#false god lyrics analysis

[taylortruther]

I'm not here to start actual Joe v Taylor discourse, but I feel like expecting her partner to somewhat "sense" a problem without her saying much is kind of an interesting theme in Taylor's music ("I said leave but all I really want is you…"; the dialogue in the All Too Well film) and I do feel like her framing in You're Losing Me heavily implies a lack of communication on her side. Whether that's really what happened, I don't know, but I don't feel it's necessarily as one-sided of an issue as some are taking it.

i think there is def a theme of miscommunication and wanting someone to pick up emotional cues (the last time and exile and ylm definitely indicate that), but i also think we must balance that with what we've learned in her other songs! because in the archer, afterglow, daylight, the great war, and renegade, we can see that she was learning - or learned - how to break down some of her unhealthy patterns of communication. i'm sure she wasn't perfect because no one is.

also, we do have renegade, where she is basically begging someone to please open up and get their shit together because she doesn't feel loved when they're closed off. and that also reflects some of what we know about joe in her music (i stay when you're lost and i'm scared and you're turning away + i can't talk to you when you're like this staring out the window like i'm not your favorite town + all of renegade.)

if we even go back to reputation, there's a basis that they're both basically bad at communicating lmao. so it goes tells a story of a relationship that continuously breaks down and is revived by physical intimacy at the beginning. false god and afterglow continue that theme. coney island, exile, cardigan, and hoax might be telling us about a shared fear that their miscommunications were pulling them apart.

so i agree it's not a one-sided issue because they both struggled and my personal take is that she worked on it and made more progress than he did. like from the get-go, he was better at it, but at a certain point she surpassed him.

[shyjusticewarrior]

Describing Emma In Emma Falls In Love + Describing Herself In Other Songs

When Emma Falls In Love: "all the bad boys would be good boys if they only got the chance to love her"

Blank Space: "I can make the bad guys good for a weekend"

When Emma Falls In Love: "she's so New York when she's in LA"

False God: "I'm New York City, I still do it for you babe"

[lossisyours]

@taylortruther broke my brain a little with hoax analysis, and it got me thinking of how sweet nothing reminds me a lot of lavender haze in that both of those songs, in retrospect, reframe drastic switches in originally stated plans/intentions and romanticise it.

taylor’s always sung about a desire for marriage: from mary’s song (debut), “take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle / our whole town came and our mamas cried / you said, ‘i do,’ and i did too” to love story (fearless), “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’” to speak now the whole damn song to starlight (red), “we could get married, have ten kids and teach ’em how to dream” to how you get the girl (1989), “i want you for worse or for better” to lover’s (title song) bridge’s mimicry of wedding vows to paper rings’ thesis to it’s nice to have a friend (lover), “church bells ring, carry me home / rice on the ground, looks like snow”. only to drop midnights with lavender haze as the first single, the start to the album; an album that bargains a LOT with her discography (and herself). and that doesn’t make lavender haze a lie, necessarily... but it does make it an immensely thought-provoking narrative to switch to.

sweet nothing’s not that different! it was all over fearless (2008) from that initial, youthful romanticism of fearless (title song), “you know i wanna ask you to dance right there / in the middle of the parking lot”, to the spectacular dramatism of love story’s entire genesis/lyric-story, to the cheeky flamboyance of hey stephen and you belong with me. she’s known that she wants fireworks & grand gestures. actions & proof! she missed “screamin’ and fightin’ and kissin’ in the rain” and being “so in love that you act insane”. she herself loves in huge ways, and to cite examples for that would be to quote most of her discography. and she cares about the showing up – that’s why she wrote the moment i knew (red). and that narrative started to morph a little when she met joe; she said as much in miss americana, “i was falling in love with someone who had a wonderfully normal, balanced life. we decided together we wanted our relationship to be private. i was happy. but i wasn’t happy in the way i was trained to be happy. it was happiness without anyone else’s input.” their new beginnings weren’t secret to her, they were sacred. and then she sang, “we still worship this love / even if it’s a false god” and called their love “faithless” in hoax. she took over the role of being the fire to keep his brittle heart warm. she took ownership of being “the liquor in [their] cocktails”. she took the dreaminess & fated-soulmateism of invisible strong (folklore) and made it mastermind (midnights) — which everyone joked about at that time, but now hurts to think about.

there is a pipeline from “all that you ever wanted from me was... nothing” to “and i’m fadin’, thinkin’ 'do something, babe, risk something, babe, say something / 'lose something, babe, risk something / choose something, babe, i got nothing' / 'to believe, unless you’re choosing me” that makes my tummy hurt. how long could they be a sad song? (hoax. the sad song is hoax.)

[pinkorchidsinspring]

I Can See You

Let's do some lyric analysis, shall we? Just for funsies, because there's absolutely no way this song has any references to queerness at all... coughs in coding girlie in the music video* (Stanzas of lyrics are labeled for reference when repeated.)

1)You brush past me in the hallway And you don't think I, I, I can see ya, do ya? I've been watchin' you for ages

Okay, so Taylor gives away right away that she has been "watchin'"/paying attention to the person this song is about. (Let's call her Cece for right now just so I don't have to keep referring to her as "the person this song is about" and so there's no arguing in the comments about who the muse of this song is.)

