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cheesysaggychick · 2 years

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Tailoring Music with Threads of Literature: A Comparative Analysis of the Anthology, “Lockdown Litanies: Countless Untold Stories” and Taylor Swift’s Masterpieces (A Song Association)

I have been staring at these blank pages for days now and I cannot seem to fill the blank spaces that need filling. I do not know if it is because I am still in the adjustment period coming from summer vacation to face-to-face classes or just the feelings I have felt after rereading this collection countless times. I believe it’s the latter. Honestly, if this were a physical, hand-written task, it would just be crumpled pieces of paper lying on the ground. As I was listening to music, trying to clear my mind, and rest my eyes, I was punched in the gut when I encountered the line “It's hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair” from the song Change by Taylor Swift. Like the threads that make up our clothes, coats, and masks, every prick of the needle of life is like death… by a thousand cuts, and yet we continue to live on every day as if we have no burns to hide, and bruises to cover. But what if the day comes when we just stop bothering about the blood and bruises? Stop hiding the cries and the curses. Become indifferent. Would that be a success or a failure in living life? I do not think it is the former nor it is the latter. Thus join me as I scour through the works of these two artists while I ransack my own mind.

First entry: “Dear Diary,” is a poem about regret and how the author is yet to overcome those regrets they wallowed themselves in. The persona discussed how the past two years have been a heck of a ride for them and that they have undergone several changes over the course of the years. Along the lines, “After a part of me died, over two years I froze inside, and locked myself unable to do things, I love the most.”, I cannot help but feel like in Taylor Swift’s this is me trying. Just the title says a thousand unsaid words of mine. When Taylor said at the beginning “I've been having a hard time adjusting, I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting”, folklore’s ninth track could be the perfect parallel for this first entry. Both literary pieces have shown components of a letter written by someone that is only meant for themselves having no one to tell their feelings to. Both artists are on the verge of life, and they cannot seem to handle the pressure of things as a result of the inevitable passing of time. But at the very least, both are trying and are learning lessons as they move forward. The rest of the first entry ends with the persona showing a sense of acceptance. The author lets go and are ahead of a lifelong journey of healing as they move to discover their purpose in life and transform them into art, precisely like Miss Swift.

Second entry: The Tale of a Modern Sisyphus. Now, this hits close to home. As a bold young girl, there is always a moment when my views and ideals are questioned in a conversation hence there is a spur-of-moment decision about whether to speak up or not. This is no different, especially on social media. I believe this is because of the mindset of older people that when you are young, they assume you know nothing. Contrary to their beliefs, they might be bigger, but we're faster and never scared. This entry reminds me of two classic Taylor Swift hits namely Only the young, from Miss Americana, and The Man from Lover. Like the modern Sisyphus, these endless intimidations and expectations set upon us women, from the moment we were born, are something that only we can truly understand. Just as seen in the latest national elections, the invisible glass ceiling still exists and there will always be a barrier dividing men and women. However bloody a man’s hands are, a woman’s fashion sense will always matter more than that as said in the lyrics, “What I was wearing, if I was rude, could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves”. Now, what’s that like? Nevertheless, I happen to know an upstanding woman who is, as the poem describes “Not defined by her defeat, but of being gracious—, gracious to push the boulder up the mountain, and start once again like nothing happened.”. She would be the last man standing, whoever she may be. So, do not waste a moment and speak now.

Third entry: O’yayi is a prose poem that broke my heart a tad. When I looked for the translation of o’yayi, the prose made more sense since it means lullaby or an act of panghehele in Filpino. The narrator in the text took in and coddled a traumatized woman named Yayi, which was confusing, especially when he decided to marry her. What a godsend, some may say, but I do not. As the prose progressed, the persona professed his undying love and affection towards Yayi. It was evident in his flowery words how much he values her, it breaks his heart. Although they say true love hurts, I do not think this is that. He is imprisoned in his own mind and in the feelings he has for Yayi, and yet still, up to her death, his feelings were unrequited, at least it seems so.

The entirety of the prose, unfortunately, reminds me of 1989’s all you had to do was stay especially in the lines “All you had to do was stay, had me in the palm of your hand, then why'd you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?”. In the end, Dante was left to fend up for himself while he cleans the mess he’s made, which was just himself especially after Yayi dies. He really has his way of picking in the litter.

