letters-adressed-to-the-fire

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

actually, taylor is just as delusional as all of us (or "over-analyzing chloe et all: the sequel")

First part analyzing the first verse and the chorus is already posted if you want to check it out ;) I'll be waiting and ready to dive deeper into the lyrics and uncover the hidden meanings and emotions behind the song (or how i like to call it: making everything about me and my own personal traumatizing experiences, hope you can relate!!!)

“You said some things that I can't unabsorb You turned me into an idea of sorts You needed me, but you needed drugs more And I couldn't watch it happen”

In the second verse, she’ll be reflecting on why they broke up. The line “couldn’t watch it happen” emphasizes that she didn’t leave because she wanted to, but because she couldn’t endure it anymore. This shows the painful reasons for their separation and her struggle to move on.

“I changed into goddesses, villains, and fools Changed plans and lovers and outfits and rules All to outrun my desertion of you”

First of all, no, she isn’t a normal person who can just say “yeah, I’ll try everything to get over you”. No, Taylor needed to emotionally destroy us.

Second of all, yes, despite logical reasons for the breakup, the fact she had to leave makes her wonder what would’ve happened if she stayed, even if she knew she couldn’t. It’s a contradiction that, between delusions, makes sense (I know most of us can relate).

“Down that passage in time back to the moment I crashed into you, like so many wrecks do”

She wonders if things could have been different if she knew then what she knows now. Alternatively, the “crashed into you” part could symbolize their first meeting and the idea of avoiding the entire relationship.

That last thought is reinforced by the bridge, where she’s basically saying that maybe, if she just over-analyzed every single moment she shared with him, she may find the exact moment where things went wrong, and she wonders, again, if it could’ve been different if she knew then what she knows now.

I want to add that the first few times I listened to this song, I interpreted the “crashed into you” part as a metaphor for their first meeting. I thought these lyrics suggested a “what if she had turned around and avoided the entire relationship?” scenario. I mention this because, like with all of Taylor’s songs, there isn’t an absolute truth when it comes to interpreting her writing. In this case, it’s devastating how both perspectives of the bridge can be so sorrowful yet opposite at the same time.

As I mentioned before, the third verse is mostly about accepting that they will never be able to pretend it never happened. So, now that we’ve covered the general meaning of these lyrics, I’d like to dive into more specific metaphors.

“Will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon”

Aside from the fact that this is an obvious maroon reference, we need to remember Taylor’s tendency to use color symbolism to express her emotions. I’m not sure exactly what color she’s picturing when she talks about “fading,” but it’s likely gray. She has often used gray as the opposite of love or as a synonym for cold in many songs, so it makes sense that she expects the scarlet maroon (their love) to turn into a shade of gray—something unimportant or that could eventually disappear.

“Could it be enough to just float in your orbit?”

This line immediately evokes the feeling of centering your life around someone else. More precisely, it could have two meanings, or perhaps a blend of both. First, Taylor might be asking if it would be enough for her to be part of his life and know about it despite the baggage from their failed relationship. Alternatively, she could be asking him if she really needs to leave or if she can stay close enough to still know about him. I interpret both meanings as if they are already exes because that’s the vibe I get from the entire song. I think it would be too unhealthy to keep yourself at arm’s length from your romantic partner just to avoid losing them, and I personally don’t think that is what Taylor was trying to depict here.

“Can we watch our phantoms like watching wild horses? Cooler in theory, but not if you force it to be”

With this last metaphor (or more accurately, simile), we can finally complete the picture. Taylor is asking if remembering their time together could eventually feel like watching wild horses—if, in time, they’ll be able to look back and simply remember the lessons they learned from that period without the heaviness of the “what ifs” mentioned earlier. Here, I’d like to reference MoonSkylarr on Genius because their interpretation of these lyrics was spot-on:

“Can we watch the ghosts of us with the same reverence, admiration, and respect we watch wild horses? Wild horses are beautiful in their wildness, but man always wants to tame them. Can we look at them without wanting them to be anything other than exactly what they are?”

“So if you wanna break my cold, cold heart Say you loved me”

Taylor ends the song with a variation of the chorus. She is no longer asking for him to tell her that he loved with the way that she was, now she’s only asking to know if he ever really loved her, it doesn’t matter how anymore.

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

pov: you’re addicted to the “if-onlys” (or me when I’m over-analyzing Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus)

Yes, I’m gonna analyze the entire song. No, I don’t need an introduction. Yes, let’s dive into it.

Let’s start with the very interesting use of the word "hologram".

