Favorite Lyrics From folklore
the 1 ~ You know greatest films of all times were never made
cardigan ~ you drew stars around my scars but now I’m bleedin’
the last great american dynasty ~ I had a marvelous time ruining everything
exile (feat. Bon Iver) ~ Second, third, and hundredth chances Balancin’ on breaking branches Those eyes add insult to injury
my tears ricochet ~ And I can go anywhere I want Anywhere I want, just not home And you can aim for my heart, go for blood But you would still miss me in your bones And I still talk to you When I’m screaming at the sky And when you can’t sleep at night You hear my stolen lullabies
mirrorball ~ Hush, I know they said the end is near But I’m still on my tallest tiptoes Spinning in my highest heels, love
seven ~ Please picture me in the weeds Before I learned civility I used to scream ferociously Anytime I wanted
august ~ So much for summer love and saying “us” ‘Cause you weren’t mine to lose
this is me trying ~ They told me all of my fears were mental So I got wasted like all my potential And my words shoot to kill when I’m mad I have a lot of regrets about that
illicit affairs ~ And you know damn well For you I would ruin myself A million little times
invisible string ~ Cold was the steel of my axe to grind For the boys who broke my heart Now I send their babies presents
mad woman ~ And you’ll poke that bear ‘til her claws come out And you’ll find something to wrap your noose around
epiphany ~ Something med school did not cover Someone’s daughter, someone’s mother Holds your hands through plastic now “Doc I think she’s crashing out” And some things you just can’t speak about
betty ~ Will it patch your broken wings? I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything But I know I miss you
peace ~ 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
hoax ~ My only one My kingdom come undone My broken drum You have beaten my heard Don’t want no other shade of blue but you No other sadness in the world would do
the lakes ~ we’ll find out when I hear it
This album has everything I love about Taylor’s voice and songwriting. It is so beautifully done, the songs tying together in a complex web of golden thread. There are lyrics tying cardigan to betty, betty to august, my tears ricochet to hoax, all of it. It is a true masterpiece.
Honorable Mentions ~
Peter Losing Wendy
Bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to LA
Every single word in my tears ricochet
Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven
Pouring my heart out to a stranger but I didn’t pour the whiskey
Don't call me kid, don't call me baby Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me
At least I’m trying
“fuck you forever”
Will you tell me to go fuck myself or lead me to your garden
I gave so many signs
Tell yourself you can always stop what started in beautiful rooms ends with meetings in parking lots
Fifty years is a long time Holiday House sat quietly on that beach free of women with madness, their men and bad habits and then it was bought by me
Every line of hoax
Every single time Taylor swears
Every line of epiphany
All the lyrics. They're just so amazingly written.