1)And I spend my time tryin' not to feel it

Okay maybe hypothetically if Cece is actually a Collin, maybe she doesn't want to accept that she has feelings for him because he's a mean guy, or her friends just don't like him. But if Cece is a Cece, Taylor was probably experiencing some internalized homophobia, or general fear of being interested in a girl because she doesn't want to be gay. She simply doesn't want to make her life as a country music star (at the time) any harder. No matter how much she's interested in Cece.

2)But what would you do if I went to touch you now? What would you do if they never found us out? What would you do if we never made a sound?

In this series of seemingly frantic questions, Taylor is asking Cece or Collin if they would go through with whatever (-possibly fleeting) secret relationship Taylor wants to pursue. She's asking if they would willingly hide with her, if they would willingly kiss her, and never tell.

3)'Cause I can see you waitin' down the hall from me And I could see you up against the wall with me And what would you do? Baby, if you only knew That I can see you

First off, Taylor Alison Swift, this is very Dress, False God, Gorgeous, Lover (feat. Shawn Mendes), so very sapphic what-if-I-worship-you-right-here horny of you. Anyways, in this excerpt, she's again asking if they would turn her away, or if they would follow through with it. However, by saying that she can "see" them, she alludes that she knows what their answer would be in "seeing" them. She portrays Cece or Collin as being interested in return.

4)And we kept everything professional But something's changed, it's somethin' I, I like

Here Taylor alludes that at some point she worked with this person, and something in their relationship is changing, specifically something to do with this person "brushing past her in the hallway", and "waiting down the hallway from her", away from prying eyes. In other words, this relationship is seemingly becoming anything but professional and platonic.

4)They keep watchful eyes on us So it's best that we move fast and keep quiet

By "They", I choose to interpret they as her management/PR team, because who else would want to make sure they know who Taylor is involved with and when? Why would she have to hide it from her friends and family if it was just bad boy Collin? After all her PR team has no problems linking her to problematic men like John Mayonaise, Jake Jingleballs, and Calvin Harasser. It seems like she's hiding this relationship from her management (and possibly her friends and family if they don't know she likes women yet, as she seems to be unsettled by it herself at this point in time.). So Taylor is detailing how if she has a relationship with Cece it has to be only for brief instances, and no one can know.

4)You won't believe half the things I see inside my head Wait 'til you see half the things that haven't happened yet

This is just very um... sapphic what-if-I-worship-you-right-here horny of her once again, so moving on...

5)Stanza 2 is repeated to again ask her partner if they will willingly do this with her. 6)Stanza 3 is then repeated and added to it is: That I could see you throw your jacket on the floor I could see you, make me want you even more What would you do? Baby, if you only knew That I can see you

With the Jacket being thrown on the floor, Cece or Collin obviously show interest back in a very obvious way. This blatant interest makes Taylor want them even more, and again Taylor asks Cece or Collin if they would go through it.

7)I can see you in your suit and your necktie

I like to think she added this line recently... I can't find any photos of Dianna, or Emily in a suit... but Karlie…

7)Passed me a note saying, "Meet me tonight" Then we kissed and you know I won't ever tell, yeah

This excerpt only further proves that Taylor's partner isn't hiding. Taylor is, there's some reason why Taylor's partner can be assured that she won't ever tell anyone. But yeah sure maybe bad boy Collin wants her to keep their relationship a secret.

7)And I could see you being my addiction You can see me as a secret mission Hideaway and I will start behaving myself

Taylor can get addicted to this person, and this person should see Taylor's addiction to them as a secret mission they need to pursue. If this partner starts hiding away with Taylor instead of just watching her from afar, then Taylor seems to allude that she'll stop giving her management/friends/family a reason to look closer at their "professional" relationship.

Analysis over <3

feel free to add anything you think I should add to this post in the comments :)

My other song analysis’ if you’re interested <3

[anixknowsnothin]

hey Nix how did you enjoy the latest Epic saga?(if you've listened)

HIII OMG I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS.

ok so when you sent this ask, it was during the release of the thunder saga which i'd be happy to talk on even now so let's begin:

THE THUNDER SAGA

The Thunder Saga is incredible beginning to Act 2. I mean you get to hear the sirens, Scylla, the crew and ZEUS. Considering that this is after the Underworld Saga, where Odysseus learns that he must become "the monster," I tried to look for that while listening to this for the first time. And boy, did I find it.

Immediately we start with Suffering, where the siren pretends to be Penelope and Ody plays along. It is so catchy and I absolutely love how Mr.Jalepeneo incorporates the vowel effect he talks about in this ! Moreover, the little detail where the viola isn't playing, which is Penelope's instrument, when the siren messes up about her and Odysseus having a daughter is such a nice detail and shows the amount of thought put in by Jorge (I live for his music analysis).

We move on to Different Beast, that starts with "LET'S CUT THE CHARADE, YOU ARE NO WIFE OF MINE." Chills. Immediately shocked because when I first listened to this, I was very confused and only started to figure out 'Penelope' is actually a siren. This song is how Odysseus became the monster. I was so shocked when he sang "Throw their bodies back in the water, let them drown" and the screams of the sirens. It's so stone cold and really reflects Odysseus' desperation to go home, and the extreme lengths he would go to.