"Your hologram stumbled into my apartment"

We’ve seen Taylor use "phantom" and "ghost" to talk about past relationships in other songs (for example: loml), but we’ve never seen her use "hologram." Why? Well, this suggests she might be talking about something more present, as if the relationship had become so worn out that he stopped being a real person to her and turned into a hologram—something close yet untouchable.

But, this line, followed by “hands in the hair of somebody in darkness” paints a picture of someone cheating. So, even if Taylor intended this, the ambiguous nature of the verse means it’s necessary to approach it from a different angle too.

Yes, the idea of her coming into her apartment and being followed by the presence of the person she loved, does resembles the idea of a ghost. But the use of "hologram" indicates something different this time, she’s talking about the person’s current actions, and given Taylor’s past relationships with famous people, it makes sense that she would know when they started seeing someone new.

So, what does this mean? With these lines Taylor is bringing a completely different emotion to the song, one that permeates throughout: The rarely discussed how, when someone you loved starts moving on, you’re left wondering, "Why am I staying behind?" and "Why does it still hurt?"; and how this can lead to drowning in "what ifs" and trying to remember why it didn’t work out.

"As the decade would play us for fools And you saw my bones out with somebody new Who seemed like he would've bullied you in school"

In the same note, this part of the verse mirrors Taylor's narrative but from the guy’s point of view. She’s now saying the same thing happened to him.

There’s something common in both perspectives tho, Taylor is not just saying “you’re with someone else”, she’s saying “you’re with someone else and that makes me angry”. In the first lines, the mention of names like "Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus" emphasizes her anger and condescension, showing that she doesn’t care about the specifics of who he’s with, just that it’s not her. Paralleling this, the line “who seemed like he would’ve bullied you in school” suggests she’s trying to provoke her ex by mentioning something that would bother him, not because the new partner is a bully (obviously), but because it’s a sore spot for her ex.

"And I just watched it happen" "And you just watched it happen"

Here, we are already introduced to one of the key elements of the song: the act of watching. Throughout all the song, Taylor will resort to this bit to depict a sense of helplessness.

In the first verse, it is used to portray how both parts of the relationship watched each other drift apart without trying to reconcile.

“And I couldn't watch it happen” “And you just watched it”

In the second verse, she couldn’t bear to watch, indicating she took action to stay away from him; which was also possible because the guy didn’t do anything to stop her.

“Like it never happened?” “It just didn't happen”

By the third verse, she dropped this act of watching, now she’s stating facts and contemplating whether pretending it never happened is a viable way to move on.

Now, we’ll move to the chorus.

To start, we need to discuss the double meaning behind the line “I loved you the way that you were”: Did he love her for who she was without needing to change, or did he only love a past version of her? Both interpretations are equally devastating.

“If you wanna tear my world apart Just say you've always wondered”

Then we are presented to the most heart-wrenching part of the song. Taylor is already wondering, and it would destroy her to know she’s not alone in this. This could mean either she’s hoping to get back together, or she fears she’ll never move on. Imagining a scenario where they meet years later and he admits he’s always wondered about their potential could terrify her, showing how significant this person was to her.

*Part 2 in a few days!!! I'll be discussing some metaphors and some alternative interpretations (because I'm me and I love to complicate things)*

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

three times Taylor presented us the same character in ttpd and we didn’t notice (or maybe you did)

So, what if I told you I found a connection between who’s afraid of little old me, the albatross and Cassandra?

As most of you have been doing, I’ve been listening to ttpd nonstop, but while I was reading some of the lyrics, I found a very interesting connection I wanted to share with you.

In this post, I’m gonna introduce you to the character of “the monster”. But to start this analysis, I decided to construct our protagonist through a short story first:

“Once upon a time, there was a monster. Well, she wasn’t always a monster. In fact, she was once tame and gentle, living a life that was far removed from the terrifying existence she now endures. But once she started to become something people weren’t ready to embrace, she turned into a threat in the eyes of everyone else. It was the harsh and unforgiving world around her that transformed our protagonist from a harmless creature into a being that others now fear and despise.

That's why society has decided to lock her in a cell. The “monster” is now incapacitated enough, so she can’t defend herself anymore. They stripped her of her power, taking out her defenses and leaving her vulnerable.

“I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean "Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"” (taken from "who's afraid of little old me")

After enough time had passed, our protagonist decided to accept the hardest of truths. She was never gonna convince her cagers that she was anything but the dangerous creature they think they’re protecting their people from.

“I was in my tower weaving nightmares Twisting all my smiles into snarls” (taken from "Cassandra")

The monster started calling herself a monster. She has come to accept this identity society has bestowed upon her: she wasn’t born as a monster but was taught to be one. Society's cruelty and rejection have finally forced her to become something she never wanted to be.

