Day 33: That Which We Call a Rose

I've talked before about Blank Space and how much I like it, but I think that the amount of details that can go unnoticed in this song warrant it getting its own post. I'll also be discussing some details from the music video, as I think that they tie in very well with the tone the music goes for. Go ahead and watch the video as a nice reminder, since it's been a while since I discussed it. A quick disclaimer, this song isn't actually how Taylor thinks about relationships (probably), but rather is meant to satirize the cynical way that her relationships are portrayed by the media.

Anyone fall for that? For some reason I can't embed this video anymore even though I did it in the second post. Weird. Anyways I trust that you'll be able to navigate yourself to YouTube to watch it yourself. I'll even link to it for you. Wow, I'm so nice!

One of the biggest strengths of this song is how each line builds on the last, giving us more information about the relationship between Taylor and the hypothetical dude I will be referring to as "Sean", which is his name in the music video, assuming you're the kind of person who trusts arboreal manuscription. Now that I'm thinking about it, I hope Sean doesn't count as a named character in a Taylor Swift song, I didn't include him in yesterday's post. Anyways, let's take this song line by line to see what I mean.

"Nice to meet you, where you been?
I could show you incredible things"

If you were alive when this song was released then you have most likely heard it a million times. If that's the case then you already know what this song is about and these lines probably won't seem as impressive to you. But try to consider it from someone who has never heard it before. These lines say a lot. Two people who have never met getting acquainted, but wasting no time. They know where the relationship is heading before it even begins, and Taylor already knows how it's going to end. Also, let's take a second to recognize how hilariously handsome they made Sean. Like seriously. humans don't look like that. 

We get it, you smolder

Moving on. Here's the next lines.

"Magic, madness, heaven, sin
Saw you there and I thought
Oh my God, look at that face
You look like my next mistake
Love’s a game, want to play?"

I love how Taylor slips "madness" into her list of wonders like it's chemical X about to make some Powerpuff Girls. You'll catch it on your first listen if you're paying close attention, but it's probably just going to slip by since it sounds so appealing. That's exactly what Taylor's going for, since this is how she's treating Sean, trying to lure him in even though there are hints of what's to come. The next lines do a great job of showing Taylor's mentality around relationships, being mostly superficial and knowing they are just temporary and for fun. It does this all without explicitly stating how she feels, only showing her reactions to meeting someone as stupidly gorgeous as good-ol'-Sean. Audiences typically find this more compelling, as it puts us in Taylor's shoes at the moment of meeting rather than reminiscing about past events which can get old. As much as I love songs like Enchanted, this is certainly a weakness that they tend to share.

Notice the hatchet in the painting behind Taylor, hinting at her Cruel Intentions

"New money, suit and tie
I can read you like a magazine
Ain't it funny, rumors, lie
And I know you heard about me"

This is a huge inversion from how Taylor has framed her relationships in the past. She's typically framed as being on equal footing with the Seans of the world at best, with some songs, like Dear John, depicting her outright as the much less experienced half of the relationship. Of course, there was a four year gap between these songs' releases so this is to be expected. John Mayer was in his thirties when he started dating the nineteen year old Taylor Swift, so maybe I do think that nineteen's too young.

But now Taylor is the one burning young'uns out! She's deliberately playing her experience and perceived role as a player to get all the Muscular Mannys to her Mann Manor. 

"So hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends
Grab your passport and my hand
I can make the bad guys good for a weekend"

These lines are great because each one reiterates the point that Taylor already knows that this relationship is doomed from the start, but each does it in a decidedly positive light. It takes some pretty nefarious intentions and proceeds to frame them so cheerfully that Sean can't help but say yes. Notice how each line is phrased as a proposition of an adventure but presumes a conclusion. That's what good writing looks like.

Another thing you might notice is that I am less than a minute into this song and this post is already getting to be on the longer side. So in yet another unprecedented 100DoTS move, I am going to have tomorrow's post be an extension of this one. That's right, it's a two-part episode! Stay tuned for more blank space.

See you tomorrow,
-C