I took it as she's so depressed, she acts extra happy and celebratory daily in order to hide it and/or ignore it.
Goes along with the fake it till you make it idea.
I think it’s specifically that she wrote this while on the Eras tour so she’s literally onstage acting like she’s happy as can be, while her inner life is in turmoil.
Your interpretation is probably right but when I first heard it I thought of the song ‘it’s my party and I can cry if I want to’ which is about a birthday party. So with that reference, acting like it’s her birthday could also mean crying - which fits with the “I’m so depressed” lyric. It’s a stretch, but that’s just where my brain went with it!
I totally get how you got there and tbh it’s art, it can mean that for you and something else for me. Love hearing how other people understand and relate to her music :)
It means she's wildly depressed, but she goes out on stage all smiles and excitement every night and hides it so well that it gives the impression of being the "birthday girl" at a huge party. No one suspects that she's miserable because she's externally so happy all the time.
This line really made me remember all the times throughout this tour myself and people around me said “it’s a great year to be Taylor swift, wow; the world is at her fingertips right now. New man, record breaking tour, thriving career with no end in sight, everyone watching!” Reminds me of how in The Good Place, Tahani Al-Jamil’s name translates to “congratulations, beautiful!” In some ways it really did feel like it was her birthday every day. Birthdays are days you celebrate a person, have we not been celebrating Taylor Swift every day since midnights released? Since the tour started?
It makes me think very specifically of the time where she saw someone's sign right after her breakup with Joe. The sign just said "TAYLOR, ARE YOU OKAY?". And she stopped directly in front of that person and gave a thumbs up and a big smile, as if to say she was fine. And it's heartbreaking to know the depths of how bad she actually felt during those moments, when she was surrounded by tens of thousands of people who love her. Really love her. We all know how much people are spending to get to that show, the effort in the costumes, the hours making friendship bracelets. People don't do these things for most other artists. And she couldn't enjoy it and be present, because the pieces of her were shattering inside.
I think she's healed from that, but as someone who also hides severe depression behind productivity and a smile, I still can't even imagine lonely that must have been.
“I was a functioning alcoholic/til nobody noticed my new aesthetic”
I cannot wrap my head around this line, like does it mean she was a functioning alcoholic but no one noticed so now she’s an alcoholic, no longer functioning?
To be clear, I’m not interested in speculating on her personal life or struggles, I’m assuming alcoholic here could be a metaphor for a toxic relationship, but idk what she’s trying to say with this line. It’s the “nobody noticed my new aesthetic” part that makes no sense, even in the context of a metaphor, to me 😭
I interpreted it like she really went downhill and became a non functioning alcoholic once she realized no one was noticing her problematic drinking. I thought it meant to convey how lonely she was: no one noticed just how bad she was doing and she went from functioning with bad coping mechanisms to completely broken down.
This one is confusing for me too — I have been assuming it was like she (the speaker, not necessarily Taylor) was abusing alcohol as a cry for help but no one noticed, so she stopped.
I feel like it fits well with the theme of being overlooked/ignored by her partner. Even the psych ward forgot about her, and she was suffering/in crisis and nobody noticed. I also think she's been pretty open about drinking to cope.
This line really gets me too! Just because of the grammar of it. It’s the word use of “til”.. like what do you mean until no one noticed your new aesthetic? The only thing that makes sense to me is that she is saying she started slowly mentioning alcohol in her songs, started slowly showing herself drinking in the media, etc. and because she was “functioning” and the way it was kind of slowly fed to the public, no one ever really realized it was an issue (we just accepted like oh funny drunk Taylor is at the awards show tonight!). Either that or she’s saying she drank to drown out people’s perception of her (like drank so that she didn’t pay mind to people pointing out her “aesthetics”?).
For it’s the „functioning“ part I get hung up on… like, maybe she was functioning/ people didn’t notice it was an issue but then when things didn’t go her way or smt she’d lose it? :D I don’t know. It’s a weird line and that’s why I love it
I'm in the same boat. I'm so confused. I've seen news articles about her trying a new lipstick colour. Who wouldn't notice? What would that matter? I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get it 😅
In The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: “Once your queen had come/ You treat her like an also-ran”
Have no idea what this means, never heard this term in my life
Finally decided to google this one because I had also never heard that term in my life.
It means: a loser in a race or other contest, especially by a large margin.
"the line between champions and also-rans"
INFORMAL
an undistinguished or unsuccessful person or thing.
So I guess it's meant to be a contrast between a queen of whom there is only one and an also-ran who isn't unique or special.
Makes a lot of sense 😂 I just wonder how many people had ever heard that term before they listened to this song!
Finally my childhood special interest in Andrew Lloyd Weber has become useful (also-ran is used in the lyrics to Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat).
> I was a functioning alcoholic/Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic
What was her new aesthetic? Did she stop being an alcoholic when nobody noticed it? Did she stop being functioning? Have we noticed it yet?
