Turning Tables lyrics by Adele, 11 meanings. Turning Tables explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
Request & respond explanations
  • Don't understand the meaning of the song?
  • Highlight lyrics and request an explanation.
  • Click on highlighted lyrics to explain.
Adele – Turning Tables lyrics
Close enough to start a war,
All that I have is on the floor,
God only knows what we're fighting for,
All that I say, you always say more,

I can't keep up with your turning tables,
Under your thumb, I can't breathe,

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me,
No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me,
I can't give you what you think you gave me,
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables,
To turning tables,

Under haunted skies I see, ooh,
Where love is lost, your ghost is found,
I braved a hundred storms to leave you,
As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down,

I can't keep up with your turning tables,
Under your thumb, I can't breathe
,

So I won't let you close enough to hurt me, No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me,
I can't give you what you think you gave me,
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables,
Turning tables,

Next time I'll be braver,
I'll be my own savior,
When the thunder calls for me,
Next time I'll be braver,
I'll be my own savior,
Standing on my own two feet,

I won't let you close enough to hurt me,
No, I won't ask you, you to just desert me,
I can't give you what you think you gave me,
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables,
To turning tables,
Turning tables, yeah,
Turning, oh.
×



Lyrics taken from /lyrics/a/adele/turning_tables.html

  • Email
  • Correct
Songwriters: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, Ryan B. Tedder
Turning Tables lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Submitted by arvel_velasquez
Corrected by Blessing Chikelu

Turning Tables meanings Post my meaning

  • S
    + 6
    Sierraaa
    I love this song so much because I can relate. It's about somebody she trusted and gave him her everything and didn't care for her one bit. She's saying she's moving in with this person that destroyed her. This song is kinda like the quote don't give your heart to someone who's not willing to hold it. I love this song so much because I trusted someone with my heart and he just threw it away like I'm some piece of crap. She's not letting him desert her anymore so basically he can't destroy her anymore because she's not letting him close enough to hurt her so she's shutting him out of her life. I hope you guys like my opinion of what I think this song is about.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 4
    Unregistered
    I feel this is symbolic. This could be romantic love or love of a family member that has requested changes. What I see is someone who can never win. No matter what she does it is never 'good enough' for the person she is trying to please. They make requests & when she makes these changes, they make more requests. This happens over and over. Finally she says, "i'll be my own savior" meaning she does not need validation from someone that good is never good enough. She loves that person, but when the 'tables keep turning', she just can't win.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 3
    Unregistered
    Turning tables is adele's way of saying she won't let someone else into her life. To turn tables is to flip flop from happy and sad, for this it would be the emotional roller coaster caused in many relationships. She's telling the person that it's time to let go, she cares but can't endure the pain from the relationship. It doesn't necessarily have to be a love relationship but any one. She is just saying her goodbyes and why she's saying them.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    Turning tables. Is about an abusive partner. And when he gets pissed off and in a rage he turns over the table. And trashes everything. "all that i have is on the floor". Her things. She's smart enough not to be too close, to be really hurt. And smart enough not to tell him to get out. And try as he might she won't be knocked down. Not spiritually nor mentally. Its time to leave the abusive relationship and turning tables.!
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    I can so relate to this song. To me it means she has been in a controlling or abusive relationship the turning tables is his mood swings he thinks he is great and she is not and she believed him for so long but now she is seeing that she doesn't have to depend on him that the next storm she is ready she wont let him hurt her anymore and she knows that she has to be the one to save herself.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    I think spiritually, and so when I hear this it speaks to me spiritually. It is god saying to us, that he cannot deal with us as we have dealt with him. He can't give us his heart in the way we have given ours to him, because we have not been sincere - which is why he can't - and won't - keep on letting things go the way they have been going, that we, as a race, keep on "turning tables", that is, changing our minds, abandoning fidelity to him, forsaking his law and his ways, and never committing to him in love, which is what he wants. So he won't let us come "close enough to hurt him", won't draw us into union with him while we are behaving this way, as a race.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 2
    Unregistered
    This is for my father.
    He left when I was 9 years old and for 7 years after that he tried to kill my mother and sister and I believe myself aswell.
    I had to move 8 hours away by myself for my safety.
    Even after that I tried giving him a chance and he doesn't want me in his life? I was such a daddy's girl before he lefft and he just wants nothing to do with me?
    The worst part of all is that the police in my city did nothing for us throughout the entire thing and he lived around the corner. I'm just grateful my family is alive.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 1
    Unregistered
    It about a relationship whereby there is a verbal and emotional abuse now and again now she can't keep up wit the turning tables meaning the guys changing of moods and under his thumb she can't breathe meaning he controls her through the sudden change of his feelings now and again now she wont let another person control her coz that wil cost her freedom and she is leaving turning the tables change of feelings.
    Add your reply
  • U
    + 1
    Unregistered
    She is with a very controlling person who thinks quite highly of himself (compared to her). He expects her to be as wonderful to him as he thinks he is to her. This is the type of person she was attracted to though, a savior, which she now sees and will now learn to stand on her own two feet. Be her own savior. I believe the turning tables title is about his control and her growth. He was turning the tables, and she has made it stop.
    Add your reply
  • romy18
    + 1
    romy18
    Turning tables is adele's way of saying she won't let someone else into her life. To turn tables is to flip flop from happy and sad, for this it would be the emotional roller coaster caused in many relationships. She's telling the person that it's time to let go, she cares but can't endure the pain from the relationship. It doesn't necessarily have to be a love relationship but any one. She is just saying her goodbyes and why she's saying them.
    Add your reply
  • U
    0
    Unregistered
    I think she was in a narcissistic relationship. I have just realised after 30 years that I am. The pain on occasion is so heartbreaking, bitter and demoralising, you know it’s not you, but the person dishing out the mental abuse and anger is manipulative and needs to push your buttons to get their fix so they can say it’s you. They turn the tables on you every time so you think your going mad. They say they are only joking can’t you take a joke or that you are always criticising them when you are merely asking a question. .Narcissistic people don’t even love themselves so they certainly don’t love you. I was so in love with this man, but he’s not good for my health. Just remember if you are in a narcissistic relationship, it’s not you, they are mentally unstable and insecure and please leave as soon as possible, it will ruin you if you don’t.
    Add your reply
    View 6 more meanings

    Write about your feelings and thoughts about Turning Tables

    Know what this song is about? Does it mean anything special hidden between the lines to you? Share your meaning with community, make it interesting and valuable. Make sure you've read our simple tips.
    U
    Min 50 words
    Not bad
    Good
    Awesome!

    Top meanings Post my meaning

    • S
      + 6
      Sierraaa
      I love this song so much because I can relate. It's about somebody she trusted and gave him her... Read more →
    • U
      + 4
      Unregistered
      I feel this is symbolic. This could be romantic love or love of a family member that has requested... Read more →

    official video

    Featured lyrics

    0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z