The story goes that this song is about a time when Taylor attended the same event as an ex boyfriend, and they were seated at adjacent tables. Even though they were right next to each other they never spoke, and endlessly chatted up the people near them, even ones they didn't know. The whole time, Taylor wanted to ask him if he was dying from awkwardness the same way she was, but they never ended up speaking.
This is a situation that many people find themselves in, and it never stops being just completely awful. The furthest people usually go describing it is "weird" or "awkward", but Taylor has some lines this song that are seriously biting.
"I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us
How I was losing my mind when I saw you here
But you held your pride like you should have held me"
I like these lines because they really get to the heart of the song without being too direct. In particular, the line about holding your pride is especially clever, because it's a play on two very common phrases that both seem perfectly applicable to the given situation.
One recurring element in this song is the paradox of how exes have an incredibly close relationship while also being more distant than ever. Taylor clearly still has feelings for this guy and she strongly suspects that she he feels the same way. In so many ways they are in the exact same situation, but they can't bridge the gap between them.
"I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how
I've never heard silence quite this loud"
Such a fantastic line. I don't have to describe what Taylor is trying to say because she does it so well with these two lines. This is the writing people are talking about when they talk about "the old Taylor". Her ability to take feelings we all know but can't explain is second to none. Honestly there are a dozen lines like this in the song, but I think that one is the best.
As far as music goes, this is definitely a shift from the country style people were used to. Because of this, it got a pretty mixed reception upon initial release, but I think it's aged especially well. It's actually one of the few songs I don't think I could place chronologically if I had never heard it before. After listening to her music non-stop for the last 6 weeks I have a pretty good sense for Taylor's style over time, and The Story of Us stands out in this regard for me.
Lastly, of course, I want to mention the music video. I like what Taylor did here, especially with the setting of a boarding school. It makes sense given the topic, and the details of a quiet library and stiff uniforms really work well with the themes of awkwardness.
So, uh, yeah. Good song. Listen to it. Watch the video. Smash that like button.
See you tomorrow,
-C
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