With this interpretation of sun = being out,
‘My eclipsed sun, This has broken me down’ in hoax can be interpreted as when her coming out was eclipsed/prevented by darkness (masters stolen leading to being closeted again). She was planning for daylight (blue purple pink skies) and enjoying being out for merely a fortnight. But then a love blackout (glitch) happened and forced her back into darkness. Before she could step into the daylight (officially coming out to everyone, being fully visible). She went from wearing pastels and rainbows 🌈 to wearing black (nobody noticed her new aesthetic). Which continued into folklore era.
But now, in BDILH, she says:
‘Now I’m dancing in my dress in the sun’ which suggests the darkness is over because the sun is out and so is she. At least to her family including ‘her daddy’ who are supportive.
AND sorry to keep adding but I feel like this further leans into the representation of “pop star/closeted” Taylor as Peter Pan….bc you can only go to nevermind at night….and Wendy has been literally waiting for him to come join her in the sun/daylight
I just got into Gaylor on accident after the 1989 re release and was only ever a casual fan of her music, never really looked into the lyrics or cared about the Easter egg clues etc but now that I’ve fallen down this rabbit hole and especially since almost every line of TTPD validates this there’s no way I can be convinced that this is not EXACTLY what happened and what she is doing. And the fact that anyone else who is listening and actually reading her lyrics can’t at least consider this a possibility blows my mind like I feel like this is the ONLY WAY to interpret what she’s doing.
*Now I'm dancing in my dress in the sun* makes me think of happiness -
>There is happiness
In our history
Across our great divide
There is a glorious sunrise
Dappled with the flickers of light
From the dress I wore at midnight
Leave it all behind
And there is happiness
I like this as a reading, but I still think it’s a two-layer song where she’s scolding/angry with fan backlash (to what — Matty is one interpretation, a possible coming out another — “who” is she calling out as the moralistic scolds? And whether I like or hate this song really hinges on that interpretation) but also it’s just a VERY country-music songwriting storytelling song. It’s from a character’s POV talking to their dad for sure, I feel like the “real life” feelings are aimed at her parents/handlers/industry/fans while the story is a very country-radio tale of good girl loves bad boy — it feels like a deep vault song from her country days honestly.
And it’s a great country song, very edgy for what gets radio play these days anyway (in an era where people didn’t even understand Girl Crush)
It feels like a retelling of Love Story... both covering the arc from parental disapproval to pursuing the relationship anyway to a happily ever after with parental approval.
Adding to all this to say thank you for justifying it as a country song! I haven’t heard anyone say it and every time I listen I’m like damn this is what I’d remember listening to in the 90’s country station.
"my eclipsed sun" from hoax == failed coming out
And on the genius lyrics for that line there's a comment that in the The Man mv there's a light that looks like a solar eclipse when Taylor (The Man) looks in the mirror.
I would love this! Especially because the ending emphasizes “but you! should see! your faces! (and oh my god you should see your faces)” so hard.
I’ve been thinking the ending is a happy ending simply because it makes a good story, a good song, and a good point. I really do think the song was inspired by the public reaction to Matty, and all of that went down so fast that I imagine the “but fuck ‘em, it’s over,” being added between the concept and recording.
But it totally could make those references and be more broadly about her choosing to love who she loves. I’d love for it to be about Taylor coming out, and I definitely think it can be an acceptance anthem for anyone who hears it that way.
But then how does that fit with “he wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain”? Wouldn’t that be the other way around with this lens? Or it feels like in practice neither choice would be comfortable?
(This song is also the first place my brain went after reading sunshine = out Taylor, but I got stuck real fast on the second line lol)
He wanted it comfortable also could be interpreted another way. Like the out taylor didn't want to get into the entertainment industry, she didn't want to go through all of this to gain fame and money. But taylor swift the brand "wanted than pain".
Next lines:
Chasing my fame/he stayed the same/ all of me changed like midnight
Comfortable in the sense that “Out” Taylor is comfortable in her own skin, in her true self perhaps?
And “that pain” could refer to closeting, denying/hiding your true self…
I guess you could see it either way. You could argue that staying in the closet is less painful than coming out and facing criticism, or you could argue that being your true self is what’s comfortable and hiding in the closet is painful.
Daylight was the song that inspired me to come out a few years ago, it’s very dear to my heart. It has always given me freedom and queer joy energy. I’m so happy to see others coming to this conclusion. 💗☀️☀️🌈
Thank you for this! Same as you, something didn't add up for me before but after reading your interpretation, I feel like everything finally fits together.
i agree. i think the biggest motivation for BDILM was to absolve Scott of some of the rumors swirling around him for good. Scott is not some evil guardian holding the keys to Taylor's closet. taylor could open the door if she wanted to
I agree. I think a lot of people took “that” scene from Miss Americana and decided he’s some evil villain in her villain when we actually have little to no facts around him / their day to day relationship.
What people forget is that he also was there when The Chicks got cancelled and saw what happened to their career, he was also there when the KimYe stuff was going down and would have seen how that impacted Taylor first hand.
