FOLKLORE: PEACE EXPLAINED:
In honor of Folklore turning ONE MONTH OLD (which is INSANE to think about!) I decided I wanted to share some of my own thoughts on what I believe to be one of the most underrated songs from the album. Peace
In the second verse of the song theres a few seconds of silence before Taylor sings "Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other" giving evidence that this could in fact be a discussion between two people,- similarly to Exile.
"Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother"-
Considering the couple just celebrated their 3 year anniversary & Joe has 1 brother named Patrick, just further proves that the conversation could in fact be between Taylor and Joe.
The opening verse of the song comes directly from Taylors perspective, setting the tone of the conversation. She is calm & comfortable as she sings
"Our coming-of-age has come and gone,
Suddenly this summer, it's clear" - Its obvious Taylor has come to the realization that her relationship with Joe has come a long way but shes confident in her place - also is this a reference to Lover's "Cruel Summer?" 🤔
"I never had the courage of my convictions
As long as danger is near-"
We have to assume the danger Taylor is referring to is the pressures of being in the spotlight; having paparazzi around every corner ready to sabotage her career, Kanye West (which is later referenced in the song)
"And it's just around the corner, darlin'
No, I could never give you peace".
Taylor is discussing her fears of losing Joe because the pressures that come with being in the spotlight- the paparazzi and lack of privacy, and her very public feud over her music rights- never truly giving them "peace" and setting them free.
"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"?
Just WHOA. If we break just sections of these lyrics down, you'll notice some similarities to other iconic Taylor Swift songs. For instance in 2019's "False God" Taylor sings: "We were crazy to think that this would work-
Remember how I said I'd die for you?"
And in 2006's "Cold As You" where Taylor is singing from the perspective of her owm about a distant relationship versus how it appears to others viewing it.. she sings:
"I know you wouldn't have told nobody-
During the Rep Era Taylor hinted at the secret romance she shared with Actor Joe Alwyn as she sings about in "Dress" and in "King Of My Heart": "Late in the night, the city's asleep-
Your love is a secret- I am hoping, dreaming, and dying to keep."
Taylor confirmed this love once again in Lover when she sang in "Cruel Summer" :
"I dont want to keep secrets just to keep you
And I snuck in through the garden gate,
everynight that summer just to seal my fate"
Now that we have gathered this info I'm now led to believe that the chorus is not Taylor singing to Joe but actually Joe talking back to Taylor, reasoning with and explaining to her how he will always love and protect her even if the 'storm' around them is too much to bare.
"Im a fire and ill keep your brittle heart warm"
*ALSO* if we refer back to the Rep Era AGAIN Taylor Swift sings in the verse of "Call It What You Want To" "he built a fire just to keep me warm"-
"If your cascade ocean wave blues come"- a.k.a the storm. This could be another small reference to Lover's "Cruel Summer" as once again Taylor describes the feelings she's got for Joe as: "blue"..
Could Taylor also be confessing how overwhelming her fame is at the same time?
"All these people think loves for show,
But I would die for you in secret" ;
I believe refers to the copious amounts of times Taylor has been mocked and slandered across tabloids for her dating life. Considering this is Taylors most private relationship, the media has no "edge" to work with besides labeling her relationship as "fake" "for show" "a marketing scheme" etc. But Joe will fight for her no matter what they go through or what the media puts them through.
"The Devil's in the details"
Makes me think instantly of "Cruel Summer".. if you remember the infamous "he looks up grinning like a Devil"
And "Devils roll the dice, Angels roll their eyes" lyrics 😉
"but you've got a friend in me" Does anyone remember Lover's "Its Nice To Have A Friend" or is it just me? Truly I feel that song deserved more credit than it got- 🤷🏼♀️
In this simplistic ballad Taylor writes in purity how true love is at its core, which also heavily plays into the "refusal of luxury" theme often displayed throughout Lover; especially in songs like "Paper Rings" & "London Boy."
This is Joe's promise to Taylor that through it all he will always be there for her.
In the second verse: we hear
"And you'd know that I'd swing with you for the fences" - doesn't seem like much- BUT rumor has it this is actually a baseball term referring to a batter swinging with all their might in hopes to hitting a home run. Is Taylor praying for a homerun with Joe?
Does anyone recall the lyric "if you strike out and you're crawling home" from New Years Day? 🤔
"Sit with you in the trenches" literally and figuratively referring to the military term, Taylor is vowing to stay by his side even at the toughest, lowest points.
"Theres robbers to the East" a.k.a. Scooter Braun, Big Machine Label, Scott Borschetta;
"Clowns to the West" ... a.k.a the Kardashian-Wests, famously known for trying to sabotage Taylors successful career, while also jabbing at her vengeful ex girl squad still out in California.
Overall this song is a masterpiece 😁
