escapism is defined as: “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.” each of the songs in this chapter reflect that theme deeply:
the lakes - taylor feels as though who she is at her core is being conflated with the public perception, but there are fragments of her life - like her lover - that ground her. she seeks a new home, an escape. not only an escape from the world she is living in, but from the person she has been painted as. she needs new inspiration, new scenery, and a new space to reflect on herself. in a society ridden with speculation and intrusion, that escape seems out of reach.
seven - in times of grief and heartbreak, we often look back on blurry, simple memories when our worlds were smaller, and longing for the people and environments that are faint in our rearview mirror now. the same idea as in the lakes - that common threads of identity and love remain no matter where we go - holds true here. maybe this is not a fantasy, as it’s true events she is looking back on, but the salience of this song’s presence here reflects the fantasy we all yearn for - to be kids again, and to note the rarity of what we are experiencing.
epiphany - a soldier’s comrade watches him fall on the battle field after fighting for his nation and for the values he has dedicated his life to, as a nurse watches a covid-19 patient die of a virus that has shaken up our society. both are disorienting and existential scenarios - we wonder, “what is my purpose?” “why wasn’t it me?” “is there nothing more i can do?” the answers to these questions lies in some fantasy we all yearn for at the tragic crossroads of life and death. it takes removing ourselves from the chaos to awaken ourselves to the simplicity of these things.
cardigan - a cardigan is a piece of clothing. a childhood love that broke us apart many years ago is a story we tell our children. similar to seven, perhaps it is only the tatters of past love that can carry us through our love today. however, cardigan is unique in that it emphasizes how no matter how deeply a person hurt us, the memory strengthens and grounds us. looking back on our lives in retrospect is often a source of comfort, but to be carried away into them makes us better lovers and better people.
mirrorball - when taylor feels broken down by how society has painted her, she looks to those exact people to build her back up again. for many of us, it takes adjusting how we perceive and present ourselves to feel safe in a world that is constantly judging us. perhaps when we face questions of our worth and purpose, getting lost in a fantasy of who we could be - and how the world would react to that - makes us more confident than when we consider who we know we are at our cores.
exile - the imagery of “crown” and “town” are used throughout this song; it’s about losing the people who defined us. so what is the fantasy we escape to when we struggle with miscommunication and lost love? the rest of this chapter. in the moment, we think we are leaving the relationship for good. but when we grow up, it appears in our dreams, our passed down stories, and our escapes to faraway lands. this song is both a prelude and an epilogue.
germansingergirl
theartofmadeline
jacobvanloon
turnnoffyourmind
areudirty
2087
romaincrisis
