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  1. Tracks
  2. Adele
  3. 21
  4. Turning Tables
Turning Tables by Adele

SINGLE

Adele

Turning Tables

Release date: 19th January 2011

From 21
Track 3
4:10
PopMusicR&B/SoulNeo-Soul
Spotify Apple Music More on Adele

About This Track

Conceived after an altercation with her former lover, 'Turning Tables' was co-written by Adele and Ryan Tedder for her second studio album, '21'. Jim Abbiss completed the production, setting Adele's vow of self-preservation over a dramatic piano backing. The song became the fifth and final single from the record. Adele adopts the voice of someone drawing a line under a destructive relationship, the lyric built around the refusal to be knocked down again. She writes of being unable to keep up with the emotional manipulation, of braving a hundred storms to leave, of choosing to be her own saviour when the thunder calls. The chorus turns on a simple promise: 'I won't let you close enough to hurt me.' The official video was taken from her performance at Live at the Royal Albert Hall, released in November 2011 alongside the clip for 'Set Fire to the Rain'.

"Turning Tables" is a single by Adele, from the album 21, released 19th January 2011. The track is 4:10 long. It's filed under Pop. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 8 articles about Adele.

About the Artist

Adele

Adele

Lyrics

Turning Tables

Close enough to start a war
All that I have is on the floor
God only knows what we're fighting for
All that I say, you always say more
I can't keep up with your turning tables
Under your thumb, I can't breathe
So I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't rescue you to just desert me
I can't give you the heart you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
To turning tables
Under haunted skies, I see you, ooh
Where love is lost, your ghost is found
I braved a hundred storms to leave you
As hard as you try, no, I will never be knocked down
I can't keep up with your turning tables
Under your thumb, I can't breathe
So I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't rescue you to just desert me
I can't give you the heart you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
Turning tables
Next time, I'll be braver
I'll be my own saviour
When the thunder calls for me
Next time, I'll be braver
I'll be my own saviour
Standing on my own two feet
I won't let you close enough to hurt me
No, I won't rescue you to just desert me
I can't give you the heart you think you gave me
It's time to say goodbye to turning tables
To turning tables
Turning tables, yeah
Turn, no, no-oh, mmm

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From 21

4:102011Single
Listen
Album
21
21
Adele
19th January 2011
Track number
3
Release year
2011
  1. 1Rolling In the Deep
    3:48
  2. 2Rumour Has It
    3:43
  3. 3Turning Tables
    4:10
  4. 4Don't You Remember
    4:03

More from Adele

Albums & EPs

30
30
2021
When We Were Young
When We Were Young
2016
25
25
2015
Set Fire to the Rain (Remixes)
Set Fire to the Rain (Remixes)
2011
19 (Deluxe Edition)
19 (Deluxe Edition)
2008
19
19
2008

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  3. Easy On Me (Live In Las Vegas)Weekends With Adele Live In Las Vegas
  4. Hello (Live In Las Vegas)Weekends With Adele Live In Las Vegas
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Showing 10 of 20

If you like Adele

Sam Smith

Sam Smith

Beyoncé

Beyoncé

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse

Sia

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Paloma Faith

5Set Fire to the Rain
4:03
  • 6He Won't Go
    4:38
  • 7Take It All
    3:48
  • 8I'll Be Waiting
    4:01
  • 9One and Only
    5:48
  • 10Lovesong
    5:16
  • 11Someone Like You
    4:45
  • 12I Found a Boy (Bonus Track)
    3:37
  • —Don't You Remember
    4:03
  • —Take It All
    3:48
  • —Turning Tables
    4:10
  • —One And Only
    5:48
  • —I'll Be Waiting
    4:01
  • —Lovesong
    5:16
  • —He Won't Go
    4:38
  • —Rolling in the Deep
    3:48
  • —Someone Like You
    4:45
  • —Set Fire to the Rain
    4:03
  • —Rumour Has It
    3:43
  • —Rolling in the Deep
    3:48
  • —Turning Tables
    4:10
  • —Don't You Remember
    4:03
  • —Rumour Has It
    3:43
  • —I Found a Boy

    • Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Adele, Ryan Tedder
    Producer
    Jim Abbiss
    Mastering Engineer
    Tom Coyne
    Mixing Engineer
    Ian Dowling, Jim Abbiss
    Piano
    Neil Cowley
    Strings
    Boguslaw Kostecki, Bruce White, Caroline Dale, Cathy Thompson, Chris Laurence, Chris Worsey, David Daniels, Emlyn Singleton, Jacqueline Shave, Julian Leaper, Patrick Kiernan, Peter Lale, Rachel Bolt
    Strings Arranger
    Chris Elliott
    , Rita Manning
    , Stephen Morris
    , Tom Pigott-Smith
    , Warren Zielinski
    READ MORE ABOUT ADELEREAD MORE ABOUT ADELEREAD MORE ABOUT ADELEREAD MORE ABOUT ADELE
    READ MORE ABOUT ADELEREAD MORE ABOUT ADELEREAD MORE ABOUT ADELEREAD MORE ABOUT ADELE
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