2023 was the year that I decided that if I was going to be serious about music I should own and understand today's pop icon. Taylor Swift was an enigma to me, but there had to be substance to be able to inspire all those fans. Of course I am not shy to appreciate good songwriting and recently I've helped out with the Great River Folk Fest Songwriter Contest. During that contest I had the opportunity to meet and to befriend two winners Shanna in a Dress and Siena Christie. Both are truly wonderful writers, and have had more acclamations and awards from Kerrville Folk Fest and Rocky Mountain Folks Fest. Plus, both are also fans of Taylor's music and I asked them for recommendations of her best songs. They will be in this study, and I guess I'm not the only one studying Taylor which amazes me that there are college courses devoted to her but I did take a course on the 60's during my college days.
So my self-study requires a playlist, a minimum of 12 songs (13th added later) including the 5 recommended by Shanna and Siena, which were "Tis the Damn Season" "This is me Trying" "Ronan" "All Too Well (ten minute version)" and "Clean". Now yes I did have to buy the songs and contribute to her power house team and I had to use Apple Music for this, no Bandcamp here. Maybe after I'm done I'll revisit my Taylor Swift Pitch-list for volume 2. I tried to put these in order of release, and I'm sure that others would pick different songs to study but here we go.
1) Teardrops on my Guitar
I always anticipated Taylor's songs are about love that works or breaks up; and this one doesn't disappoint and that is no reason not to appreciate the story she paints in the song. I love how she uses Drew looks, talks, walks as verse intros. It might just sound like a high school crush, but I don't know if I ever grew up and got rid of having crushes. While I've been happily married or dating the same woman since 1978, I've had crushes like this and even wrote about my big one on Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) This song has the line that I'll always think of losing my Hobbes this year, "He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar" Great songs have you find connections that come back to you as you hear the song years after you first heard it; and you can't help but singing along.
Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about And she's got everything that I have to live without
Drew talks to me, I laugh 'cause it's just so funny But I can't even see anyone when he's with me He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do
Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe? And there he goes, so perfectly The kind of flawless I wish I could be She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky 'cause
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do
So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light I'll put his picture down and maybe get some sleep tonight
'Cause he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do He's the time taken up, but there's never enough And he's all that I need to fall into
Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see
Yes I'll make a video playlist for you, and I'm trying my best not to watch them. Taylor is an amazingly beautiful woman and I'm trying to focus on the songwriting and not be distracted.
2) The Best Day
I picked up Fearless at the library and loved the acoustic groove to this song and starred it to listen to more. Boy I can only guess she wrote it about her father; and wow I usually don't like touchy feely songs, but she nails it. Songs that allow people to grow up in four minutes are always fun; and I've heard it was inspired by girls dissing her at the mall and it shows up in other songs.
I'm five years old It's getting cold I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh And look up smiling at you I run and run Past the pumpkin patch And the tractor rides Look now, the sky is gold I hug your legs And fall asleep on the way home
I don't know why all the trees change in the fall But I know you're not scared of anything at all Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away But I know I had the best day with you today
I'm thirteen now And don't know how My friends could be so mean I come home crying And you hold me tight And grab the keys
And we drive and drive Until we found a town far enough away And we talk and window shop 'Till I forgotten all their names
I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school But I know I'm laughing On the car ride home with you Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay But I know I had the best day with you today
I have an excellent father His strength is making me stronger God smiles on my little brother Inside and out he's better than I am I grew up in a pretty house And I had space to run and I had the best days with you
There is a video I found From back when I was three You set up a paint set in the kitchen And you're talking to me It's the age of princesses and pirate ships And the seven dwarfs And Daddy's smart And you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world
And now I know why the all the trees change in the fall I know you were on my side Even when I was wrong And I love you for giving me your eyes Staying back and watching me shine and
I didn't know if you knew So I'm taking this chance to say That I had the best day with you today
Boy I can tell that Taylor really improved the song on her version; and maybe I'll pick up the vinyl some day. Ok on this video, you should watch this truly enhances the chance for tears. They obviously were a family that took videos before phones made it easy.
3) All To Well
Shanna recommended the 10 minute version from Red (Taylor's Version) so I had to buy the whole album to get the album exclusive track. Yep I think it's worth it; boy this song has a lot of fan speculation about who was behind much of this love and despair Shanna specifically said watch the film Taylor directed, so here it is. Yes the young lady Sadie Sink is from Stranger Things, and Dylan O'Brien does look like Jake Gyllenhaal. (Yes Fans are sure it's about him anyway.)
