Released: 2002
Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved” paints a picture of a young woman grappling with self-esteem issues and a young man eager to offer comfort. It’s a story of longing, support, and undying affection.
The opening lines speak of a ‘beauty queen of only 18’, who ‘had some trouble with herself’. She’s pretty, but she’s hurting inside. The singer, presumably Adam Levine, wants to be there for her, despite her heart belonging to another. He’s willing to go great lengths for her, driving ‘miles and miles’ just to be at her door.
The repeated line, ‘I don’t mind spending every day out on your corner in the pouring rain’, shows his unwavering devotion to her. The ‘girl with the broken smile’ is an image of a person struggling inside, yet the singer is there, offering himself up, asking her if she ‘wants to stay a while’.
The phrase ‘it’s not always rainbows and butterflies’ is a dose of reality. Life isn’t always easy, it’s full of compromises. Yet, the singer keeps his ‘heart full’ and his ‘door always open’ for her, regardless of the challenges. His commitment is unwavering.
His song ends with the lines about knowing where she hides, the things that make her who she is, and how he’d catch her every time she falls, expressing a deep understanding and complete acceptance of her, the good and the bad. That’s a love as real as it gets in pop music.
So, the bottom line? ‘She Will Be Loved’ is an anthem of unconditional love, about being there for someone even when they can’t be there for themselves.
