British TV quiz show from the 1980s.
The Promise
Girls Aloud Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything he does, better than anything ordinary
Everything he wants he gets
Cause everything he gets is kinda necessary
I believe in love
Tell me can anything last forever
Life can live up to love
Got a hand on my heart gonna stay in heaven
You're gonna make me, make me love you
Nothing at all, nothing that I do
Promise I made, promise I made
Started to fade, started to fade, Babe
Maybe next time I will take the right on by
I wanna feel you near
'Cause I can't play this like, I'm in too well
My letter stamp is down, and I gotta fear
Oh baby right here
Giving up to looking into windows,
Yeah I've enough of wishing I've found you
Baby don't you know
I've had as much as I can take of falling, yeah
Got a lot to learn about riding through
Here I am, walking primrose
Wondering when I'm gonna see you again
So here I am, walking primrose
Wondering when I'm gonna see you again
I got my hands all ready to touch your soul
I'm gonna get the energy to wind me close to you
Got my eyes on the prize
Are you watching me baby?
'Cause my heart is turning to solid gold
And my head is saying honey too good to be true
Oh one look into your glitter eyes
How else telling me every time
Maybe it's not that hard to know you
Maybe we'll make it up and go
Maybe we'll work things out
'Cause there's only one way up and one way down I know
If you wanna convince me start again
If you wanna be with me in my arms
The lyrics of Girls Aloud's song The Promise are about a woman who is in love with a man who is better than anyone she’s ever known before. He is exceptional in everything that he does, and he always gets exactly what he wants because everything he gets is essential. Despite acknowledging that love may not last forever, the singer believes in it, and she is hopeful that it will prevail. She promises to love him, but the relationship they share is beginning to fade.
The singer confesses that she may not have made the right choices in the past, but she is ready to take the right turn now. She wants to be with the person she loves and feels that she has had enough of merely wishing she could be with him. She asserts that she has a lot to learn about riding through the ups and downs of a relationship.
The chorus is a promise that she will love him, but this is turning into merely words, as their relationship isn't working. She is aware that they may have to work out their issues if they want to be together. The song expresses the singer's willingness to work things out and try again if he can convince her that he loves her.
Line by Line Meaning
One two three four
Starting the song off with a simple count-in
Everything he does, better than anything ordinary
He's not just doing things, he's doing them really well
Everything he wants he gets
He's not content with just hoping, he goes for what he wants
Cause everything he gets is kinda necessary
He doesn't go after things he doesn't need
I believe in love
A statement of the singer's belief
Tell me can anything last forever
Questioning the idea of forever
Life can live up to love
Hoping that life can match up to the ideal of love
Got a hand on my heart gonna stay in heaven
Feeling like she's in heaven
You're gonna make me, make me love you
Addressing the person who is making her feel these strong emotions
Nothing at all, nothing that I do
She can't control how she feels
Promise I made, promise I made
Referencing a promise made earlier in the relationship
Started to fade, started to fade, Babe
The promise is no longer as strong
Maybe next time I will take the right on by
Regretting a past decision and hoping to do better in the future
I wanna feel you near
Craving closeness with the person being addressed
'Cause I can't play this like, I'm in too well
She's feeling too strong of emotions to keep it under control
My letter stamp is down, and I gotta fear
Feeling vulnerable and exposed
Oh baby right here
Requesting closeness and comfort
Giving up to looking into windows,
Feeling like she's been looking for something for a long time
Yeah I've enough of wishing I've found you
Tired of waiting and wishing for someone
Baby don't you know
Asking the person for reassurance
I've had as much as I can take of falling, yeah
Sick of feeling hurt and vulnerable
Got a lot to learn about riding through
Acknowledging there's still room for growth and learning
Here I am, walking primrose
Setting the scene with a visual detail
Wondering when I'm gonna see you again
Hoping for a reunion with the person being addressed
So here I am, walking primrose
Repeating the detail from before
Wondering when I'm gonna see you again
Repeating the same sentiment
I got my hands all ready to touch your soul
Desiring a deeper connection with the person being addressed
I'm gonna get the energy to wind me close to you
Willing herself to be brave and make a move
Got my eyes on the prize
Focused on what she wants
Are you watching me baby?
Checking to see if there's a connection
'Cause my heart is turning to solid gold
Feeling like she's found something valuable
And my head is saying honey too good to be true
Trying to reconcile her emotions with skepticism
Oh one look into your glitter eyes
Describing the person she's attracted to
How else telling me every time
Confused but certain of her feelings
Maybe it's not that hard to know you
Feeling like she has a good read on the person she's attracted to
Maybe we'll make it up and go
An optimistic statement about the future
Maybe we'll work things out
Another hopeful statement
'Cause there's only one way up and one way down I know
Acknowledging that there are ups and downs in every relationship
If you wanna convince me start again
Asking the person to prove themselves
If you wanna be with me in my arms
Expressing a desire for physical closeness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Timothy Martin Powell, Carla Maria Williams, Nick Coler, Kieran Rhys Jones, Jason Peter Resch, Brian Thomas Higgins, Miranda Eleanor De Fonbrune Cooper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DR.MF.DOOMSDAY
RIP Sarah Harding. Girls Aloud were chart dominant in their day. Wouldn’t usually be my cup of tea but these genuinely were brilliant, this being at their best.
@tobychew100
same here. Sarah was very talented. it's so sad. r.i.p Sarah.
@Justme-zn2qi
Same here, music not my cup of tea but I’m the same age as Sarah and it’s just so unfair she had to go through this. I’ve lost my dad to aggressive cancer its awful. I’m honestly so gutted over this, god bless her family 💕😭😭
@tobychew100
@Just Me sorry about your dad.
@tobychew100
@MK that's crazy
@natureclips5849
She reminded me of Dusty Springfield in her later years
@Steelpeachandtozer
This is a classic song and Sarah really rips your heart out with that line "Here i am...walking primrose." Such an underrated group. Not surprised it was voted song of the year.
@3bottlesfor10
My favourite part of the song. When I heard about the reunion tour, my mind immediately went to this line. Who could sing it besides Sarah? I wonder if they’ll somehow feature her in the show with old footage as a tribute to her.
@user-mm3bg6ct1d
Sarah on the big screen from this video I hope. Include her as much as possible
@Steelpeachandtozer
@3bottlesfor10 I would definitely like to see Sarah represented in some way that compliments their onstage performance. I always have bitter-sweet feelings about GA. They never received their full dues as a group. Sarah and Cheryl especially were treated horribly by the press over nothing-stories. Made me so angry. As time passes, more and more people will be asking ' How come I never heard of GA?' I kinda envy their discovery of one of the best groups of all time.Countless future generations are in for a treat.