Behind the Meaning of One of the Best (If Not The Best) ‘Bond’ Song, Adele’s “Skyfall”

Many James Bond fans consider Adele‘s “Skyfall” to be one of the best (if not the best) themes ever written for the famed spy. Aptly haunting and dramatic, Adele’s vocals drive home the sentiments behind the accompanying Bond film. Few artists could muster the gravitas she delivered on this theme. Revisit this song with us, below, and uncover the meaning behind Adele’s brush with Bond.

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Behind the Meaning of One of the Best (If Not The Best) Bond Song, Adele’s “Skyfall”

This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the Earth move and then
Hear my heart burst again

For this is the end
I’ve drowned and dreamt this moment
So overdue, I owe them
Swept away, I’m stolen

When she was first asked, Adele struggled to find a way into writing this theme. “I write songs about myself, how can I make a ‘Bond’ song,” she asked at the time. Luckily for all of us, she found a way to insert herself into the extraordinary story of espionage and danger featured in the namesake film. In the end, she delivered a powerful anthem that can stand on its own two feet.

Adele co-wrote this track with frequent collaborator Paul Epworth. Epworth approached this task scientifically, revisiting past Bond themes and finding the common denominator between them. There is no denying he was successful in his task. This theme bottles up everything good about Bond and gifts it to the listener.

Lyrically, Adele focused on the plot of the film. Like the movie, Adele sings about hanging in the balance of life and death. She sings about earth-moving revelations and overcoming hardship–two ideas Daniel Craig’s Bond knew well. Adele, the stellar songwriter she is, also found a way to make this song work on a level that doesn’t need the film to prop it up. She boiled the film down to its basic, universal elements. Through this song, the listener can relate to Bond in a way they haven’t been able to before.

Revisit “Skyfall,” below.

Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together

Let the sky fall
When it crumbles
We will stand tall
Face it all together
At Skyfall
At Skyfall

(Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Adele)