Taylor Swift has been widely hailed as one of the greatest songwriters of her generation. Not only are her songs catchy and meaningful, but they almost always tell an incredible, lively story. In particular, the songs that describe beautiful relationships and heart-wrenching breakups reach a level of storytelling that few other artists can aspire to. And because these songs tell such descriptive stories, it’s only natural that fans might apply the songs to other circumstances — other characters, other couples, other stories. And so, with The Swiftie Project series, Swifties within Daily Arts break down every romantic Taylor Swift song from every released album and match them to various fictional couples. The ninth part in this series contains songs from her ninth album: evermore. Most songs from this album have been included, although “marjorie” has been omitted, due to its more personal, non-romantic stories. Furthermore, her collaboration song with Big Red Machine, “Renegade,” has been added to this list due to its place in her discography timeline.
Warning: Spoilers for various TV shows, movies and books are included in the following article.
“willow” — Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
The more that you say / The less I know / Wherever you stray / I follow
First of all, we’re all just going to have to ignore the repeated line “That’s my man” in this song. OK? OK, great. Willow is one of the greatest characters ever portrayed on television. She’s got it all — the fashion sense (“I come back stronger than a ’90s trend”), the witchy powers, the crucial cuteness/hotness combo. Yes, I have a crush on Willow’s character, and no one is good enough for her (the song choice for this relationship is literally her name, after all). Except maybe Tara. Tara (Amber Benson, “The Killing Jar”) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan, “How I Met Your Mother”) meet in the gayest and most beautiful way possible: at a witch club meeting in college, hence Taylor’s line “As if you were a mythical thing.” Tara is the perfect first gay love for Willow. Their relationship unfolds slowly and carefully. They’re both shy and unsure, but they let their love and care for each other guide them. “The more that you say / The less I know” describes their tentative forays into recognizing their feelings for each other are romantic. “Wherever you stray / I follow” — Tara seamlessly becomes one of “the gang,” along with Buffy, Giles, Xander and all the rest. And as for their tragic end (which I attempt to avoid thinking about), the lines “I’m begging for you to take my hand / Wreck my plans” sum it up pretty well. Although it’s always disappointing when a show falls into the “bury your gays” trope and I felt like I was punched in the gut, their sapphic relationship was not only revolutionary for such a popular show at the time, but was also integral to my exploration of my own identity. So thank you, Willow and Tara, for being the queer witchy representation I needed and that we all deserve.
Daily Arts Writer Emilia Ferrante can be reached at emiliajf@umich.edu.
“champagne problems” — Jo March and Theodore (Laurie) Laurence, “Little Women”
Sometimes you just don’t know the answer / ’Til someone’s on their knees and asks you
If you’re one of the many people who wish that Jo and Laurie could have ended up together, I have two things to say to you: I don’t blame you, but also, you’re wrong. Now, normally I am all for a childhood-friends-to-lovers relationship, and these two would be the epitome of the trope. They’re basically joined at the hip for the entire first half of the story, and whether you’re reading it or watching it, you can’t help but wish that they’ll end up together by the end. But Jo (Saoirse Ronan, “Lady Bird”) values her independence too much to truly settle down in the way Laurie (Timothée Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name”) wants her to. Romance and marriage also signify the end of her childhood, another thing she desperately wants to avoid. “champagne problems” is the perfect song to represent these two, and not just because of the surplus of fan edits that you can find online. The song tells of a couple who everyone expects to get married, except the woman turns down the proposal. We may not know why she does this — it’s implied that she struggles with her mental health — but at the end of the day, the decision is hers, just like it was Jo’s to turn down Laurie’s proposal (in one of the most devastating but gorgeously shot scenes I’ve ever seen). Jo may love Laurie, but she recognizes within herself that she cannot give him what he wants. Besides, she knows that someday he’ll find the real thing instead — and she eventually does, too.
Daily Arts Writer Hannah Carapellotti can be reached at hmcarp@umich.edu.