Let's enter the lair of Scylla, shall we? This is my favourite song from this saga because KJ Burkhauser's voice is perfectly manipulative and monstrous, but in the most angelic manner (am i making sense?) I love how Eurylochus finally confesses and Odysseus doesn't even say anything, especially in the animatic, he's just shocked (as Scylla perfectly sings in the background). Instead he changes the topic and gives him orders. 1:54 onwards is my favourite part of the song, because WOW SHE SOUNDS SO SCARY AND THE EMPHASIS ON THE WORDS LIKE "DROWN" AND "CHOKE" JUST MAKE THIS SONG SO MUCH BETTER. Plus in the same animatic, Eurylochus' gradual realisation of Odysseus' plan is just :chef's kiss: because it shows his hurt. It'

Mutiny is a song I've been waiting to listen for a long time, considering that Jorge had released this snippet much before the release of the Troy saga and I love the reference to Luck Runs Out, as it shows the change in how Eurylochus and the crew perceived Odysseus (I'm going to talk about this later). "If you want all the power, you must carry all the blame" is such a good line as it suits his character so well. Then comes Helios' island, where Eurylochus calls Odysseus 'Ody' which I PROMISE I'll talk about after Thunder Bringer. Orders disobeyed and then comes trouble in the form of the...

THUNDER BRINGER. It's such a beautiful and scary song, perfectly capturing Zeus' nature. The personification of pride is so terrifying, the lyrics "hiding away where only I can undress her" brings attention to Zeus' role of enforcing law. Luke Holt's voice in this song sends shivers down my spine, he was really best suited for this role as he brings this sense of power and authority to Zeus' character which is very much needed for the King of the Gods. Him making Odysseus choose, just like in The Horse and The Infant, and how there is a nod to that song ("please don't make me do this") along with "Just a man" to represent the crew's thoughts and "Suffering" for Penelope itches my brain. The fact that "Suffering" is used here instead of a snippet of Penelope's voice shows that even though the last time Odysseus heard Penelope's voice was actually a siren's impersonation, it's the one that crosses his mind. He wants to see his wife so desperately that a false impression is what he thinks of. Eurylochus last lines "But we'll die" and Odysseus' pain when he says "I know" had me SOBBING internally. The ending of this song is so peaceful and a wonderful transition to the Wisdom Saga.

Here's my mini Eurylochus essay:

The way Eurylochus slowly goes from considering Odysseus as a brother to captain to 'Ody' in the musical is so well orchestrated. His faith in Odysseus as a captain decreases and his anger increases after watching Odysseus slowly transition. We start with Full Speed Ahead, where Eurylochus asks Odysseus, "Captain, what's the plan?" which shows his trust in Odysseus and how he goes to him the second there is a problem. When they come across the island, Eurylochus is quick and rash, showing his impatient nature, thinking they should "strike first" but Odysseus rejects this idea. which I think isn't talked about enough. Does this rejection ignite some anger in Eurylochus? Is this the starting point of their relationship going down hill? Or is he just worried about Odysseus and cares for him? We see him in Survive, where he asks Odysseus "What are our orders?" in a panicked state, showing his trust and dependence on Odysseus once again. Even though Odysseus is frozen in shock, Eurylochus goes to him before taking any course of action. Later in Remember Them, he asks "what will we do of our fallen friends?" which foreshadows him blaming Odysseus for their deaths. (ill continue this in the reblog wait)

[lipslikethegardensofbabylon]

#ttpd analysis day nine - Guilty As Sin?

there are not enough words to convey how in love i am with the repeated motif of love being a religion. ex, sacred prayer i was there, stained glass windows in my mind, we bless the rains on Cornelia street, lord save me, etc etc etc. it’s difficult to neatly identify all of the lyrics this track parallels but the two primary songs are False God and ivy. this is one of my fave tracks she’s ever done and my only hot take is that this should’ve been a track 13. without further ado -

drowning in the Blue Nile - this line is genius for all of the implications, yes it’s a band, it’s also that (continued) metaphor for depression (ocean wave blues, I’m with you even if it makes me blue, etc), and in discussing with @aslowmotionlovepotion she also said denial is not just a river in egypt

falling back into the hedge maze is one of my favorite lyrics, there’s something so deeply romantic to me about falling (or as she says, crashing) fully into someone and getting tangled up/lost in the feelings. if you follow the imagery and previous tracks she basically describes being lost at sea, clinging (even white knuckling) the raft, and it’s almost like she comes to shore and enters this Alice in Wonderland type labyrinth as partially a reprieve but there’s also this residual guilt (am I allowed to cry?). I just love the imagery; she describes something lush and green when she could’ve described it more clinically like a chess game as she did in Dear John. idk it just speaks volumes to me. continuing with the lush imagery, the song parallels a lot of ivy

one slip and falling back into the hedge maze /your ivy grows and now I'm covered

oh, what a way to die, I keep recalling things we never did/I'd live and die for moments that we stole

my boredom’s bone-deep/I’d meet you where the spirit meets the bones

these fatal fantasies/I wish to know the fatal flaw

If it’s make believe/I can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland

what if I roll the stone away/my house of stone

it’s a fire, it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it/my sheets are ablaze

also the religious imagery and the False God (my other beloved) parallels are just

throwing my life to the wolves or the ocean rocks/we were stupid to jump in the ocean separating us

oh, what a way to die/remember how I said I'd die for you?

