Itโs been a while (months) since I gave my 2 cents on Taylorโs songs. Thereโs two reasons to this, either the song was pretty straightforward in its storytelling or there are analysis that expressed the same ideas I had far better than I ever could. But I was looking at the annotations and interpretations for โpeaceโ recently and found myself having different takes on it.
Disclaimer: This analysis is written by a queer person so if youโre not into that bye (why are you even on tumblr in the first place)
Our coming-of-age has come and gone
Suddenly this summer, it's clear I never had the courage ofโ
myโ
convictions
As long asโ
danger is near
And it's just aroundโ
the corner, darlin'
No, I could neverโgiveโyouโpeace
The first line immediately sets the timeline/age of the โcharactersโ of the song, assuming itโs Taylor and her lover. Coming of age defines as the journey where a youth turns into an adult (around 17 - 22?) This time frame fits nicely into all of her songs that allude to high school imagery eg MAATHP, the love triangle of folklore (which can be viewed with a queer lens as well) and Itโs Nice To Have A Friend.
Summer gives more insight on both time and events as well. Many teenagers use the summer break to find love (aka james and the august girl), and in this song, the character โIโ who we assume is Taylor, canโt commit to her convictions. Cruel Summer perfectly describes the scenario as if this verse is written in the aftermath of it. CS has a lot of โdangerousโ words like โknifeโ, โbleedโ and โdevilโ. And the phrase โthe worst thingโ connects both CS and betty together.
But the thing is, itโs not clear as who is the dangerous one here. Taylor first says that itโs near, which could mean her lover. But then she says goes on to say that itโs lurking around both of them, which suggest a third party Lastly she says it lives inside of her. From these lines I take away that Taylor is afraid of the power her lover has over her, hence they are โdangerousโ. Sheโs also afraid of what others may think about their relationship (eg. media, paparazzi and haters), which are all โdangersโ to them and their love. Thirdly sheโs afraid of herself for her lover, scared that she might hurt them due to her lack of courage and the inability to give them peace.
โItโs just around the cornerโ gives me close friends that live close together/in the same neighbourhood (or beside each other like you belong with me mv). Itโs very much the friends/best friends to lovers trope, where itโs all about the yearning and the realisation that you are in love. (As a queer woman I can relate to it very much, the reality of this trope is falling for your straight best friend which is why I project all my wishful thinking into the trope)
Anyways, talking about friends got me thinking about INTHAF which is gay. I made it gay - Hayley Kiyoko
All of these interpretation for just the first verse. Whew
But I'm aโfire and I'llโkeep your brittle heart warm
If your cascade, ocean wave blues come
All these people think love's for show
But I would die for you in secret
The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me
Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?
The entire chorus draws connections to the songs in reputation and lover.
He built a fire just to keep me warm - Call it what you want
Ocean blue eyes, looking in mine - Gorgeous
I, I loved you in secret - Dancing with our hands tied
Remember how I said I'd die for you? - False God
Devils roll the dice - CS
Itโs nice to have a friend - INTHAF
(also Youโre my best friend - You Are In love, which is the epitome of the best friend to lovers trope)
I want to quickly point out that the relationship depicted in DWOHT is the total opposite of peace. In peace, the relationship is seen as public, which means everyone knows. People make speculations whether its true love or just a publicity stunt. But she confirms that its true love with her claims of willing to die for them. (Which is ultimate noble move in a love story) In DWOHT their relationship is secret. The only indication the public have of their relationships is them โdancingโ/being seen together.
In the last line she subverts the idea of having peace/privacy in a relationship. As a celebrity, sheโs aware that her love life will be out in the open for everyone to poke and prod and she worries that itโll scare her lover away. So she turns the lack of peace into a โpositiveโ thing, as if weโll make it an adventure to climb over together, as long as you are willing (to be with me).
(Also, Victoriaโs Secret fashion show anyone?)
Your integrity makes me seem small
You paint dreamscapes on the wall
I talk shit with my friends, it's like I'm wasting your honor
And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences
Sit with you in the trenches
Give you my wild, give you a child
Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other
Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother Is it enough?
But there's robbers to the east, clowns to the west
I'd give you my sunshine, give you my best
But the rain is always gonna come if you're standin' with me
Youareboththebestfriend did an analysis on how the song may be written in her loverโs (karlie) perspective, which does make alot of sense in the second verse, as if Taylor and her are communicating with each other in songs using verses as secret messages.
I know that east and west are about the men in this song, but
Dive bar on the east side, where you at?/Third floor on the West Side, me and you - Delicate
Youโre the West village - False God
I want to point out that many took โgive you a childโ very literally, as seen in how tabloid speculate Taylor being pregnant. (which is far more a stretch than my interpretation) but then again who knows, maybe Taylor do want to have a kid with her lover as a new chapter in her life.
But Iโm here to give you an alternative. โGive you my wildโ could be Taylor saying that sheโll have moments where sheโs โmad/crazyโ or any other emotions which is perceive as negative, like throwing a tantrum. With this in mind, connecting this phrase with โgive you a childโ suggest that she may at times act like a child, whether in terms of innocence or naivety, or outright โa bratโ.
(being a queer woman, Iโm taught and I learned to grow up quickly, to be mature, if not ill get hurt. Because of this, I tend to act childlike as i grow up, as if reclaiming my lost childhood. Idk if anyone else feel this way as well but- there are alot of social issue which shapes this process eg gender roles, infatilisation of women etc its a mess of contradictory methods of oppression)
All my walls, stood tall painted blue - Everything has Changed
You can hear it in the silence - YAIL
Rosรฉ flowing with your chosen family - the 1
Trust him like a brother - CIWYW
All of this songs talks about either young love that stems from friendship or the idea of chosen family (which lgbt people can relate to because not many of their biological ones accept them for who they are)
The juxtaposition between sunshine and rain is also important to note. (one year younger me did a small, brief, cringey compilation/analysis of the rain imagery Taylor used in her previous songs here) In peace, rain leans towards the negative side, the inevitable darker moments she brings due to her fame that will affect their relationship. Itโs almost a warning for her lover to brace themselves for the storms.
But I'm a fire and I'll keep your brittle heart warm
If your cascade, ocean wave blues come
All these people think love's for show
But I would die for you in secret
The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me
Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?
Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?
Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?
We have the chorus once again, but this time with repetitive questions. We see the same style of writing in Out Of The Woods and Delicate, which are interpret it as Taylor being nervous/anxious about their relationship, and whether her lover will continue being her lover.
In conclusion/TLDR: maybe itโs easier to understand the song if the sentence was โWould it be enough, if i could give you everything but peace?โ
tangentwithtanner
yousharknotpass
jbbartram-illu
dededos
annaxmalina