“gold rush” — Amy March and Theodore (Laurie) Laurence, “Little Women”
My mind turns your life into folklore / I can’t dare to dream about you anymore
It’s almost impossible to pick a singular lyric or line from “gold rush” to best represent Amy and Laurie. From Laurie’s (Timotheé Chalamet, “Call Me By Your Name”) aristocratic beauty and seeming unattainability (“What must it be like / To grow up that beautiful?”), to his taciturn and stubborn nature that provokes Amy’s (Florence Pugh, “Don’t Worry Darling”) disdain (“At dinner parties I call you out / On your contrarian shit”), “gold rush” captures the pair perfectly as an ode to Amy’s deepest desires and insecurities that never fail to creep out of the woodwork when it comes to Laurie (“Everybody wants you / But I don’t like a gold rush”). “gold rush” tells the story of an impossible love too good to be true — a sentiment that perfectly captures how Amy views Laurie. Older, wealthier and only just brushing off the disappointment of rejection after years of doggedly pursuing Amy’s sister Jo, Laurie appears out of reach for Amy. But after a closer examination of their characters, it becomes clear that the two were meant to be, each bringing out the best parts of each other while quieting the worst. “gold rush” is a near-perfect fit for the pair, true. But Amy and Laurie take that impossibility of a gold rush and make it a beautiful, unexpected reality.
Senior Arts Editor Annabel Curran can be reached at currana@umich.edu.
“ ‘tis the damn season” — Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron, “Normal People”
And the heart I know I’m breakin’ is my own / To leave the warmest bed I’ve ever known
“ ‘tis the damn season” is a story of “maybes” and “what ifs”: an ode to hometown romance, to that one person you run back to time and time again. For Connell, an insecure, middle-class student struggling to find his way in the world, that person is Marianne. Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones, “Where the Crawdads Sing”) and Connell’s (Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”) love story is an uncertain one, yet remarkable in its security and stability. No matter what hardship, trial or tribulation either goes through — from emotional turmoil following the death of a friend to the rocky waters of an abusive relationship — they always show up for each other. For better or worse, their relationship followed them from high school to university, serving as a comfortable escape from reality. Although the novel leaves readers unsure of the pair’s future, it’s safe to say that there’s not much that could keep these two apart.
Senior Arts Editor Annabel Curran can be reached at currana@umich.edu.
“tolerate it” — Nicole Barber and Charlie Barber, “Marriage Story”
You assume I’m fine / But what would you do if I / Break free and leave us in ruin?
I have never seen a more heartbreaking movie than “Marriage Story,” and I would argue that “tolerate it” is one of Taylor Swift’s more heartbreaking songs. The film follows Nicole (Scarlett Johansson, “The Avengers”) and Charlie (Adam Driver, “White Noise”) through their separation — from trying to mediate, finding lawyers and vicious screaming matches to eventually reaching a somewhat good place that part of the strain comes from the blurred lines between her personal relationship with Charlie, and the two of them belonging to the same theatre company (she’s an actress; he’s the director). Little by little, Nicole comes to the realization that she’s lost herself in the relationship. She says at one point, “I realized I never really came alive for myself; I was always feeding his aliveness,” but once she finally found something that made her come alive for herself like she wanted, Charlie didn’t celebrate it with her.
So much of “tolerate it” could apply to Nicole’s side of the story. Taylor Swift sings, “I made you my temple, my mural, my sky / Now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life.” All the subject of the song wanted was to be seen by her partner, to have her love celebrated by him, but instead he only tolerated it. The song ends with a big “what if” question — it’s unclear whether the song’s speaker actually took the plunge, but Nicole did. Since she and Charlie still share a love for each other, albeit much different than a romantic one, I can only hope that he celebrates her a little more now that they’re not together.
Man, why do I keep writing such sad blurbs? I know I did this to myself, but still.
Daily Arts Writer Hannah Carapellotti can be reached at hmcarp@umich.edu.
