My Tears Ricochet is about her stolen lullabies “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace”- Red (State of Grace) “You’re the hero flying around saving face”- Speak Now (Superman) “And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake?”- rep (old Taylor is dead) “Cursing my name”- Fearless (The Way I Loved You) “wishing I stayed”- 1989 (All You Had to Do Was Stay) “Look at how my tears ricochet”- Debut (Teardrops on my Guitar)
OKAY time for my seven theory I definitely agree with the childhood aspect of it obviously but I think there's another layer that I haven't really seen anyone else talking about. I see seven as Taylor kind of looking at her past self/eras/albums with nostalgia, and rather than talking to a childhood friend, she's talking to her past self and kind of reflecting on her career. "I hit my peak at seven" - ties in with a quote from Miss Americana where she was talking about how she feels like she only has a certain amount of time left until people stop tolerating her success. Because Lover was album number seven and she feels like she peaked there. "Are there still beautiful things?" - kind of jaded, remembering how magical everything felt at the beginning of her career "And though I can't recall your face, I still got love for you" - both speaking to her past self as well as the fans "Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long" - self explanatory "And I've been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted. Your dad is always mad and that must be why. And I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, then you won't have to cry " - Big Machine!!! I think she's like... warning her 14 year old self about what's to come and almost asking her to change course "Before I learned civility I used to scream ferociously" - talking about how open she used to be about her personal life in music/interviews etc. Back when she had the luxury of not having every single eye on her at all times, when she'd leave the secret messages in album booklets and was more free about what she'd say in summary: I am sad
OMG YESSS!! I love this theory and everyone one of your points makes so much sense! Genius! This is why I love this channel so much 😭 Seven is such a special song 💛
Thank you, I also thought like that , but couldn't put that it into words so perfectly like you did. This album is full of simbolisms and metaphors, so a song like seven is the perfect fit for this concept, using child memories as a representation of her career. She's a genious.
When I first listened to folklore, seven broke me into a million pieces. The second verse genuinely frightened me because that was my actual childhood. My dad has always had a temper, I was a pirate for Halloween three years in a row and would play pirate like games with my friend next door who closely resembled Taylor. I had to stop listening to the album for a bit and get my shit together because that song hit me where it truly hurts. Us Swifties always talk about how we relate to her music and see ourselves in her but seven brought that to a completely new level for me. Did I mention the flawless production that sounds like heaven on Earth? 😂💗 But seriously, you two are the most superior Swifties of all time and this multi-part breakdown of folklore is FUCKING! EVERYTHING! 🥰
I can totally relate to this! I don’t listen to Seven very often because I get sooo emotional. To me the song is innocent and playful but also very dark and evokes the image of a difficult childhood. I wrote a separate (and lengthy lol) comment about my interpretation of the song under that light if you’re interested ☺️
This is soooo special! I totally relate, seven has a very different way and hitting your emotions, and so so cleverly written, ah we are just so blessed to have these songs 😭- B xx
“We gather stones never knowing what they mean; some to throw, some to wear a diamond ring” - She gave him diamond records and he used those records as stones to throw at her
my tears ricochet 0:21 mirrorball 15:08 seven 25:55 august 31:26 the way that you explain about the bridge in August was what i thinking about it too! i felt her anger and sad in the same time omg love you guys!
Oo also in mirrorball the line ‘and when I break it’s in a million pieces’ that could also represent that when she does break and is vulnerable and then shares that in a song, it goes out to all of her millions of fans, she literally breaks and then gives a bit of herself to millions of different people, in a million pieces. But alsooo similarly it could be referring to the fact that when she goes through something publicly it feels like it’s scattered in a million pieces in the media/on the internet. Everybody knows about it, with news articles, tweets etc everybody is talking about her. I can imagine it feels like it’s very scattered and that there’s a million different stories and opinions are being written about her ‘break’, and so she’s broken ‘into a million pieces’ 👀
💧if 'my tears ricochet' is truly about her masters: 📌The first chorus is typically talking about a song that represents each of Taylor's album. (self to go with grace - State Of Grace) (hero flying around saving face - Superman) (dead to you - LWYMMD) (cursing my name - Fearless) (wishin I stayed - I Wish You Would) (my tears ricochet - Teardrops on My Guitar)
The "stole my lullaby" also led me straight to the Calvin stole one song-situation, but also came to the realisation that Scott stole ALL of them. Crazy
I still talk to you when I'm screaming at the sky ... could also mean her iconic move every time she performs those high notes on stage. Like the head back, mic up, scream it uot thing. And in these moments when her vocal talent and her passion shows off most, that's when Scott notices what mistake he made with losing her.