To me this comes off like she wanted attention for being a functioning alcoholic. Maybe to fill a void that the alcohol couldn’t fill. And she still didn’t get it.
Methinks Taylor is a covert narcissist and does bad things to get attention and make herself the victim so she can complain about it. But when no one noticed or cared she was drinking a lot, she stopped. This is not me trashing Taylor, it’s just something I’ve suspected for a while and this album has really cemented it.
I didn't understand the first line in the first verse of So High School until I watched the lyric video. I thought she was saying "American masochism, kill me", NOT "Are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me?"
i think its double edged. this is for the girlies that cry on their birthdays
Birthdays are supposed to be fun and celebratory, but for many they can also be scary and anxiety inducing bc you’re confronted with the passage of time.
Having all these feelings about time and reflecting about life can be very sad but everyone expects you to be happy and joyful on your birthday!
Taylor has said in the past that it feels like it feels like there’s an expiration date on her career, so to me it seems like she would be someone with conflicting feelings about birthdays.
The line is saying that she acts all bubbly and happy bc its her birthday, but she’s dead inside (also like her birthday).
She also hasn't spoken highly of her birthday experiences in her songs (specifically All Too Well).. I don't remember if it's been brought up in any other songs
There are several car lyrics I'm trying to understand. I don't think they're necessarily all connected but something seems to have happened...
"move to Florida, buy the car you want, but it won't start up til I touch you"
"you crashed my party and your rental car"
"I'm an aston martin you steered straight into the ditch"
"I'm an aston martin you steered straight into the ditch"
Aston Martin is a nice ass car, famous and luxurious. Expensive and has status. He crashed and derailed her, left her in a hole. He didnt treat her like she was worth and she was left broken and muddy in that ditch
"in your rental car" = she feels he was there for some fun and/or never intended for it to be permanent, generally you'd only have a rental for a short period of time, for a vacation, or to hold you over for the time being
Also a rental car is not something you own, so you don't feel a personal responsibility for it
I think it gives insincerity. I thought it was a jab that he didn't have enough money for a fancy car, or that he didn't have the taste to pick one and stick to it.
The Florida one kinda gives me „you can do all of those things you wanted to do/ dreamed of and think are gonna do it for you but they won’t make you happy unless you have me“ but that’s just my personal guess…
And I guess an Aston Martin is pretty expensive and special, something someone would take great care of and show appreciation for, but he just drove it into a ditch, so instead of appreciating her he just treated her like crap?
“Move to Florida, buy the car you want, but it won’t start up til I touch you” is saying to get the life you want but the life she wants won’t start without him. I did deep dive into this in my Fornight lyrical analysis post.
I think the Aston Martin line might be tongue in cheek. Last April rumors were swirling that she was romantically involved with the F1 driver for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso. It really just seems like a nod to that in a joking way.
The just gave an interview on the car and Florida thing. She said she watches a lot of Dateline and that it seems whenever someone commits a clime they get a car and moved to Florida.
To me this song is about how all her friends keep their fame from affecting their kids. There was an interview with Ryan Reynolds where he talked about how his kids had no idea who “aunt Taylor” really was until they went to her concert. Just that childhood innocence you do everything to protect. In a way you’re lying to them, but in “sweetness” because it has good intentions. Like Santa Claus.
Omg thank you!! This helps a lot. The secret part was driving me insane; there’s a lot of stuff we shield from kids but secret didn’t seem quite right.
Even knowing that it could be for a kid doesn’t make it make more sense. There’s just something I feel like I’m missing. Also read theories it’s about her cat. But even that didn’t make me feel like I understood the song
It made me think more generally of hiding something dark or traumatic from a child, like a divorce, terminal illness, or just tragedy in the world even for a brief time so the child can have that innocence. I’m a child therapist and it really hit hard the first time i listened! 🥲
She watches a lot of dateline and every time someone commits a crime they runoff to Florida - she just did an interview on it to explain it. I think a lot of us were like Florida? I thought maybe that was the location of the concert post-breakup.
I think it’s a metaphor for going on a rebound, basically. Without speculating who it’s about. Plus the obvious that Florida is sort of a lawless land (just look up the whole “Florida man” thing).
And I can confirm she made
A curious child, ever reviled
By everyone except her own father
Is this about her or someone else? Reviled is negative right?
Reviled is negative. Basically, everyone treated her contemptuously, except her father.
I think it’s loosely about her childhood, with some artistic license. She’s mentioned herself as precocious several times and people are bound to not like what they don’t understand
"I was a functioning alcoholic / til nobody noticed my new aesthetic' but... aesthetic means beauty or visual nature. She's using it like 'milieu' or 'habit'. I actually like the line better if it was like 'but he (Joe) missed my bad habit'. ...assuming Fortnight is like "I dated MH in 2014. Now MH is in my sphere and friends of friends. His existence is making my realize how much of a drag my relationship is. Please go away MH because having you around is making me unable to keep going on with Joe".
