When too much thinking gets in the way: Adele - "Rumor Has It"

I hear this song every morning.  It plays when the radio alarm goes off, almost every day.  This isn't a complaint, mind you; I actually dig the rhythm.  And Adele can straight up sing; glad that Amy Winehouse died, so that this chick could get the attention she deserved.

But, I was listening to this song the other day, and like most songs, it got stuck in my head.  And, well, here's the lyrics ...

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She, she ain't real,
She ain't gonna be able to love you like I will,
She is a stranger,
You and I have history,
Or don't you remember?
Sure, she's got it all,
But, baby, is that really what you want?

Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds,
She made a fool out of you,
And, boy, she's bringing you down,
She made your heart melt,
But you're cold to the core,
Now rumour has it she ain't got your love anymore,

Rumour has it (rumour) [x8]

She, is half your age,
But I'm guessing that's the reason that you've stayed,
I heard you've been missing me,
You've been telling people things you shouldn't be,
Like when we creep out when she ain't around,
Haven't you heard the rumours?

(Bless your soul!...) Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds,
You made a fool out of me,
And, boy, I'm bringing me down,
You made my heart melt, yet I'm cold to the core,
But rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for,

Rumour has it (rumour) [x8]

All of these words whispered in my ear,
Tell a story that I cannot bare to hear,
Just 'cause I said it, it don't mean that I meant it,
People say crazy things,
Just 'cause I said it, don't mean that I meant it,
Just 'cause you heard it,

Rumour has it (rumour) [x14]

But rumour has it he's the one I'm leaving you for.

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"She is half your age/ But I'm guessing that's the reason that you stayed."

Two things:
1.  The album this is from is called "21."  That's how old Adele was when she recorded it.
2.  Adele has gone on record as saying that "21" is a break-up record, and it's her reaction to how she felt after breaking up with some long-time boyfriend.  (Check out some of the gut-wrenching docs/ behind-the-musics that you can find on YouTube for "Someone Like You," for more soul-bearing proof of this.)

We could almost assume that Adele is aiming some vocal, Morrisette-esque venom at some dude.  Except ...

"She is half your age/ But I'm guessing that's the reason that you stayed."

For this not to be extremely pervy, dude would have to be 36 (or as young as 32, in some Southern states).  Let's assume dude is 36 ... dating, at the oldest (according to the song's narrative), a 21 year old, and that's rounding her age up to the time of recording the song, but who's to say that this relationship didn't occur prior to her turning 21.  So, here's a song by a 21 year old chick, mad at a 36 year old dude, who broke up with her to date an 18 year old.  The girl who just became old enough to drink is angry at a girl who just turned old enough to vote, all because of a guy who's only one year younger than me (at this writing), and I'm one year away from my 20th high school reunion.

I suppose there's a whole thing about the argument that she's singing from the perspective of an older woman ... which makes her jealousy even worse, and exponentially so, as the older the girl that this song is about is, the sadder her jealousy becomes.

Goddamnit, I can't have nice things.