basalcrayon

[basalcrayon]

Love Story : Taylor Swift’s Crowning Moment

On 12th September , 2008 a 19yr old girl from Reading, Pennsylvania released the third single from her second-ever studio album “Fearless” Unbeknownst to Taylor Swift she had cemented her place in the history of country music and took the first step into becoming the global icon she is today in 2020.

Anyone who’s ever heard a Taylor Swift song probably knows the lyrics to this song by heart and gets one of the strongest nostalgia feelings ever. This song started the journey of Swift’s rise to stardom and probably one of the most important songs in music history.

Like most of Taylor’s songs back then and probably now as well this was written from her experiences as a teenager . Love Story was also met with a lot of indifference by her record label Big Machine Records ( at the time we all know what they did now ) and mainly from her parents but Taylor later stated that it was a fun experience to fight for it especially now that she had something to prove.

When the song released it received much critical acclaim and sold an astonishing 18+million copies making it one of the most sold singles of all time peaking at number 4 in the billboard hot 100 while also certifying itself 8 times platinum making it one of the best selling singles in the USA also once held the record for the most sold single of all time in the US.

The music video maintained the feel of the song setting itself in the 1800s .Love Story is the only Taylor Swift single to feature on all of her headline tours followed by the 1989 single “Shake It Off” which she now uses to close off all of her shows .

But what made this song what it is today and making Taylor the most important musical artist of this century?

Let’s take a deciphering look. Here We Go!

Starting off with the composition & backstory

Backstory -

As the song suggests and from a Taylor Swift interview she wrote this song because of a relationship of her’s which her parents did not approve of making her relate her situation to that of Romeo and Juliet one of her main ways of defining the situation in this song is that of saying “No one wanted them to be together except themselves”

The song’s ending differed from the one of Romeo & Juliett Taylor said the following on that — “I feel like they had such promise & they were so crazy for each other. And if that had gone a little bit differently, it could have been one of the best love stories ever told. And it is one of the best stories ever told but it’s a tragedy.”

When Taylor started writing this song she’s stated multiple times that she wrote this on her bedroom floor when she was 17 & that she finished composing the song in 20mins, feeling too inspired to put the song down unfinished.

The song was recorded at Blackbird Studios in Nashville produced by Nathan Chapman. Swift recorded this on an Avantone CV-12 Mic, Chapman initially loaned the mic to Swift to try out but when Swift tried it out she said “Test” followed by “This is my mic. I love this mic, I just want to use this now ” and she’s been doing the same ever since.

Composition —

The song is written in the key of D Major spanning one vocal octave with a length of 3mins 54secs at a tempo of 120BPM

Intro -

The songs start with palm muting on the transition of C-G-Am-F while capoed at 2nd fret. With a major emphasis on the bass strings on the acoustic guitar.

Verses —

The song goes to palm-muted strumming with the transition of C-F-Am-F before ending with Am — G while Taylor starts off a soft voice presumably of Juliett.

Pre Chorus -

Often regarded as the most iconic part of the song the palm muting goes into open strumming with 8 strums on each chord on a transition of F-G-Am-C before ending it with G-Am-F-G

Chorus -

With fingerpicking backing, Taylor Swift goes into the transition of C-G-Am-F-G-C before an abrupt cut-off.

Solo —

The solo has 2 versions the electric one being a distortion based used for live shows played by her guitarist Paul Stitodi and the acoustic finger-picked one from the original record with a chord progression in the background.

Bridge -

Anyone who’s heard a Taylor song knows that she loves a bridge with her acknowledging it with the Love Story one had a basic yet vital one which led into one of the most epic chorus performances.

Outro -

Taylor ends the story on the transition of D-A-Bm-G-A-D playing one of the best examples of 21st-century country music.