“happiness” — Rebecca Pearson and Jack Pearson, “This Is Us”
There’ll be happiness after you / But there was happiness because of you / Both of these things can be true
I have a confession to make: I only ever watched “This is Us” because my Mom was watching it. I was never really a superfan, and I haven’t seen the show in years. However, regardless of my indifference toward the show as a whole, there is one storyline that has stuck with me ever since I watched the first episode, and that is Jack (Milo Ventimiglia, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore, “Tangled”) Pearson’s tear-inducing love story. For these two, it was pretty much love at first sight. As viewers, we got to watch them go on dates, get married and eventually have triplets together. However, due to the unusual non-chronological structure of “This is Us,” we also got to watch in agony as we found out exactly how Jack ends up passing away, something that we were aware of from the first episode, but were not given the details of until a later season. Of course, courtesy of the very talented and very evil writers, it had to be in the most traumatizing and heartbreaking way possible: a house fire.
Yet, even after losing the love of her life in such a gruesome, sudden way, and having to transition to being a single mom, Rebecca Pearson bounced back. She showed up for her kids in every way possible while working to honor Jack’s memory. She even ended up finding love again with one of Jack’s best friends, Miguel Rivas (Jon Huertas, “Initiation”). She was able to continue to love Jack while still loving her life after Jack. In this way, she embodies Taylor Swift’s message in “happiness” — that one can still find joy even after losing somebody they love.
Daily Arts Writer Rebecca Smith can be reached at rebash@umich.edu.
“dorothea” — Andy Sachs and Nate Cooper, “The Devil Wears Prada”
You’re a queen, sellin’ dreams, sellin’ makeup and magazines
“UGH” — the only correct reaction to hearing the name “Nate Cooper” (Adrian Grenier, “Far More”). Talk about unsupportive, dramatic and, I’ll say it, detrimentally insecure boyfriends. When Andy (Anne Hathaway, “Eileen”) lands a job working for the fashion magazine editor and legend Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep, “Don’t Look Up”), Nate is at first happy for his girlfriend and the status she acquires; however, when Miranda bares her teeth and Andy starts working overtime, Nate grows concerned. This concern, though genuine, turns into a less respectable judgment and later, jealousy. To account for this change of heart, I would alter Taylor Swift’s “dorothea” lyrics from “You got shiny friends since you left town” to “You got shitty friends” — but since “dorothea” reads like a monologue from Nate’s P.O.V., I’ll have to turn my attention elsewhere. “But it’s never too late / To come back to my side,” Nate basically whines to Andy when she realizes she deserves more than him and what he can give her (albeit, for only a moment). “You know, you’ll always know me,” he cries, and it’s this sentiment that makes Andy turn back. We were rooting for you, Andy!
Daily Arts Writer Lillian Pearce can be reached at pearcel@umich.edu.
“coney island” — Marissa Cooper and Ryan Atwood, “The O.C.”
And when I got into the accident / The sight that flashed before me was your face
“The O.C.” is one of the most iconic teen dramas of the early 2000s, in part because of the show’s memorable couples. Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton, “The Sixth Sense”) and Ryan Atwood (Ben McKenzie, “Gotham”) first meet in the pilot episode and instantly connect — she asks him, “Who are you?” and he replies, “Whoever you want me to be.” Ryan’s the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who’s been taken in by the wealthy Cohen family and Marissa’s the not-so-innocent girl next door.
Marissa and Ryan were an on-again, off-again couple for three seasons of “The O.C.” That is, until Marissa died in a car accident during the season three finale. It was one of the most heartbreaking moments of the series, and it didn’t help that Imogen Heap’s version of “Hallelujah” played as Ryan carried a dying Marissa in his arms. “coney island” is a melancholic song that evokes nostalgia for a past relationship — quite fitting for Marissa and Ryan’s love story.
Books Beat Editor Ava Seaman can be reached at avasea@umich.edu.