why does it feel like a vow we'll both uphold somehow?/we might just get away with it

religion's in your lips/messy top lip kiss

the altar is my hips/what if he's written "mine" on my upper thigh?

what if the way you hold me is actually what's holy?/I know heaven's a thing, I go there when you touch me

I choose you and me religiously/even if it's a false god, we'd still worship this love

I keep these longings locked in lowercase, inside a vault could be directly referring to folkmore. it could also be journal entries, poetry, or woodvale! (jk about the last part, lol). but i think the most obvious connection would be to loml on the same album, there are also religious lyrics within that track, but in going through the album I’m trying not to fully discuss later tracks until it’s their turn in the tracklist.

i also want to include this little bit

"La petite mort", from French: Small death, is an expression meaning "short loss or weakening of consciousness / consciousness".

it’s interesting considering the sex/orgasm euphemism and how closely it follows the repeated glimmers of death in Guilty As Sin? these fatal fantasies/building up like waves crashing over my grave/oh, what a way to die/they're gonna crucify me anyway

ending it with the dreamy am I allowed to cry? also reminds me of gold rush which “takes place inside a single daydream where you get lost in thought for a minute and then snap out of it”

[couchie]

VIBRATES INTO YOUR ASKBOX

WHAT'S UR FAVOURITE CHONNY JASH SONG I GOTS TO KNOW. ALSO UR FAVE SONG OFF CCCC IF U HAVE ONE <== heavily fixated on cccc specifically rn [our fave is probably Variations On A Cloud at the moment] -Soul

HELLO HELLO HI. GRIPS YOUR SHOULDERS.

I REALLY AM NOT SURE if we're talking music, it's definitely Night. if we're talking lyrics, i dont knowwww auughhhhbgghg theyre all so good. might be Mind Electric tho. if we're talking like. generwally. uHhhhhh Mucka Blucka NDBSNSNJZXK. THEYRE ALL SO GOOD

also theyre all from CCCC cuz i havent had the chance to traverse into the other albums. i've been listening to the qhole album on repeat and it takes me time to Absorb new music and understand it and decide if i like it so its going slow. that and, i made my mum also obsessed with CJ and now i'm translating the lyrics of CCCC to turkish for her (the music isnt her style, but by god, the lyrics *absolutely* are). and then we sit down and discuss the lyrics i translate. it's like a book club except it's not a book and it's not a club and i havent been in a book club before ghis is all hearsay. UM. WHAT WAS I SAYING. OH yeah so as i'm taking time to translate and discuss the lyrics (it helps me with thw media analysis too!! ^-^ to like, sit down and discuss what we understand from it) it's going slow and we're like. if we're talking listening/absorbing music we've come to the uhhh the "do you want a banana" one and if we're talkinv translating, we've just finished translating Night. so! the reference pool isnt all somgs of CJ, it's from those. like. jsyk.

(i am so fucking surprised we dont have guys from that album. BUT to be fair we did have a New Guy Scare that turned out to be a false alarm. oh well)

ALSO VARIATIONS ON A CLOUD FUCKS SMMMMMMM

[foxes-that-run]

Could false god be about Harry ?

I have always thought so, a lovely tumblr who’s not active at the moment has posted a lyric analysis’ of it here, Taylor

[jihyoruri]

..oh my god 😭😭

i was gonna go to bed but I saw the response.. and..

“even her members that just don’t say it up to her face like chaewon does, (she knows they love her but she also knows that they don’t think much about her when it comes to other factors of her besides her fathers money) but she’d rather play into it than show that she’s hurt, she was raised to be strong and to think that she’s better than everyone, she was raised to not let people see emotions because she’s richer and better”

IM GOING INSANE 😭😭NONO WHAT DO YOU MEAN. IM COOKED. IM LITERALLY WRITHING ON THE FLOOR.. RICHGIRLYN IM SO SORRY😭😭

okay so this may have just made me resign my spot at the shamelessyn fan club and start my new shift at the richgirlyn fanclub because this is DESTROYING me.

like. I’m literally in shambles. you have some sad yns but this is actually tearing me from the inside. she’s giving remember my name/thursday girl/come into the water by mitski. (I WILL DO A LYRIC ANALYSIS. ONE DAY)

her members.. yes they love her but do they love the real her.. would they still love her if she was weak? would they still love her if she couldn’t be strong anymore?? does she ever get jealous.. does she ever envy how easily they can cry how easily they can be weak how easily they get help.. does she ever envy them.. does she ever wish she didn’t have to be strong she didn’t have to be confident she didn’t have to be herself does she ever wish someone looked at her and saw a girl and not a monolith. she doesn’t know. (IMG OING CRAZY)

I just know this girl is holding the most insane thoughts it sounds like a war zone in her head after all this bottling up I’m actually coughing and writhing on the ground. (SHES JUST LIKE ME FR 😭😭)

need her to breakdown in the middle of her room while everyone else is asleep and she looks in the mirror and sees what she really is and feels the most horrible vitriol and disgust and everyone is asleep and she wishes someone would wake up and check on her but she knows they won’t so she wipes her face and goes to sleep and has to do it all over again. I JUST KNOW. I KNOW. SHE TOLD ME HERSELF😭 LET HER BE WEAK AND WANT NO ONE TO SEE HER BUT WISH SOMEONE WOULD I NEED HELP SO BAD PLEAAS

In conclusion. I am completely normal about her. i am completely sane. as her therapist she wants me to tell you that all of the above is false and richgirlyn has no problems and is actually just a silly girl!

