Five Years Of Folklore: A Journey Through Each Song

By Kayla Harper 

For many, the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns meant sitting at home in total isolation, the only human contact being through a screen, binge-watching hours of tv, trying out new recipes to pass the time and scouring the city for toilet paper.  However, for multi-Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Taylor Swift, it meant retreating into the folklorian woods, residing in a candle-lit log cabin, frolicking in fields during the day and writing poetry with a quill and ink by night.

Swift’s eight studio album folklore is a product of isolation; a deep desire to escape the conditions of reality through ancient stories and foreign lands; it’s the past, present and future all at once. Written, recorded and produced between three different locations: Swift’s house in which they built a makeshift recording booth in the spare bedroom called Kitty Committee Studios (named for her three cats that were usually playing in the background); Aaron Dessner’s Long Pond Studio where he produced a large portion of the album; and Sterling Sound in New York where the album was sent to be mastered, folklore changed the way these musicians created music since they could not gather in a studio together, it was written and produced by recording tracks in their respective studios and sending them back and forth.  Since it happened so unexpectedly the album was announced and surprise dropped the same day.

 

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folklore not only changed the way albums were recorded for these musicians, but it was a completely new sound for Swift.  By working with new collaborators she has admired for a long-time, Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Matt Berninger and Bon Iver, she was able to learn and explore a new genre, adopting a more indie-pop/folk-rock sound reminiscent of The National and Bon Iver.

folklore has a cohesive flow, the instrumentals are generally laid-back with acoustic riffs and piano melodies taking the lead, setting the stage beautifully for the lyrics which are deeply rooted in storytelling. Swift has stated herself in the past that she would not be the artist she is today if she didn’t get to write her own songs and explains she is a storyteller first before she is a musician (Swift in Miss Americana, 11:11,  Netflix).  This statement really shines on folklore as each track is its own piece of a bigger story intertwining with one another to create new worlds and characters.  Learn the story behind and within each folklore track below and find out what track best lines up with your personal story right now.

 

1. “the 1” 

“the 1” opens folklore with the lyrics, “I’m doing good I’m on some new shit been saying yes instead of no”.  This attitude is maintained throughout the track which is reflective in nature, but not overly nostalgic to the point of yearning for a time past.  In “the 1”, the narrator reflects on a past relationship with indifference and gratitude for how it allowed them to grow into a better version of themselves.

“the 1” is for the people who have moved on from the past and are able to see it for what it was.  While they still have that voice in the back of their mind saying “what if?”  they understand why it isn’t and are not overly attached to the idea of what could’ve been.

 

2. “cardigan” 

The lead single “cardigan” is the opposite of “the 1” and is the only song on folklore featuring a music video.  Swift had written the song in its entirety and sent it to Dessner late one night.  The piano-led track utilizes the extended metaphor of an old cardigan under someone’s bed to reflect on a relationship and person who have been on and off in the narrator’s life, but always seem to come back.  “cardigan” is overly nostalgic as it transports listeners into memories using poetic lyrics in the forms of metaphors and allusions to famous places and  stories such as Peter Pan.

“cardigan” also ties into a larger story hidden throughout the tracks of folklore. It is one of three songs making up three different perspectives of the teenage love triangle. Written from the perspective of a small-town teenage girl named Betty who loses the love of her life to an affair, but eventually they find each other again in the end.

“cardigan” is for the people who cannot seem to let go of that one person in their past and are forever changed by it.  They’re overly nostalgic and sentimental, replaying these memories in their head daily, yearning for what once was.

 

3. “the last great american dynasty” 

“the last great american dynasty” was a song Swift had been wanting to write for a long time, but it wasn’t until Dessner sent her this instrumental track that she felt inspired to write it.  “the last great american dynasty” tells the story of Rebekah Harkness -an American actress, dancer and philanthropist most notably.  She was a previous owner of Swift’s holiday house in Rhode Island which she purchased in 2013.  Swift tells the story of Harkness every time someone new comes over to the house and immortalizes the story in song-form on “the last great american dynasty”.