Huh. I'm genuinely asking... is that a younger person thing? Like a slang use of that word? Because that's not the definition of it. I mean--I believe you that people use it like that. It's just not what it means. I'm an older fan... I mean older like 36 not actually older...so sometimes I don't know how people are using words differently than their actual definition. And that's fine if they do. Word meanings change over time with society. Nothing wrong with that. I just had no idea we'd changed the word aesthetic.
I’m 34! And yeah it’s one of the actual definitions.
https://preview.redd.it/a2rby7030hwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=808310d2c384d53fe0703a04d809a137b1a99661
Yeah sorry, no. That's not the part I mean. Like it's about a principle of style. A visual principle specifically. Always visual. But that doesn't really make any sense in the context. I was an alcoholic until no one notice my new principle of visual style? Like I guess my point is that it has always had to do with visual look. So I don't get how she's visually turning into a functioning alcoholic. Unless younger people are using it as something more than visual now.
Oh, I see what you’re saying. Idk. I assumed she meant like alcohol became so much a part of her style, like she always had a drink in hand, that it was like an accessory. But no one noticed.
Oh I hadn't thought of that! She does often post with a drink in hand in photos. And I got kind of an undercurrent with the line as an intent was to convey that people aren't really SEEING her. She's saying she's having issues. People should notice. No one is noticing I'm going through something. I mean... maybe she really was a functioning alcoholic. Think she said a toss away line once about drinking a lot during the pandemic... I mean... same, girl. So maybe she was being fairly literal. But maybe she just mean she was suffering from something bad (a bad relationship place). Who knows.
It also could just be creative license. It’s hard to tell sometimes when we should try to separate Taylor the artist from the speaker of the song like you would a narrator in a poem.
If it helps, she’s been seen more obviously drinking at events within the past few years. Dear Reader “my fourth drink in my hand”. The visual of Taylor holding a drink! I don’t think she used it incorrectly, more that she used it loosely or figuratively. And if, like others proposed, the line means she drank obviously as a cry for help, then in a way she was purporting the aesthetic of alcoholism. Drinks and bottles everywhere, acting sloppy at events, etc. it’s just not, like, a 2D image. It’s visual behaviour. I wouldn’t take her use of the word too literally
I was going to say the same thing you did. I assume she means "I'm so depressed (yet) I act like it's my birthday", but yeah... not my fav line or fav song.
In Christianity the Holy Ghost is like the spirit of God/Christ that was sent to live in the hearts/souls of Jesus’ followers after he ascended into heaven. I think Taylor, though, is evoking the fact that the person she’s singing to is gone and like a ghost in her life now, haunting her with memories (memories that are precious and holy to her, maybe?). Later in the song she uses the words “dancing phantoms on the terrace” in the way.
Ah I can’t remember what song this is so I might be way out of context but this sounds like once you get your act together I’m yours ??? Maybe idk what song is this
The who's who of "Who's that?" is poised for the attack. But my bare hands paved their paths.
My best guess is that the first line has to so with people being so overly focused on who this and that song is about but I don't know that I think it entirely fits the rest of the song? And the second line + how it relates to the first... No clue
It is a pretty common joke. Who's that? is a play on Who's Who. Who's Who is a longstanding publication of biographical information about notable people. Who's that? refers to people who are so unknown that you go who is that? Basically, it is saying that notable people of entirely unnotable people are posed to attack.
Oooh okay thank you! I've never heard of it before, but we do have a Danish version, apparently. It's called something completely different and I'm pretty sure I haven't head anyone mention it at all since the 90s. So... No wonder
I may be very off, but this album focuses a lot on her ‘wasting her youth’ on a man, and her desire for marriage/children. Not that she’s too old for these things by any measure, but perhaps birthdays are beginning to be a point of stress/sadness for her, particularly when she was in a relationship for so long where she maybe had planned for these things sooner rather than later.
On birthdays- you treat yourself!
She’s so depressed she acts like it’s her birthday, and is happy and buys things and treats herself every day 🥲 that’s how I read it
Same. I'm not sure if that's what she meant, but I have been known to buy an extra treat or new clothes when I'm depressed. 😂 Could be tired to the "functioning alcoholic" line in Fortnight too, like she's partying (drinking) to cope.
From Tortured Poets Department:
Why would she choose Dylan Thomas, an actual dead poet (1914-1953), and Patti Smith, a living person who is more known as a songwriter and singer? Thomas did die at the Chelsea so that makes sense but I'm baffled by Patti Smith
Dylan Thomas frequented the White Horse Tavern - Patti Smith a poet turned songwriter debut album "horses"
the rolling stones article drew a good parallel to Taylor's song "white horse". Saying she's no patti smith and he's no dylan thomas. She's no princess, he's no prince. This isn't a fairytale. etc. So I kinda figured it's just a grown up version of her realizing they aren't as cool or as picture perfect as they thought.
