For this assignment I will compare Schubert's "Gretchen am Spinnrade" and Adele's "Someone Like You". Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Schubert's first successful lied was "Gretchen am Spinnrade", written when he was only sixteen years old in 1814. The lyrics were written by the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Adele's "Someone Like You" became a big hit in 2011. It was written by Adele together with American singer-songwriter and producer Dan Wilson. For these two songs I will compare and contrast the lyrics and melodies. Even though they were written hundreds of years apart, it's interesting to see how the music of the 1800s can relate to the music of today. When it comes to the lyrics of the two songs, they are both emotional and dramatic. Both convey the intense emotions of love and desperation that we all feel when going through a relationship. In Adele's song, "Someone Like You," you hear simple lyrics that convey a universal emotion of loss after a relationship ends. Analyzing the lyrics, what at first glance might seem like a beautiful love song about lost love becomes a glimpse into the heart and soul of a person who won't let go of their ex-lover. She expresses how the man she was with moved on so quickly to another woman in the lyrics, “I guess he gave you things, I didn't give them to you.” To forget this man, vow to forget him "It doesn't matter, I will find someone like you." The look at a different side of the song is seen in the lyrics: “But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it. I was hoping you would see my face and be reminded that this isn't over for me. This shows the desperation in Adele's lyrics that she is not really over her ex-boyfriend as it may have seemed before. This is similar to the lyrics of Schubert's "Gretchen am Spinnrade" because, in this song, Gretchen longs for and is obsessed with her lover, Faust. The intensity of her love for Faust had destroyed her ability to still live within the confines she had known all her life. She is young, inexperienced and has fallen madly in love, which leads to her dramatic lyrics. She exclaims, “My chest pushes towards him. Ah, I could grab him and hold him!” She longs to be with him again, but that day will never come, of which she is aware. He knows this will never happen again when he cries, “My peace is gone, my heart is heavy, I will never, never find it again.” Both of these songs show the effects of a breakup and how emotional it can become. However, Adele tries to hide her desperation and desires, while Gretchen exclaims it with all her might. For Adele's song, minor keys are used to create a melancholic atmosphere for its melody. As the same verses are repeated, so the same minor notes are repeated. The repetition creates the feeling of not being able to let go, which is exactly what Adele feels, as mentioned above. The song, played moderately, increases in volume and pitch, just like a normal woman who is trying to get her lover back would sound. At first he starts the conversation lightly, then his voice rises along with his emotions and feelings. Adele has taken a very familiar conversation, spoken by women all over the world, and given it a musical voice. In the dying tones, you can hear the hope of a reunion fall away as Adele's voice fades. This melody relates to Schubert's song as much of the song shows Gretchen being overwhelmed by her love for Faust and how this causes her distress due to this deep infatuation..