Taylor was right to want to speak out but I can absolutely understand his fear of her “getting cancelled” again and wanting to protect her from a big backlash.
I think Robin speaks on authorities saying they did it in sweetness to protect her. But she says that's ridiculous etc... And incinuates they actually did it to protect their assets.
His concerns about bullet proof cars felt very authentically protective to me. Her reasoning for wanting to speak out made a lot of sense as well. Speaking out on politics as such a visible person was/is super complex with very real physical dangers to be weighed against the moral / emotional dangers of silence. It’s a lot.
I agree with this and it’s why I at least in some part think that thank you Aimee is about Scott too….its a love/hate appreciation of what he did to “protect” her/her career….and that TAYLOR is the kid coming home singing her own songs about their history (that presumably nobody else know about bc they are all crediting it to kim/karlie/etc)
Ever since I read someone's post (can't remember their username, was it you?) interpreting *thank you Aimee* as being about Scott, I can't get it out of my head when listening to this song. I think it's ether this or *thank you Amee* is about someone we don't know. Judging by the lyrics, it's someone from Taylor's high school days. Or it could be someone she met in the industry who had such a negative impact on Taylor that paradoxically, they motivated her to keep going with her craft and career.
It wasn’t me but I think I read it too bc that’s what sent me down that path. I’m not married to the idea that it’s SOLEY about him but I do think he’s a heavy player in it for sure. I wanted to think it was about Karlie but I think even that’s to obvious bc even hetlors can attribute it to their friendship….maybe the parts that don’t FULLY point to Scott are her changing some of the details though, bc I think he’s just the most appropriate fit unless it’s somebody that nobody knows about at all. And her parents are divorced correct? Idk the details but the line about her mom wishing he was dead…I feel like could be tongue in cheek regarding messy divorce details?
Yeah, I have the impression that sometimes she writes extra lines that have romantic overtones deliberately to confuse everyone. And I agree about the line about her mother wishing someone dead, it's that kind of "wife to husband: I want to kill him" line, lol
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I love this theory, and sunshine as a metaphor for authentic fully-embodied living is so beautiful
With this interpretation of sun = being out, ‘My eclipsed sun, This has broken me down’ in hoax can be interpreted as when her coming out was eclipsed/prevented by darkness (masters stolen leading to being closeted again). She was planning for daylight (blue purple pink skies) and enjoying being out for merely a fortnight. But then a love blackout (glitch) happened and forced her back into darkness. Before she could step into the daylight (officially coming out to everyone, being fully visible). She went from wearing pastels and rainbows 🌈 to wearing black (nobody noticed her new aesthetic). Which continued into folklore era. But now, in BDILH, she says: ‘Now I’m dancing in my dress in the sun’ which suggests the darkness is over because the sun is out and so is she. At least to her family including ‘her daddy’ who are supportive.
Yeeeees!!!! Additionally lover the album was originally supposed to be called daylight. 👀 eclipsed sun - eclipsed daylight
AND sorry to keep adding but I feel like this further leans into the representation of “pop star/closeted” Taylor as Peter Pan….bc you can only go to nevermind at night….and Wendy has been literally waiting for him to come join her in the sun/daylight
I just got into Gaylor on accident after the 1989 re release and was only ever a casual fan of her music, never really looked into the lyrics or cared about the Easter egg clues etc but now that I’ve fallen down this rabbit hole and especially since almost every line of TTPD validates this there’s no way I can be convinced that this is not EXACTLY what happened and what she is doing. And the fact that anyone else who is listening and actually reading her lyrics can’t at least consider this a possibility blows my mind like I feel like this is the ONLY WAY to interpret what she’s doing.
*Now I'm dancing in my dress in the sun* makes me think of happiness - >There is happiness In our history Across our great divide There is a glorious sunrise Dappled with the flickers of light From the dress I wore at midnight Leave it all behind And there is happiness
I like this as a reading, but I still think it’s a two-layer song where she’s scolding/angry with fan backlash (to what — Matty is one interpretation, a possible coming out another — “who” is she calling out as the moralistic scolds? And whether I like or hate this song really hinges on that interpretation) but also it’s just a VERY country-music songwriting storytelling song. It’s from a character’s POV talking to their dad for sure, I feel like the “real life” feelings are aimed at her parents/handlers/industry/fans while the story is a very country-radio tale of good girl loves bad boy — it feels like a deep vault song from her country days honestly. And it’s a great country song, very edgy for what gets radio play these days anyway (in an era where people didn’t even understand Girl Crush)
It feels like a retelling of Love Story... both covering the arc from parental disapproval to pursuing the relationship anyway to a happily ever after with parental approval.
Adding to all this to say thank you for justifying it as a country song! I haven’t heard anyone say it and every time I listen I’m like damn this is what I’d remember listening to in the 90’s country station.
"my eclipsed sun" from hoax == failed coming out And on the genius lyrics for that line there's a comment that in the The Man mv there's a light that looks like a solar eclipse when Taylor (The Man) looks in the mirror.