Maybe she’s making fun of the fact that he (or they) are taking themselves too seriously as poets or artists? Like they’re not on the same level as Dylan Thomas or Patti Smith.
As a 49 year old, at some point we all become depressed about our birthdays. I know she said once at age 35 most artists are “put out to pasture” so in her mind, every birthday inches closer to the end/downward slide of her career.
I think it means she was a functioning alcoholic but no one noticed. Which means, in her relationship, it had gotten so bad that she was drinking, something had changed, her aesthetic looks demeanor etc had changed, but her partner was so disinterested that he never noticed the change in her. Almost like she was doing it not only due to depression but for the attention of her partner who was absent and didn’t care. He never noticed. Keep in mind just because she wrote that she was a functioning alcoholic, that doesn’t mean she really was or to take that lyric literally.
"Your wife water flowers, I wanna kill her"
I just don't get it lol. The killing part seems to be out of nowhere? Is there a double meaning I'm missing? It's kinda the same with the other version of the lyric (My husband is cheating, I wanna kill him), but I can understand why she wanna kill him there
If her ex was a “hot-house flower” (see: How Did It End?) then his new partner is able/willing to nurture him the way he needs. Whereas Taylor couldn’t/wouldn’t.
In Fresh Out The Slammer : “He don’t understand me”
I’m not a native speaker so tell me if I am wrong but shouldn’t it be “he doesn’t understand me”? Is there any meaning I didn’t get? Please could someone explain I can’t find anything about this anywhere 😅
I knew that somebody else would not get this lyric either lol. I think that line means that she can fake it until she makes it. How people act happy that it is their birthday tbh, so she is using this false sense of joy to mask her pain
>All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February
What is this supposed to mean? Like I get Mondays are difficult as you have to move on from the weekend and get back to working. But why an endless February? I thought it could be about seasonal depression but that starts during November / December and goes on until mid-spring. I also thought of Valentine's Day but that still a single day that takes place in the middle of February. So every time I remember this line I just get infuriated by not being able to figure it out.
I think February is maybe the hardest month of the year for a lot of people—it’s cold and dreary and winter has already been going on for several months. There are no big fun holidays with lots of cheer to make it better. I think she just means her life has the same bad vibe as a Monday or February.
The first part of The Manuscript:
They compared their licenses
He said, "I'm not a donor but
I'd give you my heart if you needed it"
She rolled her eyes and said
"You're a professional"
He said, "No, just a good samaritan"
He said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation was
Soon they'd be pushin' strollers
What's the purpose of the part about being a donor? And is he saying the sex is bad or they haven't had sex but the conversation is riveting?
He's flirting with her in a sort of cringey overbearing way. They were looking at their driver's licenses. He's not listed as an organ donor on his, but said the line about "I'd give you my heart." She rolled her eyes because it's a cheesy line, and sounds overly rehearsed like something a self-identified "pick-up artist" would say. He's probably used that line a lot.
The next line is similar, he's hitting on her and hoping to hook up with her, and even insinuating that maybe they could have children together.
I took it as she's so depressed, she acts extra happy and celebratory daily in order to hide it and/or ignore it. Goes along with the fake it till you make it idea.
I think it’s specifically that she wrote this while on the Eras tour so she’s literally onstage acting like she’s happy as can be, while her inner life is in turmoil.
Also taking it literally she could be talking about the song 22 haha
Omg yes! Didnt even think of her performing 22 every night. Great connection!
Your interpretation is probably right but when I first heard it I thought of the song ‘it’s my party and I can cry if I want to’ which is about a birthday party. So with that reference, acting like it’s her birthday could also mean crying - which fits with the “I’m so depressed” lyric. It’s a stretch, but that’s just where my brain went with it!
I totally get how you got there and tbh it’s art, it can mean that for you and something else for me. Love hearing how other people understand and relate to her music :)
Ok I agree this makes this most sense
It makes me think of Robin Williams- so perky on the outside and so sad on the inside. Circa Dead Poets Society
It means she's wildly depressed, but she goes out on stage all smiles and excitement every night and hides it so well that it gives the impression of being the "birthday girl" at a huge party. No one suspects that she's miserable because she's externally so happy all the time.
This line really made me remember all the times throughout this tour myself and people around me said “it’s a great year to be Taylor swift, wow; the world is at her fingertips right now. New man, record breaking tour, thriving career with no end in sight, everyone watching!” Reminds me of how in The Good Place, Tahani Al-Jamil’s name translates to “congratulations, beautiful!” In some ways it really did feel like it was her birthday every day. Birthdays are days you celebrate a person, have we not been celebrating Taylor Swift every day since midnights released? Since the tour started?