Onto the lyrics

Disclaimer — This is my interpretation and by no means correct

Intro -

Even though the intro contains no lyrics it is one of the best pieces of country intro and so perfectly 2008

Verse — 1

We were both young when I first saw you

I closed my eyes and the flashback started

I’m standing there on a balcony in summer air

Taylor narrates the story from Juliett’s standpoint

The narrator begins the story by saying how she was a young girl ( as it’s Juliett we have to assume 13) when she first saw Romeo she closes her eyes and everything they had to go through starts happening in front of her again.

She starts the backstory off by reliving the day she first saw Romeo how she started off the day in the lovely breeze standing in her balcony when she first caught the glimpse of Romeo.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns

See you make your way through the crowd

and say hello, little did I know

Juliett takes the story to the night during the palace ball when she was mesmerised by the decorations around her while admiring she saw Romeo for the first time properly making way through the party to meet her and when he finally does Juliett says little did she know what was to follow

Pre Chorus -

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles

And my daddy said “Stay away from Juliett”

And I was crying on my staircase begging you please don’t go

The story takes a time jump to presumably a few days later when Romeo is trying his best to meet Juliett but not without alerting Juliett’s father who tells him to never come close to her again. This leaves Juliett absolutely distraught.

Chorus -

And I said

Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone

I’ll be waiting all there’s left is to run

You’ll be the prince & I’ll be the princess

It’s a love story baby just say yes

Juliett feeling absolutely distraught from this seemingly pleads to Romeo that he takes her someplace where the can be together being their own prince & princess all it requires is for him to say yes.

Verse — 2

So I sneak out to the garden to see you

We keep quiet ’cause we’re dead if they knew

So close your eyes

Escape this town for a little while

Juliett continues by saying how she risked everything to meet Romeo and how even the slightest of errors could land them in serious trouble. She ends by saying it’s time to leave town and live on their own terms.

Pre — Chorus

’Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter

And my daddy said stay away from Juliett

But you were everything to me I was begging you

Please don’t go

Juliett continues by saying ( assuming they got caught ) how Romeo meant everything to him and how she couldn’t live without him

Chorus —

And I said

Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone

I’ll be waiting all there’s left to do is run

You’ll be the prince I’ll be the princess

It’s a love story baby just say yes

Romeo save me, they’re tryna tell me how to feel

This love is difficult, but it’s real

Don’t be afraid we’ll make it outta this mess

It’s a love story baby just yes

Juliett goes on to beg to Romeo to save her from the grasps of her family and how they’re forcing their thought process on her. Romeo this time acknowledges this and asks her not to be afraid he will make everything right.

Solo -

All I can say about this solo is Taylor Swift perfectly captured the feelings of all things country.

Bridge —

I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around

My faith in you was fading

When I met you on the outskirts of town and I said

Juliett ( assuming Romeo left for a while ) leaves the palace after growing restless and how she was losing trust in what Romeo told her when she finally encountered him on the outskirts of town .

Chorus -

Romeo save me I’ve been feeling so alone

I keep waiting for you but you never come

Is this in my head, I Dont know what to think

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said

Marry me, Juliett you’ll never have to be alone

I love you and that’s all I really know

I talked to your dad go pick out a white dress

It’s a love story baby just say yes

Meeting after a while Juliett finally spoke her heart out on how she’s been lonely and desperate for him to come back only for him to disappoint & finally asks Romeo is this even real?

All of a sudden Romeo kneels to the ground and brings out a ring proposing to Juliett finally and assuring her everything has finally worked out their families have agreed and it’s time for the wedding bells to ring and asks her to go choose a wedding dress but before just say yes.

Outro -

Oh, Oh

Cause we were both young when I first saw you

Bringing it back to the present Juliett exclaims how it was an experience to never forget and how they were both young when they fell in love.

The lyrics to this song might’ve been very basic but the passion of a young & ready to conquer Taylor Swift made it one of the greatest songs of all time.

This song started a journey for Taylor the journey of making her arguably the biggest artists of the 2010s the girl from “Fearless” transformed into a world wide phenomenon.