(I am a child of divorce) (Disclaimer: I am happy for Tom having his first child okay)

Fourth entry: Two Red Laces on the Wonderwall. This exact poem ignites something in me among the rest. Its beat and words have some sort of wildness in them I cannot help but associate it with cruel summer from Lover. There is an obvious sensual romantic and erotic message conveyed in both passages. The narrator expressed their intoxication towards their partner in their entirety, especially when comparing them with wine. I cannot help but associate those lines with these lines: “And it's new, the shape of your body, it's blue, the feeling I've got, And it's ooh, whoa, oh, it’s cruel summer”. I know, reading the lyrics here may seem corny, but the giddiness both artists felt was comparable as it was tingling their insides.

However, in the poem’s lines, “I fell in your words. You, vindictive. I did what you said and leaned forward, I opened my whole to bare my soul.”, from tears of joy, the narrator’s tears ricocheted and became tears of pain and treachery. Don’t blame me talked about playing, and enjoying life fearlessly, and then one day it backfires. In both their works, they have expressed their lifestyles in lines wherein it was evident they did enjoy their lives. From then on, things went downhill for both artists as they were what seemed to be betrayed by their own objects of affection. What seemed to be a Wonderwall, was tarnished and tainted by laces of unfortunate phrases. This time, Taylor did the comparing as she compares her love with drugs. Just like Taylor, the narrator cannot help but feel a guilty pleasure for their choices because although a part of them is fulfilled and joyous, their relentless actions have caused the other side of them to be destroyed and become reliant on the cause of destruction. Well, I guess we cannot blame them, ‘cause don’t we all get too attached to someone at times?

Fifth entry: Umbilical, is a piece that talks about the narrator’s desperation to save their mother. This entry shows the narrator’s emotions which were generally pleas of gratitude and anguish. Umbilical began with lines of gratitude wherein they expressed them in lines like “The pain she suffered just for me to see” depicting how their mother resorted to different sacrifices just to provide them the life they deserve. It is undeniable that this is a sentimental entry that anyone who appreciates and loves their hardworking mothers can relate to. However, this is not about the glorification of suffering, it is about acknowledging them and how we think of paying back our parents. Along the lines “Hush, sleep tight. Everything will be alright., Lilom, Lilom, I beg. Spare her for me.”, this reminds me of the song soon you’ll get better. Not just by the lyrics, but also by the beat, tempo, and emotions, both literary pieces have shown agony from the authors. In the song, the line “you'll get better soon, 'cause you have to” was refrained giving me the impression that although we can get indifferent in life, we will always have a soft spot for those we love. As Taylor said, desperate people find something to believe in, which is parallel to the narrator’s tone in the poem wherein they were begging someone to spare their suffering mother who was never named but implied as a divine being. The poem and the song both end with a sense of hope as both accept their fate but still continue to hold on.

(a moment of silence for blondie’s hotness)

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okay, so...

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uhuh

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Sixth entry: RE: Paper (I’m Red, IMRaD)*, now this is a tricky one. It might seem obvious to assume that I would be using red for this poem, but I won’t, although I have considered it. Among the rest, this entry has to be the most intimidating of all. The entire poem is a descriptive reason, even though it has been years since the K-12 curriculum has been implemented, its efficacy has never been really proven. This is not just because of the shock core impact it has given the already inefficient educational system, but also the toll it has given the unprepared. Although the teachers are equipped with already excellent skills, in terms of the necessary ones needed for this system, they are not. As the poem states “Help teachers help students. After all, we cannot give what we don’t have.”, we may have hundreds and thousands of teachers, but if there is a scarcity of resources to help them perform to their extreme, we will achieve no more than a mediocre result. Just like what Taylor said in better than revenge, “And do you still feel like you know what you're doing, 'Cause I don't think you do.” With the wheelchair and neckbrace stunts, I do not think the system, and the authorities who run it will ever know what they are doing. And slowly, our economy, the teachers, and the students will suffer for it.

Seventh entry: 3 A.M. Awakening. As we reach the end, from here we take a sharp turn. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I have seen this before, and I did not like the ending. 3 A.M Awakening dwells on the narrator’s emotional state while experiencing what seems to be an emotional breakdown. In these first lines “Breathe as if it’s easy to do today, but I think much in a different way.”, this resonates with speak now’s innocent specifically in the line “Did some things you can't speak of, but at night you'll live it all again” as both have indicated struggles with their decisions and eventually overthinking about them in nights of day. I correlate one with another as both have shown symptoms of instability and indigency in emotional leverage.

