Carly Simon’s “Coming Around Again” is a masterclass in emotional resilience and the cycles of love and life. The song captures the ups and downs of a relationship, expressed through everyday scenes like fixing toasters and paying the grocer. Simon suggests that love is worth the risk, even when bewildering and imperfect. Essentially, she’s saying life and love will always come full circle if you’re willing to “play the game.” It’s a candid look at love’s complexities, challenging the idea that it needs to be perfect.
Felt stuck in the everyday grind of life and love? Feel like love has lost its luster? Carly Simon’s “Coming Around Again” takes you on a lyrical journey that promises hope and second chances. Read on to explore how even the mundane can be magical.
“Coming Around Again” Lyrics Meaning
“Baby sneezes, Mummy pleases, Daddy breezes in.” Right off the bat, the song introduces us to the everyday reality of family life. It’s not glamorous, but it’s real. These lines set the stage for the understanding that love isn’t just found in grand gestures. It’s in the day-to-day grind, the domestic simplicities.
“So good on paper, So romantic, But so bewildering.” These lines smack of disillusionment. Many of us have this picture-perfect image of love that often doesn’t align with reality. Simon tells us it’s okay to be confused by it. Love is rarely what it looks like “on paper.”
“I know nothing stays the same, But if you’re willing to play the game, It’s coming around again.” The chorus is the cornerstone of the song. It embodies resilience and optimism. Even when life feels stagnant, Carly assures us that life is cyclical, echoing that love will come around again if you’re open to it.
“So don’t mind if I fall apart, There’s more room in a broken heart.” These lines delve into the paradox of pain making us more receptive to love. A broken heart isn’t the end; it’s a beginning. It’s like she’s saying sometimes you’ve got to break to let the light in.
“And I believe in love, But what else can I do, I’m so in love with you.” As the song progresses, Carly gets more transparent about her own vulnerabilities. She’s as caught in the intricacies of love as anyone, but she believes in its power and its return, despite its complexities.
The repeating lines “I believe in love” serve as an affirmation, almost a mantra, reminding us that even when love is confusing or heartbreaking, it’s still worth believing in.
The Story Behind “Coming Around Again”
When Carly Simon wrote “Coming Around Again,” she was at a point in her life filled with personal tumults, including the ending of her marriage to James Taylor. She penned the song as an ode to the durability of love, even amidst life’s constant changes and challenges.
Simon has always been a master at weaving deeply personal emotions into her songs, allowing the listener to feel as if she’s singing right to them. But the real power in this song lies in its universal relatability. It’s as if she reached into the collective emotional experience and pulled out a song that feels both individual and universal.
In an era where love was often idealized in songs, Carly brought in a fresh, real perspective. She took the everyday, the mundane, and the simple elements of life and love, and showed us how they are worthy of songs too. Simon’s wisdom was ahead of its time, hinting at the modern idea that ‘real’ love isn’t about endless romance; it’s about enduring the day-to-day together.
“Coming Around Again” fits perfectly into her discography, a lyrical tapestry rich in stories of love, loss, and life. It’s a philosophy that encourages us to embrace the complexities of love, with the assurance that it will, indeed, come around again.