-🎏

poor shameless!yn LOL

richgirl!yn definitely has that one sound in her head all the time yk the one where it’s actresses screaming over liquid smooth. 😭

[skitskatdacat63]

i for one am very interested in any other smiths songs you've associated with f1 drivers 👀

Oh god thank you for asking...sorry this took so long! I'll list the songs, but as with most things, I had to deliberate, so under the cut is my horrifically long explanations if you're curious!!

Obligatory: "The Boy With The Thorn in His Side"(x) - Strollonso

"You've Got Everything Now"(x) - Martian from Mark's POV

"These Things Take Time"(x) - Brocedes or Martian from Nico/Mark's POV

"Handsome Devil"(x) - drivers in fireproofs

"What Difference Does It Make"(x) - Martian from Seb's POV

"Back To The Old House"(x) - Mark's relationship with RBR and Seb

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want"(x) - Mark

"Sweet and Tender Hooligan"(x) - Max

You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby"(x) - Jenson, Mark & Nico

"Bigmouth Strikes Again"(x) - Martian from Mark's POV

Honorary mention: "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"(x) - Martian from Seb's POV

So as with all things, I needed to be comprehensive and overly detailed with this. Ill try and hold back from doing too much full song analysis, but I'll quote lyrics and explain why I associate what with who! Tbh I mostly just associate Smiths songs with Martian because I think their music is often really good at capturing the bitterness of a relationship falling apart or love so intense that it's violent, both which I think are very Martian

"You've Got Everything Now" - Martian

To me this is my de facto Martian song, I think about it constantly, I'll probably make a post with it sometime. It's just such a bitter song that's to me about a relationship falling apart. I view it from Mark's perspective.

"As merry as the days were long//I was right and you were wrong." Very petty, very bitter!!

"But you've got everything now//you've got everything now//and what a terrible mess I've made of my life." 2013 vibes, him being fed up with it all, particularly with Seb winning everything.

"You are your mother's only son//and you're a desperate one" Haha think of Christian as the mother in this situation. Golden boy vibes! Seb's utter desperation to win!

"A friendship sadly lost?//Well this is true...and yet it's false, oh//But did I ever tell you, by the way?//I never did like your face" Again that resentment and bitterness that made him act petty and childish

"I just want to be tied...oh ...to the back of your car" yayyyyy racing, why can't it be me in your position, in your car, etc etc

"These Things Take Time" - Brocedes or Martian

I used to think of this as only a Martian song but now it kinda makes me think of Brocedes. (To me)It's very much about one person in a friendship/relationship getting more successful and leaving the other behind.

"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the sacred Wunderkind" Seb! Golden Boy! Lewis! Rookie of the Century!

"But I can't believe you'd ever care//and this is why you will never care//But these things take time//And I know I'm the most inept that ever stepped" Like, you're so above it all that you couldn't care for little old me. Just the feeling of inferiority

"But you know where you came from//You know where you're going//And you know where you belong" Mark/Nico feeling sometimes as odds with their teams as they felt their teammate was the clear favorite who was getting preferential treatment

"Oh the alcoholic afternoons//When we sat in your room//They meant more to me than any living thing on earth//They had more worth//Than any living thing on earth" Okay this is the verse that made me think of Brocedes. Their karting years and how much time they spent with each other.

"Vivid and in your prime//You will leave me behind//you will leave me behind" THE THESIS!!!! THIS LYRIC HAUNTS ME ON THE DAILY!! IT IS MY MARTIAN THESIS!!!

"Handsome Devil"

Okay so this song is just kinda jokey and surprisingly horny for The Smiths, but its where my brain goes every time I see drivers in fireproofs...especially Seb...it's pretty self explanatory if you listen to it

"You handsome devil//oh, you handsome devil." As I said: self explanatory

"Let me get my hands//On your mammary glands." HAHAHAHA these lyrics still make me laugh, so horny

"What Difference Does It Make?" - Martian

It reminds me of this one Martian fic(x) Again, a relationship deteriorating. How Seb's utter commitment and devotion to winning at all costs caused conflict between them and ultimately led to their relationship falling apart. Mark thinking he'd be seen as the Number One due to his seniority, and then being faced with Seb's no holds barred racing! I guess it's kind've how Mark never seemed to be capable of being as happy for Seb winning as Seb was for Mark. They're both at fault for the same reasons though tbh. But from Seb's perspective this time

"For we have been through hell and high tide//I think I can rely on you//And yet you start to recoil//Heavy words are so lightly thrown//But still I'd leap in front of a bullet for you" Teammates :( They keep fighting but can't stay mad at each other forever

"So what difference does it make?//It makes none//But now you have gone//And you must be looking very old tonight." Like, why are you being such a baby, why does this have to change our relationship off the track too, why can't you just accept this about me, don't you know I need to win?

