☝️ Key Points
- The song 'What If' expresses regret and nostalgia about a past relationship, manifested through constant 'what if' questions and the inability to let go of the past.
- The first verse reveals the emotional burden of the main character and their constant contemplations of what went wrong in their relationship.
- The chorus emphasizes the central question of whether their partner would have remained the same if they had never left and if they could turn back time to make things the way they were before.
- The second verse speaks of life's unpredictable paths, some leading to joy and others to heartbreak. It poses the hypothetical question of whether their partner would change everything if they could turn back time.
- The last verse and chorus repeat the central themes of regret and sadness over the end of a relationship and the desire to change the past to save the relationship, despite being aware that they still love them.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "What If" by
Kate Winslet are a heartbreaking expression of regret and nostalgia about a past relationship. The text contains questions that suggest 'what if' scenarios and show the inability to let go of the past.
The first verse reveals the emotional burden weighing on the singer's heart and how she constantly wonders what went wrong in their relationship: "Here I stand alone with this weight upon my heart. And it will not go away. In my head I keep on looking back right back to the start. Wondering what it was that made you change".
The chorus emphasizes the central question of the song: "What if I had never let you go. Would you be the man I used to know?" Here, she wonders if her partner would have remained the same if she had never left. She also poses the question of whether she could turn back time to make things the way they once were.
The second verse speaks of the many paths life can take, some leading to joy, others to heartache. She wonders if her partner would seize the chance to change everything if they could turn back time: "And if I said that we could turn it back. Right back to the start. Would you take the chance and make the change?".
The last verse and chorus repeat the central themes of the song, the regret and sorrow over the end of a relationship and the longing to change the past to save the relationship. She emphasizes that she still loves him and wishes they could turn back time: "What if I had never walked away. 'Cause I still love you more than I can say. If I'd stayed. If you'd tried. If we could only turn back time".
Overall, the song deals with grappling with the past and the 'what if' questions that often arise after the end of a relationship. It is about the pain of letting go and the longing to change things that can no longer be changed.