Argument 4

Argument 4 theory 2:

            The girl is in love with a guy and her father and others do not approve of them being together so they have to keep their relationship a secret. They really want to be together but since the girls father told the guy to stay away from her, he is unsure if he should continue making an effort to see her. He does not want to get caught and get in trouble but the girl seems to not care as much. They want to be together but the guy is deciding if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father. In this song Romeo acts as the guy in the relationship and Juliet acts as the girl.

            In one of the stanzas, the lyrics are:

And I said,

“Romeo save me - I’ve been feeling so alone.

I keep waiting for you but you never come.

Is this in thy head? I don’t know what to think-”

            In the first and second line of the stanza, she tells the guy (Romeo) that she wants him to rescue her. She feels alone because know one understands how she feels. She really wants to be with her Romeo but it is unacceptable. She loves him and she feels like she just wants to escape and run away with him. She feels alone and he probably does too because their relationship has to be so secretive.

            In the third line of the stanza she says how she is always waiting for him at a secret hiding spot but he never comes. This shows that he is most likely really scared of getting caught with her. He doesn’t want to risk being seen with her and getting in a lot of trouble. This goes to show that the guy is unsure if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father. He wants to be with her but at the same time he wants to avoid conflict.

            In the forth line of the stanza she is asking him if its all in her head, that he doesn’t want to see her. She doesn’t know what to think because she never gets to see him or talk to him. She wants to believe that he just couldn’t make it or had a good excuse for not meeting her but she isn’t sure if it’s that or because he just doesn’t want to come. She clearly seems like the one more into the relationship compared to him. He wants to be with her too but is deciding if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father and the risk of getting caught with her.

Argument 3

Argument 3 theory 2:

The song has evidence that the guy in the relationship is not sure if he should stick to the relationship. He knows that the girl’s father does not approve of them being together as well as others. They both sneak around in order to see each other but he is not sure if it is worth it to sneak around all the time since they are not allowed to be together.

One of the stanzas are:

I got tired of waiting,

Wondering if you were ever comin’ around.

My faith in you was fading

When I met you on the outskirts of town,

            In the first and second line of the stanza, the girl in the relationship says how she is tired of waiting around for him. They have to sneak around and meet in a certain hiding place and she was tired of waiting for him, never knowing if he would actually come. This shows that he possibly is not sure if their relationship is worth it. He doesn’t know if it’s worth getting caught with her and getting in a lot of trouble.

In the third and forth line of the stanza, the girl says how she is loosing faith in him. She is starting to see that he is not coming to see her and it upsets her. She wants him to not care that other people don’t want them to be together but it obviously seems like he is unsure about their relationship. She says she started loosing faith in him when she met him on the outskirts of town. This shows that they had to get out of town to see each other and he probably does not like that. They both sneak around in order to see each other but he is not sure if it is worth it to sneak around all the time since they are not allowed to be together.

 

Argument 2

Argument 2 theory 2:

The song shows that a guy and a girl are seeing each other even though they are not allowed to be. The girls father does not approve of them being together. This scares the guy a little bit. They want to be together but the guy is unsure if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father.

            In one of the stanzas the lyrics read:

Romeo save me- they’re tryin’ to tell me how to feel;

This love is difficult, but it’s real.

Don’t be afraid; we’ll make it out of this mess.

It’s a love story – baby just say “Yes.”

            In the first line the girl (acting as Juliet) tells the guy (acting as Romeo) to save her because she feels trapped in her own home, unable to see him. Her parents are trying to tell her how to feel about him and she doesn’t want to listen to them being negative about him anymore. The second line in the stanza confirms that their relationship is difficult but that it’s true love. 

            In the third line of the stanza the girl is telling the guy that she loves to not be afraid and that they will get through the issue with her dad. This shows that the guy is probably afraid and is a little unsure if he should stick with the relationship because of the issue with her father and others. She is telling him not to be afraid so she clearly is not going to give up on their relationship.

            In the forth line of the stanza she says that it’s a love story and for him to just say yes.  She wants him to says yes to them being together. She does not want him to give up just because they have a difficult relationship. They are always sneaking around and trying not to get caught together so it is hard for them to have a normal relationship. She wants for him to say yes to their relationship so it is clear that the guy is not so sure if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father. 

Theory 2

Theory 2

The girl (Juliet) is in love with a guy (Romeo) but her father and other people do not allow it and don’t approve of them being together. They want to be together but the guy is unsure if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father.

Argument 1 for theory 2:

Throughout the song there are lines where Romeo seems unsure about sticking to the relationship since her father and other people do not want them to be together. The girl desperately wants them to be together but after the issue with her father he seems like he is not sure he wants to keep seeing her and sneaking around.

            In one of the stanzas the lyrics are:

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet ‘cause we’re dead if they knew

So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.

‘Cause you were Romeo, I was the scarlet letter,

And my daddy said stay away from Juliet,”

But you were everything to me; I was begging you,

“Please, don’t go,”

            In the first and second line of the stanza it shows that the two of them have to sneak around so that they do not get caught together. She says, “we’re dead if they knew,” meaning that if people found them together they would be in very much trouble. Sneaking around and trying not to get caught can be a stressful relationship.

