“Story of My Life,” a song on One Direction’s third studio album, “Midnight Memories,” is one of the band’s most popular songs. Being one of the band’s more mature pieces, the song focuses on the struggle of chasing after a girl that they cannot have, leaving them with memories and a broken heart.

This hit single received high remarks from many critics and has reached top spots on charts such as the Irish Singles Chart and New Zealand Singles Chart back in 2013.

Verse 1

“Written in these walls are the stories that I can’t explain

I leave my heart open but it stays right here empty for days”

This story opens up with nostalgic, yet intimate acoustic strumming which immediately pulls the listeners into an almost familiar atmosphere, only to be pulled in more with the first few lyrics sung by Harry Styles. Immediately, the heartbreaking words already reflect what the whole song is about, an empty heart full of memories. 

Pre-Chorus

“And I’ll be gone, gone tonight

The ground beneath my feet is open wide

The way that I’ve been holding on too tight

With nothing in between”

The stanza that follows shortly after only further expresses how deep their memories are. Zayn Malik’s raw and emotional tone brings the meaning of holding onto the past and those memories to light. He emphasizes how he is stuck in those memories,  and how he cannot and will never truly move on.

Verse 2

“Written on these walls are the colors that I can’t change

Leave my heart open but it stays right here in its cage”

The second verse is the most straightforward out of all of the other parts, yet it still holds as much meaning as the others. As Niall Horan and Liam Payne sing this verse together, they reminisce on the day that their lover left them, using the metaphor of colors to express unchanged emotions. A lyric in the verse that carries on the total sadness of their past lover is, “Although I am heartbroken, my heart is untamed still.” 

Bridge

“And I’ve been waiting for this time to come around

But, baby, running after you is like chasing the clouds”

As the song comes to an end, this short bridge truly represents the last stage of their grief: acceptance. However, though the band has come to terms with the truth, they cannot help their desire to wait for their lover to come back to them no matter how long it takes. Realizing that this lover, now a stranger, will never be theirs again, it leaves them in a position of loneliness and depression. 

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Last week, the world suffered the death of the pop singer and songwriter, Liam Payne, who passed at the age of 31. Payne was known for his role as the leader of the famous boy band, One Direction, and ever since then, he was loved by many. However toward the end of his life, he faced controversial allegations which led to unfortunate circumstances until his death. 

 Students on campus are reaching the midway point of the year where things start to get stressful while work starts to pile up, no matter what grade you are. It’s completely normal to feel stressed during this time, but be sure to put and take care of yourself first. Health matters more than anything else, so take things one day at a time.

“It seems to me that when I die, these words will be written on my stone.”