Cracking the Zarry Code - how Deep is real.

Walking in the Wind

I've said quite a lot about this song already, in the chapter about You and I.

This is clearly the "official" One Direction song about Zayn leaving the band. A bit sad that it's only on the Deluxe version of the album, then.  ):  I can almost imagine the 1D publicist sitting in a rather awkward meeting with the band saying "well it needs to be positive, doesn't it guys? Like, we had a good time, all still good mates....er...missing you but hoping you're happy?" In keeping with this forced optimism, WITW has a fairly upbeat tempo and a clever song / beat structure which recalls Paul Simon songs like Graceland.

However, Harry is listed as the principal writer. I can just imagine him shutting that publicist down by saying "I'm doing it." Zayn was his and if anything was going to be written about him, Harry was going to make damned sure he would be the one writing it.

For that reason, WITW is a bit schizophrenic – some parts pure Zarry (written from Harry's heart) and some parts catering to the "writing by committee" side of being in 1D which Zayn hated so much.

Harry is the first to sing. No surprise there. And the first lines: A week ago you said to me / Do you believe I'll never be too far, is obviously Harry writing from life, and why would Zayn have said this to Harry (rather than all the band members) if they didn't have a special relationship?

It continues: 

If you're lost just look for me / You'll find me in the region of the summer stars.

I'm not altogether sure where the region of the summer stars is – I got references to LA and London when I searched – also to a progressive rock album from the seventies and to a fantasy fiction series....  However, stars are used symbolically by Zarry elsewhere and this forms part of the Zarry Code. I think Zayn could have said to Harry that they would see each other in LA, where they would both likely settle once they established solo careers.

Then the lyrics then drift into "feelgood" / self-help territory which makes me think of Harry trying to please The Powers That Be with positivity (the fact that we can sit right here and say goodbye means we've already won / The necessity for apologies between you and me / Baby there is none). Yeah, right Harry. You told us (in If I Could Fly) that you were ready to give up everything because Zayn leaving hurt so bad: so these lyrics sound... how can I put it? Hollow. I'm impressed that Harry managed to sneak in the word "Baby", though, when it is obvious the song is directed at Zayn.  For Harry at the time, that probably amounted to full-on rebellion against Syco.

Then Niall takes over singing and the lyrics shift to the band's goodbye / reminiscing / official line, talking about good times and good tricks up our sleeve...goodbyes are bitter-sweet but it's not the end.   That's alright then.

The chorus goes back to Harry leading the vocals and the poetry returns, the cheesy platitudes replaced by the promise of something much more mysterious:

You will find me / in places that we've never been / for reasons we don't understand / walking in the wind.

I've explained the reference that the words "walking in the wind" have to the song You and I in an earlier chapter: the link is to a romantic, hidden relationship between opposites – a relationship which will endure.

Louis sings the next verse and this is where things get ridiculous. For a start, I think Louis makes a mistake when he sings the line{ Yesterday I went out to celebrate the birthday of a friend.  Either that, or the production goes wrong: as the word "I" sounds distinctly swallowed. It could have been deliberate (no idea why) but it suggests to me that someone couldn't be bothered to fix the recording... or re-record it.... Hmm.

The "story" continues: But as we raised our glasses up to make a toast I realised you were missing.

More on this later.

The bridge is sung by Harry and is heartfelt, calling his lover "child" and promising to be by his side anytime he needs him.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think 1D have ever sung this song live. It wouldn't surprise me if they simply couldn't do it - I get the feeling Harry would be singing a completely different song to the rest of the band (who I can guess would be cringing over the fake-optimism of the other lyrics).

Zayn seems to think the same: he uses the wind and walking in the wind in his solo work as a symbol for Zarry resurrecting their relationship (I'll discuss this more later when I analyse the video for Dusk till Dawn) but he also makes it very clear that he doesn't think much of the rest of WITW.... I'll talk about this more when I analyse songs from Mind of Mine.