to think Taylor Swift is our century's answer to William Shakespeare

[beastlyslumber]

She's such an incredible storyteller and lyricist (and her songs are ridiculously catchy. It's all about the hooks.) Listening to her album 'folkore' this afternoon - she wrote two whole albums in lockdown, you know. And they're both great, but 'folklore' is insanely good. As she moves away from autobiographical writing into character stories, her storytelling is getting even more emotionally direct, and even more fun. She's a total genius. Even on the rare occasions when her hooks and melodies don't grip you, her lyrics always get right to the heart of things.

If there's any justice in the world, Ms Swift will still be celebrated in 500 years for her original, moving, funny, perceptive and subversive writing.

YANBU = Obviously! She is the Bard of Pop
YABU = WTF? She's way better than Shakespeare

Not heard Red TV yet but can't wait!

"From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones
I'm a solder who's returning half her weight
And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue?
Just between us, did the love affair maim you, too?
'Cause in this city's barren cold
I still remember the first fall of snow
And how it glistened as it fell
I remember it all too well"

She was 21 when she wrote this, and mentioned on Jimmy Fallon that she made it up on the spot as she rehearsed with her band. Pretty impressive!

The short film is good. Very beautiful visually. Sadie Sink is gorgeous is in.
I wonder if she'll do more films.

[quote Needhelp101][/quote]
@Needhelp101 brilliant!

Love the 10 min version. Listened to it numerous times already

Her new version of all too well is insane

@beastlyslumber I'm loving folklore. That song with Bon Iver!!

What other albums are good?

Agree 100%. Haters just haven’t listened to the lyrics properly and are going off a biased media-fueled perspective based on sexism

Nah.

I reckon JK Rowling is this century’s Shakespeare.
Not because HP is great literature ( though it is good!) but because most people know it. Like shakespeare.

Also tech is having such a horrendous impact on attention span and media is so diverse and accessible I’m not convinced books will outlast this century as anything more than a niche interest.
And I can’t see a book series ever being so influential and successful on such a scale ever again. I can’t see any more midnight book signings with today’s generation of fortnite and minecraft players, can you?

Sad times.

Anyway… *tangent over

Back to Taylor Swift….

I’m an English teacher and I used to teach her songs as poems to help the kids learn metaphor. She has a real way with them -
“I’m a crumpled up piece of paper”
“You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else”
“I’m a soldier that’s returning half her weight”
“I don’t like your tilted stage; the role you made me play”
“You were my town, now I’m in exile seeing you out”

I could go on. There are academic essays about this haha

• And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue?•

I’m too dim to understand what this means. Can someone help?

No.
Just no.

@Nevermindthefurball

* And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue?•

I’m too dim to understand what this means. Can someone help?

Not 100%, but I think it's reference to another one of her songs.

'Twin fire signs,
Four blue eyes' - State of Grace

But dunno. Could mean anything

@RedLipsAndRosyCheeks

The short film is good. Very beautiful visually. Sadie Sink is gorgeous is in. I wonder if she'll do more films.

I love the film! Amazing. I love the 10-min version of All Too Well.

Really hope she does a 20-minute version of Dear John, with a film as well!

[quote buckeejit]@beastlyslumber I'm loving folklore. That song with Bon Iver!!

What other albums are good?[/quote]
1989 is my absolute fave. Red is also brilliant (get Taylor's version, though with all the extra songs on!) I love all her albums, but those and Folklore are my top picks.

@nonettles Yes I get where you're coming from with JKR. Very few writers (writing in English) have ever achieved the level of fame and success - only JKR, Walter Scott, Shakespeare... and Taylor Swift!

Lovin' him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street.

@Alysskea brilliant! I've developed a whole module on "Understanding Literary Techniques with Taylor Swift" now! She's a genius.

Hard to believe she was so young when she wrote these incredible songs.

How ridiculous tbh.

What is it you find ridiculous @fournonblondes? The idea that TS is a great writer? That people are passionate about her writing, love her music and want to talk about it? That young people can find appreciation of literature and language through studying her words?

She’s a phenomenally clever woman. DD is turning into a big fan. I think I offended her with my observation that the guy in the video had a point and if the song is about who it’s rumoured to be about he’s probably just thinking “erm, it was 3 months”. DD’s face was 😱

He had a point? I disagree. He was totally gaslighting her. Obviously making a good job of it since he managed to gaslight you too!

In what way?

Saying it was age? He may have thought that at the time but giving that as a reason for breaking up with someone if you don’t want to hurt their feelings, that’s what happens. I thought it was a useful example of “if someone shows who they are believe them and move on”

@Nevermindthefurball one of the many things I'm super grateful to her for is that she's highlighting that men who exclusively date much younger women and tell them that they're 'mature for their age' are baaaad news. So yes only three months, but three months at an extremely formative stage in her life, with someone who was half her age again.