☝️ Key Points
- The song is about pain and nostalgia after a ended relationship
- The singer misses the small everyday routines shared, which causes his pain
- He feels inadequate and forgotten, which intensifies his longing and pain
- He wishes he could turn back time to save the relationship and sees that his ex-partner has moved on with someone else
- He wants to express his feelings, but is hindered by pride, fear or the fact that she has moved on
Interpretation
The song 'A Year Ago' by
James Arthur is about longing, pain, and nostalgia for a past relationship. The lyrics 'I miss you - Your name's still on my coffee cup' and 'I miss you - The way you chose the films we watched' show that the singer painfully misses the little things they used to do together. He struggles with the reality that they are no longer together and reminisces about the happy times they spent together.
The words 'You embody everything that I am not - And now I'm just somebody you forgot' express his feelings of inadequacy and being forgotten, which intensifies his pain.
The chorus 'I wish it was a year ago - I wish that I could hold you close' shows his longing to be able to turn back time to save the relationship. He sees that she has moved on with someone else ('The lights are on you're not alone') and wonders if her new partner loves her as much as he did.
The lyric 'I wish that I could tell you that I miss you' shows his desire to express his feelings, but he seems to be hindered by pride, fear, or the fact that she has moved on. The song portrays the complicated emotions that come with a breakup and makes the listener feel the singer's pain and longing.