Brought up in Berkshire, Winslet studied drama from childhood, and began her career in British television in 1991. She made her film debut in Heavenly Creatures (1994), for which she received her first notable critical praise. She achieved recognition for her subsequent work in a supporting role in Sense and Sensibility (1995) and for her leading role in Titanic (1997), the highest-grossing film in the world at the time.
Since 2000, Winslet's performances have continued to draw positive comments from film critics, and she has been nominated for various awards for her work in such films as Quills (2000), Iris (2001), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Finding Neverland (2004), Little Children (2006), The Reader (2008), and Revolutionary Road (2008). Her performance in the last of these prompted New York magazine critic David Edelstein to describe her as "the best English-speaking film actress of her generation". The romantic comedy The Holiday and the animated film Flushed Away (both 2006) are among the biggest commercial successes of her career.
Winslet was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2000. She has been included as a vocalist on some soundtracks of works she has performed in, and the single "What If" from the soundtrack for Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001) was a hit single in several European countries. Winslet has a mezzo-soprano singing voice.
What If
Kate Winslet Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With this weight upon my heart
And it will not go away
In my head I keep on looking back
Right back to the start
Wondering what it was that made you change
Well I tried
And still this question keeps on spinning in my mind
What if I had never let you go
Would you be the man I used to know
If I'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
Many roads to take
Some to joy
Some to heart-ache
Anyone can lose their way
And if I said that we could turn it back
Right back to the start
Would you take the chance and make the change
Do you think how it would have been sometimes
Do you pray that I'd never left your side
What if I had never let you go
Would you be the man I used to know
If I'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
If only we could turn the hands of time
If I could take you back would you still be mine
'Cause I tried
But I had to draw the line
And still this question keeps on spinning in my mind
What if I had never let you go
Would you be the man I used to know
What if I had never walked away
'Cause I still love you more than I can say
If I'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
We'll never know
The lyrics to Kate Winslet's "What If...?" song are emotional and reflective, as the singer is filled with regret and longing. She is trying to come to terms with her past and is wondering about the different paths that her life could have taken if she had made different choices. The opening lines "Here I stand alone/With this weight upon my heart/And it will not go away" immediately set the tone of the song, revealing the singer's loneliness, sadness, and the burden of the past.
As she looks back and wonders what went wrong in her past relationship, she asks herself the poignant question "What if I had never let you go/Would you be the man I used to know." This line is powerful in its simplicity as it captures the singer's desire to know if things could have been different if she had made a different choice. She also wonders if her former partner feels the same and if they both regret the breakup.
The chorus is the most memorable part of the song, relating the idea that it is impossible to know what could have been if they had stayed together as a couple. The line "if we could only turn back time" is especially poignant because it expresses the wishful thinking of many people who have experienced a painful break-up.
Overall, the lyrics of "What If...?" are powerful, emotional, and resonant, capturing the regrets and longings for lost love that many people experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I stand alone
Kate Winslet is standing alone, feeling lonely
With this weight upon my heart
She is burdened with emotional baggage
And it will not go away
The feeling is indelible and can't be erased
In my head I keep on looking back
Kate is reminiscing about the past
Right back to the start
She remembers how everything started
Wondering what it was that made you change
She's questioning why her significant other changed
Well I tried
She attempted to make things work
But I had to draw the line
She reached her limit
And still this question keeps on spinning in my mind
Her question is still unanswered
Many roads to take
There are a lot of options or paths to choose from
Some to joy
Some paths lead to happiness
Some to heart-ache
Some paths lead to pain and sadness
Anyone can lose their way
Everyone can get lost in life
And if I said that we could turn it back
If she can go back to the past
Would you take the chance and make the change
Will her significant other fix their past mistakes?
Do you think how it would have been sometimes
Do you sometimes think how different it would be?
Do you pray that I'd never left your side
Do you wish she never left?
What if I had never let you go
Thinking about what could have happened if she didn't leave
Would you be the man I used to know
Kate is questioning if he's still the same person she knew before
If I'd stayed
Had Kate stayed with him
If you'd tried
If her significant other had tried harder
If we could only turn back time
If they could only go back to the past
But I guess we'll never know
Sadly, they'll never know what would happen if things were different
If only we could turn the hands of time
If only they have control of time
If I could take you back would you still be mine
If Kate could go back to the past, would her significant other still choose to be with her?
'Cause I still love you more than I can say
Kate still loves her significant other so much
If I'd stayed
If she stayed with him
If you'd tried
If her significant other tried to make things work
But I guess we'll never know
Unfortunately they will never know what might have happened
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Steven McCutcheon, Wayne Anthony Hector
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@katyelizabethdarnbrough7640
Back in 2023 to listen to this AMAZING voice of Kate Winslett! Hands up if you're singing this at the top of your voices trying to convince yourself you sound just like Kate! 👋 nope...no-one...?....just me then...? 😂
@giulia.30
Moi aussi 💫🌸❤️✨
@LivviKin
Nah, me too. For sure.
@scdbpc965
😊❤
@MaZa_HaKa
And not only you, but me too!!!👍
@WingsQ
Me too! ❤️
@iamjamesyjj
this woman can do EVERYTHING!!!
@paulabdul4505
What is this shit.
@juliewheatley8411
She sure can she does not get the credit she deserves
@eddiehitler9822
I wish she'd do me...