my tears ricochet and hoax are two sides of the same coin and that becomes apparent when you listen to them one after the other. In hoax she says “I am ash to your fire” while in my tears ricochet she says “If I’m on fire you’ll be made of ashes too.” I thought that inverse was interesting and it kind of shows a change in power while still hinting at their intertwined nature. In my tears, she is more angry, scorned, “You would be nothing without me, you are putting this show on for everyone and I am pissed off.” hoax really gets at the sadness of the betrayal, like I believed you, I had faith in you and you let me down. It mourns the loss, rather than her dying it’s her being alive to live with the pain. Also shows how she feels like collateral damage to his greed; he threw away their relationship and trust to serve his own ends.
I feel like everyone should just go and put their headphones on and listen to the album again to like vocally appreciate Taylor for singing flawlessly like how she says "hush", "kill me but it killed you" (omg so many more)and making us actually feel devastated on the sad parts and so happy on the bright ones.
Nobody talks about how right after this line 30:43, in seven, Taylor literally sings "aaaaaaahhh aaaaaah ah ah" like... she is literally screaming ferociously in the song. I find it perfect how it all fits 🤩 Great analysis, I always watch your videos, I feel like I'm your friend and I'm reacting with you lol
The end of August, for me, looks like when a car pass through you playing really loud music and then the car starts to get farther and farther and the music starts fading but not because it ends but because it passed you
I’ve never wanted to live in Australia more. None of my friends are this into Taylor and it kills me to not have someone to do this with. Thanks for being here for the individual fans❤️
Same! I haven’t been fortunate enough to see Tay in concert- but maybe one day- a gathering of Swifties and that 100% freedom and love. It’s like I can’t find anyone in my town who loves her like I do. :-( but these videos get me THROUGH!!!
I feel like every girl can relate to August in some way!! that’s why it just hits so hard. Everyone has had at least one relationship where they felt like they “loved” the person more than they cared about them... putting them first, prioritising them, giving them all their time and energy and in the end all you were to them was just a “blip” on their radar. They’re moving on and living their life while you’re stuck replaying the happiest and saddest moments of the relationship in your mind 😣 ughhh it just hits tooooo hard man! The way the lyrics and melody works makes it SO self reflective! Taylor is queeeennn 💗💗 great vid as usual em and Bonny!! 🌾✨
I think that "I remember thinking I had you" is one of the saddest lyrics. It reminds me of the line in Haunted where she says "I thought I had you figured out". Like "I thought I had you, I thought this was it, I thought you would choose me", but he didn't.
It's also sad because she was thinking she had him and that it was going to turn into something real. At the same time, James wasn't even thinking about her because in Betty he says "slept next to her, but dreamt of you all summer".
The part about the stones in my tears ricochet links to “you wear the same jewels that i gave you as you bury me”. If we see the stones as songs, some are going to be thrown out, they wont even make it into an album, “you gather never knowing what they will mean”, she writes her musics not knowing if they’ll ever become a thing. And some stones will make a diamond ring, as the jewels he is wearing while baring her, he is wearing her own music!! Ahhhhrg
A few people shared this channel with me and I love every second of this. The Mirrorball interpretation was so spot on. (I love the “hush” part too.) I’m learning a lot from y’all!! Great video
i have a feeling that in seven, when taylor talks about screaming before learning how civility was, and then carries on to “ah..ahhha.ah..ah.ah” it shows how she can only use her voice aka being able to shout as loud as she wants to when she is singing. Eventhough she is “shouting” this melody, it is only acceptable because she sings it beautifully and wouldn’t be ‘acceptable’ otherwise. this always makes me really heartbroken when listening because it brings back the fact that she will never be able to be that free again🤍
Love this reaction! I just wanted to say that I think that the lyrics in mirrorball about ‘calling off the circus and rodeo clowns’ could also refer to her having to cancel Lover Fest and pack up everything because of the global pandemic and when she says ‘I’m still on that trapeze I’m still trying everything to keep you looking at me’ refers to her going through extreme lengths to entertain her fans by putting on these amazing performances but now that she is unable to she decided to release this album for her fans since she couldn’t do Lover Fest. Despite everything going on the world this is her trying (pun intended hehe) and still going on with the show despite it all.