Right I saw she did it on SNL and I wanted to see it, loved how she put the previous video in the background.
The very first verse of “All Too Well” references the Thanksgiving that Taylor and Jake spent together in 2010. After getting maple lattes, they spent the holiday with his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, in Brooklyn. “I left my scarf there, at your sister’s house and you still got it, in your drawer, even now,” Taylor sings, referencing the black scarf she was wearing that day. The “scarf” has become an important symbol for Swifties.
In the second verse, Taylor continues, “You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed,” and yes, Jake did have glasses when he was a kid — we’ve seen the photos to prove it! In the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” Taylor gives another direct hint about Jake, singing, “You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine, and that made me want to die.” The exes have a nine-year age gap. She referenced their ages again later in the song, adding, “I was never good at telling jokes, but the punchline goes, I get older but your lovers stay my age.” Jake’s current girlfriend, Jeanne Cadieu, is only 26 years old.
I need to read along to really get the feel of the songwriting, and that ten minutes flies by. (Kind of like Bob Dylan's "Lilly, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts")
I walked through the door with you, the air was cold But somethin' 'bout it felt like home somehow And I left my scarf there at your sister's house And you've still got it in your drawer, even now
Oh, your sweet disposition and my wide-eyed gaze We're singin' in the car, getting lost upstate Autumn leaves fallin' down like pieces into place And I can picture it after all these days
And I know it's long gone and That magic's not here no more And I might be okay, but I'm not fine at all Oh, oh, oh
'Causе there we arе again on that little town street You almost ran the red 'cause you were lookin' over at me Wind in my hair, I was there I remember it all too well
Photo album on the counter Your cheeks were turnin' red You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed And your mother's tellin' stories 'bout you on the tee-ball team You taught me 'bout your past thinkin' your future was me
And you were tossing me the car keys Fuck The Patriarchy keychain on the ground We were always skippin' town And I was thinkin' on the drive down: Any time now He's gonna say it's love You never called it what it was
'Til we were dead and gone and buried Check the pulse and come back swearing, it's the same After three months in the grave And then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you But all I felt was shame And you held my lifeless frame
And I know it's long gone and There was nothing else I could do And I forget about you long enough To forget why I needed to
'Cause there we are again in the middle of the night We're dancin' 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light Down the stairs, I was there I remember it all too well
And there we are again when nobody had to know You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath Sacred prayer and we'd swear To remember it all too well, yeah
Well, maybe we got lost in translation Maybe I asked for too much But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up Runnin' scared, I was there I remember it all too well
And you call me up again just to break me like a promise So casually cruel in the name of bein' honest I'm a crumpled-up piece of paper lyin' here 'Cause I remember it all, all, all
They say all's well that ends well But I'm in a new hell every time You double-cross my mind You said if we had been closer in age Maybe it would've been fine And that made me want to die
The idea you had of me, who was she? A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel Whose shine reflects on you Not weepin' in a party bathroom Some actress askin' me what happened: You That's what happened: You
You who charmed my dad with self-effacing jokes Sippin' coffee like you're on a late-night show But then he watched me watch the front door all night Willin' you to come And he said: It's supposed to be fun Turning 21
Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it I'd like to be my old self again But I'm still tryin' to find it After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone
But you keep my old scarf from that very first week 'Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me You can't get rid of it 'Cause you remember it all too well, yeah
'Cause there we are again when I loved you so Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known It was rare, I was there I remember it all too well
Wind in my hair, you were there You remember it all Down the stairs, you were there You remember it all It was rare, I was there I remember it all too well
And I was never good at tellin' jokes, but the punch line goes I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight
And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue? Just between us, did the love affair maim you too? 'Cause in this city's barren cold I still remember the first fall of snow And how it glistened as it fell I remember it all too well
Just between us, did the love affair maim you all too well? Just between us, do you remember it all too well? Just between us (just between us) I remember it all too well (wind in my hair) (I was there, I was there) (Down the stairs, I was there, I was there) (Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there) (It was rare, you remember it all too well)
(Wind in my hair, I was there, I was there) (Down the stairs, I was there, I was there) (Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there) (It was rare, you remember it all too well)
(Wind in my hair, I was there, I was there) (Down the stairs, I was there, I was there) (Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there) (It was rare, you remember it)
(Wind in my hair, I was there, I was there) (Down the stairs, I was there, I was there) (Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there)
Wow right? Ok critics are right she just writes about real love affairs, and she does it stunningly well.
