Set Fire to the Rain Lyrics

[Verse 2]
When I lay with you
I could stay there, close my eyes
Feel you here forever
You and me together, nothing is better

[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true
And the games you'd play
You would always win, always win


[Chorus]
But I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screamin' out your name
Your name

I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
When we fell, somethin' died
'Cause I knew that that was the last time
The last time
[Bridge]
Sometimes, I wake up by the door
That heart you caught must be waitin' for you
Even now, when we're already over
I can't help myself from lookin' for you

[Chorus]
I set fire to the rain
Watched it pour as I touched your face
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screamin' out your name
Your name

I set fire to the rain
And I threw us into the flames
When we fell, somethin' died
'Cause I knew that that was the last time
The last time

[Outro]
Oh
Oh, no
Let it burn
Oh
Let it burn
Let it burn

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About

Genius Annotation

“Set Fire To The Rain” talks about a relationship coming to an end. Girl meets guy, he is wonderful and she falls really quickly. He tells her all of these amazing things, but really they were all a lie and now she is left with a broken heart. He continually tries to play games with her and no matter hard she fights, she will never win. Nothing she can do will fix the relationship.

As hard as she doesn’t want to let him go, she breaks it off in order to save herself for further heartbreak. The pain of breaking off a relationship with someone who means so much but is two-sided and not good to be with.

The title is an allusion to James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” but Adele approaches the same themes with a thug-feminist perspective.

In the US, the song hit #1, becoming her third consecutive number one from the album. She wouldn’t reach such heights again until her comeback single “Hello” debuted at number one with a shocking 1.12 million copies sold in one week – the largest ever recorded in the US.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Adele say about "Set Fire to the Rain"?
Genius Answer

It’s just about the contradictions that are in relationships, really. One person says this, the other person says that. […] I was really, really heartbroken when I met who the song’s about, and he kind of brought me back to life, and put me back together and… he was a dickhead as well, anyway

Is there a live performance of this song?
Genius Answer

Does this track have any RIAA certifications?
Genius Answer

Yes, “Set Fire to the Rain” was certified 4x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA on July 23rd, 2012.

Credits
Produced By
Mixing Engineer
Assistant Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Performance Arranger
Strings Engineer
Strings Arranger
Recorded At
MyAudioTonic Studios, London; Angel Studios, London
Release Date
January 24, 2011
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