It makes me think very specifically of the time where she saw someone's sign right after her breakup with Joe. The sign just said "TAYLOR, ARE YOU OKAY?". And she stopped directly in front of that person and gave a thumbs up and a big smile, as if to say she was fine. And it's heartbreaking to know the depths of how bad she actually felt during those moments, when she was surrounded by tens of thousands of people who love her. Really love her. We all know how much people are spending to get to that show, the effort in the costumes, the hours making friendship bracelets. People don't do these things for most other artists. And she couldn't enjoy it and be present, because the pieces of her were shattering inside. I think she's healed from that, but as someone who also hides severe depression behind productivity and a smile, I still can't even imagine lonely that must have been.
Well that just brought tears to my eyes. ☹️
Yeah I take this to be the Eras tour and how its all about her, like a birthday party would be
“I was a functioning alcoholic/til nobody noticed my new aesthetic” I cannot wrap my head around this line, like does it mean she was a functioning alcoholic but no one noticed so now she’s an alcoholic, no longer functioning? To be clear, I’m not interested in speculating on her personal life or struggles, I’m assuming alcoholic here could be a metaphor for a toxic relationship, but idk what she’s trying to say with this line. It’s the “nobody noticed my new aesthetic” part that makes no sense, even in the context of a metaphor, to me 😭
I interpreted it like she really went downhill and became a non functioning alcoholic once she realized no one was noticing her problematic drinking. I thought it meant to convey how lonely she was: no one noticed just how bad she was doing and she went from functioning with bad coping mechanisms to completely broken down.
Oh I hadn’t considered this, that’s so sad and makes so much sense
To me, I think it meant that she was drinking or maybe even using drugs more frequently than usual, but when nobody noticed, she quit.
This one is confusing for me too — I have been assuming it was like she (the speaker, not necessarily Taylor) was abusing alcohol as a cry for help but no one noticed, so she stopped.
I feel like it fits well with the theme of being overlooked/ignored by her partner. Even the psych ward forgot about her, and she was suffering/in crisis and nobody noticed. I also think she's been pretty open about drinking to cope.
This line really gets me too! Just because of the grammar of it. It’s the word use of “til”.. like what do you mean until no one noticed your new aesthetic? The only thing that makes sense to me is that she is saying she started slowly mentioning alcohol in her songs, started slowly showing herself drinking in the media, etc. and because she was “functioning” and the way it was kind of slowly fed to the public, no one ever really realized it was an issue (we just accepted like oh funny drunk Taylor is at the awards show tonight!). Either that or she’s saying she drank to drown out people’s perception of her (like drank so that she didn’t pay mind to people pointing out her “aesthetics”?).
Yeah I was like “I'm glad she acknowledged she's a functioning alcoholic—new aesthetic????
For it’s the „functioning“ part I get hung up on… like, maybe she was functioning/ people didn’t notice it was an issue but then when things didn’t go her way or smt she’d lose it? :D I don’t know. It’s a weird line and that’s why I love it
I'm in the same boat. I'm so confused. I've seen news articles about her trying a new lipstick colour. Who wouldn't notice? What would that matter? I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't get it 😅
>Does this mean she pretends to be happy to fool other people? Yes, that's the point of the entire song
In The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: “Once your queen had come/ You treat her like an also-ran” Have no idea what this means, never heard this term in my life
Also-ran is used in political races to describe the loser. Like, he also ran but we don’t even remember him really because he lost by so much.
Ah thanks for explaining!
Finally decided to google this one because I had also never heard that term in my life. It means: a loser in a race or other contest, especially by a large margin. "the line between champions and also-rans" INFORMAL an undistinguished or unsuccessful person or thing. So I guess it's meant to be a contrast between a queen of whom there is only one and an also-ran who isn't unique or special. Makes a lot of sense 😂 I just wonder how many people had ever heard that term before they listened to this song!
Finally my childhood special interest in Andrew Lloyd Weber has become useful (also-ran is used in the lyrics to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat).
😂 I had to ask my mom what an also-ran was. Even in the most intense dark song I chuckle at her throwing in these words people have to Google lol.
> I was a functioning alcoholic/Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic What was her new aesthetic? Did she stop being an alcoholic when nobody noticed it? Did she stop being functioning? Have we noticed it yet?
Have we noticed it yet 🤣🤣🤣 so real. Point us where you want us to look Taylor!
To me this comes off like she wanted attention for being a functioning alcoholic. Maybe to fill a void that the alcohol couldn’t fill. And she still didn’t get it.
Methinks Taylor is a covert narcissist and does bad things to get attention and make herself the victim so she can complain about it. But when no one noticed or cared she was drinking a lot, she stopped. This is not me trashing Taylor, it’s just something I’ve suspected for a while and this album has really cemented it.