“the last great american dynasty” is for those that have always been fascinated by history and everything that’s led to the present moment.  These individuals recognize that there is more beyond just oneself and are always exploring to find out more about themselves and the world.

 

4. “exile (feat. Bon Iver)” 

“exile” was initially written by Swift’s ex-boyfriend and actor Joe Alwyn who also loves to play piano and has a bachelor’s degree in English making him a great writer.  Swift overheard Alwyn playing the main piano part of exile and singing the first verse and chorus which he had written himself.  She fell in love with it, writing a second verse and chorus from the other perspective.  Alwyn didn’t want to sing on the track himself and Swift dreamed of having Justin Vernon from Bon Iver on it, however, she didn’t think he would want to do it.  Dessner reached out to Vernon who accepted immediately and wrote the bridge portion of the song.

“exile” is for those who have been undergoing conflict in their relationships with others.  They have a lot of anger, sadness and betrayal to unpack in terms of this fallout which stems mostly from miscommunication between two individuals who never see eye-to-eye no matter how many times they’ve tried to work it out.  Someone who used to be your home and now they’re not.

 

5. “my tears ricochet” 

“my tears ricochet” is arguably the saddest track on folklore and was the first Swift wrote for the album, most likely after finding out about the unauthorized sale of her first six masters.   “my tears ricochet”  talks about someone who was the narrator’s home and safest space, their biggest supporter who became the person who hurt them the most.  It addresses the fact that sometimes the people who are closest to us hurt us the worst because they know exactly where to stick the dagger.  However, these people will inevitably become equally if not more hurt by the damage they’ve inflicted.

“my tears ricochet” is for the people who have undergone an unexpected and unforgivable betrayal by someone who was their closest friend.  Even karma is not enough to erase the pain both parties feel and it’s a situation that can’t be looked past.  What’s done is done and both must learn to move on despite being haunted.

6. “mirrorball” 

“mirrorball” is the first song on folklore that addresses the current times and what was happening [the Covid-19 pandemic] when the album was written.  In the bridge Swift sings, “when they called off the circus burned the disco down / when they sent home the horses and the rodeo clowns” talking about how the world was shut down for the lockdowns, Swift was only one artist of many who had tours cancelled (she was about to embark on a short run of shows titled Loverfest in support of her seventh album, Lover) and wondered if they’d ever be able to perform again, “I’m still on that tightrope, I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me.”  “mirrorball” addresses some of our tendencies to feel the need to change ourselves to suit the environment around us, to make ourselves more likeable.

“mirrorball” is for the people-pleasers; the ones who always say “yes” and apologize too much the rare times they say “no”.  For the perfectionists who are putting 110 percent of themselves into everything they do even if it’s just to make someone else happy.  They are little bits of everyone they’ve ever known and break down in private.

7. “seven” 

At first glance, “seven” seems like a bittersweet song about nostalgia, growing-up and friendship. However upon a deeper analysis it’s actually one of the most interesting in Swift’s discography, written about childhood trauma through the perspective of a seven-year-old.  The way the child describes their friend’s house as being “haunted” when really their friend has an abusive father effectively inserts you into a seven-year-old’s point-of-view because they wouldn’t comprehend why some parts of the world were so harsh.  Swift maintains this perspective beautifully through talk of escaping to India or becoming pirates.  All for a childhood friend who is no longer a part of their life looking back now.

“seven” is for the older siblings; the ones who had to watch their younger siblings grow up and face the harsh realities of the world no matter how badly they wanted to protect them.  It’s for the friends that had to watch their friends endure pain at the hands of others with no way of stopping it at the time.  It’s for those that stick by each other throughout it all, even if you’re not actually in each other’s lives anymore.

