Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: singer-songwriter
Song Meaning of “Adam (Reformatory)” by Nicole Dollanganger
Told from the perspective of a dream-like character, ‘Adam (Reformatory)’ is a hauntingly beautiful anthem for the freedom of self-expression. This song is an ode to ambiguity and the beauty of taking a stand for who you are regardless of any constraints you may be feeling in the moment.
The title ‘Adam (Reformatory)’ implies that the protagonist has chosen to break free from the chains of conformity – that they have decided to find their own personal agency and shed any skins of mediocrity that may have been put upon them. This theme is further solidified in the lyrics, with the protagonist singing of ‘breaking through… send me wild away’. This is an act of defiance against all the forces of conformity that the protagonist is facing.
The chorus of the song is a defiant ode to freedom, with the protagonist proudly claiming, ‘I won’t go to the reformatory, I won’t go where they tell me to’. This is an expression of the protagonist’s unwillingness to be forced into any traditional views of life. They have instead chosen to embrace the uncertainty and fluidity of life on their own terms.
In the outro of the song, the protagonist concludes with a resounding reminder that they are ‘no Adam made of clay’. In other words, they refuse to stay defined by any singular, predetermined identity, and instead they will continually express themselves however they choose.