Taylor Swift: A Critical Analysis

Okay, before you gasp, keel over and die with shock as you realize I am ACTUALLY going to talk about Taylor Swift in this post, Stop. Take a deep breath. And read on.
< /obsessive blogger>

So, today, some little girl had come over, and requested that Taylor Swift songs be played. Now, while I don’t listen to her songs at ALL, I must shamefacedly admit to having downloaded them at some point in time. And so, I obliged.

Sitting with her, listening to the songs, I was struck by the selfish strain in the songs.
Take, for example, You belong with me.

The opening paragraph goes

“You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset
She’s going off about something that you said
‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do”

Uhh..oh really?
There’s a lot more about how Taylor “gets” this guy and how the hot, cheerleader girlfriend of his doesn’t in the next few paras. Okay, so maybe on one level she’s boosting the morale of all the socially-rejected-American-high-schooler’s who all like the jock guy, but don’t get him. And that’s great, I suppose. But that’s hardly an excuse to slam the hot girlfriend. I mean, let the poor guy decide! If he’s all that awesome, how come you don’t respect his choice? How can you decide YOU’re so much better? Isn’t that inherently contradictory?

Thence, my problem with this song REALLY comes up here

“If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can’t you see?
You, you belong with me, you belong with me”

You see my problem?
And yet, when I think there’s no hope, I spot the crucial gap in the song’s bridge.

“Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night
I’m the one who makes you laugh when you know you’re ’bout to cry
And I know your favorite songs and you tell me ’bout your dreams
Think I know where you belong, think I know it’s with me”

Lolwhut? He comes to her house and cries?!! OBVIOUSLY they are going to get married sometime in the future and have absurdly pink babies.

So, it just means this song is pointless and redundant. Hence, an exercise in futility.

Oh, but you haven’t seen the video. It is SO cutesy-American, I almost cried with exasperation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuNIsY6JdUw

Don’t you love the way that blond-blue-eyed (do I spot anti-anti-Semitism?) boy gesticulates wildly to express his dissatisfaction?

I know I do :D

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