Taylor Swift is one of the most famous singer-songwriters of the 21st century. Taylor is famous for her widely publicized relationships, and the variety of songs she’s written about them. Her albums showcased the various stages people go through during a relationship, both good and bad. In honor of Valentine’s Day, let’s look at how she uses her song to express these stages.
- Honeymoon Stage
This is for lovers just meeting for the first time or getting to know each other and falling in love. The songs I would relate most to the era of this relationship are Paper Rings and Fearless
“Paper Rings” (Lover) is a bubbly, upbeat, and lighthearted song, which is how most people feel when they are just starting in a new relationship. Taylor sings, “I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this,” which signifies that it was a happy accident that their relationship progressed from friends to more.
“Fearless” (Fearless) is a song about not being scared of falling in love for the first time: “You pull me in, and I’m a little more brave, it’s the first kiss, its really something, it’s fearless.” Taylor describes the first kiss when you begin to feel that you have fallen for this person you’ve have been wanting for a while. It is the beginning of a relationship.
- Discovery stage
Now, you have exited the honeymoon phase and are looking at your relationship more realistically. You can start to think about how this person got into your life and begin to learn about the person you are with. For this stage, I picked “You Belong with Me” and “Invisible String”.
“You Belong with Me” (Fearless) is easily one of the most recognizable songs from Taylor Swift. This song signifies when you know a lot about the person, enough to know how they feel in different situations. The line that most relates to this feeling is “I’m the one that makes you laugh when you know you’re bout’ to cry… I think I know where you belong, I think, I know it’s with me.’’
“Invisible String” (Folklore) is about how two people are connected even if they do not know it, and there is an invisible string that ties them together, and they have been and always will be connected in some way. Taylor sings, “Were there clues I didn’t, see? And isn’t so pretty to think, all along there was some invisible string, tying you to me”
- Challenge stage
However, no relationship, no matter how perfect it looks, is completely without problems. People make some mistakes to grow as a person; this also must apply to relationships, right? Some people get confused about their relationship status after they disagree with their partner. That is why, for you, I picked “Afterglow” and “Delicate”
“Afterglow” (Lover) is about how someone apologizing for self-sabotaging in a relationship, making so many mistakes during the relationship, and begging for the person back. Taylor sings, “Tell me that you are still mine, tell me that we’ll just be fine, even when I lose my mind”
“Delicate” (Reputation) describes a situation when you’re in a relationship, and you just got into an argument, and you do not know where you stand with your partner. Taylor shows this situation with the lyrics: “Is it cool that I just said all that? Is it soon to do this yet? ‘Cause I know that it’s delicate”
However, most relationships end after this stage and end in heartbreak. ( And that’s perfectly fine!) For all the people who have been heartbroken and want to rage out no matter the situation, I would recommend “Now That We Don’t Talk” and “We Are Never Getting Back Together”
4. Growth and Stability Stage
This is the stage of the relationship where you feel secure and safe in your relationship with your partner. You have had time to grow within your relationship and grow personally. For this stage, I suggest “The Archer” and “Long Live.”
“The Archer” (Lover) is a song about self-growth and learning how to trust yourself. I interpret the line, “I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost. The room is on fire, invisible smoke. And all my heroes die alone. Help me hold onto you” as depicting the fear and anxiety that can come with true commitment. In previous relationships, everyone has left, and Taylor is worried that this could happen again.
“Long Live” (Speak Now) is a song that is reminiscent of the past and how well it has treated you and your relationship. Taylor sings, “Long live the walls we crashed through, How the kingdom lights shined just for me, and you were screaming, “Long live all the magic we made,” And bring on all the pretenders. One day we will be remembered.”
- Long-term love stage
This stage can mean long-term commitment or even marriage. You have finally found the right person or even the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. For this stage, I picked one of the most popular wedding songs “Lover” and my personal favorite “Daylight.”
“Lover” (Lover) is by far the most recognizable wedding song out there (at least for the Swifties), and the lyrics greatly describe the moment when you walk down the aisle and lock eyes with the person you’re about to marry. My favorite line that describes this feeling is “Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? With every guitar scar on my hand, I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover.”
“Daylight” (Lover) is sort of similar to “Lover.” It also describes the security that comes from a healthy, long-term relationship. The line that gives off this feeling fully is “I once believe love was (black and white) but it’s golden (golden).”
