As you can tell, my musical tastes are those of an old guy.
I had heard of Taylor Swift because one of my two young friends is a big Swifty, and she is mentioned on Pod Save America. But I honestly couldn't name any of her songs until last year. (Nothing against her - it might be that The Tipping Point is the only album from the past 10+ years I've heard.**)
In May 2022, when I was spending the early morning hours writing Losing, I woke up in Erfurt Germany to the leaked news that Roe vs. Wade was being struck down. Even though that was inevitable after the Green Party gave Tangerine Palpatine the Electoral College, I was just so angry. I went searching for a song that said something along the lines of "Fuck the Patriarchy." That led me to “All Too Well” (10-minute version) (Taylor’s version), which headed up that chapter.*
My young Swifty friend has been slowly feeding me old-guy-friendly Taylor. This set, part of NPR's Tiny Desk concerts, is really excellent. I particularly love The Man; e.g.:
I would be complex
I would be cool
They'd say I played the field before I found someone to commit to
And that would be ok
For me to do
Every conquest I had made would make me more of a boss to you
I'd be a fearless leader
I'd be an alpha type
When everyone believes ya
What's that like?
...
They'd say I hustled
Put in the work
They wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve
That last line - so fucking spot on.
* Not the only thing I've written about freedom, abortion, and misogyny -- there's been a bit more.
** Doh! Of course, I've listened to a lot of Green Day. Especially American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, but also Revolution Radio. But Billie Joe is only a few years younger than me.
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