Breaking Down Lyrics: Diamonds (leave with you)

Sam Smith — “Diamonds”

*** “Have it all, take our memories off the wall. All the special things I bought…. They mean nothin’ to me anymore! But to you, they were everything we were — they meant more than every word. Now I know just what you loved me for.” ***

So there’s probably a lot here we can relate to, instinctively. We’ve probably all had that moment ending a relationship… the things need to be separated, but you don’t care, because you want your lives separated as quickly as possible.

Of course, he takes it a step further, indicating that the “special things [he] bought” were what the other guy cared more about. If you’re not up on pop culture, Sam Smith came out in the middle of his career (before this)… so yes, we can safely say it’s about a man.

It could be said shared belongings were the only thing the guy cared about. When he says “to you, they were everything we were,” I think two possible meanings ultimately mean the same thing!

Maybe there never was a we, as there was nothing behind the material. So the “memories on the wall” were the only things that even represented what we were supposed to be.

Or, the way I always interpreted it: to the other guy, those things were what made up the we. To Sam, those things were just one small thing (probably the smallest thing of all)… but to his partner, they were in fact everything.

“Meant more than every word” and “I know just what you loved me for…” these clearly point to the idea that the guy wanted material gain from him.

*** “Take all the money you want from me. Hope you become who you want to be. Show me how little you care, how little you care! You dream of glitter and gold — my heart’s already been sold. Show me how little you care, how little you care!” ***

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