Her next album “Red” which released in 2012 was her first time testing out a new genre with the flavour of pop in the song “We Are Never Getting Back Together” to the dubstep inspired “I Knew You Were Trouble”.

In 2014 she released her synth-pop inspired 1989 with songs like “Shake It Off” and the defining song of the album “Blank Space”, the album did not even contain a single drop of country music but was if not the best one of the best works of Taylor.

In 2017 she dropped Reputation a dark album in which she hit out against all the toxic critics ( rightly so ) something which majority of artists are scared to do and became a role model for future artists to come with songs like “Look What You Made Me Do” & “Ready For It”.

She ended the 2010s with her final album Lover a joyful yet meaningful album taking her back to her roots from Fearless although still working for the betterment of the world with “You Need To Calm Down”.

Though Taylor Swift didn’t win any major accolades for Love Story

She forever won the hearts of the world and started her journey on the road to becoming the definition of success & an icon.

By –

Basal Crayon

Originally Published On Medium

#taylor swift #pop music #music #country music #love story

[basalcrayon]

Bohemian Rhapsody : Queen’s Crowning Moment

31st October 1975 not an unusual date it was a halloween as usual , but 4 misfits calling themselves “Queen” unbeknownst to the impact they are going to change the world of music forever released their first single of arguably one of the greatest albums of all time

The album ? A Night At The Opera

The Song? Bohemian Rhapsody

Often considered as the greatest song of all time and personally it is

To the average person in 2020 a song stretching 6mins may or may no be an issue now that we have songs like Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” And Camel’s “Lady Fantasy” ( Who in my humble opinion are still one of the most underrated bands of all time seconded for me only by The Knophler Brothers Dire Straits )

Now back to the topic in 1975 labels like EMI thought that 6 minutes is stupid and I quote Roger Taylor OBE

They said it was too long and wouldn’t work.We thought “Well we could cut it , but it wouldn’t make any sense” It doesn’t make any sense now and it would make even less sense then you would miss all the different moods of the song .So we said no it’ll either fly or it won’t

But this was more than just a song it was the baby of Mr Mercury

In 2002 Brian May OBE said this

“He ( Freddie ) knew exactly what he was doing ….. we just helped him bring it to life”

But using his charm & lot of friendship Freddie did what Freddie does best ( except music that is ) with the help of his friend and Capital Radio DJ Kenny Everett .Queen released the song on Capital Radio and over the weekend Kenny got requests and played the song over 14 times! ( Now that’s a lot for a Halloween weekend ) countless of people lined up outside record stores on the following Monday to buy the record only to be disappointed by EMI & Elektra as the record hadn’t officially released yet.

But how does a 6min song have such an impact?

This might get technical so sit back and play A Night At The Opera!

Let’s take a deciphering look.Here We Go!

As I already quoted beforehand Bohemian Rhapsody was Freddie Mercury’s brainchild and I’m pretty sure Freddie had it all deciphered already and as Brian has said in the past Freddie had it all written on pieces of paper

From the start to finish Freddie had it all he wrote the ballad the piano and even Brian’s legendary solo & one of the most defining rock riffs of all time

Now A bit about the composition

Bohemian Rhapsody is all a song can hope for with a ballad , a amazing guitar solo , opera ( that people actually understood no hard feeling though ) & one of the greatest rock riffs

Now going Part by Part

A Capella – (0:00 – 0:49)

The five part harmony that opens up with iconic “ Is This The Real Life Or Is This Just Fantasy “ a Capella which comprises of more than 3 overlays of only Freddie contrary to what people think that it was all 4 members opening

At roughly 0:21 the grand piano makes it entrance as one of the defining moments of rock music with the story’s narrator ( which we will take a closer look at later ) introducing himself as “ just a poor boy “ who requires no sympathy and is easily come & gone while being little high little low

This leads us into the ballad

Ballad – ( 0:49 – 2:37 )

John Deacon starts with his bass and Freddie starts with the piano & “Mama Just Killed A Man” after Freddie does this twice his vocals sort of change & evolve turning into someone who is confessing something .