"Well I'm still fond of you, oh-ho-oh." This can be both. Even if they had bad moments, they always seemed to be able to at least partially reconcile

"Back to The Old House" - Mark & Martian

Goddddd this song is just Mark's relationship with RBR, and particularly in its relation to Seb, and how he felt post-retirement. Like I can't even really pick lyrics because the whole entire song fits so well! I would love to make a web weave with this

"I would rather not go//Back to the old house//I would rather not go//Back to the old house//There's too many bad memories//Too many memories there" Mark's relationship with RBR in terms immediate post-retirement. How it got toxic by the end. The "old house" is so RBR coded for any ex-Red Bull driver tbh

"When you cycled by//Here began all my dreams//The saddest thing I've ever seen//And you never knew//How much I really liked you//Because I never even told you//Oh, and I meant to//Are you still there or have you moved away?//Or have you moved away?" Again, being teammates made their relationship toxic, and they work much better together as people outside of that! Seb thinking Mark hates him :( And then "have you moved away?" HE MOVED AWAY FROM THE OLD HOUSE, HE MOVED TO FERRARI

"Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" - Mark

This song makes me think of how arduous his career was, especially with how all those records that Hulk has now, were at one point his. Especially after watching the 2009 British GP, just that palpable relief of finally getting his first win. And then also 2010 WDC vibes, finally properly being involved in the fight. Please just let him get what he wants, this time! I dont need to analyze the lyrics for this, just listen to it and tell me it doesn't remind you of Mark!!

"Sweet and and Tender Hooligan" - Max

Hahaha this song reminds me of his first couple seasons and just the whole "Mad Max" thing. And just how RBR, particularly Christian, have to defend their boy!! Their sweet and tender hooligan!! I think I could make a web weave of this one as well haha, just with how other drivers, like Nico, talked about how much a menace he was.

"He was a sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan//He said he'd never, never do it again//And of course he won't, oh, not until the next time" LITERALLY HIM!! Like with his insane overtakes and aggressive driving

"Poor old man, he had an accident with a three-bar fire//But that's okay, because he wasn't very happy anyways." Makes me think of my fav Max radio, when he overtakes Kimi and says "See you fucking later, son" The utter gall!! What a hooligan!!

"Jury, you've heard every word, so before you decide//Would you look into those "Mother Me" eyes?//I love you for you, my love, you, my love." Mother Hen Christian defending his teenage menace

"You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" - Jenson, Nico & Mark

Tbh fits any driver who had a long career and struggled for so long to get that first win/WDC. I would love to make a post with this song!!!

"If you're wondering why//All the love that you long for eludes you//And people are rude and cruel to you" Toxic fans and pundits you know :( like everyone saying they won't make it in F1 and that they'll never win, etc

You just haven't earned it yet, baby//You just haven't earned it, son//You just haven't earned it yet, baby//You must suffer and cry for a longer time//You just haven't earned it yet, baby//And I'm telling you now" THE THESIS OF F1 HONESTLY LIKE PLEASEEEE

"Today I am remembering the time//When they pulled me back//And held me down//And looked me in the eyes and said//You just haven't earned it yet, baby//You just haven't earned it, my son" Team principals I guess, it reminds me of Flavio hating Jense and calling him a useless playboy who'd never make it

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" - Martian

Foot? In mouth. This is one of the songs I was thinking of when I said love so intense that it feels violent. I am so obsessed with the opening verse, I love the whole song but that first verse....:

"Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking//When I said I'd like to smash every tooth//In your head//Sweetness, sweetness I was only joking//When I said by rights you should be//Bludgeoned in your bed." Normal comments one makes to their little twink bastard teammate

"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get" - Martian

Not Smiths, but Smiths adjacent. I'm trying to make a Martian playlist and this was the first song so I felt like I had to include it. It just reminds me of any of those posts about twink menace Seb ruining Mark's life LOL, just a very bratty and pushy song, I think it fits RBR Seb's somewhat Stockholm relationship with Mark

"The more you ignore me//The closer I get//You're wasting your time." You're not getting rid of me as your teammate no matter what hehehe, you're stuck with me!

"I am now//A central part//Of your mind's landscape//Whether you care//Or do not//Yeah, I've made up your mind" This lyric makes me laugh every time, the "Ive made up your mind", it always gets me. That's so pushy bratty Seb, like, yes I will get my way whether you like it or not

"I will creep//Into your thoughts//Like a bad debt//That you can't pay//Take the easy way//And give in." Absolutely canon that Seb lived in Mark's thoughts rent free, he took up proper residence!! Anyways this whole song fits, it's so cheeky!! And a little unhinged....

[erasmashups]

this is a side blog! dedicated to writing out the lyrics of each eras surprise song mashup (maybe a little analysis + sharing of audios/video) send me asks if you have any issues or q's!!

my main is @wannaloveyoubutidont current icons are from @directiolfiepacks

Mashups Masterlist:

Buenos Aires, Argentina (Nov 11, '23) – 'Is It Over Now?/Out of the Woods'

Melbourne, Australia (Feb 17) 'Getaway Car/August/The Other Side of the Door'

Melbourne, Australia (Feb 18) 'Come Back…Be Here/Daylight'

Sydney, Australia (Feb 23) 'White Horse/Coney Island' (ft: Sabrina Carpenter)

Sydney, Australia (Feb 24) 'Should've Said No/You're Not Sorry' 'New Year's Day/Peace'

Sydney, Australia (Feb 25) 'Is It Over Now?/I Wish You Would' 'Haunted/Exile'

Sydney, Australia (Feb 26) 'Would've Could've Should've/Ivy' 'Forever & Always/Maroon'

Singapore, SG (Mar 2) 'Mine/Starlight' 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever/Dress'

Singapore, SG (Mar 3) 'Long Story Short/The Story of Us' 'Clean/Evermore'

Singapore, SG (Mar 4) 'Foolish One/Tell Me Why' 'This Love/Call It What You Want'

Singapore, SG (Mar 7)  'Death By A Thousand Cuts/Babe' 'Fifteen/You're On Your Own, Kid'

Singapore, SG (Mar 8) 'Sparks Fly/Gold Rush' 'False God/"Slut!"'