            In the third line of the stanza, tells him to think about what it would be like if they escaped together. She feels trapped not be with the guy she loves and just wants all of that to go away. In the forth line of the stanza, she refers to the guy she loves as being Romeo. She also refers to herself as being the scarlet letter, which means that she was basically his shameful secret because they aren’t allowed to be together. This can clearly put a lot of stress on a guy that wants to be with someone but cannot get caught seen together.

            In the fifth line of the stanza she says how her father told the guy she loves to stay away from her. This must have been scary for him because if a father told any guy to stay away from their daughter, they would most likely be scared away and listen. In the last two lines of the stanza, she says how the guy means so much to her. It is clear that she truly loves him. Although it seems like she is more into the relationship than he is because she says how she was begging him not to go. They obviously want to be together but the guy is unsure if he should stick to the relationship because of this issue with her father.

Argument 4

Argument 4 theory 1:

Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved. Most songwriters write songs about things that they have experienced or felt. Taylor Swift wrote this because she probably had a situation where people did not like the guy she loved even though she really wanted to be with him. She did not care that her dad and other people did not want them to be together. This shows that she had no fear of dealing with her dad and other people being negative about their relationship.

            The lyrics in one of the stanzas are:

And I said,

“Romeo save me – I’ve been feeling so alone.

I keep waiting for you but you never come.

Is this in thy head? I don’t know what to think”

            In this song Juliet acts as Taylor and Romeo acts as the guy she loves. In the first and second line of the stanza there is a repeated line. She tells Romeo to save her, meaning that she wants Romeo to rescue her from everyone talking negatively about their relationship. She also says that she’s been feeling alone because she can never see Romeo and if she does she sneaks around with him so that no one will know they were together. She also is feeling alone because no one knows how she feels. She can’t tell people how she feels about Romeo because they do not accept them being together.

            In the third line of the stanza she says, “I keep waiting for you but you never come.” This means that she keeps trying to see him but he never shows up. This shows she is a lot more fearless than him of getting caught together. She is taking a risk by trying to see him but he is more scared of getting caught with her.

            In the forth line Taylor/Juliet is basically wondering if he really likes her because he isn’t showing up to see her. She doesn’t know what to think of him not showing up to see her. This confirms that Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved.

Argument 3

Argument 3 theory 1:

 

Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved. She relates her song to the story of Romeo and Juliet, Taylor being Juliet and Romeo being the guy she loves. In Taylor’s lyrics it is clear that she cares more about the guy that she loves than what her father and other think about them being together.

In one of the stanzas the lyrics are:

Romeo save me – they’re tryin’ to tell me how to feel;

This love is difficult, but it’s real.

Don’t be afraid; we’ll make it out of this mess.

It’s a love story – baby just say “Yes.”

            Taylor wrote this because she probably had a similar experience where she loved someone but maybe her parents or others didn’t want them to be together. In the first line Juliet is telling Romeo to rescue her because her dad and others are trying to tell her that she should not like a guy like Romeo. Juliet obviously does not want to hear how people don’t want them to be together so she wants Romeo to rescue her from that.

            In the second line of the stanza Taylor/Juliet says that their love is hard because of the fact that people do not approve of them being together. She also says that’s their love is real which shows that even though their love is difficult she still want to be with him. This proves that Taylor/Juliet is being brave and fearless because it is hard to be with someone when parents and others do not approve of it.

            In the third line of the stanza she tells Romeo not to be afraid and that they will make it through their problem. Their problem in their relationship is obviously that her dad and others look down on them being together. By her saying that, I think it shows that she has no fears with trying to continue pursuing their relationship.

The forth line of the stanza is a repeated line in the song. She says it’s a love story, which continually shows that they love each other. She also says “baby just say yes,” which is because she wants Romeo to say yes to them being together regardless their problem. It is clear that Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved. 

Argument 2

Argument 2 for theory 1:

Here is more proof that Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved. The song is connected to the story of Romeo and Juliet. It is about Romeo and Juliet and how Juliet’s parents do not want them to be together even though they love each other. Juliet is being brave and fearless because she is sneaking around trying to be with Romeo even though they are not allowed to see each other. Them being together is looked down upon so getting caught together would get them both in a lot of trouble. Taylor Swift is singing as though she is Juliet and the guy she loves acts as Romeo.

Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved. As proof, the album of this CD is called Fearless and the title of the song is called “Love Story.” The album title is a big clue that she felt that she was being fearless when trying to be with the one she loved even though others did not want them to be together.

In one of her stanzas it reads:

And I said,

“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.

I’ll be waiting; all there’s left to do is run.

You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess

It’s a love story- baby just say ‘Yes.

            This stanza is proof that my theory is correct. In the first and second line of the stanza Taylor Swift/ Juliet is telling Romeo to take her somewhere that they can be alone so that no one will see them together. They don’t want to be caught together because they will get in trouble. By taking that risk they were being brave and fearless because they could possibly get caught together. In the third line Taylor is waiting for her Romeo and wants to run away with him. This shows her having no fear because if she ran away with Romeo she could also get in a lot of trouble.

