#tolerate it

tell me I got it wrong somehow

i know my love should be celebrated

My history with this song:

don't kill me, but I have generally found this one ****slightly**** overhyped. SHOWSTOPPING Eras performance, though (and SHOUTOUT to the prolonged piano intro!!!)

Thoughts:

"tolerate it" is a sombre, pondering track, told from the perspective of an underappreciated partner. It culminates in a threat to leave, although there is something half-hearted about the whole thing. "Believe me, I could do it!" feels like protesting too much, which only further betrays the depth of the narrator's devotion toward her lover despite of his neglect.

The song is in 5/4 but I must say I have never been able to count along to it (I'm not great at rhythm though) – it has such a meandery, spoken quality, which both makes it very unique within Taylor's discography and also slightly hard for me to get into.

I am quite fond of the repeated "If it's all in my head, tell me now / Tell me I've got it wrong somehow" line. It is relatively unusual for Taylor to openly invite the you to disprove her assessment, even if she sometimes asks for reassurance. She doesn't want to be right in this scenario, likely because of how much she has already given to this relationship. "What would you do if I / Break free and leave us in ruins? / Took this dagger in me and removed it? / Gain the weight of you then lose it?" point to how difficult breaking up this relationship really would be for her, even if she suspects it would ultimately be good for her. evermore as an album has several songs exploring the cost of ending longterm relationships specifically, which contrast many of Taylor's previous breakup tracks, that usually involve cutting your losses early.

"I know my love should be celebrated / But you tolerate it" – the first line is a pretty straightforward philosophy of love, but the second line clarifies its meaning.

Favourite lyric: "Now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life / Drawing hearts in the bylines / Always taking up too much space or time" <////3

Favourite melodic line: "If it's all in my head, tell me now / Tell me I've got it wrong somehow"