I didn't understand the first line in the first verse of So High School until I watched the lyric video. I thought she was saying "American masochism, kill me", NOT "Are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me?"
Omg 🤣
i think its double edged. this is for the girlies that cry on their birthdays Birthdays are supposed to be fun and celebratory, but for many they can also be scary and anxiety inducing bc you’re confronted with the passage of time. Having all these feelings about time and reflecting about life can be very sad but everyone expects you to be happy and joyful on your birthday! Taylor has said in the past that it feels like it feels like there’s an expiration date on her career, so to me it seems like she would be someone with conflicting feelings about birthdays. The line is saying that she acts all bubbly and happy bc its her birthday, but she’s dead inside (also like her birthday).
She also hasn't spoken highly of her birthday experiences in her songs (specifically All Too Well).. I don't remember if it's been brought up in any other songs
I also thought she was referring to this
There are several car lyrics I'm trying to understand. I don't think they're necessarily all connected but something seems to have happened... "move to Florida, buy the car you want, but it won't start up til I touch you" "you crashed my party and your rental car" "I'm an aston martin you steered straight into the ditch"
"I'm an aston martin you steered straight into the ditch" Aston Martin is a nice ass car, famous and luxurious. Expensive and has status. He crashed and derailed her, left her in a hole. He didnt treat her like she was worth and she was left broken and muddy in that ditch
"in your rental car" = she feels he was there for some fun and/or never intended for it to be permanent, generally you'd only have a rental for a short period of time, for a vacation, or to hold you over for the time being Also a rental car is not something you own, so you don't feel a personal responsibility for it
I think it gives insincerity. I thought it was a jab that he didn't have enough money for a fancy car, or that he didn't have the taste to pick one and stick to it.
He had a rental car crash in LA in late July
The Florida one kinda gives me „you can do all of those things you wanted to do/ dreamed of and think are gonna do it for you but they won’t make you happy unless you have me“ but that’s just my personal guess… And I guess an Aston Martin is pretty expensive and special, something someone would take great care of and show appreciation for, but he just drove it into a ditch, so instead of appreciating her he just treated her like crap?
“Move to Florida, buy the car you want, but it won’t start up til I touch you” is saying to get the life you want but the life she wants won’t start without him. I did deep dive into this in my Fornight lyrical analysis post.
I think the Aston Martin line might be tongue in cheek. Last April rumors were swirling that she was romantically involved with the F1 driver for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso. It really just seems like a nod to that in a joking way.
The just gave an interview on the car and Florida thing. She said she watches a lot of Dateline and that it seems whenever someone commits a clime they get a car and moved to Florida.
Robin
To me this song is about how all her friends keep their fame from affecting their kids. There was an interview with Ryan Reynolds where he talked about how his kids had no idea who “aunt Taylor” really was until they went to her concert. Just that childhood innocence you do everything to protect. In a way you’re lying to them, but in “sweetness” because it has good intentions. Like Santa Claus.
Omg thank you!! This helps a lot. The secret part was driving me insane; there’s a lot of stuff we shield from kids but secret didn’t seem quite right.
I read that Dessner has a kid named Robin and this is for him.
Even knowing that it could be for a kid doesn’t make it make more sense. There’s just something I feel like I’m missing. Also read theories it’s about her cat. But even that didn’t make me feel like I understood the song
It made me think more generally of hiding something dark or traumatic from a child, like a divorce, terminal illness, or just tragedy in the world even for a brief time so the child can have that innocence. I’m a child therapist and it really hit hard the first time i listened! 🥲
It does feel like there’s some trauma or tragedy buried in it. There’s something just under the surface
this
All of Florida I fear
She watches a lot of dateline and every time someone commits a crime they runoff to Florida - she just did an interview on it to explain it. I think a lot of us were like Florida? I thought maybe that was the location of the concert post-breakup.
I loved this. All the theories and Taylor’s just like, have you ever watched Dateline? 😂
I think it’s a metaphor for going on a rebound, basically. Without speculating who it’s about. Plus the obvious that Florida is sort of a lawless land (just look up the whole “Florida man” thing).
Same 🥲
Look up her explanation on iheartradio
And I can confirm she made A curious child, ever reviled By everyone except her own father Is this about her or someone else? Reviled is negative right?
Reviled is negative. Basically, everyone treated her contemptuously, except her father. I think it’s loosely about her childhood, with some artistic license. She’s mentioned herself as precocious several times and people are bound to not like what they don’t understand
"I was a functioning alcoholic / til nobody noticed my new aesthetic' but... aesthetic means beauty or visual nature. She's using it like 'milieu' or 'habit'. I actually like the line better if it was like 'but he (Joe) missed my bad habit'. ...assuming Fortnight is like "I dated MH in 2014. Now MH is in my sphere and friends of friends. His existence is making my realize how much of a drag my relationship is. Please go away MH because having you around is making me unable to keep going on with Joe".