Singapore, SG (Mar 9) 'Tim McGraw/Cowboy Like Me' 'Mirrorball/Epiphany'

Paris, France (May 10) 'Is It Over Now?/Out Of The Woods'

Paris, France (May 12) 'The Alchemy/Treacherous' 'Begin Again/Paris'

Stockholm, Sweden (May 17) 'I Think He Knows/Gorgeous'

Stockholm, Sweden (May 18) 'Say Don't Go/Welcome To New York/Clean'

Stockholm, Sweden (May 19) 'Message In A Bottle/How You Get The Girl/New Romantics'

Lisbon, Portugal (May 24) 'Come Back…Be Here/The Way I Loved You/The Other Side of the Door' 'Fresh Out The Slammer/High Infidelity'

Lisbon, Portugal (May 25) 'The Tortured Poets Department/Now That We Don't Talk' 'You're On Your Own, Kid/Long Live'

Madrid, Spain (May 29) 'Sparks Fly/I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)' 'I Look In People's Windows/Snow on the Beach'

Madrid, Spain (May 30) 'Our Song/Jump Then Fall'

Lyon, France (June 2) 'The Prophecy/Long Story Short' 'Fifteen/You're On Your Own, Kid'

Lyon, France (June 3) 'Glitch/Everything Has Changed'

Edinburgh, UK (June 7) 'Would've, Could've, Should've/I Know Places' ''Tis The Damn Season/Daylight'

Edinburgh, UK (June 8) 'The Bolter/Getaway Car' 'All Of The Girls You Loved Before/Crazier'

Edinburgh, UK (June 9) 'It's Nice To Have A Friend/Dorothea' 'Haunted/Exile'

Liverpool, UK (June 13) 'I Can See You/Mine' 'Cornelia Street/Maroon'

Liverpool, UK (June 14) 'This Is What You Came For/Gold Rush' 'The Great War/You're Losing Me'

Liverpool, UK (June 15) 'Carolina/No Body, No Crime' 'The Manuscript/Red'

Cardiff, UK (June 18) 'I Forgot That You Existed/This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things' 'I Hate It Here/the lakes'

London, UK (June 21) 'Hits Different/Death By A Thousand Cuts' 'The Black Dog/Come Back…Be Here/Maroon'

London, UK (June 22) 'thanK you aIMee/Mean'

London, UK (June 23) 'Out of the Woods/Is It Over Now?/Clean'

Dublin, Ireland (June 28) 'State of Grace/You're On Your Own, Kid' 'Sweet Nothing/Hoax'

Dublin, Ireland (June 29) 'The Albatross/Dancing With Our Hands Tied' 'This Love/Ours'

Dublin, Ireland (June 30) 'Clara Bow/The Lucky One'

Amsterdam, Netherlands (July 4) 'Guilty As Sin?/Untouchable' 'The Archer/Question…?'

Amsterdam, Netherlands (July 5) 'imgonnagetyouback/Dress' 'You Are In Love/Cowboy Like Me'

Amsterdam, Netherlands (July 6) 'Sweeter Than Fiction/Holy Ground' 'Mary's Song (Oh My My My)/So High School/Everything Has Changed'

Zürich, Switzerland (July 9) 'Right Where You Left Me/All You Had To Do Was Stay' 'Last Kiss/Sad Beautiful Tragic'

Zürich, Switzerland (July 10) 'Closure/A Perfectly Good Heart' 'Robin/Never Grow Up'

Milan, Italy (July 13) 'The 1/Wonderland' 'I Almost Do/The Moment I Knew'

Milan, Italy (July 14) 'Mr. Perfectly Fine/Red' 'Getaway Car/Out of the Woods'

Gelsenkirchen, Germany (July 17) 'Superstar/Invisible String' '"Slut!"/False God'

Gelsenkirchen, Germany (July 18) 'Speak Now/Hey Stephen' 'This Is Me Trying/Labyrinth'

Gelsenkirchen, Germany (July 19) 'Paper Rings/Stay Stay Stay' 'it's time to go/Better Man'

Hamburg, Germany (July 23) 'Teardrops On My Guitar/The Last Time' 'We Were Happy/Happiness'

Hamburg, Germany (July 24) 'The Last Great American Dynasty/Run' 'Nothing New/Dear Reader'

Munich, Germany (July 27) 'Fresh Out The Slammer/You Are In Love' 'Ivy/Call It What You Want'

Munich, Germany (July 28) 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever/imgonnagetyouback' 'loml/Don't You'

Warsaw, Poland (Aug 1) 'Mirrorball/Clara Bow' 'Suburban Legends/New Year's Day'

Warsaw, Poland (Aug 2) 'I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)/I Can See You' 'Red/Maroon'