If Swifties have discovered football in 2023, I have taken all the attention to make it a mission to learn more about her. (yes NFL is the only sport I still follow) I asked Siena Christie, an excellent songwriter (winner in Great River Folk Fest and finalist with Kerrville New Folk) if she could give me her three most significant songs because she also studies and listens to her music. Ronan was one of the songs, and was clear to pick the "Taylor Version" (yes I know and admire her efforts to retake the ownership back) Oh my this is little sad to listen too often but she made a boy dying of cancer at 4 years old a healing from grief. It really shows off her writing and her passion for humanity, and here's a more in-depth review of the song.
Here's the lyrics:
I remember your bare feet down the hallway I remember your little laugh Race cars on the kitchen floor, plastic dinosaurs I love you to the moon and back
I remember your blue eyes looking into mine Like we had our own secret club I remember you dancing before bedtime Then jumping on me, waking me up
I can still feel you hold my hand, little man And even the moment I knew You fought it hard like an army guy Remember I leaned in and whispered to you?
Come on, baby, with me We're gonna fly away from here You were my best four years
I remember the drive home when the blind hope Turned to crying and screaming, "Why?" Flowers pile up in the worst way, no one knows what to say About a beautiful boy who died
And it's about to be Halloween, you could be anything You wanted if you were still here I remember the last day when I kissed your face And whispered in your ear
Come on, baby, with me We're gonna fly away from here Out of this curtained room In this hospital grey, we'll just disappear Come on, baby, with me We're gonna fly away from here You were my best four years
What if I'm standing in your closet Trying to talk to you? And what if I kept the hand-me-downs You won't grow into? And what if I really thought some miracle Would see us through? What if the miracle was even getting One moment with you?
Come on, baby, with me We're gonna fly away from here
Come on, baby, with me We're gonna fly away from here You were my best four years
I remember your bare feet down the hallway I love you to the moon and back
5) Clean
This is another song recommended by Shanna, and of course with Taylor's music someone has written an article about what it means and I appreciate that; ha she's even here explaining it.
"A heartbroken person is unlike any other person. Their time moves at a completely different pace than ours,” she explained. “It’s this mental, physical, emotional ache and feeling so conflicted. Nothing distracts you from it. Then time passes, and the more you live your life and create new habits, you get used to not having a text message every morning saying, ‘Hello, beautiful. Good morning.’ You get used to not calling someone at night to tell them how your day was. You replace these old habits with new habits, like texting your friends in a group chat all day and planning fun dinner parties and going out on adventures with your girlfriends, and then all of a sudden one day you’re in London and you realize you’ve been in the same place as your ex for two weeks and you’re fine. And you hope he’s fine.”
If you don't read the article it's about breaking up with Harry Styles. Here are the lyrics
The drought was the very worst (Oh-oh, oh-oh) When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst It was months and months of back and forth (Oh-oh, oh-oh) You're still all over me Like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore
Hung my head as I lost the war And the sky turned black like a perfect storm
Rain came pouring down When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe And by morning Gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean (Oh, oh, oh, oh)
There was nothing left to do (Oh-oh, oh-oh) When the butterflies turned to dust that covered my whole room So I punched a hole in the roof (Oh-oh, oh-oh) Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you
The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud But no one heard a thing
Rain came pouring down When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe And by morning Gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean (Oh, oh, oh, oh)
I think I am finally clean (Oh, oh) Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh Said, I think I am finally clean (Oh, oh) Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh
Ten months sober, I must admit Just because you're clean, don't mean you don't miss it Ten months older, I won't give in Now that I'm clean, I'm never gonna risk it
The drought was the very worst (Oh-oh, oh-oh) When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst (Oh)
Rain came pouring down When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe And by morning Gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
Rain came pouring down When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe And by morning Gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
Interesting she uses sober as a reflection to break up, and Rain, Drowning, Breathing to come clean. It reads almost more poetic than sung. She's good.
6) Look What You Made Me Do
Ok this is what I expected from Taylor before I started listening. Songs made for the club and designed to be great dance concert pieces. I don't like these typically and I would say that for those who would this is better than most. Too funny when I look up lyrics I'd say a good portion of them Taylor has a co-writer and I love that about her. This one that I don't think as much about had FOUR Extra? Take more to write
Ooh, look what you made me do, Look what you made me do? I did love the internal rhymes of smarter and harder, and loved the lists with yours in red underlined. Great lines but if this was her all the time, I wouldn't be writing this blog post.
