Magnetised

Tom Odell's song 'Magnetised' delves into the painful experience of unrequited love, using vivid imagery and metaphors to convey the emotional turmoil of being drawn to someone who doesn't reciprocate those feelings. The song opens with a reflection on the natural world, observing birds that instinctively know their path. This sets the stage for the central metaphor of the song: the narrator's longing for a similar sense of direction and purpose in his love life. He wishes for 'a little mother nature' in himself, hoping for the natural ease and certainty that the birds possess.

The chorus reveals the crux of the narrator's struggle. He feels 'magnetised' to someone who doesn't feel the same way, describing his love as 'paralysed.' This metaphor of magnetism suggests an irresistible, almost physical pull towards the object of his affection, despite the lack of mutual feelings. The repetition of 'she'll keep me hanging on' underscores the narrator's inability to let go, much like the Moon's perpetual orbit around the Earth, driven by an unseen force.

In the second verse, Odell contrasts the narrator's situation with a couple on a bus, peacefully asleep in each other's trust. This image of mutual love and security stands in stark contrast to the narrator's one-sided affection. He laments the absence of 'pheromones'—a biological basis for attraction—wishing that the object of his desire could feel the same natural pull towards him. The song concludes with a poignant acknowledgment of the futility of his feelings, yet the magnetic pull remains, keeping him emotionally tethered to someone who will never need him in return.