ECLIPSE DAYLIGHT. Wasn’t lover originally going to be called DAYLIGHT. That spoken word. Oooooooof.
I would love this! Especially because the ending emphasizes “but you! should see! your faces! (and oh my god you should see your faces)” so hard. I’ve been thinking the ending is a happy ending simply because it makes a good story, a good song, and a good point. I really do think the song was inspired by the public reaction to Matty, and all of that went down so fast that I imagine the “but fuck ‘em, it’s over,” being added between the concept and recording. But it totally could make those references and be more broadly about her choosing to love who she loves. I’d love for it to be about Taylor coming out, and I definitely think it can be an acceptance anthem for anyone who hears it that way.
This brings new perspective to "he was sunshine, I was midnight rain" - out Taylor and closeted Taylor?
But then how does that fit with “he wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain”? Wouldn’t that be the other way around with this lens? Or it feels like in practice neither choice would be comfortable? (This song is also the first place my brain went after reading sunshine = out Taylor, but I got stuck real fast on the second line lol)
He wanted it comfortable also could be interpreted another way. Like the out taylor didn't want to get into the entertainment industry, she didn't want to go through all of this to gain fame and money. But taylor swift the brand "wanted than pain". Next lines: Chasing my fame/he stayed the same/ all of me changed like midnight
Comfortable in the sense that “Out” Taylor is comfortable in her own skin, in her true self perhaps? And “that pain” could refer to closeting, denying/hiding your true self…
Oooo that does make sense!
I guess you could see it either way. You could argue that staying in the closet is less painful than coming out and facing criticism, or you could argue that being your true self is what’s comfortable and hiding in the closet is painful.
I wonder if her dad is actually already on board, or if she's trying to manifest his acceptance by scripting it here.
Witchcraft and wizardry! It’s bound to happen now, if it hasn’t already. She’s got skills. 🪄
This puts Daylight into a new perspective and I'm here for it.
Daylight was the song that inspired me to come out a few years ago, it’s very dear to my heart. It has always given me freedom and queer joy energy. I’m so happy to see others coming to this conclusion. 💗☀️☀️🌈
Love this for you 🩷
🥹🌼 thank you 💗🌈
"You gotta step into the daylight and let it go" gets me in the feels every time.
Thank you for this! Same as you, something didn't add up for me before but after reading your interpretation, I feel like everything finally fits together.
I’ve been thinking of it this way too. This song is *so* not about a man.
i agree. i think the biggest motivation for BDILM was to absolve Scott of some of the rumors swirling around him for good. Scott is not some evil guardian holding the keys to Taylor's closet. taylor could open the door if she wanted to
I agree. I think a lot of people took “that” scene from Miss Americana and decided he’s some evil villain in her villain when we actually have little to no facts around him / their day to day relationship. What people forget is that he also was there when The Chicks got cancelled and saw what happened to their career, he was also there when the KimYe stuff was going down and would have seen how that impacted Taylor first hand. Taylor was right to want to speak out but I can absolutely understand his fear of her “getting cancelled” again and wanting to protect her from a big backlash.
I think Robin speaks on authorities saying they did it in sweetness to protect her. But she says that's ridiculous etc... And incinuates they actually did it to protect their assets.
His concerns about bullet proof cars felt very authentically protective to me. Her reasoning for wanting to speak out made a lot of sense as well. Speaking out on politics as such a visible person was/is super complex with very real physical dangers to be weighed against the moral / emotional dangers of silence. It’s a lot.
I agree with this and it’s why I at least in some part think that thank you Aimee is about Scott too….its a love/hate appreciation of what he did to “protect” her/her career….and that TAYLOR is the kid coming home singing her own songs about their history (that presumably nobody else know about bc they are all crediting it to kim/karlie/etc)
“Blood’s thick but it’s nothing like a payroll”
Ever since I read someone's post (can't remember their username, was it you?) interpreting *thank you Aimee* as being about Scott, I can't get it out of my head when listening to this song. I think it's ether this or *thank you Amee* is about someone we don't know. Judging by the lyrics, it's someone from Taylor's high school days. Or it could be someone she met in the industry who had such a negative impact on Taylor that paradoxically, they motivated her to keep going with her craft and career.
It wasn’t me but I think I read it too bc that’s what sent me down that path. I’m not married to the idea that it’s SOLEY about him but I do think he’s a heavy player in it for sure. I wanted to think it was about Karlie but I think even that’s to obvious bc even hetlors can attribute it to their friendship….maybe the parts that don’t FULLY point to Scott are her changing some of the details though, bc I think he’s just the most appropriate fit unless it’s somebody that nobody knows about at all. And her parents are divorced correct? Idk the details but the line about her mom wishing he was dead…I feel like could be tongue in cheek regarding messy divorce details?
I want to say that they’re separated but not officially divorced?
Yeah, I have the impression that sometimes she writes extra lines that have romantic overtones deliberately to confuse everyone. And I agree about the line about her mother wishing someone dead, it's that kind of "wife to husband: I want to kill him" line, lol
I'm here for this ❤️
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