As a result of this post, by @misskattylashes I thought I’d show that I’ve been paying attention to Golden Trunks 😊
Here we go…
Alex said in the John Kennedy podcast that he knew the lines, “The leader of the free world / Reminds you of a wrestler wearing tight golden trunks,” would overshadow the rest of the song.
In the Pitchfork interview he said he was attracted to how cumbersome the phrase, “the leader of the free world,” is and so he put it with this melody to make it Disney - ie: he’s taking the piss. He also admits that he thought of WWF.
I think he’s put this in to distract us and someone else!
There’s certain lyrics throughout TBHC that are really honest. In this song, I feel it’s, “When true love takes a grip, it leaves you without a choice.”
So, verse one is saying, he’s realised subconsciously that he’s scared he’s falling in love (sound familiar?) and in the chorus he’s admitting that he fantasises about this person.
Interesting that in the John Kennedy interview he says, “the whole song is about a conversation with a person I am enamoured with, or falling for.” Person - not girl or woman. 🤔.
Timing wise, when the song was written, he’d been with Taylor for nearly 2 years and has her name tattooed on his arm. But he’s only NOW falling for her?? Hmmm? Seems dubious to me.
I would even argue, that if he’s remembering back to when he first met Taylor, Trump wasn’t being considered as someone who’d become the leader of the free world. Thus, Alex’s feelings in the song refer to after the 2016 election.
Also, why does it sound like it’s difficult for him to admit he fantasises about her? She’s his girlfriend, so surely that’s reasonable behaviour?
Then, back in Pitchfork, he makes a big deal about saying he wants to talk about it being a female character he made up. Right, so even though he’s in a long term relationship, he’s fantasising over made up female characters… I’m not convinced Taylor would have appreciated that!
We can’t ignore that Taylor hated Trump - it’s obvious from her instagram of that time. In Pitchfork he says the idea of the leader of the freeworld as a wrestler came from the made up character’s imagination. It is possible that that’s true. For me, it seems more likely that it’s a joke between Alex and Taylor (that came about via wrestling fanatic Miles) and he’s put it in this song so she thinks the song is about her and to distract from its real meaning.
If you look at the song taking out the second verse (the distraction) what do we have? A song about being scared of falling in love with someone and fantasising about them. During everday life (daytime) these manipulated people have to publicise “summat else” so tell lies.
In addition, Alex has said that the end of the tune reminds him of The Carpenters, that his Dad would play to him for the vocal harmonies, and I don’t believe he’d want to sully a happy memory like that with a song about Trump.
As far as I know, it’s never been sung live either.
So, in this long winded way, I believe that Golden Trunks is about Alex admitting that he’s falling in love. The wrestling references are for three reasons; 1) to distract us, 2) to make Taylor think the song is about her 3) as a signal to the one he loves.
As usual, all my own theory - I know nothing about the real lives of these people. Please don’t be offended. x
