better-in-the-rearview

[better-in-the-rearview]

So Long, London & lyric parallels

part 1 | part 2

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I literally can’t stop thinking about how the literal FIRST lyrics we ever heard about Joe were “Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him” and then spends every song on TTPD about how loving him was literally killing her. Idk idk idk

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thinking about “two graves, one gun” and “you had to kill me, but it killed you just the same”

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ttpd is like... this fucking sucked... it was my fault... fuck joe... this also fucking sucked... fuck matty... i thought i was gonna die... straight up commit me to an asylum... FUCK matty... fuck joe... no one knows me... fuck kim kardashian... i created every problem and every consequence i have to face... please see me as human... i am exposing my flaws so you see me as a real person... fuck jake gyllenhaal... if you're gonna be so up my business you better realize how fucked up my business is... also hi killatrav ily... there is nothing redeeming about this chapter of my life... hi mom ily... this ALSO fucking sucked... there may be good in the world... here is every sin i have ever committed... i was promised love and forever repeatedly and no one ever delivered... my reaction to trauma was awful... i made so many bad decisions... if you're gonna crucify me do it for good reasons... are you not entertained?

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I do think my favourite part of the tortured poet's department is how unreliable the narration is. Like it's done purposefully from the very beginning. This is not from a moment in time where the writer is making sense of things in a way that is logical or connected to reality. It is contradictory, incorporates toxic behaviours, and the actions and reactions throughout different strands are based in feelings that are not grounded or even necessarily based on reality at all.

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the connection between “but the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light” in peter and “remember looking at this room, we loved it ‘cause of the light / now, i just sit in the dark and wonder if it’s time” in you’re losing me has me spiralling

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THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY

merch concept - a patch/magnet for every track (click for full quality)

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i want money AND someone who wants my company

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Guilty as Sin? is another song where taylor repeats a phrase in it and the meaning changes slightly each time she does:

Beginning of song: "Drowning in the Blue Nile / He sent me 'Downtown Lights' / I hadn't heard it in a while / My boredom's bone deep / This cage was once just fine / Am I allowed to cry?"

-- This cage was what she initially asked for, and now she hates it, she's bored, and asking, 'am i allowed to cry about this cage because it WAS what I initially asked for??' (did i bring this on myself? i used to be cool with it, and if so can i be upset about it?)

End of song: "How I long for our trysts / Without ever touching his skin / How can I be guilty as sin? He sent me 'Downtown Lights' / I hadn't heard it in a while / Am I allowed to cry?"

-- Is she allowed to cry about being in a stifling relationship (one we know, from other songs, where her partner was not loyal) when she is now attracted to someone else? Where her loyalty is now so thin that the act of a person she previously had a tryst with, sends her a song and pays attention to her, is the triggering event that leads her to fantasizing about being intimate with them? If she's doing that, does she have the right to be upset about her current rs being shitty, her partner being a cheater, if she has eyes for someone else too?

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i love the…. almost horror aspects of this album. all the references to ghosts and death…. and sonically, the unexpected shrieking in WAOLOM and the banging and screaming during “old habits die screaming” and even the way the tension subtly builds across the sixteen tracks and by the end you’re so stressed and shaken it’s like! losing your sense of self and feeling like you’ve become a monster is horror. and i’m sooooo glad she leaned into it

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it actually kind of blew my mind that taylor talks about thinking of matty before actually breaking up with joe so openly because she could’ve easily omitted that part, but i think she wanted it all out in the world and be free of it. chloe or sam or sophia or marcus being about how they’ve known each other for a decade and they could’ve been together if not for his issues and other people they were with, and how to get her this time, he simply just needs to confess he loved her then and loves her now. and thinking about how she’s talked about the songs being made in the last two years (not one), and then thinking about fortnight and how she talks about him constantly just being there (and him knowing about her issues with joe), and then thinking about how in guilty as sin? she talks about him sending her “downtown lights” and telling her bad thoughts are not a thing because she didn’t actually sleep with him while being in her relationship, and then in florida!!!, her singing “they said i was a cheat, i guess it must be true”… now the morality of all of this is a different topic, but she just needed a clutch to be able to leave and she lays out the story and how sinister it was that he knew about the cracks and made his way through, and her admitting that she can’t be abstained of guilt because she let it happen is just so. raw and honest.