“ivy” — Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky, “Anna Karenina”
He’s in the room / Your opal eyes are all I wish to see / He wants what’s only yours
Anna Karenina (Keira Knightley, “Pride & Prejudice”) and Count Alexei Vronsky (Aaron Taylor Johnson, “Bullet Train”) are the obvious choices for “ivy,” a song about an illicit affair. From the first lyrics, Taylor Swift manages to capture the enchanting first meeting of our couple: “How’s one to know? / I’d meet you where the spirit meets the bones,” as if together they reach a new plane of existence. Anna is unhappily married to Aleksei Karenin (Jude Law, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), which makes it all the more encouraging for Vronsky to attempt to win her over. Swift sings about this obstacle of sorts, saying “Oh, goddamn / My pain fits in the palm of / your freezing hand / Taking mine, but it’s been / promised to another,” which directly brings to mind the illegitimate yet desirable affair between Anna and Vronsky. The two do share a peculiar yet profound bond, and pour into each other like water; “Oh, I can’t / Stop you putting roots in my dreamland / My house of stone, your ivy grows / And now I’m covered in you.” Though there are attempts, one cannot escape the other; they are painted in their sordid love until the end.
Daily Arts Writer Lillian Pearce can be reached at pearcel@umich.edu.
“cowboy like me” — Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”
Hustling for the good life / Never thought I’d meet you here / It could be love / We could be the way forward / And I know I’ll pay for it
If you’ve heard of Evelyn Hugo, you’re probably familiar with her seven husbands. But if you’ve read Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you know that Celia St. James was the real love of her life. In the ’50s, Evelyn is an aspiring actress eager to shed her past and start anew in Hollywood. She’s certainly “got some tricks up her sleeve,” “telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear” as she cons those around her into her own agenda of acquiring fame, wealth and success in the industry. Although “the old men that (she) swindled really did believe (she) was the one,” Evelyn first and foremost looks out for herself. She’s well-versed in deceiving the world about her real identity, love life and public image, but Celia is one of the few people that really, truly knew her.
In the midst of “hustling for the good life,” the two actresses unexpectedly fall in love, as Evelyn comes to the realization that they’re more alike than she thought. Evelyn’s gaydar wasn’t the greatest, but it “takes one to know one,” I suppose. Something as simple as dancing together at a party quickly becomes “a dangerous game” for the pair as they have to actively hide their relationship. There’s always tabloid gossip circling whichever husband Evelyn’s currently with to deflect attention from her relationship with Celia, but for a time, they’re in it together, willing to risk it all. Between Evelyn’s unrelenting ambition and Celia’s stubbornness, their similarities and murky pasts do come to haunt them. With all of the lies and husbands, “the skeletons in both (their) closets plotted hard to fuck this up,” and broke them up a few times over the course of several decades. But for all the time that they had together and spent apart, forever truly was “the sweetest con” for Evelyn when Celia tragically dies near the story’s end. One thing is for certain: Once Evelyn fell in love with Celia, she was “never gonna love again.”
TV Beat Editor Serena Irani can be reached at seirani@umich.edu.
“long story short” — Nora Stephens and Charlie Lastra, “Book Lovers”
And he feels like home / If the shoe fits, walk in it everywhere you go
Nora Stephens definitely knows about “(falling) from the pedestal,” being “pushed from the precipice” and overall having “a bad time.” In Emily Henry’s third novel “Book Lovers,” Nora is dealing with the fallout of her mother’s death, taking care of her sister, struggling with a string of bad relationships and maintaining a time-consuming position as a literary agent. Enter Charlie Lastra. Charlie is an editor Nora has to work with, and the two have an interesting history, where neither one made a great first impression. Despite this, the two characters fall hard for each other. Amid Nora’s stress about her sister’s pregnancy, Charlie’s father’s health issues and the weird, whacky and wonderful environment that is Sunshine Falls, North Carolina, the two realize the depths of their feelings. Nora is used to men who don’t care about her, the kind that break up with her over the phone to date pretty, perfect farm heiresses. But Charlie is the exception — he stands at her side, willing to help her tackle her demons while still letting her be her own person. And even though, at times, it feels like the world is working against them … well, “long story short,” they survive.