Roughly at 1:19 Roger Taylor’s Drums kick in after the first stanza the piano repeats with Freddie starting with the second verse being a stronger & more vocal story of the narrator with Freddie emphasising killing off the verse with arguably the most iconic line of Music ( At least for me )

“ I Sometimes I Wish I Had Never Been Born At All “

Kick In Brian May

Guitar Solo (2:37–3:05)

Brian May plays a very progressive solo in the key of E flat

At 3:03 he cuts off the solo on An A note signalling the start of operatic section

Opera ( 3:05 – 4:07 )

Iconic , Legendary , Defining , Great , Controversial are just a few words that come to mind about this section .This section comprised of over 180 overdubs ( cant imagine people like Cardi B doing that !?)

Brian doing the lower part

Freddie with the power & symbolicalness of his vocal strength in the middle

Roger doing the higher notes ( cause he was the only one who could’ve made the dogs hear him )

With lyrics like Scarmouche , Galileo & Fandago

Producer Roy Thomas Baker Once Said –

Everytime Freddie came up with a new Galileo I ordered a new piece of tape

On Came The Hard Rock Part

Hard Rock ( 4:07–4:54 )

At 4:07 Brian May played one of the most symbolic rock riffs of all time ( also written by Mr Mercury ) Three Guitar riffs are played ended by Freddie back on his piano after his vocal outrage ends

Outro ( 4:54 – 5:55 )

After the iconicness of the riff ends Mercury plays multiple ascending octaves on his piano ( The same piano used by by Paul McCartney of The Beatles to record “Hey Jude”)

The narrator ends the story by saying nothing really matters to him

This is followed by anyway the wind blows & Roger hitting a gong

Isn’t Musical Masterpiece An Understatement!?

Now lets move onto the most difficult part of this song

What do these lyrics actually mean !!!?

Nobody can surely know now that Freddie is gone but I’m pretty sure we won’t have known even he was there ( which I wish everyday )

Going Part by Part

Intro

Disclaimer – This is my interpretation of the song and is by no means correct

“Is this the real life or is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landslide

No escape from reality

Open your eyes and see”

The narrator starts of by a kind of cry by saying is this the real life ? Is this what we have made the world , Is this what everyone needs to go through

Exclaiming about the cruel & harshness of the world

He continues by saying he’s caught In a landslide which I think is the personification of the modern society how it’s just going in a downward spiral with nobody doing about it leaving no one with any way to get out of this

He ends it by saying open your eyes and see what is happening it’s time for change

“Look up to the skies and see

I’m just a poor boy , I need no sympathy

Because I’m easy come , easy go .Little high , little low

Any way the wind blows ( doesn’t really matter to me )”

The narrator goes on in his story by saying that it’s high time that people look up to the sky and think what life actually is about but he continues on by saying how he’s just a poor boy who needs no sympathy and how nobody really cares what he’s saying and how any way the wind blows or how the world functions anymore no longer matters to him

Verse -

“Mama Just Killed A Man , Put A Gun Against His Head , Pulled My Trigger Now He’s Dead

Mama Life Had Just Begun , But Now I’ve Gone And Thrown It All Away

Mama oooo Didn’t Mean To Make You Cry , If I’m Not Back Again This Time Tomorrow Carry On

As If Nothing Really Matters”

Now we enter the narrator’s back story

I’m going to follow one idea here that how the young narrator killed his former self who cared about this world

The narrator starts by confessing to his mother how he’s killed the former self everyone had loved how the world forced him to put a gun on his head and pull the trigger resulting in the death of his persona who cared

He goes on further by saying how his life had just begun he had just started exploring his existence but before he could the cruelness & harsh nature of the world forced him into this and how he has thrown it all away

This stanza tells us that we have a young narrator maybe in his teens

The Narrator continues apolitically to his mother that he’s sorry he didn’t mean to make her cry by killing his past self & that if his old self isn’t back this time tomorrow carry on as if nothing ever happened

