# Adele's 'Rollin' In the Deep'
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 20, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214 "2011-06-20T22:03:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/1 "2011-06-20T22:03:42Z")
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYEDA3JcQqw)
Love, love, LOVE this song. But what does ‘rolling in the deep’ _MEAN_? Is it some slang term I’ve never heard?
I get that this is a song about being deeply hurt, of bitter anger and pain… But WTH is rolling in the deep???
Discuss, please.
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### Author:  [@Cheerleading\_Dropout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheerleading_Dropout)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/2 "2011-06-20T23:05:04Z")
As far as I know, “rolling in the deep” is not a slang term, and I am pretty up-to-date on slang. From what I can gather, rolling in the deep is an expression of the emotional depth of the relationship mentioned in the song, both the depth of the love that they felt during the relationship and the deep pain that they experienced afterwards. Google wasn’t very helpful when I looked this up, but most of the links I got from Google seem to agree with this.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/3 "2011-06-20T23:20:53Z")
Maybe a British reader can confirm?
> [@](#):
>
> Adele originally intended to title the album Rolling in the Deep,[9] \*\*her adaptation of a British slang phrase “roll deep,” which, in her words, means, “[to] always have someone that has your back”.[\*\*10] She explains that “that’s how I felt in the relationship that the record’s about… [that] that’s what I was always going to have, and…it ended up not being the case.”[10] She decided against the title because she deemed it too confusing for audiences outside of the UK
> **[21 (Adele album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_%28Adele_album%29)**
>
> 21 is the second studio album by the English singer-songwriter Adele. It was released on 24 January 2011 in Europe by XL Recordings and on 22 February 2011 in North America by Columbia Records. The album was named after the age of the singer during its production. 21 shares the Motown and soul influences of her 2008 debut album 19, but also draws influence from the American country and Southern blues music that Adele started listening to during the North American leg of her tour An Evening wit...
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/4 "2011-06-20T23:41:40Z")
I assumed it was a poetic euphemism for sex, if only because that’s usually a safe bet when it comes to song lyrics.
The bigger mystery to me is where Adele got the ninja.
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### Author:  [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/5 "2011-06-20T23:47:02Z")
In black American slang, if I say you ‘roll deep’, I mean that you have a large crew of peers that you hang around, and you guys have eachother’s back.
I don’t know how that relates to Adele’s song, or if it does at all, but I do love that song.
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### Author:  [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/6 "2011-06-21T03:05:03Z")
If you like Adele’s version, you should hear John Legend [cover](http://soundcloud.com/johnlegend/john-legend-rolling-in-the) it.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/7 "2011-06-21T04:07:18Z")
I assumed “the deep” meant the sea, and that she was floundering / drowning in a vast ocean of despair or something. “Tears are gonna fall / rollin’ in the deep”… there’s water, anyway.
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### Author:  [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/8 "2011-06-21T04:32:56Z")
> [@brickbacon](#):
>
> If you like Adele’s version, you should hear John Legend [cover](http://soundcloud.com/johnlegend/john-legend-rolling-in-the) it.
You know, hearing that version just reinforces my strongly held notion that I have heard Adele’s song before somewhere, or it shares a strong connection to a Negro Spiritual or Old Timey Bluegrass/Hills Music, or Blues song that I have heard before. Maybe just melody and a certain structure. I wanna say Mahalia Jackson, but it’s more bluesy than her usual.
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### Author:  [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/9 "2011-06-21T04:42:46Z")
Just reinforces that this is an awesome song. Love it!
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### Author:  [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/10 "2011-06-21T04:59:54Z")
Actually, I’ve always wondered what playing her hear to the beat is supposed to mean.
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/11 "2011-06-21T05:10:04Z")
Totally agree. Definitely has the sound of a classic Negro Spiritual. I was fortunate enough to get invited to an old Black country church years ago. The choir music was some of the best I’ve ever heard in my life. I owe those friends of mine a very big thank you. 😃
> [@devilsknew](#):
>
> You know, hearing that version just reinforces my strongly held notion that I have heard Adele’s song before somewhere, or it shares a strong connection to a Negro Spiritual or Old Timey Bluegrass/Hills Music, or Blues song that I have heard before. Maybe just melody and a certain structure. I wanna say Mahalia Jackson, but it’s more bluesy than her usual.
---
### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/12 "2011-06-21T08:17:30Z")
So, nothing to do with Chthulu then?
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### Author:  [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/13 "2011-06-21T11:12:01Z")
Boy, that’s some pretty random imagery.
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### Author:  [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/14 "2011-06-21T17:20:05Z")
Does anyone else think she sounds like she’s influenced by Beth Ditto, specifically, in her vocal style? I mean, they are obviously both digging in the same bag, in terms of influences, but on this song she sounds like she’s almost doing a Ditto imitation to me.
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/15 "2011-06-21T17:57:34Z")
It always reminded me of this song:
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6RWu9h2Ma0)
…which I think is way better than the Adele song, imho.
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### Author:  [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/16 "2011-06-21T18:45:41Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#):
>
> I assumed “the deep” meant the sea, and that she was floundering / drowning in a vast ocean of despair or something. “Tears are gonna fall / rollin’ in the deep”… there’s water, anyway.
I interpreted it that way too. I have never been very good at interpreting meaning in art, though. Until someone points it out for me.
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### Author:  [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/17 "2011-06-21T20:19:50Z")
> [@aceplace57](#):
>
> Totally agree. Definitely has the sound of a classic Negro Spiritual. I was fortunate enough to get invited to an old Black country church years ago. The choir music was some of the best I’ve ever heard in my life. I owe those friends of mine a very big thank you. 😃
There’s actually a term for her style of music that I’d never heard before, and I really like it. “Blue-Eyed Soul” [Blue-eyed soul - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-eyed_soul)
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/18 "2011-06-21T20:37:18Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> It always reminded me of this song:
>
> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6RWu9h2Ma0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6RWu9h2Ma0)
>
> ..which I think is way better than the Adele song, imho.
"This video contains content from WMG and EMI, one or more of whom have blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. " What’s the song?
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### Author:  [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/19 "2011-06-21T20:59:18Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#):
>
> "This video contains content from WMG and EMI, one or more of whom have blocked it in your country on copyright grounds. " What’s the song?
Sorry. It’s Moby’s “Natural Blues”
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### Author:  [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adeles-rollin-in-the-deep/586214/20 "2011-06-21T23:21:49Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#):
>
> It always reminded me of this song:
>
> [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6RWu9h2Ma0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6RWu9h2Ma0)
>
> ..which I think is way better than the Adele song, imho.
You know, I’ve always loved that song, but apparently it’s been many years since I’ve listened to it, because when I just listened to it now all can think about is that it sounds like its being sung by the old neighbor on Family Guy.
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