#DEVILSROLLTHEDICE

[treacherous-crooked-love]

The iconic Cruel Summer: a lyrical dissection!!

by the iconic Taylor Swift

Obviously, one of my favorite songs, one of her best, truly. I've always wanted to do an analysis on this poetic song so here we go!!

Note:

This is not intended to be a speculation on Taylor's personal life or feelings!! Just my interpretations of this amazing song!

In this song, she sings about an intense love in the summer, meant to be kept secret and hidden from the rest of the world.

Similarly to her song "Slut!" (written earlier as it was a vault track), she describes this love as a "sickness/fever" perhaps not in a toxic way, more of the fact that it makes her feel nauseous, giddy and flustered. In "slut!", she sings "Got lovesick all over my bed"

Interestingly, another reference to "Slut!"-- "Bad bad boy, shiny toy with a price you know that I bought it" is a lyrical parallel to "I'll pay the price, you won't." She refers to him as a "Shiny toy" something attractive and appealing, but comes at the cost of her emotions.

Perhaps the price she paid was the deep feelings that developed?

"Killing me slow, out the window" gives me that Romeo and Juliet scenario where Romeo calls for Juliet outside her window. Her initial anxiety about this relationship is encapsulated in "I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below". She is unsure if he is there to catch her if she falls, but she's blindly hoping he's there regardless.

Their situation is described as hopeless in the line "Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes" --Challenges (depicted as "devils") come their way in the relationship, while miracles (depicted as "angels") don't come easily.

"What doesn't kill me makes me want you more"-- a reference to the line "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger" which is often meant as a term of resilience. As the love proves to become stronger and more intense, her hopes for this relationship become higher.

The relationship is a wholly fresh and new experience that she has, and yet she describes this feeling as "blue".

With reference to the song, "Gorgeous" - "You make me so happy it turns back to sad." Blue can mean a multitude of things-serenity, peace, melancholy and sadness. Perhaps she means that she felt happy with him, but sad at the same time as she was unsure (at first) if it was going to last, making her feel melancholic.

"Its cool, that's what I tell 'em" shows the feigned nonchalance that she adopts when telling others about their relationship. Another reference to a previous song "Come back...Be Here" ("If I had known what I'd known now, I never would've played so nonchalant") Perhaps this is the type of defense mechanism that she has developed.

"No rules in breakable heaven" suggests at the fragile nature of this relationship (she describes is as "heaven"). As referenced in State of Grace, "Love is a ruthless game", this love has no rules, perhaps giving her a sense of loss in control.

Thus, she describes this love as a cruel summer, perhaps not just the season, but as a kind of cruel happiness and joy as summer is mostly associated with a glowy kind of happiness and freedom.

"Hang your head low" suggests that he tries to keep his identity a secret in perhaps a public space...? (as depicted by the presence of the vending machine)

He points out that "In these trying times, we're not trying" which could perhaps mean that during that period of time where she was trying to keep the relationship a secret, they weren't doing enough.

Thus, the next line "So cut the headlights" makes sense, as now they try to hide each other's presence by not using headlights at all. This is an echo of her previous song, "Style" where she sings "You come and pick me up, no headlights." All these hints towards a secretive rendezvous.

"Summer's a knife, I'm always waiting for you just to cut to the bone" shows how anxious the starting point of the relationship used to be. She was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, how her happiness in this relationship could ultimately hurt her in the end.

"and if I bleed you'll be the last to know" suggests at the defence mechanism that she has adopted. She is terrified to be vulnerable with him and get hurt in the process, as echoed in the chorus "It's cool, that's what I tell 'em."

LET'S CROSS THE BRIDGE!

The bridge paints an emotional and vulnerable scene, in contrast with the nonchalance that she portrayed earlier. Despite her distress, she still tries to maintain a cool facade "Said I'm fine, but it wasn't true." This line reminds me of "I might be okay but I'm not fine at all" in All Too Well.

"I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you" shows how the anxiety and nervousness she faces while trying desperately to keep the relationship a secret has taken a toll on her. She wants to be able to love him openly.

"Just to seal my fate"---Seal my fate is an interesting choice of phrase. Seal my fate basically means if an event or situation happens to you, nothing can stop some unpleasant things from happening to you. Thus, I believe this phrase means that the more time she spent with him that summer, sneaking into the garden gate at night, she fell harder and harder for him uncontrollably.

The next line reaches the emotional climax of the song. "For whatever it's worth, I love you ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?" She's honest with the true depth and intensity of her feelings after claiming that "it's cool" and feels fearful of his reaction.

"He looks up grinning like the devil" perhaps shows his delight at the statement; her feelings are truly reciprocated. "Like the devil" tells us how her feelings regarding him have been tormenting her all summer.