Daily Arts Writer Sabriya Imami can be reached at simami@umich.edu.
“closure” — Alex Karev and Jo Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy”
Yes, I got your letter / Yes, I’m doing better / It cut deep to know ya / Right to the bone
After the extremely traumatizing deaths of Mark Sloan (Eric Dane, “Euphoria”) and Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh, “Supergirl”), I was pretty much done with “Grey’s Anatomy.” I’d been forced to watch my favorite characters die left and right and was ready to stop bothering altogether — that was, until surgical intern Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington, “The Healer”) made her debut in the first episode of season nine, and I was finally given a reason to keep watching. Right off the bat, her flirty interactions with the moody and sarcastic Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers, “The Offer”) had me hooked. Over the span of the season, these two went from enemies to best friends to lovers and quickly became one of my favorite “Grey’s Anatomy” couples of all time. Yet, just as the show’s writer Shonda Rhimes has managed to ruin every good character or plot line she has ever created, she eventually destroyed the relationship between Jo and Alex, too. In season 16, Jo received a multi-page letter from Alex explaining that he was leaving her to be with his ex-wife, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl, “27 Dresses”). This was completely out of character for the caring, protective Alex Karev that we knew, who was, according to many, the best-developed character in the series. Nevertheless, it was a low blow for poor Jo, who was forced to move on from the person she had thought to be the love of her life. This is why Taylor Swift’s “closure” is the perfect song to encapsulate Jo’s pain, not only because it alludes to a letter similar to the one she receives from Alex, but because it shows just how deeply one mourns losing the person they are closest to in their life. For many, they feel it all the way down to the bone.
Daily Arts Writer Rebecca Smith can be reached at rebash@umich.edu.
“evermore” — Emily Dickinson and Sue Gilbert, “Dickinson”
I had a feeling so peculiar / That this pain would be for / Evermore
As far as Swiftie fan theories go, the notion that “evermore” is a tribute to Emily Dickinson isn’t all that far-fetched. Most notably because the album was announced on Dickinson’s birthday, but also because the ending line of this song, “for / evermore” hauntingly resembles the final line of one of Dickinson’s most infamous poems: “Sue — forevermore!”
In the eponymous show “Dickinson,” Sue (Ella Hunt, “Anna and the Apocalypse”) is the focal romantic figure of Emily’s (Hailee Steinfeld, “The Edge of Seventeen”) life, the source of inspiration for countless poems and as constant a fixture in her story as her poetry itself. Though Sue is married to Emily’s brother, she and Emily were “friends” first, so Emily has to eternally contend with their marriage. The pain of their hidden romance and periods of separation linger in her thoughts and seep into her words as Emily pens letter after letter, poem after poem in dedication to her, some “addressed to the fire,” others to the vast collections of unpublished work she presumed would never be read. She spends much of her time writing in solitude, sitting in her room, “staring out an open window / catching (her) death” as it passes her by and putting it into words. Time and time again, they cross the line with their clandestine meetings, forever dancing around Sue’s marriage, “sending signals” unnoticed by everyone else. Emily is the one left to grapple with the ill-fated nature of their relationship, weighed by the knowledge that for her, “this pain would be for / evermore.”
TV Beat Editor Serena Irani can be reached at seirani@umich.edu.
“right where you left me” — Camilla Macaulay and Henry Winter, “The Secret History”
Did you ever hear about the girl who lives in delusion? / Break-ups happen every day, you don’t have to lose it / She’s still 23 inside her fantasy / How it was supposed to be / And you’re sitting in front of me
In “right where you left me,” Swift sings of the pain and solitude of heartbreak and of being left behind. Although the song’s lyrics may be telling the story of a devastating breakup, it’s safe to say that the loneliness and melancholy the lyrics evoke can easily be applied to the Greek tragedy that was the short-lived love of Henry and Camilla. After watching her boyfriend die at his own hand right before her eyes, Camilla is left unmoored, drifting purposelessly throughout her life with few friends or family left to guide her. Henry, who supported her and helped her flee from an abusive familial relationship, was all that was holding Camilla upright after the disastrous events of “The Secret History” by Donna Tartt, and his death leaves her unsure of herself. When, years later, Camilla reunites with her former friends under less-than-happy circumstances, Richard, who had loved Camilla since he first laid eyes on her, tells her so, asking her to marry him. Despite Richard laying all his affections right out on the table, Camilla can’t even contemplate moving on — although years have passed, she still loves Henry.