Oh LOVEEEEE this!!! I haven’t thought about mirrorball in the context of lover fest before. definitely makes a lot of sense!!! Thank you for sharing 😍 - Em
I have a theory for Seven where the person she is singing about was actually gay... like when she says “sweet tea in the summer, cross my heart I’ll tell no other”, it’s like when this person came out to her and how they were scared of telling anyone else... and the part where she says “you hide in the closet”... idk is it just me.? What do you think? And how she has opened up about supporting LQBTQ rights.... idk this feels like an ode to her lgbtq audience
@@danielphung6146 I thought about that too! Like the person doesn't feel safe to come out to their parents because their dad was "always mad" and "the house is haunted"
You two are the swiftie friends we all need🥺 your insight on the songs are SO good and your feelings about Taylor are exactly how I feel about her, thank you for these!!!
I’m surprised you didn’t comment on the lyric in seven “you won’t have to cry, or hide in the closet” , which takes a very dark tone both in her voice and chord progression. As a kid you probably hide in the closet to play hide and seek, however I feel like the tone of that lyric implies something a bit more serious, like maybe emotional abuse Taylor’s friend experienced from their father (who was always mad) for being gay- hence hiding in the closet takes on a double meaning. I feel like this song is Taylor reliving something that happened, an experience she didn’t understand as a kid, choosing to tell the story through a child’s eyes, yet as an adult realizing that there were some pretty dark events which she simply did not recognize at a young age. Also! I can’t help but notice that she sings “I hit my peak at seven....... feeet”. There’s a slight pause after she says seven and that may be a small indication to her thinking that she reached the peak of her career with “Lover” (seventh album) and her fear of never being able to top her previous work, which is very well reflected in mirrorball as well. Just some of my thoughts, let me know what you think!
omg we have thought about this a lot!!! sometimes there is just too much to say...😂 I feel like the change in her tone is definitely indicating something darker and I have thought about if the closet is a double meaning with being gay. I feel it might be and I love that the depth of meaning is added by changing the tone and pace. and yesss the lover theory is spot on... little does she know she is forever peeking 🙏🤯- B
@@chatsandreacts if the closet is a double meaning with being gay. This could also tie into Todrick Halls (Taylor’s good friend) post about Scooter from 2019, where he writes “I believe he is homophobic”, while in the same tweet explaining why he left Scooter. Which would again show Taylor is not only standing up for herself and her rights as an artist, but everyone. Protecting the people she love and who loves her.
In regards to the other woman not being named in August, I think it’s because she was always kept a secret, their relationship was never “real” so it’s as if her identity within it doesn’t exist. How can you name a person in a relationship if the relationship never really was? He hid her, he obscured her identity. It’s a bit heartbreaking because her experience was just as impactful as Betty and James’ but society often discards or dismisses the other woman.
Someone may have already gone here but "i've never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try" also speaks to me with regard to her actual performance - she is a very talented songwriter, but she had a pretty, young voice. And then she trained it, and trained it, and worked on her endurance - the re-record of fearless shows how EFFORTLESSLY she hits notes that used to be a stretch. It's beautiful. Talent is great (and she has it, no doubt) but hard work is badass.
Just a question: have you two ever considered starting a podcast? I absolutely adore these kinds of videos and I feel like they are the perfect thing to put on when I'm working or even just relaxing! Just a thought. I love this video btw!
Where are the August stans at? Honestly one of her BEST songs she’s ever written. August gives me a whimsical and charming summer time vibe with elements of Enchanted, Cardigan, and All Too Well, which the Swiftie fandom can agree are 3 of her best songs she’s ever written. The detail and emotion shown in August is overwhelming, and your girls’ interpretation and breakdown of the song is brilliant. Also, shoutout to My Tears Ricochet, Mirrorball, and Seven for being superior as well! :)
Yes!! Been waiting for this! Your part 1 gave me so many different insights from what majority of us knew of the songs. I love that you didn’t cut down everything into 1 video.
