☝️ Key Points
- The song is about the end of a relationship marked by change and confusion, where either the narrator or their partner have stopped fighting.
- The chorus emphasizes the irreparable end of the relationship and the death of an emotional connection that the narrator can no longer hide or pretend.
- The narrator reminisces about the happy days of their relationship but feels like a fool now that their partner is unhappy.
- Despite all the difficulties, she is grateful for the beautiful time they had together and admits that she once loved her partner.
- The song is an emotional journey from the realization of love's end to acceptance and gratitude.
Interpretation
The song 'It's Too Late' by
Carole King is about a relationship coming to an end. The narrator describes a feeling of change and confusion: 'One of us is changing / Or maybe we've just stopped trying'. She realizes that the relationship is no longer working and that she or her partner have stopped making an effort and fighting.
In the chorus 'And it's too late baby, now it's too late' the emphasis is on the end of the relationship. It is now too late to save the relationship. She speaks of an inner death, possibly an emotional connection or love that she can no longer hide or pretend: 'Something inside has died / And I can't hide / And I just can't fake it'.
The narrator remembers the ease and joy that was present at the beginning of their relationship ('It used to be so easy living here with you / You were light and breezy'). However, she now feels like a fool seeing how unhappy her partner is.
In the last part of the song, the narrator expresses gratitude for the good times they had together and confesses that she once loved her partner: 'Still I'm glad for what we had / And how I once loved you'. However, she emphasizes once again that it is too late to save the relationship.
Overall, the song is an emotional journey through the end of a relationship, from the realization that things have changed to acceptance and gratitude for the time shared. It is a melancholic but honest reflection on the failure of love.