“You caged me and then you called me crazy I am what I am 'cause you trained me” (taken from "who's afraid of little old me")

Yes, her monstrous label stems from society's refusal to accept something about her—something that she now knows was right all along. But even if somehow the truth finds its way out (that it will), the damage has already been done. Her cell had already been filled with snakes countless times.

“So, they filled my cell with snakes, I regret to say Do you believe me now?” (taken from "Cassandra")

Our story ends with our monster finally finding a way to haunt those who wronged her and remind them of their cruelty. And she had to do nothing. When the deception died, everyone saw what had always been there.

“Locked me up in towers But I'd visit in your dreams And they tried to warn you about me” (taken from "The albatross")

---

Her transformation into a monster was not just a physical or mental change, but a profound shift in how she saw herself and how others saw her. Society created her monstrous persona through their fear and rejection, but in the end, she embraced it as her own.

This character of the monster, therefore, is not inherently evil or malicious. Instead, she is a product of her environment, shaped by the cruelty and misunderstanding of those around her.

The specific vocabulary she uses to describe this character (such as “tame”, “snarl”, “took out her teeth”, “caged”, etc.) is what makes it clear that she’s expecting everyone to picture the idea of a “monster” (or what is considered a monster by the people she’s referencing in these three songs). In a way, she’s trying to convey the feeling of being dehumanized by people’s opinions. Yes, she literally calls herself a monster, but it’s an obvious metaphor for how society strips those who are different of their humanity, reducing them to something less than human, something to be feared and controlled. Taylor is trying to remind us how social pressure and prejudices can transform the innocent into the feared and the gentle into the dangerous. She takes the figure of the monster and makes her stand as a symbol of resilience and survival, a testament to the strength it takes to endure and adapt in a world that seeks to cage and define you.

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

so this is why i think peter is the one looking in people's windows

A few days ago, I saw a swiftie on TikTok talking about how I look in people’s windows could be taken as the other perspective of the same story narrated in Peter, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. So, I decided to go in-depth and start a self-assigned quest to look for any clue that could interweave these two stories in a way that made sense.

I know this could sound a little absurd or could be taken as a stretch of some sort, but I believe, and I’m sure most of her fans would agree, that most of the beauty in Taylor’s writing comes from the countless different interpretations people bestow on her lyrics. I’m not asking you to take this analysis as absolute truth because I’m genuinely just having fun with it, and I hope you do too.

I’ll analyze “I look in people's windows” from Peter’s point of view and “peter” from the other character’s pov, whom we’ll call Wendy given the obvious parallelism to Peter Pan.

Well, the main and obvious connection is given by the “window” element. While Wendy is waiting for Peter by the window, Peter is looking for her from outside that window. If you look at this through very literal and rational eyes, I believe you’d think it doesn’t make sense that they were both looking for each other through the same window but never met again. So HERE is where I want to insert my interpretation.

There are two options I can think of that would explain the failed meeting. 

Peter intentionally avoided Wendy while still looking for her every day.

Every time they were looking for each other, it happened at different moments.

The first case presents a lot of questions, like, is the pledge to grow up what is stopping Peter because he knows he can’t do it? Or was he cruel enough to wait for Wendy to move on and then come back? Either way, the conclusion remains the same. In this scenario, Peter was a coward. If it was because he didn’t want to grow up, if it was because he just wanted Wendy to never move on, or if it was because he never gave her a real answer.

On the other hand, the second case talks about something that’s closer to a tragedy. They were always doomed by the narrative. While Wendy was waiting for him, Peter was looking for her, but Wendy never saw him—not when she waited or when Peter was looking for her. We would need to assume some things here tho. Either it all comes back to the first option and Peter had been avoiding her the entire time, or he thought she had already forgotten about him. The first option shows us, once again, that Peter is a coward, but the second one also tells us something important: he may be too scared to grow up, but he’s not selfish enough to stop her from moving on.

“Northbound I got carried away As you boarded your train South, south, south, south, south, south A feather taken by the wind blowing I'm afflicted by the not knowing so”

Based on this verse, we can design a new theory. He watched her leave and he was aching for her to come back to him. So he started looking for her in other people’s windows, wondering if one of them was gonna be her. Even when he had already said goodbye to her.

And here’s where another verse of peter will acquire significance:

“I thought it was just goodbye for now”

With both songs in mind, it sounds like he said goodbye to her, hoping they were gonna see each other again, but he also knew he had to let her go at the time and that he was condemned to miss her. But what Peter didn’t know was that Wendy was gonna go through the same thing, but she wouldn’t have the comfort of knowing what he did (wait for her).