For me Hoax is like a big "What if" heartbreak/breakup song about her and Joe. I mean you could definetly also interpret it otherwise (... Scott) but there is just SO MUCH Joe reference in that song. And I think that fits perfectly with this whole mix of reality and fantasy in this album. She just imagined the worst thing Joe could possibly do to her (which doesn't mean that he did it) and just thought: What would this song be like? And wrote it. And came to the conclusion that she still wouldn't want to leave him 'cause she just doesn't want no other shade of blue. And theeen there comes the lakes after that to kind of confirm that this story in hoax was in fact ... all HOAX. I lovelovelove this heartbreakingly beautiful song and that she lets her imagination run so free.
Caroline Streithorst Omg I love this! I always thought the song had too much to do with Joe but couldn’t be from life experience. And that would explain the title very well indeed!
Sensitive topic, but I can't shake the feeling of Hoax being about a miscarriage. Every line fits, I feel... -- like it's sung in anger, almost, to God/a "higher power," so that the pain of the loss can be blamed on someone/something :(
@@carolinestreithorst4729 I think you're right and that the song hoax is a hoax in itself. It's just when she said 'what you did was just as dark' and it's clearly about Joe with all the blue and gold references. What did he do that was just as dark'?!
I love how Jack Antonoff creates a shimmering sparkling feel to Mirrorball and a hazy warm summer vibe for August. The production on both is so evocative. You said you don't think August is self reflective but I do wonder if the summer (cruel summer) when she and Joe got together gave her a glimpse into what having an affair might feel like as she met up with Joe in secret (probably whilst still officially with Tom). Some people think the 3 way love triangle is actually about her, Tom and Joe ... I'm not sure that maps onto the songs entirely correctly but I'm sure she got the idea for the triangle from her experience that summer. Omg, the sadness that emanates from My Tears, is heart breaking. It's such a haunting, beautiful song. Thanks both for all your insights, I can't wait for part 3!!! Dying to hear your breakdown of Mad Woman 😃 xx
Yessss! I’ve been checking the channel for part 2 religiously. Kind of addicted to all this TS content and now I’m getting into Bonny’s vlogs lol. Such wholesome content 💛
Taylor needs to know about you two! You are literally the emotion that we all feel for her! You are pure sunshine, you give us all you need! Thank you for your amazing, beautiful and emotional reactions to her music! We are so lucky to have you here, clicks away! Thank you girls!!! You are beautiful! ❤️
ugghhh the cleverness of the lyrics "Some to throw, Some to make a diamond ring" and then tying it together with "You wear the same jewels That I gave you, As you bury me". She's saying that she didn't know exactly what it would mean, and it could go two ways where he would hurt her or continue to work and profit from her but it turns out that he did both. You threw the stones at me whilst simultaneously profiting from me!!! A DAMN LYRICAL GENIUS! It's basically a more intricate way of using the phrase 'don't bite the hand that feeds you' and wow I am constantly amazed at her ability to write like this.
i haven't seen this interpretation of the 2nd line anywhere so i just wanted to say, "weeping in a sunlit room" can also mean that she cannot embrace her sadness in private she is always in a spotlight, in sunlit room even when she is weeping.
Also.... another comment! I have a little theory that there’s yet another layer of depth to the whole Betty/James/august storyline where Taylor is projecting some of her past relationship experiences back when she first got together with Joe onto a summer high school trio. Here me out here... I can’t help but notice some similarities between this folklore trio and Taylor’s own love triangle between Calvin, Tom and Joe- I hear lots of similarities with some of the lyrics on reputation like Getaway Car and delicate. Taylor dumps calvin because she’s sick of him, meets tom & joe at the met gala (=high school dance) and flirts with both of them but ultimately runs away with tom despite knowing that Joe is the one. She spends a summer with Tom (=august) having fun and whatever but knows that there isn’t going to be anything out of this relationship, then goes back to Joe a few months later because she knew he had something special. In this case, Taylor is James, Tom is august/Inez and Joe is Betty. This would also explain why betty’s perspective track is cardigan, and not “sweater” because cardigan is a very British word (not many Americans use it, instead they’d say something like sweatshirt of sweater). I hope this made sense!!