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going from “chains around my demons” to “and hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons, even if i die screaming” is such a punch in the gut

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invisible string // the black dog

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"we learned the right steps to different dances" is such a beautiful way to explain that nobody did anything wrong but it does not work out if you have different goals or different ideals of life, maybe sometimes things don't work out and it is nobodys fault

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Fortnight - lyric analysis and interpretation

"I was supposed to be sent away, but they forgot to come and get me"

The opening lines convey a sense of abandonment and neglect. The narrator is feeling overlooked. Possibly referring to a time when she expected a significant life change or an intervention that never occurred.

"I was a functioning alcoholic 'til nobody noticed my new aesthetic"

She is dealing with her issues in silence or changing in ways that those around her are unaware of. Her problems (or alcoholism) have been managed well enough that they do not interfere with her daily life to the point where others do not notice the change in her behavior or appearance.

"All this to say, I hope you're okay, but you're the reason"

In this line, she addresses someone directly, conveying a complex sentiment that includes both well-wishing and acknowledging the hurt or betrayal this person caused.

"And no one here's to blame, but what about your quiet treason?"

Suggests that, while no one is directly responsible for the fallout, there is an underlying betrayal that she cannot ignore.

"And for a fortnight there, we were forever, run into you sometimes, ask about the weather"

A fleeting moment or relationship that appeared timeless or destined to last but ultimately did not. There has been a shift toward more distant and possibly awkward interactions, with all the previous intimacy reduced to small talk.

"Now you're in my backyard, turned into good neighbors, your wife waters flowers, I wanna kill her"

There has been a shift in the relationship status, from whatever intimacy or closeness existed to becoming neighbors, which implies physical proximity but emotional distance. The final lyric reveals deep animosity or jealousy. The wife watering flowers, a mundane and peaceful activity, contrasted with the narrator's violent desire reveals her unresolved feelings for the person she is singing about.

"All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February"

She is constantly depressed and bored. Mondays are traditionally regarded as the beginning of the work week and are frequently associated with a lack of enthusiasm. February can represent cold and darkness. This is a metaphor for a prolonged state of sadness or discomfort.

"I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary, and I love you, it's ruining my life"

She attempted to heal and move past emotional pain, possibly through a quick fix or superficial solution, but it proved ineffective in providing long-term relief and happiness. Saying she loves someone, but it is ruining her life is another statement that elicits strong emotions. Loving someone deeply while acknowledging that this love is causing significant personal turmoil.

"I touched you for only a fortnight, I touched you, but I touched you, and for a fortnight there we were together"

Emphasizes how brief the close and intimate phase of a relationship can be. Demonstrating how even brief connections can have a profound and lasting impact.

"Now you're at the mailbox, turned into good neighbors, my husband is cheating, I wanna kill him"

The transition from being in a close/intimate relationship to becoming "good neighbors" who occasionally cross paths at the mailbox shows a significant shift in the relationship's dynamics. Moving to a more distant and friendly acquaintance. The mundane interaction at the mailbox exemplifies how ordinary life continues despite previous intense emotions. She admits she wants to kill her husband because of his infidelity, revealing the anguish and betrayal it has caused her. The desire for retribution reflects pain and possibly a sense of being trapped when emotional ties cause harm.

"Thought of calling ya, but you won't pick up"

In this passage, the narrator expresses how much they want to reach out to this person. They would like to make contact, implying a desire to talk or even make amends, but they expect rejection because they think the other person won't pick up the phone.

"Another fortnight lost in America"

Could represent a sense of aimlessness or being adrift, not just in the relationship, but also in life. This sense of lost time is prolonged and recurring.

"Move to Florida, buy the car you want, but it won't start up 'til I touch, touch, touch you/'til you touch, touch, touch me"

They are looking for a new beginning or attempting to fulfill their desires in order to progress or find happiness. Florida is frequently associated with sunshine, retirement, or escape, which reinforces the theme of seeking a change in environment or circumstances to alleviate their unhappiness. However, even these actions are futile without the touch of the person they desire.

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she was like "yeah, i don't give a shit" 😭

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wendy (by maisie peters) is about choosing to not stick around for peter

peter (by taylor swift) is what happens when wendy sticks around and peter doesn’t