I don't like your little games Don't like your tilted stage The role you made me play of the fool No, I don't like you
I don't like your perfect crime How you laugh when you lie You said the gun was mine Isn't cool, no, I don't like you (oh!)
But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!
Ooh, look what you made me do Look what you made me do Look what you just made me do Look what you just made me... Ooh, look what you made me do Look what you made me do Look what you just made me do Look what you just made me do
I (I) don't (don't) like your kingdom keys (keys) They (they) once belonged to me (me) You (you) asked me for a place to sleep Locked me out and threw a feast (what?)
The world moves on, another day another drama, drama But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma And then the world moves on, but one thing's for sure Maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours
But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time (nick of time) Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time (I do it all the time) I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!
Ooh, look what you made me do Look what you made me do Look what you just made me do Look what you just made me... Ooh, look what you made me do Look what you made me do Look what you just made me do Look what you just made me do
I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams
I'm sorry But the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead (oh)
Ooh, look what you made me do Look what you made me do
7) Dress
Ok I have to admit I got this Reputation CD from the library and I'm glad I didn't buy it; much more poppy and dance oriented. Dress songs intrigue me because I did a Dress playlist and I would say this song would fit nicely into it; but the story is a little on the racy side for someone who appeals to pre-teens. Not at all her fault, and she shouldn't stop herself from writing adult themed songs; and I would challenge you to read the lyrics without listening to the song. Taylor could write some good romance novels.
Our secret moments in your crowded room They got no idea about me and you There is an indentation in the shape of you Made your mark on me, a golden tattoo
All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah) All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting My hands are shaking from all this (ah, ha, ha, ha)
Say my name and everything just stops I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Take it off Carve your name into my bedpost 'Cause I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Take it off
Inescapable, I'm not even gonna try And if I get burned, at least we were electrified I'm spilling wine in the bathtub You kiss my face and we're both drunk Everyone thinks that they know us But they know nothing about
All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah) All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting My hands are shaking from all this (ah, ha, ha, ha)
Say my name and everything just stops I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Take it off Carve your name into my bedpost 'Cause I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Take it off Only bought this dress so you could take it off Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Flashback when you met me Your buzzcut and my hair bleached Even in my worst times You could see the best of me Flashback to my mistakes My rebounds, my earthquakes Even in my worst lies You saw the truth in me And I woke up just in time Now I wake up by your side My one and only, my lifeline I woke up just in time Now I wake up by your side My hands shake, I can't explain this ah, ha, ha, ha
Say my name and everything just stops I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Take it off Carve your name into my bedpost 'Cause I don't want you like a best friend Only bought this dress so you could take it off Take it off
There is an indentation in the shape of you Only bought this dress so you could take it off You made your mark on me, golden tattoo Only bought this dress so you could take it off
Dang all those women going hah, hah made me think of Meg Ryan in When Harry met Sally. I do love her dress in the video!
8) 'Tis the Damn Season
Siena recommended this song from Taylor's Evermore album and I just bought the one song from it. Again, I like to read the lyrics before I listen to it. Interesting story and I wonder if this hits home to Siena as part of a memory or rekindled affair that happens every Christmas. Of course this could be expanded into a great screen play too.
If I wanted to know who you were hanging with While I was gone I would have asked you It's the kind of cold, fogs up windshield glass But I felt it when I passed you There's an ache in you put there by the ache in me But if it's all the same to you It's the same to me
So we could call it even You could call me babe for the weekend 'Tis the damn season, write this down I'm stayin' at my parents' house And the road not taken looks real good now And it always leads to you in my hometown
I parkеd my car right between the Methodist And thе school that used to be ours The holidays linger like bad perfume You can run, but only so far I escaped it too, remember how you watched me leave But if it's okay with you, it's okay with me
We could call it even You could call me babe for the weekend 'Tis the damn season, write this down I'm stayin' at my parents' house And the road not taken looks real good now
Time flies, messy as the mud on your truck tires Now I'm missing your smile, hear me out We could just ride around And the road not taken looks real good now And it always leads to you in my hometown
Sleep in half the day just for old times' sake I won't ask you to wait if you don't ask me to stay So I'll go back to L.A. and the so-called friends Who'll write books about me, if I ever make it And wonder about the only soul who can tell which smiles I'm fakin' And the heart I know I'm breakin' is my own
To leave the warmest bed I've ever known We could call it even Even though I'm leavin' And I'll be yours for the weekend 'Tis the damn season
We could call it even You could call me babe for the weekend 'Tis the damn season, write this down I'm stayin' at my parents' house And the road not taken looks real good now
Time flies, messy as the mud on your truck tires Now I'm missing your smile, hear me out We could just ride around And the road not taken looks real good now And it always leads to you in my hometown
It always leads to you in my hometown
I do like the sparse mix and picked electric guitar; and somehow I could see Siena covering it too.