OMG WE HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE REACHING but so glad someone else thinks it hahaha 🥰👏🏼omg you put it all into words so perfectly... I think there are many layers to this whole album - B x
Chats and Reacts yay!!! i’m glad i manage to put my thoughts into words :)) thank you so much for replying it made me so happy to share taylor swift theories with you haha
Cardigan video there is a paper plane at 2:18..Cardigan is about Harry..clever too bc she said style was about that one staple piece of clothing you never throw away from your closet...cardigan
@@TheLCJ82 i don’t understand why cardigan would be about harry though. in the context of her life right now it doesn’t really make sense. why would she still be dwelling over harry after so much time? i see the similarities between her music video and his, and all the symbols yet it still doesn’t make sense to me
I cry every time I hear the song seven. It tells the story of childhood innocence so perfectly and how looking back on your childhood and your friends can feel like a distant story like folklore. It's so beautiful and it gives me dido vibes and I love that 😅 I love that verse about screaming ferociously, before you learned to be quiet and not speak up and not "upset anyone". It's a powerful song and beautiful to listen to.
love the part where you two talked about taylor's retirement tour 😂 edit: i love your explanation about august. i actually have a lot of sympathy for the 'other girl' and when she said "wanting was enough, for me it was enough" 😭 august is my no 1 taylor swift song too!
OMG..So weird..I was waiting for you guys to upload Part 2 while watching the 1st Folklore album reaction.. Seriously I'm not kidding.. I'm watching that and now this 😭..Keep up 🙏
Y’all gave me so much context for Exile and my tears ricochet- I knew my tears was about her masters but I never made the connection with Exile. Truly a mastermind. And cardigan being about the fans too? Never picked up on that and I’ve been around for all the eras 🥴😭
Yessssss August is number 1 for me too. The song literally fills my heart to the point where I really do feel like I’m “soaring”. Even though the song is so reflective and you get this kind of sad feeling of reminiscing it does make me feel so good. Beyond beautiful how Taylor can transport you into another headspace and into an entirely unique feeling in a single song - not something she hasn’t already been doing her entire career but within Folklore she does it so exquisitely and so poetically in EVERY SINGLE SONG. Excited to continue... ✨✨
About Seven: As much as Scott is the main character in the story of her losing her albums, I like to think the albums themselves are a character she speaks of as well. Scott betrayed her but her albums are everything to her. They represent her identity, her younger self, her experiences. Maybe she looks back at them like a dear childhood friend. She may never own them, but that love for her albums (the fans love for those albums) will always be there no matter what and passed down like folk songs, quite literally.
I am loving for your commentary on the song! I love the way you dissect the songs and accept and add to each other’s insights, that’s makes these reactions even more amazing!
Coming back to all reaction/breakdown videos after watching Speak now TV reaction.. Still cannot move on to the fact that Mirrorball reaction has the "omygod 3x" and caused Bonnie to panic that someones in the house.. GOLD!!
OMG OMG OMG I love the reaction to all the songs, but thank you for August!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You two really brought it to life and I will forever be appreciative !
Seven is a superior song. Just because it may not have anything to do with Taylors career or love life.. or about a romantic relationship... the fact that its about CHILDHOOD BESTIE LOVE is the most superior thing i have heard in my entire life. I relate. And if anyone relates its the biggest masterpiece on the album. If they dont, they may skip this song. Amd lucky you to those who do not relate. But also i feel blessed that i can relate. I had some childhood traumas at home.. so did my bestie i met at age 5. And were superclose. The fact we had eachother and that innocent close connection, is what helped us from developmental trauma/sadness/darkness a beautiful innocent child can go through but never should. And that love does last so long. 30 years later we remain in contact.
I’ve been binging all your videos and it’s so amazing, I understand Taylor swift and her music so much more now. You two are incredible at breaking things down!!! ❤
One of my absolute favorite memories of listening to this album was when I went for a walk in the woods and when August came up I just started to run? and it was truly like I was soaring? I ran and ran and jumped over rocks and roots and mud puddles and felt so free ;__; but it also reminds me of my own crushes that slipped away into a moment in time... ah this fking song....
