Rolling In The Deep

Rolling In The Deep is an incredible song recorded by Adele for her second studio album, 21. In 2009, she won Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Adele has broken several chart records.

General information

Writers: Adele and Paul Epworth
Producer: Paul Epworth
Genre: soul, blues, pop
Tempo: 104 beats per minute
Key: C minor
Vocals span from B♭3 to D5.
Instruments: bass, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, kick drum, piano, claps, snare drum, cymbal, background vocals, lead vocals
Duration: 03:48
The song ends properly, without a fade out.
It spent seven weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Rolling In The Deep Chords

The Rolling In The Deep chords below are for intermediate players. This amazing song takes a little time to learn but it's worth the effort. The more songs you learn to play, the better songwriter you become. And although it's possible to be a songwriter without being able to play instruments, like the amazing David Foster said, it's one of the most important skills a songwriter can have. I'd listen to him if I were you! :)

Intro: C5

Verses: C5, G5, B♭5, G5, B♭5 (four times in the first verse, two times in the second, only Cm, Cm in the third)

Pre-Choruses: A♭, B♭, Gm7, A♭, B♭, Gm, G

Choruses: Cm, B♭, A♭maj7, B♭ (twice)

Bridge: B♭, A♭maj7, B♭, Cm, B♭, A♭maj7

Last line of last chorus: B♭, A♭maj7, A♭, B♭, Cm

Structure

Rolling In The Deep has a pretty unusual structure. After the second Chorus it doesn't go straight into the Bridge but there is a third Verse. Also, the Bridge (or we could call it a new version on the Chorus, a breakdown) doesn't contain much "new material", the lines from the Chorus are repeated with two new lines being repeated in the background. So the song structure of Rolling In The Deep is the following: Verse 1 / Pre-Chorus / Chorus / Verse 2 / Pre-Chorus / Chorus / Verse 3 / Bridge (or modified Chorus) / Chorus.

Melody

The song follows the basic chord progression of C5–G5–B♭5–G5–B♭5. The melody is very beat oriented, the piano comes in quite late into the song. There is a lot of dynamics in the song. The energy gradually increases and almost peaks during the first Chorus. Naturally, the other peaks are the next occasions when the Choruses come in. The song reaches the absolute top seconds before the sudden end of the song. The lowest part from the intensity point of view is the Bridge (or modified Chorus).

Lyrics

The title of the song is great because it sounds interesting and it makes you curious of what the song might be about. The Verses are very well-crafted, creative and poetic, there is great imagery that holds your attention from the start. The Verses have an AABB rhyme pattern. The number of the syllables range from 9 to 13 a line. The Pre-Choruses beautifully transition the listener from the Verse to the Chorus. And when the Chorus finally comes, listening really pays off. Interestingly, the Choruses comprise 49% of the whole song. They sum up everything the singer has gone through. Although the theme of the song is not unique (we were together, then you deceived me…), it presents the situation in an interestingly unique manner.




What Can We Learn From All This?
This is an amazing song, there's no doubt about that. But it's Adele's soaring vocals that makes it an undeniable hit. There is so much soul in it that you can't help but feel what she is feeling. The success of this song also shows that there is still room for songs sung by a "human". It's a great relief with it's raw production. The song communicates the emotions extremely well, it overflows with emotion and it's original. The proportion of the different sections is perfect. The title occurs 15 times within the song, which makes it easy to remember. The clear domination of the Choruses also help the song to become unforgettable. I haven't met one person (no matter what genre of music they like) who wasn't in love with this song…

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