Each and every character of “The Secret History” can be infuriating in their distasteful cruelties and their cultish devotion to one another. But, regardless of their hubris and their fatal flaws, they are deep and complex human beings, capable of deep regret, love and devotion. In this way, and with her seemingly everlasting love for and idealization of Henry, Camilla is no different.
Senior Arts Editor Annabel Curran can be reached at currana@umich.edu.
“it’s time to go” — Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, “House of the Dragon”
She was not in fact what she seemed / not a twin from your dreams / but a crook who was caught
Humans often operate on instinct. Sometimes, “old familiar body aches” nudge us away from situations before we even realize how bad they really are. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy, “Truth Seekers”) finds herself struck with this exact sensation at the midpoint of the HBO series “House of the Dragon.” When her father King Viserys (Paddy Considine, “Hot Fuzz”) dies, she’s thrown into the midst of a cutthroat scramble for power, resulting in an assortment of betrayals from those closest to her. Rhaenyra is forced to leave it all behind, accepting that “it’s time to go” and fleeing to her ancestral home to escape political opponents. In the midst of all this tragedy, Rhaenyra’s biggest heartbreak is the betrayal of her childhood best friend Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, “Pixie”) who positions herself on the opposite side of the impending civil war. Rhaenyra and Alicent were raised together. Their relationship was innocent and quietly romantic. There was a time when they cared more for each other than anything else on earth, spending their days exploring the castle and wondering about futures they might share. When the two are driven apart by political infighting, Rhaenyra is forced to realize that Alicent may never have been “a twin from (her) dreams” but instead “a crook who was caught.” It’s not a particularly angry realization. Instead, Rhaenyra just looks at her old friend with melancholy and a little bit of longing, suffering through the “breaks in (her) soul.” “it’s time to go” is a song all about cutting your losses in a relationship and moving on, no matter how much it hurts. Rhaenyra spent “fifteen years” at court, “begging til (her) knees bled” for respect. When not even Alicent can grant her that anymore, she finally leaves her “palace of bones” — and her love for Alicent — behind.
Daily Arts Writer Lola D’Onofrio can be reached at lolad@umich.edu.
“Renegade” — Simon Hastings and Daphne Bridgerton, “Bridgerton”
Is it really your anxiety that stops you from giving me everything? / Or do you just not want to?
Simon (portrayed in the show by Regé-Jean Page, “The Gray Man”) and Daphne’s (portrayed in the show by Phoebe Dynevor, “Younger”) romance in the first season of the “Bridgerton” series may be a worthy example of the “fake relationship” trope, but man, these two could be such a stronger couple if they knew how to communicate. When these two are quickly rushed into an arranged marriage in order to avoid scandal, neither one really minds, since they’re obviously in love with each other. But their relationship as a married couple is much different — and darker — than their courtship. Simon knows that Daphne wants a family of her own, but he vowed to himself that his bloodline would end with him. Except he doesn’t tell her that he won’t have children; he tells her that he can’t. Daphne is smart enough to figure it out for herself, but how she figures it out is problematic, to say the least. In “Renegade,” Taylor Swift sings about being with someone who struggles with their mental health. Something like anxiety can’t always be controlled, but it can still put a strain on both sides of the relationship. That’s why communication is key, as the old adage says. Simon and Daphne may not have it down, but “Renegade” captures its importance.
Daily Arts Writer Hannah Carapellotti can be reached at hmcarp@umich.edu.