Lyrically, ``When We Were Young'' deals with themes of the ``fears of getting older,'' a recurrent theme on 25, and ``finds her reconnecting with (an) old acquaintance years after their adolescence, which prompts her to revisit those memories and to wish she could stop time.'' As noted by Maeve McDermott of USA Today, during the reunion, ``Adele wistfully begins mourning before it's even over.'' During the song, she ``watches as her youth slips away in real time,'' singing: ``Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were, before we realized we were sad of getting old.''
Lyrically, ``When We Were Young'' deals with themes of the ``fears of getting older,'' a recurrent theme on 25, and ``finds her reconnecting with (an) old acquaintance years after their adolescence, which prompts her to revisit those memories and to wish she could stop time.''
advmod
lyrically
Lyrically
ADV
RB
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
advmod
PronType=Int
when
When
ADV
WRB
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
We
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
Were
AUX
VBD
advcl
Degree=Pos
Young
Young
ADJ
JJ
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
root
Number=Plur
deal
deals
NOUN
NNS
case
with
with
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Plur
theme
themes
NOUN
NNS
case
of
of
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
nmod
Number=Plur
fear
fears
NOUN
NNS
mark
of
of
SCONJ
IN
acl
VerbForm=Ger
get
getting
VERB
VBG
xcomp
Degree=Cmp
old
older
ADJ
JJR
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
a
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
recurrent
recurrent
ADJ
JJ
appos
Number=Sing
theme
theme
NOUN
NN
case
on
on
ADP
IN
nmod
NumForm=Digit|NumType=Card
25
25
NUM
CD
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
conj
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
find
finds
VERB
VBZ
obj
Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP
xcomp
VerbForm=Ger
reconnect
reconnecting
VERB
VBG
case
with
with
ADP
IN
punct
(
(
PUNCT
-LRB-
det
Definite=Ind|PronType=Art
a
an
DET
DT
punct
)
)
PUNCT
-RRB-
amod
Degree=Pos
old
old
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
acquaintance
acquaintance
NOUN
NN
nmod:npmod
Number=Plur
year
years
NOUN
NNS
case
after
after
ADP
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Number=Plur|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
their
their
PRON
PRP$
obl
Number=Sing
adolescence
adolescence
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
PronType=Rel
which
which
PRON
WDT
acl:relcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
prompt
prompts
VERB
VBZ
obj
Case=Acc|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP
mark
to
to
PART
TO
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
revisit
revisit
VERB
VB
det
Number=Plur|PronType=Dem
that
those
DET
DT
obj
Number=Plur
memory
memories
NOUN
NNS
cc
and
and
CCONJ
CC
mark
to
to
PART
TO
conj
VerbForm=Inf
wish
wish
VERB
VB
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
she
she
PRON
PRP
aux
VerbForm=Fin
could
could
AUX
MD
ccomp
VerbForm=Inf
stop
stop
VERB
VB
obj
Number=Sing
time
time
NOUN
NN
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
As noted by Maeve McDermott of USA Today, during the reunion, ``Adele wistfully begins mourning before it's even over.''
mark
as
As
SCONJ
IN
advcl
Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part
note
noted
VERB
VBN
case
by
by
ADP
IN
obl
Number=Sing
Maeve
Maeve
PROPN
NNP
flat
Number=Sing
McDermott
McDermott
PROPN
NNP
case
of
of
ADP
IN
nmod
Number=Sing
USA
USA
PROPN
NNP
nmod:tmod
Number=Sing
Today
Today
PROPN
NNP
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
case
during
during
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
reunion
reunion
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
nsubj
Number=Sing
Adele
Adele
PROPN
NNP
advmod
wistfully
wistfully
ADV
RB
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
begin
begins
VERB
VBZ
xcomp
Number=Sing
mourn
mourning
NOUN
NN
mark
before
before
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
it
it
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
's
AUX
VBZ
advmod
even
even
ADV
RB
advcl
over
over
ADV
RB
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
During the song, she ``watches as her youth slips away in real time,'' singing: ``Let me photograph you in this light, in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were, before we realized we were sad of getting old.''
case
during
During
ADP
IN
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
song
song
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
she
she
PRON
PRP
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
root
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
watch
watches
VERB
VBZ
mark
as
as
SCONJ
IN
nmod:poss
Case=Gen|Gender=Fem|Number=Sing|Person=3|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs
her
her
PRON
PRP$
nsubj
Number=Sing
youth
youth
NOUN
NN
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
slip
slips
VERB
VBZ
advmod
away
away
ADV
RB
case
in
in
ADP
IN
amod
Degree=Pos
real
real
ADJ
JJ
obl
Number=Sing
time
time
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''
advcl
VerbForm=Ger
sing
singing
VERB
VBG
punct
:
:
PUNCT
:
punct
``
``
PUNCT
``
ccomp
Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin
let
Let
VERB
VB
obj
Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs
I
me
PRON
PRP
xcomp
VerbForm=Inf
photograph
photograph
VERB
VB
obj
Case=Acc|Person=2|PronType=Prs
you
you
PRON
PRP
case
in
in
ADP
IN
det
Number=Sing|PronType=Dem
this
this
DET
DT
obl
Number=Sing
light
light
NOUN
NN
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
in
in
ADP
IN
fixed
Number=Sing
case
case
NOUN
NN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs
it
it
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin
be
is
AUX
VBZ
det
Definite=Def|PronType=Art
the
the
DET
DT
amod
Degree=Pos
last
last
ADJ
JJ
advcl
Number=Sing
time
time
NOUN
NN
mark
that
that
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
we
PRON
PRP
aux
VerbForm=Fin
might
might
AUX
MD
acl:relcl
VerbForm=Inf
be
be
AUX
VB
advmod
exactly
exactly
ADV
RB
mark
like
like
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
we
PRON
PRP
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
were
AUX
VBD
punct
,
,
PUNCT
,
mark
before
before
SCONJ
IN
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
we
PRON
PRP
advcl
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
realize
realized
VERB
VBD
nsubj
Case=Nom|Number=Plur|Person=1|PronType=Prs
we
we
PRON
PRP
cop
Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin
be
were
AUX
VBD
ccomp
Degree=Pos
sad
sad
ADJ
JJ
mark
of
of
SCONJ
IN
advcl
VerbForm=Ger
get
getting
VERB
VBG
xcomp
Degree=Pos
old
old
ADJ
JJ
punct
.
.
PUNCT
.
punct
''
''
PUNCT
''