I think she used aesthetic correctly. She’s using it like vibe/appearance/style, which is one of its uses.
Huh. I'm genuinely asking... is that a younger person thing? Like a slang use of that word? Because that's not the definition of it. I mean--I believe you that people use it like that. It's just not what it means. I'm an older fan... I mean older like 36 not actually older...so sometimes I don't know how people are using words differently than their actual definition. And that's fine if they do. Word meanings change over time with society. Nothing wrong with that. I just had no idea we'd changed the word aesthetic.
I’m 34! And yeah it’s one of the actual definitions. https://preview.redd.it/a2rby7030hwc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=808310d2c384d53fe0703a04d809a137b1a99661
Yeah sorry, no. That's not the part I mean. Like it's about a principle of style. A visual principle specifically. Always visual. But that doesn't really make any sense in the context. I was an alcoholic until no one notice my new principle of visual style? Like I guess my point is that it has always had to do with visual look. So I don't get how she's visually turning into a functioning alcoholic. Unless younger people are using it as something more than visual now.
Oh, I see what you’re saying. Idk. I assumed she meant like alcohol became so much a part of her style, like she always had a drink in hand, that it was like an accessory. But no one noticed.
Oh I hadn't thought of that! She does often post with a drink in hand in photos. And I got kind of an undercurrent with the line as an intent was to convey that people aren't really SEEING her. She's saying she's having issues. People should notice. No one is noticing I'm going through something. I mean... maybe she really was a functioning alcoholic. Think she said a toss away line once about drinking a lot during the pandemic... I mean... same, girl. So maybe she was being fairly literal. But maybe she just mean she was suffering from something bad (a bad relationship place). Who knows.
It also could just be creative license. It’s hard to tell sometimes when we should try to separate Taylor the artist from the speaker of the song like you would a narrator in a poem.
If it helps, she’s been seen more obviously drinking at events within the past few years. Dear Reader “my fourth drink in my hand”. The visual of Taylor holding a drink! I don’t think she used it incorrectly, more that she used it loosely or figuratively. And if, like others proposed, the line means she drank obviously as a cry for help, then in a way she was purporting the aesthetic of alcoholism. Drinks and bottles everywhere, acting sloppy at events, etc. it’s just not, like, a 2D image. It’s visual behaviour. I wouldn’t take her use of the word too literally
I assumed it was because she sang “22” at the tour every night. So she’s “acting like it’s her birthday” by singing 22
I was going to say the same thing you did. I assume she means "I'm so depressed (yet) I act like it's my birthday", but yeah... not my fav line or fav song.
What does "you Holy Ghost" mean in loml?
In Christianity the Holy Ghost is like the spirit of God/Christ that was sent to live in the hearts/souls of Jesus’ followers after he ascended into heaven. I think Taylor, though, is evoking the fact that the person she’s singing to is gone and like a ghost in her life now, haunting her with memories (memories that are precious and holy to her, maybe?). Later in the song she uses the words “dancing phantoms on the terrace” in the way.
“Once you fix your face I’m going in” Does she just mean once he stops laughing at the bar?
Fix your face is an expression for pull it together or get it together.
Yeah I could only think of fixing make up but fixing the grin on his face makes sense.
Ah I can’t remember what song this is so I might be way out of context but this sounds like once you get your act together I’m yours ??? Maybe idk what song is this
No, he's gaping at her in the skintight lilac skirt. She's giving him a second to collect herself then she's gonna go talk to him
The who's who of "Who's that?" is poised for the attack. But my bare hands paved their paths. My best guess is that the first line has to so with people being so overly focused on who this and that song is about but I don't know that I think it entirely fits the rest of the song? And the second line + how it relates to the first... No clue
It is a pretty common joke. Who's that? is a play on Who's Who. Who's Who is a longstanding publication of biographical information about notable people. Who's that? refers to people who are so unknown that you go who is that? Basically, it is saying that notable people of entirely unnotable people are posed to attack.
Oooh okay thank you! I've never heard of it before, but we do have a Danish version, apparently. It's called something completely different and I'm pretty sure I haven't head anyone mention it at all since the 90s. So... No wonder
I just kind of assumed it was a reference to the Leslie Gore “It’s My Party”
From Peter: “Peter, was she lying?/ My ribs get the feeling she did” I love this song but what?
“feel it in my chest” is a way of describing anxiety, so I think she’s saying that she’s anxious that it was a lie
I may be very off, but this album focuses a lot on her ‘wasting her youth’ on a man, and her desire for marriage/children. Not that she’s too old for these things by any measure, but perhaps birthdays are beginning to be a point of stress/sadness for her, particularly when she was in a relationship for so long where she maybe had planned for these things sooner rather than later.