“promises oceans deep, but never to keep”

This is why we get two completely different endings for both songs. While Peter is still addicted to the what-ifs, Wendy has turned off the light; the fantasies have expired for her. Wendy grew up; Peter didn’t. While I look in people's windows gives you the feeling of being running from house to house in a neighborhood you don’t recognize anymore, trying to fit into a routine you were used to in the past; peter reads like the last chapter of a book you’ll never touch again.

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

part 2 of the albatross essay i couldn't stop myself from writing

In the first part, I talked about the narrative of the song, how taylor takes us through different perspectives to finally give the albatross its own voice. But in case you didn't notice, i carefully left out my own personal interpretation of the song. Why? I wanted to dive into that with this second part. This song is very personal to me in more than one way, but there's one specific idea I want to approach right now.

Obviously, like with every Taylor song, there are a million and one ways to interpret this version of the story of the albatross. If you think about it with Taylor in mind, it is clear that she and the albatross are one, and she's drawing inspiration from her own experiences in the public eye. More than once, she was blamed for things she claimed she didn’t do (the edited call with K*nye West) or for things a man would’ve never been condemned for (dating a lot). And every single time, she wasn't allowed to react, and her word was immediately disregarded.

The moral of the fable is pretty clear once you understand the lyrics: people are perceived as guilty or responsible for negative situations without taking into account their own experience or intention because it’s what’s easier. But my own very personal interpretation of the song is a little broader. Without even realizing it, I immediately gave the albatross a feminine presence, I mean of course it had to do with Taylor being the performer, but after a few listens I began to grasp why this perspective resonated so strongly.

Women are still being judged way harder in too many aspects of life. Like I’m being so serious when I tell you that less than a week ago some guy was shamelessly slut-shaming a girl while justifying himself for doing the exact same thing (without noticing the hypocrisy I might add). I mean, some people are at least aware of the internalized misogyny behind this kind of mentality, but there are still far too many who remain oblivious. And this just gets worse when one constantly endures public scrutiny.

This type of behavior can be traced back to historical figures such as Cleopatra, who has been the subject of much criticism and stigmatization throughout history for her relationship with Roman leaders such as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Although Julius Caesar and Mark Antony also had extramarital affairs and allied themselves with Cleopatra for political reasons, it is Cleopatra who has been portrayed as a manipulative seductress and a threat to Roman power, meanwhile the men were largely seen as statesmen and military leaders, and their relationships with Cleopatra were not portrayed with the same negativity or criticism.  

So yeah, the albatross IS about Taylor, but it's also about you and me. It's about Taylor's own experience in the public eye, but it's also about that time you realized society was never gonna be fair when it came to women. It's about being the prey when you're being labeled as the archer*. It's the perfect metaphor for how women are often held to different standards compared to men, both historically and in contemporary society, and how we've been finding ways to retrieve our narrative even when no one wanted to believe us.

*thank you to one of my bestest friends in the world (cath!!) for making me realize the connection between the archer and the albatross, i literally haven't been able to think about anything else since*

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

So I ended up writing a short essay about the albatross (part 1)

There’s just something about the albatross that’s been scratching my brain since the first time I heard it. Initially, I thought “oh, it feels like it belongs in evermore” (I really love that album), but soon I realized it goes way deeper than that.

Well the song is about the albatross (duh), but to really understand it, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, this particular bird is widely known as a symbol of bad luck, burden and regret. Why? What could an innocent bird possibly have done to deserve such a reputation? Taylor tell us the answer throughout the song, but for a more in-depth understanding, one can turn to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, which was the source of inspiration for this piece.

Gotta be honest, I haven’t read it, not entirely (it’s actually really long). But I did do my research soooo, let me summarize it for you in a few lines:

This is the tale of a sailor who, convinced that an albatross was a bad omen, tragically shoots the innocent bird. As a consequence, he and his crew face a curse. The sailor is compelled to wear the lifeless bird around his neck as a form of punishment. Yet, as time passes and years go by, it is the innocent albatross that becomes a mournful symbol, rather than the sailor who committed the deed.

Now, if you revisit Taylor's lyrics, she narrates this progression through the reprise of different verses:

“Cautions issued, he stood Shooting the messengers They tried to warn him about her”

��Locked me up in towers But I'd visit in your dreams And they tried to warn you about me”

“You were sleeping soundly When they dragged you from your bed And I tried to warn you about them”

Or:

“Cross your thoughtless heart Only liquor anoints you She's the albatross She is here to destroy you”

“So I crossed my thoughtless heart Spread my wings like a parachute I'm the albatross I swept in at the rescue”

Or my personal favorite:

“Devils that you know Raise worse hell than a stranger She's the death you chose You're in terrible danger”

“The devil that you know Looks now more like an angel I'm the life you chose And all this terrible danger”

What I found so fascinating about her decision behind the use of this technique, is that she not only embraces it to move the story forward in an organic way, but she plays with the point of view of the spectator (or in this case, listener) to lead them through all the characters of the story.

