Madeline Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I know none of this is your fault, messaging you feels kind of assaultive
Saw your text, that's how I found out, tell me the truth and his motives
I can't trust anything that comes out of his mouth
No, I can't trust anything that comes out of his mouth
[Verse 2]
How long has it been going on? Is it just s*x or is there emotion?
He told me it would stay in hotel rooms, never be out in the open
Why would I trust anything that comes out of his mouth?
Oh, why would I trust anything that comes out of his mouth?
[Chorus]
We had an arrangement
Be discreet and don't be blatant
There had to be payment
It had to be with strangers
But you're not a stranger, Madeline
[Interlude]
Hey, he is telling you thе truth (Madeline)
Our relationship has only еver been about s*x
I can promise you that this is not an emotional connection (Madeline)
We don't speak outside of the time we spend together (Madeline)
And whenever he talks about you, it's with the utmost respect
[Verse 3]
You tell me he's telling the truth, is that the case or a line that he fed you?
Wanna believe you but is it a ruse? Lie to me, babe, and I'll end you
I can't trust anything that comes out of your mouth
I'm not convinced that he didn't f*ck you in our house
[Verse 4]
Do you two ever talk about me? Has he told you that he doesn't love me?
I bet he tells you, tells you he loves you, I've gotten old, gotten ugly
I wouldn't trust anything that comes out of his mouth
Now, why would you trust anything that comes out of his mouth?
[Chorus]
We had an arrangement (An arrangement)
Be discreet and don't be blatant (Blatant)
And there had to be payment (Payment)
It had to be with strangers (Strangers)
But you're not a stranger, Madeline
Madeline, Madeline, Madeline
But you're not a stranger, Madeline
[Outro]
I hate that you're in so much pain right now
I really don't wanna be the cause of any upset
He told me that you were aware this was going on and that he had your full consent
If he's lying about that, then please let me know
Because I have my own feelings about dishonesty
Lies are not something that I wanna get caught up in
You can reach out to me any time, by the wayIf you need any more details or you just need to vent or anything
Love and light, Madeline
_______________ End _______________
Lily Allen latest songs
Madeline Song Meaning (Lily Allen)
When Lily Allen premiered "West End Girl" on October 24, 2025, she didn’t just mark a return. She delivered an emotional reckoning. At the centre of that reckoning is the song “Madeline,” which stands out as a confronting, vivid narrative of betrayal, non-monogamy gone off the rails, and the struggle for self-trust in a relationship turned upside down.
Background and Real-Life Context
Allen has openly acknowledged that "West End Girl" is rooted in real life, though she makes clear it’s a blend of fact and fiction. She told The Independent that the character “Madeline” is a fictional construct drawn from multiple people and moments — “a construct of others,” she said.
At the same time, multiple outlets link the album to the collapse of her marriage to David Harbour — marriage marked by the inception of an open arrangement that spiralled into confusion, pain and mistrust. “Madeline” emerges from that space: the discovery of a text, the emerging of a triangle, the breach of the rules and, above all, the shattering of certainty.
Storytelling and Emotional Core
In “Madeline,” Allen addresses a woman (Madeline) who has entered the frame of her relationship. She says: “I know none of this is your fault, messaging you feels kind of assaultive” — an opening line that immediately sets up the tangled dynamic: the partner has texted the ‘other’, the narrator is straining to understand the motives, and the presumed confidante is pulled into the fray.
She asks haunting questions: “How long has it been going on? Is it just sex or is there emotion?” The theme of an “arrangement” is explicit: “We had an arrangement / Be discreet and don’t be blatant / There had to be payment / It had to be with strangers” — and then the kicker: “But you’re not a stranger, Madeline.” It flips the script on the agreement. The rules existed, but the moral contract collapsed when familiarity entered the mix.
Allen then shifts vantage: she speculates on what Madeline might have been told. The spoken-word interlude positions Madeline, in an American accent, insisting: “Our relationship has only ever been about sex… We don’t speak outside of the time we spend together… And whenever he talks about you, it’s with the utmost respect.” That moment is chilling in its casualness — it reveals how stacked the deck is, how much silence and assumption sit beneath the surface.
In the final verse, Allen directly confronts the aftermath: “Do you two ever talk about me? Has he told you that he doesn’t love me?” The narrator isn’t just dealing with infidelity — she’s dealing with emotional desertion, the erasure of love, the sense that everything she believed is now negotiable.
And the outro lays bare the complexity of female solidarity and rivalry: the narrator offers love and light, though she doesn’t hide her pain. She winds the track by saying, “If he’s lying about that, then please let me know / Because I have my own feelings about dishonesty.” It’s both offer and threat, forgiveness and boundary.
What the Song Represents
For the listener, “Madeline” isn’t just a breakup song. It’s a spotlight on modern relationship architecture — open agreements, blurring of roles, the illusions of control and when that control flips. Allen takes a setup often cloaked in progressive terms (“we agreed”) and shows the underbelly: the secrets, the power imbalances, the emotional casualties.
For Lily Allen, it’s another step in her evolution. From the playful sarcasm of early hits, she’s now offering unflinching emotional reportage. The shock of betrayal has compelled her to excavate her voice and agency. In naming “Madeline” — fictional though she may be — Allen externalises a force she needs to negotiate and name.
Why It Matters
In a culture saturated with confessional pop, “Madeline” stands out because it doesn’t romanticise weakness. Instead, it maps out the reclaiming of voice. It speaks to anyone who’s been told, “It’s fine,” and then found out it wasn’t. It’s an anthem of boundary-breaking: you might have written the rules, but you lost the control. And I’m going to call you out.
Its SEO-friendly hook is also clear: betrayal, open-marriage breakdown, “who is Madeline” mystery – all forces that drive cultural curiosity. But beneath the click-bait angle, the song has genuine emotional depth: it renders intimate confusion in plain English and sets a scene so many quietly endure.
“Madeline” is more than a track on a comeback album. It’s Lily Allen stepping back into pop from the hard side, from the wreckage of love gone wrong, telling not only what happened — but how she felt.
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FAQ Section
Who sung the song "Madeline" by Lily Allen?
The song "Madeline" was sung by Lily Allen.
Who wrote the song "Madeline" by Lily Allen?
Lily Allen, Violet Skies, Chrome Sparks, BLUEM & Jean Carter.
Who produced the song "Madeline" by Lily Allen?
Blue May, Micah Jasper & Chrome Sparks.
Music Video
Song Details
Artist: Lily Allen
Album: West End Girl
Genre: Pop
Language: English
Released: October 24, 2025
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