Two weeks ago I wrote a piece on dissecting lyrics. Sometimes I only listen to a song for the beat. If it’s catchy and fun and puts me in a good mood then maybe that’s all I need from it. But from time to time I’ll be listening to a song and the lyrics really hit me. “Did they really just say that? They are a mastermind!” I love the process of going through lyrics and lines in a song and uncovering what they are really trying to say. Getting in the brains of other people is fun right? I think so. Trying to uncover secret meanings and get inside the mind of artists is so interesting to me. One artist in particular really makes it fun to dissect her lyrics for me. This artist has 404 songs, that’s a lot to cover, obviously I wasn’t able to get that done in one piece. So welcome back to Dissecting Taylor Swift Lyrics: Part 2.
Taylor has always been prominent in pop-culture but In the past couple of years she really has taken off, releasing 4 brand new albums since 2020, going on tour for her iconic Eras Tour, with 149 shows spanning 5 continents, and of course, she’s in the spotlight in the sports world for dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce. From a non-Swiftie perspective I can (sorta) see why there can be a misunderstanding with the type of artist she is. You may know her from “Love Story” or “You Belong With Me” but I’m here to show you that she has evolved a lot since those days and her lyrics are more meaningful then “it’s a love story baby just say yes”.
Along with dissecting lyrics I’ll also touch on ones that are just clever. Lines and lyrics that make me think “how did she even think of that”. The ones that bring me chills because how can a person create such interesting and engaging lyrics to relate to everyday feelings. Basically I want to prove to you that Taylor Swift is more than just a pop artist who sings about breakups, she is a lyrical genius.
DISCLAIMER: I will use the word presumed because obviously we cannot get into the actual mind of the one and only Taylor Swift, this is just what is presumed.
Last April, Taylor Swift released her latest album The Tortured Poets Department. The title of this album matches perfectly with the music. It’s a melancholy feeling yet it is so poetic. So it’s only right I start with some songs from this album and the first song I’m going to touch on is one that really gives me chills and is so clever to me “How Did It End”
“Say it once again with feeling/ How the death rattle breathing/ Silenced as the soul was leaving”
Have you ever had something happen to you that leaves you literally breathless and trying to catch air. It’s like when you find out or see something that you didn’t want to know and it leaves you so shocked your system can’t keep up with your brain. How Did It End is a song that looks back on the past really questioning what went wrong and how did it all end? It’s also almost like a goodbye, with the “silenced as the soul was leaving”.
When I was little with friends a core memory is singing those rhymes “Jessi and Daniel sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G” it used to have us laughing in tears after, to little girls it’s hilarious at the time. I grew up listening to Taylor Swift, so as she has gotten older and the music matures so have I. When I heard this next lyric in How Did It End, it kinda left me with my jaw dropped and an anxious stomach.
“My beloved ghost and me/ Sitting in a tree/ D.Y.I.N.G”
These lines are nostalgic almost and it’s an odd feeling to look back on with growing up and how time flies so fast. One day you’re on the swings singing about your friends in grade 4 kissing and the next you’re a young adult listening to heartbreaking songs that you only wish you didn’t have to relate to. It’s a line that leaves an odd taste in my mouth. I love how clever she was with that rhyme change, but really Taylor, you didn’t have to make me that sad and nostalgic.
Continuing with the Tortured Poets Department, I think one of the reasons I love this album so much is because it’s still predominantly about breakups and relationships but it’s a completely different take than her previous albums. This album is not at all those “Shake It Off” vibes where she’s going through the breakup in a light fun way, you can tell with this album she took it in a mature way, showing that these feelings were painful.
Have you ever been really into someone or maybe even in a relationship with someone where everyone just disapproves of that other person? It’s an awful feeling and you feel the judgement so hard. I mean after all it’s someone you really value yet other people are just not seeing those same sides of the person that you see. But afterwhile maybe you begin to see why these people feel that way about that person. Maybe they aren’t so good for you, the relationship is thrilling and seems so good to you, you just can’t take that step away. Taylor’s song “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” kinda emasculates those feelings perfectly.
They shake their heads saying “God help her”,/ When I tell them he’s my man/ But you’re good Lord doesn’t need to lift a finger/ I can fix him, no, really I can.
The dopamine races through his brain/ On a six-lane Texas highway
Taylor is talking about being with someone so exhilarating and exciting but in reality they probably aren’t the best for you, maybe deep down you know it, but everyone around you can definitely see it.
The feeling of getting old to people is something that I know a lot of people can relate to. Once you’re not this new shiny person anymore and people get to know the real you and see your flaws and quirks, if they aren’t your true friend they can get scared and pull away. Taylor hits these feelings of fear of abandonment in her song “Nothing New” right on the dot.
“Lord what will become of me/ Once I’ve lost my novelty?
So have I proved to you that Taylor Swift is a lot more than just basic song lyrics? I mean I think I’ve laid it out all pretty good right here, she is the lyrical genius I said she was! Even if you aren’t a fan, I think it’s still fun to dissect these lyrics and get into her brain, and who knows, maybe once you check these songs out you’ll be a new found Swiftie.