Here's To Us

Ellie Goulding's song "Here's To Us" delves into the complexities of love, loss, and self-discovery. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a relationship that has ended, but the emotional residue lingers. The narrator reflects on the sacrifices made and the realization that love, despite its intensity, was not enough to sustain the relationship. The line "You're falling at your feet, giving everything up" suggests a sense of surrender and vulnerability, while "love is never enough" underscores the harsh reality that sometimes, love alone cannot solve all problems.

The song also explores the theme of unrequited love and the pain of seeing a former lover move on with someone else. The narrator acknowledges the presence of another person in their ex's life, someone who seems to fulfill them in ways the narrator could not. This is poignantly captured in the lines, "I know you see her, and you'll never see me" and "She makes you feel the most, keep your souls alive." Despite this, there is a sense of lingering connection, as the narrator believes that what they had "never really died."

Ultimately, "Here's To Us" is a bittersweet toast to the past and a nod to the lessons learned. The repeated refrain, "And this is what I'll say if I had any words," suggests a struggle to articulate the depth of emotion and regret. The song concludes with a sense of acceptance and a hope for the future, as indicated by the lines, "Yeah, this is just a phase, pretty sure of that / And one day, you and I, we will never look back." It's a poignant reminder that sometimes, we need to lose something to truly understand its value and our own worth.