“Too Late My Time Has Come , Sends Shivers Down My Spine Body’s Aching All The Time

Goodbye Everybody I’ve Got To Go , Gotta Leave You All Behind & Face The Truth

Mama Oooo ( Anyway The Wind Blows )

I Sometime Wish I’d Never Been Born At All”

Now that the day has gone by and the narrator’s old self hasn’t been revived he finally comes to realise what he’s done how he’s committed persona suicide and how the thought of that sends chill down his body

He says his final goodbye to presumably his family that his old persona is dead and it’s time for him to leave and go on a new journey finishing off by telling his mother how it would’ve been better if he had never been born

This ends the verse

Guitar solo –

Even though it’s a solo Freddie tried his best to show the narrator’s emotions by writing Brian’s solo trying to make the guitar create a sort of cry as ( assuming the narrator plays guitar ) is the best way for the narrator to show the world how he really feels

Opera -

“The operatic part for me is sort of a trial of the narrator’s old self

I See A Little Sillhouetto Of A Man

Scaramouch , Scaramouch Will You Do The Fandango

Thunderbolts & Lightning Very Very Frightening

Galileo Galileo Figaro Magnifico”

This part is the trial of the narrator’s older self as the newer self sees whatever remains off the past as a silhouette .He sees scaramouch as a person representing society and fandango as the way it functions and kind off makes fun of how the society forces everyone to do everything their way

“Thunderbolts & Lightning are glimmers of change & hope and how it’s frightening to change something

I’m Just A Poor Boy Nobody Loves Me , He’s Just A Poor Boy From A Poor Family

He’s Just A Poor Boy From A Poor Family , Spare Him His Life From This Monstrosity

Easy Come Easy Go Will You Let Me Go

Bismillah No We Will Not Let You Go ( Let Him Go )

Bismillah We Will Not Let You Go ( Let Him Go )

Bismillah We Will Not Let You Go ( Let Me Go )

We Will Not Let You Go

No No No No No No

Oh Mama Mia , Mama Mia

Beelzebub Has A Devil Put Aside For Me !,For Me !”

In this part the newer self is fighting with the world to avoid reviving the older self how he’s a poor boy all alone nobody loving him and all alone to fight he’s pleading to god ( personified as Bismillah ) to let him go from the grasps of society and how god is telling him to fight for himself and at the end he realises the fight has just begun by saying mama mia as a form of fear and how beelzebub has kept a devil specifically for him due to the way he fought

Hard Rock –

“So You Think You Can Stone Me And Spit In My Eye

So You Think You Can Love Me & Leave Me To Die

Oh Baby , Can’t Do This To Me Baby !

Just Gotta Get Out , Just Gotta Get Right Outta Here”

In the supposed climax of the story the narrator finally decides to fight back by saying how does the society think that they can ruin him without any form of backlash expected , how everyone used to love his past self but the second he turned they left him alone

He ends this part by saying that it’s high time now he isn’t going to let anyone do this and he’s only waiting to get out of here to take his revenge

Outro -

“Ooh Yeah , Ooh Yeah Nothing Really Matters To Me

Nothing Really Matters To Me

Anyone Can See Nothing Really Matters To Me

Anyway The Wind Blows”

The story ends with the narrator having won his battle against the world all alone and how he’s all alone and nothing matters anymore

Conclusion

There maybe a million other interpretations this might’ve been Freddie’s coming out song where he says he killed his old heterosexual self and it’s time for him to live freely as a homosexual

Maybe this is about Freddie & all other members lives struggles or maybe something else

But 1 Thing Is Forever Sure

On 31st October 1975 Queen released something unmatchable and generational

Bohemian Rhapsody Is , Will & Forever Will Be One Of The Greatest Songs Of All Time

By -

Basal Crayon

#music #queen #Freddie Merucry #Brian May #Roger Taylor #John Deacon #Rock #rock music #Lyrics #Meaning