"Apologize" by OneRepublic, is a breakup song about appreciating what you have before it is gone and how hard it is to forgive and forget. I chose to analyze this song, because the message of the song is very relatable to someone who has been hurt by people and how difficult it is to be reminded of what happened every time you see them or hear about them. We as humans, want to lash out at the ones who have hurt us, telling them exactly how they have made us feel. I feel like that's what the singer is doing in this song.
The first verse is the back story of the relationship up to the moment where the singee dumped the singer. "I'm hangin' on your rope,/ Got me ten feet off the ground," is a metaphor to the singer having a natural high from his relationship with the singee, where his life is wonderful and they had no known problems. It could also be a reference to how bonded he once felt to her or how now he wants to hang himself because of all of her drama. He puts his relationship with her on a pedestal where there is only room for breaking.
"And I'm hearin' what you say,/ But I just can't make a sound," is about the silence of a shocking realization that the relationship is over and the relationship was not as happy as he thought it was. The singee wasn't feeling the same high when it came to the relationship, only feeling the lows. He makes another reference to the rope, saying, "You tell me that you need me,/Then you go and cut me down...," which made me wonder if she was abusive to him during their relationship or she ruined every happy moment by being moody and overly emotional. A lot of girls expect to have a fairy tale romance and wonder why their guys don't act like princes or treat them like a princess every moment of everyday.
"But wait. . ./ You tell me that you're sorry," makes it seem like the singee woke up and realized what she was losing while she was breaking up with him or she realized it shortly after. He builds a climb to the chorus at the end of the verse by saying, "Didn't think I'd turn around.../ And say...," alluding to the fact that sometimes there are no second chances and how he finally stood up for himself after a long period of time of neglect or abuse. People can't expect to not have consequences to their actions, especially if it involves hurting the ones who love them.
The chorus repeats "too late" four times in its five lines, trying to emphasize what's done is done. She can try to "apologize" all she wants, but her apologies aren't going to change the hurt he feels for the way she treated him, or make him forget. The way he adds "yeah!" as the end line, it makes it seem like he is trying to talk himself into sticking with his decision, tempted to go back to her, because he still loves her, but knowing deep down he is making the right decision.
The second verse is about how he made his decision to leave her behind and her reaction. "I'd take another chance,/ Take a fall, take a shot for you," seems like he is contemplating what would happen if he gave her another chance, wondering if she would hurt him again. "I need you like a heart needs a beat, But it's nothin' new," is referencing how his life is hard without her in it, but his life would be hard with her in it as well. "I loved you with a fire red,/ Now it's turnin' blue..." is emphasizing the love he had for her is dying, lessening over the time they've been apart. He makes it seem like he resents her now.
He tells us about the singee's reaction to his decision, "And you say. . .Sorry, you're not the angel/Heaven let me think was you...," I was a little confused by all of the uses of "you'" in these sentences, but I think she is saying, is she isn't as perfect as he thought she was, which would make sense in relation to the pedestal back story. Maybe he was expecting her to be perfect, and when she revealed her true colors, he ran, not being able to deal with the reality of the situation either. If that is so, then the relationship ending was both of their faults, because of their impossible expectations. He says, "But I'm afraid...," before he leads into the chorus again, emphasizing his fear of her hurting again and the fact that the relationship is over.
The last verse is a combination of lines from the first verse and the chorus. By having "I'm holdin' on your rope,/ got me ten feet off the ground," as the first and last two lines of the song overall,. The second time he says it feels like he's critiquing himself for being so hung up on a girl or taunting her directly. I think he is using these lines as his overall message, saying, "See what fun we used to have and how much I cared about you. Well too bad you blew it!"
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