Two days before her birthday, on December 11th of 2020, Taylor announced the release of her 9th studio album, only 5 months after releasing her huge hit album Folklore.
Being an English nerd, I was astonished at how unique these two albums have been lyrically, though I didn’t expect any less from the woman who has written songs like “All Too Well” and “Last Kiss”.
If you’re a Swift fan like me, you’re probably on your 1989th listen to evermore (how’s your whirlwind of emotions going by the way?), analyzing, and trying to find a way to relate yourself to a lyric about heartbreak or unrequited love, maybe even committing murder.
Now if you don’t know what I’m talking about, in other words, you’ve only ever heard of “Shake It Off“ and some other song of hers that’s gone viral and decided that’s just not your thing (yes I’m totally judging you), allow me to walk you through some of the most poetic and soulful lyrics from her last album.
1. ‘Soon they’ll have the nerve to deck the halls that we once walked through.’ — Champagne problems
It’s only fair we start with one of her most heart-shattering songs from this album, “Champagne Problems”.
This is a song that tells the story of a couple in which the two people involved are on completely different paths. The woman (whose perspective Taylor is singing from) that turns down a marriage proposal right before Christmas and the would-be fiancé who’s already bought a ring and is completely oblivious to her struggles in the relationship. The song also implies that the protagonist has a mental illness, which her hometown skeptics call “Champagne Problems”.
2. ‘Past me, I want to tell you not to get lost in these petty things. Your nemeses will defeat themselves before you get the chance to swing.’ — Long Story Short
It’s not unknown to the public that Taylor has been through some scandals, ranging from the Kim Kardashian drama, the public body-shaming she had to endure, and the Katy Perry feud. This lyric right here shows how much she has grown from her past habits of hanging on to the media’s criticism, which she discusses thoroughly in her Netflix documentary.
3. “Never be so polite you forget your power. Never wield such power you forget to be polite” — Marjorie
This is a tribute from Swift to her grandmother, a former opera singer. This song is graceful in every sense of the word. With Taylor quoting her grandmother, using some of her old opera records as backing vocals, and expressing how connected to her she still feels. This will surely bring anyone, who has lost a loved one at such a young age and is regretting all the questions they didn’t ask them while still present, to nostalgic tears.
4. “Did I close my fist around something delicate?
Did I shatter you?” — Coney Island (ft. The National)
This is Taylor’s first collaboration with The National. During this heartfelt song, Taylor describes a relationship using lyrics filled with imagery that evoke deep feelings of loss and nostalgia. It is surely a song that will resonate with everyone who has been through a relationship that ended because of a lack of equal effort from both sides.
5. “Oh, I can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland, my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now I’m covered in you” — Ivy
Swift here speaks from the perspective of a woman that is in love with someone besides the person she is committed to, which in this case appears to be a husband. This is a very creative song that is loaded with imagery and the use of metaphors. The one in the above example refers to how her secret lover has grown on her and how she’s now finding herself in an extremely unenvied situation where she’s completely in love with someone besides her husband.
Conclusion:
These are some of my personal favourites from this album, and besides these are many. It is extremely heartwarming to see how our country sweetheart has evolved into one of the best songwriters of our generation.