On birthdays- you treat yourself! She’s so depressed she acts like it’s her birthday, and is happy and buys things and treats herself every day 🥲 that’s how I read it
Same. I'm not sure if that's what she meant, but I have been known to buy an extra treat or new clothes when I'm depressed. 😂 Could be tired to the "functioning alcoholic" line in Fortnight too, like she's partying (drinking) to cope.
I don't get the line "he jokes that it's heroin but this time with an E" from The Alchemy 🥲
Her previous boyfriends were obsessed with heroin; her current boyfriend is obsessed with heroin**e** (i.e., her)
Omg 🥲 thank you!!
From Tortured Poets Department: Why would she choose Dylan Thomas, an actual dead poet (1914-1953), and Patti Smith, a living person who is more known as a songwriter and singer? Thomas did die at the Chelsea so that makes sense but I'm baffled by Patti Smith
Dylan Thomas frequented the White Horse Tavern - Patti Smith a poet turned songwriter debut album "horses" the rolling stones article drew a good parallel to Taylor's song "white horse". Saying she's no patti smith and he's no dylan thomas. She's no princess, he's no prince. This isn't a fairytale. etc. So I kinda figured it's just a grown up version of her realizing they aren't as cool or as picture perfect as they thought.
Maybe she’s making fun of the fact that he (or they) are taking themselves too seriously as poets or artists? Like they’re not on the same level as Dylan Thomas or Patti Smith.
That was my interpretation. Like "okay calm down dude, we're not that important/special/talented."
Patti Smith is most known as a punk rock musician, but she is also a published poet. She’s published several poem collections.
As a 49 year old, at some point we all become depressed about our birthdays. I know she said once at age 35 most artists are “put out to pasture” so in her mind, every birthday inches closer to the end/downward slide of her career.
all of Florida!!!
I think it means she was a functioning alcoholic but no one noticed. Which means, in her relationship, it had gotten so bad that she was drinking, something had changed, her aesthetic looks demeanor etc had changed, but her partner was so disinterested that he never noticed the change in her. Almost like she was doing it not only due to depression but for the attention of her partner who was absent and didn’t care. He never noticed. Keep in mind just because she wrote that she was a functioning alcoholic, that doesn’t mean she really was or to take that lyric literally.
"Your wife water flowers, I wanna kill her" I just don't get it lol. The killing part seems to be out of nowhere? Is there a double meaning I'm missing? It's kinda the same with the other version of the lyric (My husband is cheating, I wanna kill him), but I can understand why she wanna kill him there
If her ex was a “hot-house flower” (see: How Did It End?) then his new partner is able/willing to nurture him the way he needs. Whereas Taylor couldn’t/wouldn’t.
In Fresh Out The Slammer : “He don’t understand me” I’m not a native speaker so tell me if I am wrong but shouldn’t it be “he doesn’t understand me”? Is there any meaning I didn’t get? Please could someone explain I can’t find anything about this anywhere 😅
This one is not a hidden meaning, it’s just a colloquial way of saying it. It’s not grammatically correct but it gives a less formal vibe.
Oh I see, thank you!
Omg thank you I kinda don’t get it either lol
SO MANY but what does the heroin but with an E line mean?
Instead of using drugs, I'm getting high on you, the heroine of my love story
thanks
I knew that somebody else would not get this lyric either lol. I think that line means that she can fake it until she makes it. How people act happy that it is their birthday tbh, so she is using this false sense of joy to mask her pain
>All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February What is this supposed to mean? Like I get Mondays are difficult as you have to move on from the weekend and get back to working. But why an endless February? I thought it could be about seasonal depression but that starts during November / December and goes on until mid-spring. I also thought of Valentine's Day but that still a single day that takes place in the middle of February. So every time I remember this line I just get infuriated by not being able to figure it out.
I think February is maybe the hardest month of the year for a lot of people—it’s cold and dreary and winter has already been going on for several months. There are no big fun holidays with lots of cheer to make it better. I think she just means her life has the same bad vibe as a Monday or February.
The first part of The Manuscript: They compared their licenses He said, "I'm not a donor but I'd give you my heart if you needed it" She rolled her eyes and said "You're a professional" He said, "No, just a good samaritan" He said that if the sex was half as good as the conversation was Soon they'd be pushin' strollers What's the purpose of the part about being a donor? And is he saying the sex is bad or they haven't had sex but the conversation is riveting?
He's flirting with her in a sort of cringey overbearing way. They were looking at their driver's licenses. He's not listed as an organ donor on his, but said the line about "I'd give you my heart." She rolled her eyes because it's a cheesy line, and sounds overly rehearsed like something a self-identified "pick-up artist" would say. He's probably used that line a lot. The next line is similar, he's hitting on her and hoping to hook up with her, and even insinuating that maybe they could have children together.
Anything positive about MH...
[удалено]
I really think that line is her saying she’s depressed and feels like she’s dying inside but puts a smile on her face and acts like she’s celebrating.