In the opening verse, you assume the role of the sailor on the verge of shooting the albatross. You don’t have proof but you know she’s here to destroy you. As the song progresses into the second verse, it becomes evident that you’re now talking with the albatross, or more accurate would be to say that the albatross is talking to you. Contrary to the poem, Taylor is giving the albatross a voice (which effectively serves as a metaphor for herself), and this standpoint will remain for the rest of the song, though with a slight change at the end. Taylor not only lets the albatross tell its story, but she let it be the hero. By the end, the spectator finds themselves in the crosshairs of "them”, the very group they once belonged to. This is the moment where the transformation of the figure of the albatross reaches its peak, as it transitions from a harbinger of misfortune to a beacon of hope, it is there to rescue you.

(obviously there's more to this! but I'll be posting part 2 in a few days just because i didn't want this post to be THAT long lol)

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

Okay let me decode that one line in fortnight

Move to Florida, buy the car you want But it won't start up 'til you touch, touch, touch me.

So, this verse took me a moment to grasp, but essentially, it conveys the sentiment that “you can have everything you desire, but without me, it won’t be the same”. But how?

Well, the opening line “Move to Florida, buy the car you want” conveys the notion that they could get whatever they want, they could buy whatever they believe brings them happiness, but when followed by “but it won’t start till you touch me”, it’s establishing that all of that stuff won’t matter if they are not together.

In the context of the song, which explores a “what if” scenario where Taylor is pondering what they could have had, albeit in a very melancholic way where she envisions a bleak future without him, this part of the outro tries to depict both the anger and the dreading longing of both people. This is even more evident in the shift in perspective, from “It won’t start till I touch you”, indicating the person's need for their lost partner to be whole again, to “It won’t start till you touch me”, where the person acknowledges that their ex-lover needs them in the same way and is somewhat challenging them to choose, they could try to go on without them even though they know they won’t be happy, or they could come back.

Besides the fact that this verse is in my favorite part of the song while also blending Taylor and Post Malone’s vocals seamlessly, it just FITS perfectly the experience of harboring resentment towards someone you still love or need. Like, you can still recall and acknowledge how dire the situation was, yet it cannot erase the depth of emotions and shared history you had with that person. Mundane activities start to lose their significance as you are now haunted by the void left by that person in your day-to-day life. Naturally, you miss them, and you can’t help but wonder that perhaps, in some twisted manner, it was and it still is, all worth it.

(+ We must stan how they referenced the other collaboration in the album)

[letters-adressed-to-the-fire]

hi!

If you’re here, I can only imagine you’ve noticed I’m a hugeeeee Taylor Swift fan, as in, I listened to her music for more than 13 thousand minutes last year (I’m very proud of this, if I say so myself). If you’re also a swiftie or you know someone who is a swiftie, I’m sure you’re familiar with the general perception people have of her. But something I believe only people who have taken the time to dive into her lyrics know; is that she’s a storyteller. An enthusiastic, creative, authentic, and empowering storyteller. 

One of the main reasons my favorite album of hers is folklore is because of how her lyrics come to life when you start understanding them. Personally, I think it’s actually insane how she gets people to connect with characters in less than 3 minutes. And you know what’s even more impressive? She humanizes these characters in such a realistic way that people can’t help but relate to them.

And this feeling is replicated in every one of her albums; it doesn’t matter if it was released a week or 10 years ago. I mean, obviously she has improved a lot, but being able to write something as “Tied together with a smile” or tell a story like the one in “Mary’s song” when you’re 16 years old just screams how talented she has always been (if you haven’t listened to these songs, I highly recommend it).

And now, with the release of her new double album, I fell in love with her writing all over again. I’ve been analyzing all 31 songs nonstop since they came out, and every time I do, I find something different. It’s similar to the feeling of re-reading your favorite book and realizing you ignored crucial parts of the story when you read it the first time, but with Taylor, you’re embraced by this understanding every time you listen to one of her songs again. 

So yeah, I thought it would be fun to start sharing my thoughts on the songs. I’m not a musician or a linguistic or a poet, but I’m someone who loves stories, and if you know Taylor you know she loves to tell stories. That’s what you’ll find here, a space to wade into these stories and have as much fun with them as we can. I hope you enjoy it!