 

8. “august” 

“August” is wistful, romantic and heartbreaking.  It’s another piece of the teenage love triangle and is from the perspective of “the other woman” -the girl who Betty’s boyfriend has an affair with- whom Swift has named, Augustine.  It tells the story of a summertime, whirlwind romance that felt real and magical in the moment, only to realize it never was to begin with.  Swift conveys these emotions well in the vivid imagery of the memories accompanied by the instrumental that adds a heartbreakingly nostalgic undertone to the whimsical track.

“August” is for the people who are just looking for love and keep finding themselves in complicated situationships.  They are often villainized for this, but at the end of the day are truly innocent and love so passionately.  These people can often get caught up in their emotions, losing sense of logic and living simply for the hope of it all ‘causing them to get more hurt in the end.

 

9. “this is me trying” 

“this is me trying” is widely relatable to anyone who’s ever tried to do anything and failed and tried again and failed and tried again…so everyone…right?  It seems to address addiction, academic validation, depression, conflict, grief etc. and the processes individuals try and go through to overcome those things, including unhealthy habits, substance abuse, therapy etc.   Though it’s unconfirmed whether or not this was intentional, someone pointed out that the production in this song (heard best in the intro) sounds like someone climbing up the stairs or a ladder and falling back down and starting over again…which is exactly what the song is.

“this is me trying” is for the people who are struggling to get out of a low place.  They might be having an even harder time doing this because they lack support.  They are someone who used to be “perfect” and no one seems to understand how hard they’re trying to get back to that version of themselves.  They know they are not perfect and have made mistakes which is why they’re trying to get better, but it feels like an uphill battle that they’re fighting alone.

 

10. “illicit affairs” 

“illicit affairs” tells the tale of a forbidden romance rooted in infidelity which the narrator knows from the start is doomed, however, it’s still heartbreaking as they hold on to hope that it could work out.  Another one where Swift transports listeners into another world through the vivid imagery that stimulates multiple sensory systems.  Aside from the genius lyricism, the acoustic guitars especially shine on this track, giving it an illicit feeling.

“illicit affairs” is for the people who continue to pursue things even when they know it could hurt them; the risk is worth the reward.  However, they also hold on to these dwindling experiences and memories too strongly as they get emotionally attached.

 

11. “invisible string” 

As soon as Swift heard Dessner’s guitar track that eventually became “invisible string” she knew it was a song about fate.  “invisible string” is a song about how what’s meant for you will happen despite what you’ve been through,  despite the signs you didn’t see, despite all the things that you thought were meant to be, but weren’t.  It’s about being in that place, or with that person where you always knew you were meant to be and everything now makes sense as you realize it was always bringing you to this moment.

“invisible string” is for the people that believe in fate; for those that know what’s meant for them is coming.  They trust the universe’s plans for them and because of this have a go-with-the-flow mentality.  They’ve learned and grown from their hurt and are able to forgive the past and move on.

 

12. “mad woman” 

“mad woman” is a brilliant, venomous track addressing feminism as it doesn’t only discuss inequality and men’s misinterpretations of women’s behaviour, but also how cruel women can be to each other.  It’s perfect in the way it conveys society’s tendency to minimize women’s emotions to an overreaction; a result of hormones or biological factors when in reality we are human and just like any man or animal will react when provoked.  It’s especially clever how Swift implies in the second verse and bridge that women will choose to remain silent about an issue they shouldn’t for the fear of being painted as “crazy”, “reactive” and “dramatic” by society.

“mad woman” is for all of the women out there.  Especially the ones who have felt silenced in the past for expressing their emotions; the ones who don’t give a f*** anymore and express their emotions regardless; and the ones whose provoked emotional outbursts have been deemed an “overreaction” by the very men who provoked them.  We’re not crazy, over-emotional, or dramatic; we’re human.

 

13. “epiphany” 

The dreamy “epiphany” is another track on the album where Swift was writing about what was actually happening in reality, but also was inspired after thoroughly researching her grandfather’s contributions to the war.  In a way, “epiphany” is an ode to all of the frontline workers who were risking their own lives during a global crisis.  The things these people have to see on a daily basis with barely any time to recover is unfortunate and traumatizing in some cases, they deserve a lot more credit than they’re given.

