Music Review: Bryan Adams "Heaven"

Heaven
Album: Reckless
Year: 1985

Bryan Adams reflects on his relationship with his wife in the enamoured ballad “Heaven.”

A fond piano opens the single, setting a cherished tone. In the first verse, he remembers when they first started at about 18. They were into themselves and the world was invisible. They would stay in bed all day, missing their morning classes. They would picnic in their dorm room when the weather would be raining outside. They would sneak into unused wherever and whenever they went to make out. However, after about two years together, they began to fall apart. She had started talking another guy and fell for him, leading her to break up with him. He moved on to do an internship in New York that summer. He decided to stay there for a year and dated nearly every girl he saw. Eventually, both discovered they felt like they were missing something in their lives: each other. After writing several awkward e-mails to each other, they eventually got back together and later, got married. He cannot live without her. The way she smiles, the sparkle in her eyes, it’s all something he’s seen a million times. However, it’s a sight he always enjoys.

“Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years/There was only you and me/We were young and wild and free/Now nothin' can take you away from me/We've been down that road before/But that's over now/You keep me comin' back for more.”

With a roaring drum, the chorus begins. In it,he says when she is resting her head on his shoulder, he is in awe of the moment. It’s perfect. He grew up thinking their love had to be sexual to be true. However, it’s the quiet affection that lingers long after the orgasm. He had wanted someone who would love for all his faults. She may get annoyed by them sometimes, but she wouldn’t change it. It’s a part of who he is. It’s a relationship people write movies about.

“Baby you're all that I want/When you're lyin' here in my arms/I'm findin' it hard to believe/We're in heaven/And love is all that I need/And I found it there in your heart/It isn't too hard to see/We're in heaven.”

In the second verse, he says she has changed him and saved him from making wrong choices. Whenever work gets him upset, she will tell him that he is a hard worker who should fight for every bit of credit he deserves. He could talk about how she has affected for hours. She’s the one constant in his life. However, he wants to take her in and feel their intimacy.

“Oh, once in your life you find someone/Who will turn your world around/Bring you up when you're feelin' down/Ya, nothin' could change what you mean to me/Oh there's lots that I could say/But just hold me now/Cause our love will light the way.”

The chorus is sung again.

In the bridge, he says he missed her in New York and thought he would never have the chance to love again. Once they got back together, he says the plans had they discussed back when they were freshmen, are now coming to fruition. They have their own house and careers. He promises to be a stabilizing force for her.

“I've been waitin' for so long/For somethin' to arrive/For love to come along/Now our dreams are comin' true/Through the good times and the bad/Ya, I'll be standin' there by you.”

The explosive guitar has a solo.

The chorus is sung again.

At the end, he says that she’s the only person for him.

“You’re all that I want/You’re all that I need.”

The emotional punch lies in the history Adams builds with the lyrics. It's been a relationship with plenty of ups and downs. The relationship was filled with passionate sex at the beginning. It grew into a developed relationship, one which he wanted to last. However, too many small fights and a dating routine stalled their relationship. As adults, they had to realize relationships would have bumps and need work to keep going.

Adams’ faithful, gravelly vocals are full of deep admiration for his wife. She makes him whole. After all they have been through together, he now knows what it means to devote his heart and soul to one person.

The sentimental arrangement weaves its heartstrings with soft keystrokes of the piano. It forms a firm hold with the roaring drums, declaring everlasting love.

The touching “Heaven” cements itself into the heart of every hopeless romantic.

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