So I just have a lot of feelings regarding Getaway Car and needed to get them out and I didn’t think it would be this long but here we are.
Oh my god I just love this song so much, it’s so beautiful, both lyrically and musically
The way she sings certain words is just so beautiful (listen to her singing “I knew it from the first” and “he was running after us” and you’ll know what I mean)
It’s strange but it almost makes me feel dreamy, and it seems somewhat whimsical, especially during the chorus, and because of this it sounds and feels like freedom at first
But only when you listen to it fully do you understand the true sadness in it
This is song of tragedy: the tragedy of an unwanted relationship; the tragedy of a relationship that would never work out; the tragedy of a relationship that was doomed from the start; the tragedy of wanting to escape so badly you make all the wrong choices; the tragedy of wanting freedom, only to become lost when you obtain it
It is the tragedy of becoming so intoxicated by freedom that you don’t care about the consequences of obtaining it
Parts of it seem almost accusatory in tone, with him refusing to acknowledge his part in the tragedy – they were both aware this was a doomed relationship from the start but he’s feigning innocence
The chorus after the first verse has the original air of freedom about it – she’s escaped, the wind is blowing in her hair as she cruises down the highway, laughing with happiness and freedom, ignoring all the warning signs
However, the chorus after the second verse is more ominous, with it almost seeming to weigh heavily with a sense of foreboding – she’s realised their mistakes, but it’s too late, everything is crumbling beneath them
The way she sings “we’re both sorry” makes me so sad, it’s just filled with such regret and melancholy
There’s almost a sadness in her voice in the bridge when she describes leaving him, and
When she sings “I’m in a getaway car/I left you in a motel bar”, there’s such a soft sadness to it but it builds up into confidence
I love the reference to Bonnie and Clyde because they’re usually romanticised and depicted as a couple insanely in love, which is far from the truth – beneath this veil they fundamentally had a toxic relationship and committed horrendous crimes, and while this is obviously not what she’s depicting in this song, I think it’s similar
On the outside, to the media, to the public, they appear to have the perfect and idealised relationship, but underneath that it’s far from the truth – there are cracks that cannot be fixed, and they ultimately turn out to be disastrous for each other
Undoubtedly the media played a large role in this, referencing back to the second verse when she describes their relationship being turned into a circus, and ultimately ruining whatever romance they may have had, leaving them both with regrets
The outro has conflicting undertones of anger, determination, and confidence to it but overwhelmingly has an air of freedom surrounding it
Although she’s describing how she was crying and dying throughout this relationship that she thought would free her, there’s almost relief in her voice now that she has finally and truly escaped
I can almost imagine her stealing the getaway car and driving down the highway once again as she originally had in verse one, but this time she is alone and free and happy
Despite the conflicting feelings the outro gives off, it doesn’t give one of self-pity or sadness and I love it for that. It describes an almost toxic relationship that she escapes from, and she shows that she is not broken because of this. I just love that whether she intended to or not, this song shows that you can escape from relationships that are unfulfilling or unhealthy for you, and you’ll be okay afterwards
So basically, it’s the best of both worlds: It has a beautiful and compelling melody while simultaneously having meaningful lyrics, especially when analysed in depth
Honestly I don’t know if this is what Taylor was thinking when she wrote this song, and tbh it probably wasn’t, but that’s what I love so much about music and poetry and art – it can mean anything you want it to
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