9) This is Me Trying
Another Siena recommendation, and it starts four songs from Folklore which is a double record that my son got me for Christmas. (fitting to follow 'tis the damn season). Great imagery in the words in a song meant to represent the struggle of someone fighting through addiction or mental illness. Hey note this is not about romance or break up.
I've been having a hard time adjusting I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting I didn't know if you'd care if I came back I have a lot of regrets about that Pulled the car off the road to the lookout Could've followed my fears all the way down And maybe I don't quite know what to say But I'm here in your doorway
I just wanted you to know That this is me trying I just wanted you to know That this is me trying
They told me all of my cages were mental So I got wasted like all my potential And my words shoot to kill when I'm mad I have a lot of regrets about that I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere Fell behind on my classmates, and I ended up here Pouring out my heart to a stranger But I didn't pour the whiskey
I just wanted you to know That this is me trying I just wanted you to know That this is me trying At least I'm trying
And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town
And I just wanted you to know That this is me trying (And maybe I don't quite know what to say) I just wanted you to know That this is me trying At least I'm trying
The whole Folklore album is stripped down, but this one brings in that drum track that I would leave out myself. I would love to hear it with a solo cello and piano or guitar.
10) My Tears Ricochet
Another relationship song, and to me the line "I didn't have it in myself to go with grace" is so strong; and while I don't listen to a lot of piano and voice songs... this one is perfect that way, almost like a hymn.
We gather here, we line up Weepin' in a sunlit room, and If I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes too Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe All the hell you gave me? 'Cause I loved you, I swear I loved you 'Til my dying day
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace And you're the hero flying around, saving face And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed Look at how my tears ricochet
We gather stones, never knowing what they'll mean Some to throw, some to make a diamond ring You know I didn't want to have to haunt you But what a ghostly scene You wear the same jewels that I gave you As you bury me
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace 'Cause when I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed Look at how my tears ricochet
And I can go anywhere I want Anywhere I want, just not home And you can aim for my heart, go for blood But you would still miss me in your bones And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky) And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)
I didn't have it in myself to go with grace And so the battleships will sink beneath the waves You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same Cursing my name, wishing I stayed You turned into your worst fears
And you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain Crossing out the good years And you're cursing my name, wishing I stayed Look at how my tears ricochet
Yes the video is from the Long Pond Sessions documentary, and boy that was a great hour + of getting to know Taylor and her music. I highly recommend subscribing to Disney for a month to watch it.
11) Mad Woman
Ok I'll let Taylor tell you what it's about (yes this is from that Disney show) and I'll tell you she does a great job. I worked 38 years in a business environment and there were times I was totally embarrassed by how my boss treated women, and think that's why this song means so much to me. Back to the writing, I love that she had the desire to write this song, but it was the piano riffed that took her there.
What did you think I'd say to that? Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? They strike to kill and you know I will You know I will What do you sing on your drive home? Do you see my face in the neighbor's lawn? Does she smile? Or does she mouth, "Fuck you forever"?
Every time you call me crazy I get more crazy What about that? And when you say I seem angry I get more angry
And there's nothin' like a mad woman What a shame she went mad No one likes a mad woman You made her like that And you'll poke that bear 'til her claws come out And you find something to wrap your noose around And there's nothin' like a mad woman
Now I breathe flames each time I talk My cannons all firin' at your yacht They say, "Move on", but you know, I won't And women like hunting witches, too Doing your dirtiest work for you It's obvious that wanting me dead Has really brought you two together
Every time you call me crazy I get more crazy What about that? And when you say I seem angry I get more angry
And there's nothin' like a mad woman What a shame she went mad No one likes a mad woman You made her like that And you'll poke that bear 'til her claws come out And you find something to wrap your noose around And there's nothin' like a mad woman
I'm takin' my time Takin' my time 'Cause you took everything from me Watchin' you climb Watchin' you climb Over people like me The master of spin Has a couple side flings Good wives always know She should be mad Should be scathing like me
But no one likes a mad woman What a shame she went mad You made her like that
12) Betty
Ok while I now own Taylor's music and have a much deeper appreciation for her music, I don't plan on having her suck up all the oxygen in my music room. So many writers that I love equally, adventure into their storytelling into a little more variety than romance relationships. Though come on there is nothing wrong with good story telling around that romance or I wouldn't love Leonard Cohen or Rod McKuen so much. Now if Taylor would write more songs following the musical style of Betty, I think I'd have to change my opinion. Yes guitar lead and harmonica instead of all those strings, plus the line "would you tell me to go Fuck myself" are so real.