“epiphany” is for the people who have been caught in a tumultuous storm with no true end in sight.  It feels like they are always giving their time to others, while experiencing so much of their own troubles with no time to address it.  They are forced to deal with situations they aren’t prepared for and find it hard to find the time to process it.

 

14. “betty” 

“betty” is the final piece to the teenage love triangle, written from perspective of the seventeen-year-old boy at the centre of it all, James.   It’s his attempt at addressing what happened between him and Augustine and apologizing to Betty.  “betty” is the second song on the album co-written by Alwyn.  Again, Swift overheard him singing the chorus and they ended up finishing the song together.  From the mention of a skateboard, to the lame excuses (“It was just a summer thing, I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you”) Swift does an excellent job at writing from the perspective of a teenage boy.  The production on the track feels reminiscent of Swift’s country days with acoustic guitar and harmonica taking the lead, conveying the small town vibes well.

“betty” is for the people who know they have ruined things with someone they care about and want to make it up to that person.  They are foolish and don’t often think much before they act, however, they have certainly thought out their apology.

 

15. “peace” 

“peace” directly addresses the way Swift and many celebrities struggle in their personal lives due to their fame and the constant invasion of privacy it creates for them and anyone close to them.  Swift describes this as an elephant in the room that she can’t get rid of, but doesn’t want to be there.  She’s not talking about the obvious lack of privacy that comes with fame, she’s talking about people that have broken into her homes, stalked her and stared into her windows with long telescope lenses -not normal behaviour even for paparazzi.  However, the overall meaning of “peace” can be widely relatable for anyone who suffers from circumstances out of their control that might impact their relationship with others, such as terminal illnesses.

“peace” is for those who love deeply and passionately, but feel this is often overlooked by things they cannot control.  They carry the weight of these emotions and worry too much about how their baggage will impact those around them.

 

16. “hoax” 

When writing “hoax” Swift felt torn between two different stories and eventually came to Dessner asking if it was okay to write about two different situations in one song.  Obviously there are no true limits when it comes to art and it’s her song so that’s just what she did.  “hoax” is about a toxic relationship that one struggles to accept and for this reason can’t let go of.  A simple, piano-led track, the main focus is on the lyrics which are poetically devastating in their use of detailed and vivid imagery that elicit emotions from the listener effectively.

“hoax” is for the people that have watched something good turn bad, but cannot accept that it’s become this way.  They hold on to the positive memories even when they know deep down that the bad outweighs what was once good and cannot let go.

 

17. “the lakes” 

For several months, “the lakes” was a bonus track only available on physical copies of folklore.  It sums up the entire album for what it is,  a whimsical escape to better places and letting go of what has hurt you in the past in order to grow.  For the first year anniversary of folklore Swift released “the lakes (original version)” which was an alternate version of the track which Antonoff had produced using an orchestra to make the song sound grander.  Inspired by the Lake District in the UK, its nature-esque imagery and allusions to old poets throughout the lyrics truly have a way of transporting listeners there.

“the lakes” is for the people that appreciate simplicity; they don’t need fancy things, just the people they love.  They simultaneously crave adventure and yearn for solitude.  They are always trying to escape whether that is physically going somewhere else, or through other mediums such as art or daydreaming.

There is no doubt that folklore is one of Swift’s most impressive albums.  Not only did she expand her craft learning and mastering a new style through the likes of Aaron Dessner (The National) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), while maintaining connections to her previous albums, working with frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff, she also highlighted her songwriting abilities through her clever and detailed storytelling better than ever.  folklore won a Grammy for Album of the Year, Swift’s third time winning the award, in a third genre (previously she won it with Fearless a country album and 1989 a pop album).  folklore was also the first album since Swift came back to the music scene after disappearing during all the 2016 drama (if you know, you know) where people actually took her seriously as a musician and she built herself back up to the artist she is today.