Songfacts®:

• This song was co-written and produced by British producer Paul Epworth, who is best known for his work with Bloc Party and Florence and the Machine. He also worked on Everything Is New, the sophomore album from Adele's pal, Jack Peñate. "[Paul and I] came out with this bluesy, gospel sound which was, without me realizing, exactly the route I wanted to go down," she told Spin magazine.
• Adele told The Sun: "That's quite a happy song actually, it's me admitting my faults."
• Much of 21 concerns the ending of a relationship Adele went through after the release of her previous debut album. Initially the singer penned a series of vitriolic songs about her ex such as "Rolling In The Deep." However, Adele told Spin magazine as the months wore on she begun to reconsider. "I started to realise I'm not as great as I thought as a girlfriend. I felt quite bad about writing a record that's all F--- you." This prompted her to write some new tracks that provided a sense of balance. They included this track, which is about "admitting your flaws, accepting you're wrong."