THE LYRICAL LORE OF TAYLOR SWIFT
THE LYRICAL LORE OF TAYLOR SWIFT
Analyzing the poetry of Taylor Swift’s lyrics in her songs Ivy (from the Evermore album) and Mirrorball (from the Folklore album).
ivy
*lyrics in bold, interpretations below
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I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
- spirit gives life to dead & dry bones
In a faith forgotten land
In from the snow
- her soul is dead; cold and bitter
Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
- her significant other brings fire & life
Tarnished but so grand
- rusted, yet still significant
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Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
- faith forgotten land (previous stanza)-> dreamland
- her significant other is taking over her life; thoughts, emotions, dreams, faith
My house of stone, your ivy grows
- her land & house of barren, rigid, stone is covered with
And now I'm covered
Clover blooms in the fields
- blooming represents revival; and the beginning of new endeavors/seasons of life
Spring breaks loose, the time is near
- snow (previous stanza) turns into springtime
- the icy winter melts, and she is now warm
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What would he do if he found us out?
- rhetorical questions: she is fearful of her emotions and dreams
Crescent moon, coast is clear
Spring breaks loose, but so does fear
- the start of something new & blooming into unfamiliar grounds bring feelings of wariness and instability
He's gonna burn this house to the ground
How's one to know?
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So yeah, it's a fire
It's a goddamn blaze in the dark
And you started it
- she feels love for him, who brought roots into her dreamland & covered her house of stone in ivy
You started it
So yeah, it's a war
- she is fighting an internal war between herself & her inner thoughts/emotions
It's the goddamn fight of my life
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mirrorball
*lyrics in bold, interpretations below
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I want you to know'
I’m a mirrorball
- extended metaphor
I'll show you every version of yourself tonight
I'll get you out on the floor
Shimmering beautiful
And when I break it's in a million pieces
- symbolizes her emotional fragility
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Hush
- depicts secrecy and reservation of her situation & how she is “spinning” alone
When no one is around, my dear
You'll find me on my tallest tiptoes
Spinning in my highest heels, love
- she puts herself in uncomfortable positions to appeal to her other peoples’ love
Shining just for you
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Because I'm a mirrorball
I'm a mirrorball
I'll show you every version of yourself
- mirrorballs are constantly spinning & reflecting different angles that are not usually illuminated
- she will bring light to every part of her partner
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And they called off the circus
Burned the disco down
When they sent home the horses
And the rodeo clowns
- references context of pandemic (written in 2020) and how the world shut down
I'm still on that tightrope
- she is barely surviving, but she continues on to vie for attention
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OVERARCHING CONCLUSION
OVERARCHING CONCLUSION
Just from these two songs alone, it is evident that Taylor Swift frequently utilizes both literary and rhetoric devices in her lyrics to communicate clear messages and themes.
From a spirit to bones, and house of stone to growing ivy, to a blaze in the dark, she commonly juxtaposes two contrasting representative figures to illustrate various strong emotions. She delivers the message that her heart is rigid, barren, and dead. However, she alludes to her partner’s balancing personality that brings love, joy, and happiness to her life.
As Swift personifies herself (a human), as a mirrorball (a cracked and fragmented physical object), she depicts her reality as someone who must continue to “break into a million of pieces,” for others to shine. She describes herself as standing in her “tallest tiptoes,” hanging on a trapeze, and on a tightrope- all of which are uncomfortable situations in which she must endure as she looks for love in all corners of her life.
From Swift’s very first album, Debut, in 2006 as a seventeen-year-old, to her most recent album, Midnights, in 2022, Swift often creates poetic scenes within the lyrics of her songs. This has allowed her to resonate with her fans and their innermost thoughts, feelings, and emotions. As a result, Swift has won well over 500 music awards, capturing the hearts of millions- all over the globe.
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