            In the forth line of the stanza, Taylor shows that she really wants to be with her Romeo and for them to have a perfect life together. She wants to be the princess and for him to be the prince, showing that she really wants them to be together. In the fifth line of the stanza she confirms that it’s a love story so you know that Romeo and Juliet are in love. Then she says “baby just say yes,” which means that she wants him to say yes to them being together. Juliet knows that they are not accepted being together so for him to say yes, and be with Juliet, it would mean that he truly loves her regardless of what other people think of them together. Taylor/Juliet clearly does not care about people not wanting them to be together, proving that Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved.

Theory 1

Theory 1:

Taylor Swift wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved.

 

Argument 1 for theory 1:

Taylor Swift’s song is connected to the story of Romeo and Juliet. Taylor Swift is playing Juliet and the guy she loves acts as Romeo. Taylor Swift is being brave and fearless because she is constantly trying to be with Romeo even though their parents do not want them to be together.

In one of the stanzas, the lyrics are:

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet ‘cause we’re dead if they knew

So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.

‘Cause you were Romeo, I was the scarlet letter,

And my daddy said “Stay away from Juliet,”

But you were everything to me; I was begging you,

“Please, don’t go,”

            The first line shows that Juliet is being sneaky because she wants to see Romeo. She sneaks out to the garden and the parents do not want them to see each other, showing that Juliet is being brave and fearless in order to see him. The second line indicates that if their parents knew they were seeing each other that they would each be in a lot of trouble. This is proof that they are both at a lot of risk by seeing each other but they don’t care because they are both in love.

            In third line of the stanza Taylor Swift basically wants Romeo to close his eyes and imagine what it would be like if they were to escape from the town where their parents don’t want them to be together. Imagining what this would be like creates a sense of happiness because if they both ran away together, their parent problem would be solved and they would both happily be together. The forth line confirms that the song is connected to the story of Romeo and Juliet. Taylor Swift makes it obvious that the guy she loves is being referred to as Romeo. She also says that she was his shameful secret by making a connection to her being the scarlet letter. Juliet being Romeo's scarlet letter basically means that people looked down upon them being together and saw them being together as shameful. Romeo and Juliet being secretive with their parents shows that they were fearless because they could’ve gotten caught together.

            In the fifth line of the stanza, Taylor Swift/Juliet says that her dad told Romeo to stay away from her/Juliet. This also proves that their parents do not want them to be together even though they are in love. In the sixth and seventh line of the stanza Juliet shows that she really cares about Romeo and that she doesn’t want their parents to ruin their relationship. She tells Romeo how much he means to her and that she doesn’t want him to leave her.

Taylor Swift clearly wrote this song because she wanted to share her story about a time when she was brave and fearless, when it came to being with the one she loved. By writing this song she probably felt that many people could relate to having a similar situation, where people don’t want two people to be together for a certain reason even if they love each other.

 

"Love Story" lyrics

Title of song: Love Story

Written by: Taylor Swift

Performed by: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s Official Website: http://taylorswift.com/ 

We were both young when I first saw you.

I close my eyes and the flashback starts:

I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.

 

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.

See you make your way through the crowd

and say hello;

 

Little did I know

That you were Romeo; you were throwing pebbles,

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet."

And I was crying on the staircase,

begging you, 'Please, don't go.'

 

And I said,

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.

I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

 

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew.

So close your eyes; escape this town for a little while.

'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter,

And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet,"

But you were everything to me; I was begging you, 'Please, don't go,'

 

And I said,

"Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.

I'll be waiting; all there's left to do is run.

You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess

It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

 

Romeo save me; they're tryin' to tell me how to feel.

This love is difficult, but it's real.

Don't be afraid; we'll make it out of this mess.

It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

 

Oh.

 

I got tired of waiting,

Wondering if you were ever comin' around.

My faith in you was fading

When I met you on the outskirts of town.

 

And I said,

"Romeo save me - I've been feeling so alone.

I keep waiting for you but you never come.

Is this in my head? I don't know what to think-"

 

He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said,

"Marry me, Juliet. you'll never have to be alone.

I love you and that's all I really know.

I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress;

It's a love story - baby just say 'Yes.'

 

Oh, oh.

 

We were both young when I first saw you...

A close analysis of the song "Love Song"

This blog is a student run project to delve into "Love Song" written by Taylor Swift and sung by Taylor Swift.  The posts that follow will contain a textual and contextual analysis of the lyrics, the writer’s word choice, how the music emphasizes certain lyrics, and how those lyrics function in the world. 

I am particularly interested in seeing what responses, memories and feelings these lyrics evoke in myself as I continue to peel back the layers of meaning.  And less interested in interviews given by the artist on the lyrics, although I may include some of those later on in my project.

Over the next three weeks, this blog will feature three posts per week.  These posts will develop two distinctive theories of meaning. I encourage everyone to leave comments as I will use those comments to help further build and refute my theories.

Later, this blog will also feature an visual argument based on my interpretations.