Meanwhile, in the lines “Heaven spoke lies to me telling I’m sick, with people’s eyes daggering every inch.”, the narrator fights their loneliness as they try to break out of their intrusive thoughts. Among the rest, in my opinion, this has the most melodramatic and melancholic tone. The line resonates well with the lyric “I didn't have it in myself to go with grace” from the song my tears ricochet. Nonetheless, both were trying their hardest to live and not be swallowed by the depths of darkness as they used heaven, hell, and grace as metaphors for their experiences. For the narrator, “It's okay, life is a tough crowd…every one of us has messed up too”.

Eight entry: My Frail Lady is the one that truly broke my heart. As much as it is miserable, this reminded me of a lot of Taylor Swift songs however I will only cite a couple. The lines “Such frail, frail lady, bookkeeps her internal screams. soon she will be found— dancing on her own”, is in parallel with the song right where you left me from evermore as both the narrator and Taylor were seemed to be stunned by the situations they were placed in by the one they love. This is specifically demonstrated in the lyrics “Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? Time went on for everybody else, she won't know it”.

(literally my soul leaving my body goodbye)

The entirety of the poem is a tragedy, a sad beautiful tragic love affair. This song resonates the most with the persona as they were both in love, and pained by their personal manifestation of their destiny. In parallel, both artists ended things, for the persona, it was their life, for Taylor, it was her love. They are still considered beautiful not because of the traces of cadavers dented in the car, or the pain and suffering turned into a song, but because despite everything, they were freed. The memories that were left behind will never be taken by anyone even if the ones who made them are already gone. That is the beauty of preservation, it will always stay there, right where you left them. Although I must say, Taylor was a frail lady herself, now she’s out of the woods, and I hope the same for the narrator.

Ninth entry: the last one is Major Arcana. I can say this last piece does live up to its title, it is major. To begin, the lines “I…see a tragic past. A heavy, draining aura has enveloped—…trace lines of broken heart and hopes on your hand, scathing—.”, have an enchanting feel to them. It has an upbeat tone to it that makes it willow in my ears like a cool summer breeze. I correlate this part of the poem with the lyrics of evermore’s first track “I'm begging for you to take my hand. Wreck my plans. That's my man.” not just because both artists used the word hand as an element of showing affection, but because there is a sense of desperation in both texts.

In the same album, when Taylor said “I know my love should be celebrated, but you tolerate it“, this can be tied to the next line of the poem which was “find your future uncertain. Six years of adjustments await” which goes to show how we can tolerate even the ugliness of things for people who we are not even secured in (editor’s note: you mean like princess diana?). This means, that we do sometimes settle for less unconsciously. As the poem ends, the persona accepts their fate after a straight flush in the cards deciding their endgame as it is in the song for she decides to just “sit and watch” as their future unfolds.

So, after everything, it is time to answer the first and last question, is indifference a success or failure in living life? After all the poems, albums, and songs I have dove into, I have come to the conclusion that it is neither a success nor it is a failure. I have understood that that is just the way life runs. Indifference is an emotion that is caused by other repressed emotions. The day will always come wherein we would lose every bit of care we have, but the fact still remains that we are in pain. It will never dry the blood, nor tend the bruise, it will just silence the curses and the cries, ignore all the pleas and the sighs. In short, indifference gives no difference. Defeating our demons is something that only time can do for us, with much effort and grace. Thus it is the one thing that we should feel and acknowledge. We shall not ignore those because each demon, pain, and suffering is a lesson. Nevertheless, it takes time and effort to heal enough to be able to begin again.

Alas! I guess I have finally filled the blank pages as I reached the end of this analysis. Although I must say I have gone through legitimate stages of existential crisis having finished this anthology which made me question my reason for living. Nonetheless, some pieces were affirming, they were affirming in a way I felt seen, and my feelings were validated and violated simultaneously but no worries for I have no bad blood towards either of the artists. I am ending this analysis with a line from the song Change, the song I started this analysis with,

These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down It's a revolution, the time will come For us to finally win.

(ps. stream midnights!) (pss. eras tour in my dreams aaaa) (psss. read the anthology here)

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