Conclusion:

I love how this song incorporates all these metaphors and phrases that truly captures the anxiety and fluttering feelings of the fragile start of the relationship. The bridge is honestly one of her best and shows how the intensity of her emotions blow over into an honest, vulnerable confession. :)

[showedmecolors]

Hi stinky perhaps i love u

omg i did not expect this it put the biggest smile on my face ... hi smelly perhaps i love u more 🥺🥺🥺 and maybe even more than your beautiful alpaca too

[pinkheart22]

THE DICE IN YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN 🎲

[insidewildestdreams]

Its a CRUEL SUMMER 😈🎲😇👀💕 . . . #brooklyn #mural #taylorswift #cruelsummer #proud #happy #travels #goals #nyc #devil #devilsrollthedice #angelsrolltheireyes #angel #stream #lover #album #on #spotify #song #lyrics #taylor (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AMlyehwVD/?igshid=12adts24ig3s4

[edandronov]

Kitties roll the dice, doggos roll their eyes

[amberlikesthis]

Screaming "HE LOOKS UP, GRINNING LIKE A DEVIL" is a whole mood

[cindxycts13]

her artworks are amazing!!! - - - #cruelsummer #devilsrollthediceangelsrolltheireyes #devilsrollthedice #angelsrolltheireyes https://www.instagram.com/p/B-S_OinntEx/?igshid=208y714zvvbq

[amiraabraham13-blog]

🐣 Easter eggs : “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes” 🎲 @taylorswift

[tswizzleourhomesizzle]

Skipping into the new era of TSwift!!!!! We visited the mural in Brooklyn today, it was honestly AMAZING!!!!!! Hope you all get a chance to see it :) 

-Alexis&Izzy

@taylorswift

[devilsrollthedice]

No because the usernames i saved after the secret session being devilsrollthedice here and angelsrolltheireyes on ig and me losing my pointer finger nail at her house and then there being a board game in the lover mv with the same lyrics and the same nail missing on the hand. Top 5 weirdest coincidences to ever happen in the history of the world I think

[starswerealigned]

tagged by lovely: @weathur, to turn my big ass url into a song acrostics so here i go doing it, for sure! ❤

tagging: @herecomestherun @readyforit @hotgirlsrk @killingseve @bazpitch @fadingviews @iwasyourghost @maziekeen @signsbeforeexile @intertwned @augustsaffairs @paqerings @wasenchanting @vaengogh @i-was-insane @loveisbraveandwild @thenighttrain @devilsrollthedice @nightinthehotel @lexigreys @liabilitys @zerhysie @kenobei @strawberryfolklore @stevienick @starsaroundmyscars @shiprolledin @folkloredeluxe @feelngsorry @londonsboy

a: aqueous transmission (incubus)

l: lincoln, nebraska (humbird)

l: lotus flower (radiohead)

u: understanding in a car crash (thursday)

r: rive (louis prince)

e: earthquake (anna ash)

o: one headlight (the wallflowers)

f: free woman (lady gaga)

t: the boy who blocked his own shot (brand new)

h: haunted house (holly humberstone)

e: everywhere (fleetwood mac)

m: makedamnsure (taking back sunday)

i: inside out (eve 6)

n: now (paramore)

d: desperately wanting (better than ezra)

[showedmecolors]

Who are your favorite mutuals?

HI ANON sorry for the late reply i completely did not see this?? anyway i have a super bad memory but I THINK these are the people i interact with the most / love:

@melodramas @redacoustic @sunsinksdown @spendforevers @likedaylight @frozen2s @devilsrollthedice @armorfalls @thesonofneptune @primeverdeens @wonderfck @zoesnightshade @friendlyneighborhoodpegacorn @driveawcywithyou @couldntaketheheat @stepintothedaylight @idinamenzl @taycone

i’m sorry i probably missed out a hell lot of people lmao helps

[everytimeyousmileismile]

ONE YEAR SINCE SOME OF THE BEST PICTURES WERE TAKEN IM LOOKING AT @devilsrollthedice @theygaveusourtrophies @lifetimeswiftie13 AND SO MANY MORE TAYLOR LOVES YOU ALL SO MUCH

[ashleyadorestaylor]

kate @upbottleswithyou and abbi @abbiheartstaylor tagged me to create my own mood board! 🌸🕊

i tag @blankswiftt @butterfliestcdust @andihopeineverloseyou @yougottastepintothetaylight @theygaveusourtrophies @tswift2am @devilsrollthedice <3

[flylikejetstreams]

I was tagged by Brooke 🥺🧚🏼‍♀️💛✌🏻 @iimnewyorkcity

ancient or modern • bitter or sweet • chocolate or vanilla • coffee or tea • create or destroy • day or night • early bird or night owl • freckles or dimples • gold or silver • greek mythology or egyptian mythology • macarons or eclairs • hot or cold • thunder or lightning • typewritten or handwritten • secret garden or secret library • spicy or mild • dark magic or light magic • virtue or vice • ocean or desert • mermaids or sirens • known or unknown • rough or smooth • moon or stars • rain or snow

I’m tagging @dearreputation @devilsrollthedice @kaylovestayy @lifetimeswiftie13 @jumpthensfall @ninetay89 @lookwhatyoumademefuckingdo 💖💞

[blankswiftt]

rules: only using song titles from artist/band, cleverly answer the questions and tag 10 people

i was tagged by @upbottleswithyou & @ashleyadorestaylor

artist: taylor swift

gender: how you get the girl

how are you feeling right now? tied together with a smile

if you could go anywhere? dark blue Tennessee

your best friend? Miss Americana

favourite time of day? daylight

if your life was a tv show? state of grace

relationship status? invisible

i tag @theswiftiesarah @standupwithshakyhands @hearitinthe-silence @andihopeineverloseyou @devilsrollthedice @brookewhatyoumademedo @delicateswiftiez137 @butterflies-thebeautifulkind @couldbtrusted @theluckyswifft & whoever else wants to participate!!