Again, here's Taylor describing the song meaning of one she considers in a triangle from Folklore with Cardigan and August (from this article):
Taylor went into more detail about the track on Country Radio, and said: “James has lost the love of his life basically and doesn’t understand how to get it back. I think we all have these situations in our lives where we learn to really, really give a heartfelt apology for the first time. Everybody makes mistakes, everybody really messes up sometimes, and this is a song that I wrote from the perspective of a 17-year-old boy. I’ve always loved that in music you can kinda slip into different identities and you can sing from other people’s perspectives. So that’s what I did on this one. I named all the characters in this story after my friends’ kids.”
Betty, I won't make assumptions About why you switched your homeroom but I think it's 'cause of me Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard When I passed your house It's like I couldn't breathe
You heard the rumors from Inez You can't believe a word she says Most times, but this time it was true The worst thing that I ever did Was what I did to you
But if I just showed up at your party Would you have me? Would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself? Or lead me to the garden? In the garden would you trust me If I told you it was just a summer thing? I'm only 17, I don't know anything But I know I miss you
Betty, I know where it all went wrong Your favorite song was playing From the far side of the gym I was nowhere to be found I hate the crowds, you know that Plus, I saw you dance with him
You heard the rumors from Inez You can't believe a word she says Most times, but this time it was true The worst thing that I ever did Was what I did to you
But if I just showed up at your party Would you have me? Would you want me? Would you tell me to go fuck myself? Or lead me to the garden? In the garden would you trust me If I told you it was just a summer thing? I'm only seventeen, I don't know anything But I know I miss you
I was walking home on broken cobblestones Just thinking of you when she pulled up like A figment of my worst intentions She said "James, get in, let's drive" Those days turned into nights Slept next to her, but I dreamt of you all summer long
Betty, I'm here on your doorstep And I planned it out for weeks now But it's finally sinkin' in Betty, right now is the last time I can dream about what happens when You see my face again
The only thing I wanna do Is make it up to you So I showed up at your party
Yeah, I showed up at your party
Yeah, I showed up at your party Will you have me? Will you love me? Will you kiss me on the porch In front of all your stupid friends? If you kiss me, will it be just like I dreamed it? Will it patch your broken wings? I'm only 17, I don't know anything But I know I miss you
Standing in your cardigan Kissin' in my car again Stopped at a streetlight You know I miss you
Since I shared her lyric video in the Sweater playlist, here she is solo with a musician on harmonica. Love she cleaned up the F bomb. You know listening to this song reminds me that it so could be a song from Missy Higgins.
13) Shake it Off
Yikes I did not throughly understand Taylor's fixation on 13, so I recently heard she was dedicated to dancing as nerdy as possible in this video. Oh come on, she's incredibly cute doing it. The only other song significance to me is that once I had to try to teach pre-teens the song on guitar for Boys & Girls Club gig. Yep I sound pretty nerdy trying it too. Ok you might have seen or heard this song before only 3.3 BILLION Views.
Ok here's a One Click YouTube playlist. I do hope you enjoyed my deep dive, if you are a Swiftie and want to give me recommendations; I'd love it but please add a reason for me to understand why. I do understand the love for Taylor by her fans, and while I equally admire her I have so many big stars I would love to meet and share a beer or wine with say Brandi Carlile or Emmylou Harris. Plus I'll take sitting down and sharing a meal around the table with Shanna, Siena or Siri Undlin (Humbird) as some of my best memories of talking to great women songwriters.
Next blog steps:
- Stop over to the Review page to my other most spinned and loved albums.
- Browse the rest of the blogs by stopping at this "Theme Page."
- Enjoy Tune Tuesday which brings you one song from a past blog post.
- See what other post have been most popular recently with our Stats Page.
- Find out who in the world thinks he has the authority to write this blog in the About.
- Let me answer why you won't find the playlists on Spotify here.
- Finally, the Mission page explains why there is no advertising cluttering the page.
If you use Facebook, we have a page that will help you remember to read the next post.
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