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likefolksong · 2 years ago

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illicit affairs song analysis

song: illicit affairs

artists: taylor swift

album: folklore

general themes: secretive relationship, cheating, uncertainity, infidelity, apathy

summary: the feelings of having a covert relationship with someone who you cared deeply about, but they never truly loved you

tw: brief mentions and implications of sex/sexual pleasure

verse 1

“make sure nobody sees you leave / hood over your head, keep your eyes down / tell your friends you're out for a run / you'll be flushed when you return / take the road less traveled by / tell yourself you can always stop / what started in beautiful rooms / ends with meetings in parking lots”

taylor begins this first verse by talking about the nature of illicit relationships and how she needs to be discreet and take various measures to ensure that no one finds out. these precautions include donning a hood to obscure her identity and even choosing a "route less traveled" in order to avoid confrontation. in order to further conceal her relationship, she makes up the lie that she is out for a run in front of her friends. if anyone questions the reason for her flushed face, she will reply that she is simply out for a run, another evidence of her attempting to conceal her secret relationship. although the relationship may have started in glamorous rooms and exquisite settings, it later downgrades to motels and meetings in parking lots. additionally, it is implied that she is the woman a man is having an extramarital affair with and this later causes her to feel extreme guilt.

chorus

“and that's the thing about illicit affairs / and clandestine meetings and longing stares / it's born from just one single glance / but it dies, and it dies, and it dies / a million little times”

in the chorus, taylor realizes that since there was never any love or concern in the relationship, this is how the affair would have ended anyway. even though she only did it for his physical pleasure, she still feels affection for him. she feels dehumanized by the relationship and is aware that he is merely using her as a tool to serve his own interests, but she still feels love for him. she yearns to genuinely be with him, but every time she realizes she is only sex, the desire ‘dies’.

verse 2

“leave the perfume on the shelf / that you picked out just for him / so you leave no trace behind / like you don't even exist / take the words for what they are / a dwindling, mercurial high / a drug that only worked / the first few hundred times”

to further the secrery of their relationship, this man urges taylor to not use any perfume so ‘no trace is left behind’ in order for him to keep both his relationship with her and his actual partner. the ‘drug’ that is mentioned refers to cheating and being used- how he used complimentary words to create a false illusion of love, she easily believed what he said, only to realize he only said that for the sake of being able to sleep with her. she doesn't care, though, because she genuinely loves him and understands that these are the only opportunities she will have to be with him.

bridge

“and you wanna scream / don't call me "kid" / don't call me "baby" / look at this godforsaken mess that you made me / you showed me colors / you know i can't see with anyone else / don't call me "kid" / don't call me "baby" / look at this idiotic fool that you made me / you taught me a secret language / i can't speak with anyone else / and you know damn well / for you, i would ruin myself / a million little times”

the last verse is where it gets emotional- taylor is fed up and done with everything she has been put through. she does not want to be called pet names like ‘kid’ or ‘baby’, because she knows those were only used so she could sleep with him. these names that once brought her excitement and happiness have now turned bitter, and only remind her of the manipulation he used on her to get what he desired. he is taking advantage of the fact that she is in love with him.

she expresses her rage about all the heartache and anguish she had to endure with the phrase "you taught me secret language i can't speak with anybody else." she is wailing and pleading with him to understand how much she loved him. she sacrificed everything for him, even to the point of physically and mentally collapsing in terrible agony for him. the final line, "and you know damn well," ties everything together. it refers to the fact that he is aware of how he takes advantage of her, is aware of her feelings, and is aware of how much she cares for him, but he does not care because he never has, because he will continue to hurt her and she will permit it because she cares so much.

#jas song analysis #illicit affairs #folklore #taylor swift

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likefolksong · 2 years ago

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intro post!

hello! this is a musical analysis sideblog of @seulgibabes! here, i like to discuss music in-depth and have conversations centered around it

✦ current favorite artists include taylor swift, girl in red, clario, lana del ray, mitski, conan gray, cavetown, chole moridno, lorde and suki waterhouse

✦ my main artists i like to analyze are taylor swift, lana del ray, and mitski, but i am always open to requests so feel free to send them!

✦ please send me any album/song requests if you’d like me to review them, i love listening to new music

✦ when requesting a song not in english, please provide a translation/website with english translation so i can do my best to analyze it

✦ final word: this is all MY interpretation of music. music is highly subjective and there is no right or wrong way to view a piece of media, so please take what i say lightly

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pspsps intro post and masterlist format credit to the wonderful @sophiefostersgirlfriend

#intro post

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