With my tears ricochet it you thought about Calvin because it is to the core a love song! And even though it’s about her record and Album and that relationship it is still purely a breakup/love song which even more shows how incredible of a song writer she is lyrically and sonically and musically and visually it’s perfection you guys are hitting it right on the head !! Love it!
I am obsessed with the little riff on the word "I" Taylor does in "Seven" (2:12 in the actual song) right before you guys moved on. I love it so much, I love to sing it.
Is it an Australian thing to call everything offensive? Also much love for you girls you should have your own break down show of just Swift breakdowns. Because I am getting so many perspectives listening to you. I gain so much information! I also think Folklore is my favorite album and My Tears Ricochet is myyy favorite song ever by her, so the amount of time breaking it down is amazing!
I’m obsessed with your Taylor videos, you’ve taught me so much about her and her music, thank you! I’ve been a fan of hers forever but did fall off the wagon for a while post-1989 and didn’t even listen to Rep when it came out (BIGGEST mistake, for some reason LWYMMD really turned me off of it) but thanks to you I gave it a chance and WOW, what an album!! Folklore is my favorite though, along with Lover and Red, so I love hearing your in depth analysis. Will you be doing the lakes as well in part 3? Thanks for everything you do girls, this is lovely!
"I hit my peak at 7" could be about the album "Lover" because obviously she put everything on that, as this is the first one she owns. Anyone agree with me?
You guys are blowing my mind! I've been listening to Folklore from the second it came out! It has become my favorite TS album. BUT I never realized half the things you guys are saying!!! Wow this album was speaking to my subconscious. Taylor Swift is even more incredible than I knew before this year!!!
Yes, yes, and yes. Couldn't agree more with the analysis here and so, so happy we are going in-depth with the two of you. Thank you for being such keen analytic stewards of this ship "Folklore" and for laying it all out- I am grateful for your analysis and the fact that you are thinking so thoughtfully about each lyric.
I’ve been waiting for this video all week 😭 I loved it! ... Iike the analysis of August and My tears ricochet ?? SUPERIOR 👏🏻 I can’t wait for part 3 ♥️
it’s so interesting hearing your interpretation of mirrorball because i’ve always thought about it as such a sad heartbreaking song. feeling like she’s putting on these personalities so that everyone will like her, and then not fully knowing herself. and “i’m still on that trapeze, i’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me,” it feels like she’s desperate for someone to notice her even if they’re making fun of her.
also august DESTROYS me for personal reasons lollll but i think the juxtaposition of such heartbreaking lyrics with a more lighthearted melody/production is so stunning and therapeutic
You two are absolute angels!! Your videos are perfection, and given me so many laughs and smiles, especially with covid ruining everything... Keep going and don’t let anything change you! Thank you so much!
The first couple of times I listen to seven it made me cry quite alot. It brought up such strong memories about a girl I went to school with and the emotions that came with it are so strong
oh my god! you guys are literally the best. I am swiftie too but you guys are literally her number 1 followers! I loved the way you dissected her every lyric and brought out the real meanings. Love it!!
in my tears ricochet, I interpret the "we gather stones..." lyric to mean that you get to know each other and collect knowledge of people but you never know what you might use it for. You could use it to hurt the other person as deeply as possible like in happiness " when did all our lessons start to look like weapons pointing at my deepest hurt" or to make a diamond ring like how you use the knowledge you have about your friends or partner to buy them a gift.
These videos are literally so good, like thank you for explaining a ton of this stuff it just ties a neat bow on the album and it makes it make so much more sense! Respectfully you guys are the best!!
I will forever remember where I was when the "get in the car" moment clicked with me, and i realised August and Betty were connected. I nearly literally actually died. haha.
I read somewhere that "i peaked at seven" means she reached her peak at seven albums. Like her 7th album is her best and she doesnt know if it will get better :)
I thought the same thing! Like there’s two meanings, seven yrs old AND seven albums. She felt such pressure after her 7th and I think that fear comes across a bit.