Warsaw, Poland (Aug 3) 'Today Was A Fairytale/I Think He Knows' 'The Black Dog/Exile'

London, UK (Aug 15) 'Everything Has Changed/End Game/Thinking Out Loud' (ft: Ed Sheeran) 'King Of My Heart/The Alchemy'

London, UK (Aug 16) 'Dear John/Sad Beautiful Tragic'

London, UK (Aug 17) 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys/Coney Island'

London, UK (Aug 19) 'Long Live/Change' 'The Archer/You're On Your Own, Kid'

London, UK (Aug 20) 'Death By A Thousand Cuts/Getaway Car' (ft: Jack Antonoff)

Miami, FL (Night 1 - Oct 18) 'Tim McGraw/Timeless' 'this is me trying/Daylight'

Miami, FL (Night 2 - Oct 19) 'Should've Said No/I Did Something Bad' 'loml/White Horse'

Miami, FL (Night 3 - Oct 20) 'Out Of The Woods/All You Had To Do Was Stay' 'mirrorball/Guilty As Sin?'

New Orleans, LA (Night 1 - Oct 25) 'Our Song/Call It What You Want' 'The Black Dog/Haunted'

New Orleans, LA (Night 2 - Oct 26) 'Espresso/Is It Over Now?/Please Please Please' (ft: Sabrina Carpenter) 'Hits Different/Welcome to New York'

New Orleans, LA (Night 3 - Oct 27) 'Afterglow/Dress' 'How You Get The Girl/Clean'

Indianapolis, IN (Night 1 - Nov 1) 'The Albatross/Holy Ground' 'Cold As You/exile'

Indianapolis, IN (Night 2 - Nov 2) 'The Prophecy/This Love' 'Maroon/cowboy like me'

Indianapolis, IN (Night 3 - Nov 3) 'Cornelia Street/The Bolter' 'Death By Thousand Cuts/The Great War'

Toronto, Canada (Night 1 - Nov 14) 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys/This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things' 'False God/'tis the damn season'

Toronto, Canada (Night 2 - Nov 15) 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever/Mine' 'evermore/Peter'

Toronto, Canada (Night 3 - Nov 16) 'Us (with Gracie Abrams)/Out of the Woods' 'You're On Your Own, Kid/Long Story Short'

[astralesha]

🚨VERY IMPORTANT!!🚨 False God by Taylor Swift is THE kanej song

and here’s an unnecessarily detailed analysis on why!

First of all, this lyric feels like the unspoken words between Kaz and Inej. Neither of them expected to love the other, and both knew it was impossible for them to be together, but still they allowed themselves to fall in love.

Both of them KNEW they would die for the other, they KNEW they loved each other. It just makes their love even crazier because they think how on earth can they be okay with loving each other if they’ll never be able to touch?

ohhh this one’s good guys

We know Inej believes in saints and Kaz doesn’t. She believes that when she needs help, it’s always out there and she’s never alone.

“Led by blind faith” feels like Kaz decides that he believes in one saint—Inej. And it’s reckless of him because I know he’d think that believing you need anyone but yourself is a huge weakness, but not this time. Not this time because he KNOWS Inej will always be there for him when he needs help, he knows he’s never going to be on his own when he has her by his side or in the shadows. This time it’s a strength.

Inej is his first chance to feel safe behind religion and still become stronger rather than weaker.

Inej is his false god.

“We’d still worship this love” Their love is a saint as well, another false god; a form of protection because it binds them together, so one is never without the other.

“I know heavens a thing, I go there when you touch me” Touching is such a monumental step in their relationship. When they touched for the first time, no gloves or layers—that glimpse of what they might have one day was so damn beautiful for both of them. It was easily comparable to heaven: a life where they could love each other freely, no haunted pasts chaining them down.

OH YES THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE

Specifically “the ocean separating us”. Kaz’s ocean is his experience on the boat full of bodies, where his touch-aversion began. Inej’s ocean is her capture and time on the slavers’ boat. It’s crazy how their trauma is quite literally the ocean.

The ocean—their pasts—is a bad place for both of them, vast and deep and uncrossable. But they’ve both TRIED to jump in and cross it. When Kaz asks Inej to stay, when she says that she will have him without his armor.

“Remember how I’d fly to you” They desperately want to fly over the ocean instead of treading through it. Maybe they could’ve one day in the past. But it doesn’t work that way now, and in the end, they will have to face the water again.

They’ll have to swim in it and splash and fight for air and they’ll probably be sore from kicking but FINALLY one day they’ll meet in the middle and be free.

[nontrivialproof]

Matty or travis. God talk about a rock or a hard place

Or a greasy racist and a giant skidmark. I guess.

I always assumed it was Travis. Because alchemy is the false idea that you can turn urine into gold and like. That's perfect for Tayvis

Sorry if my vibes were unclear I'm trying to do like baby literary analysis based on confusing lyrics not discourse about Taylor Swift's real life relationships. Your point about the meaning of alchemy is well taken.

[bettyshoweduptotheparty]

I'm making a playlist of songs that I think Taylor wrote about Karlie and always get caught up in the sadness storm in Folklore/Evermore. I find both pretty hard to listen to, especially if the lens is that Karlie broke Taylor's heart and/or vice versa. My sad parasocial heart can't come from the romantic highs of Reputation and Lover and then think that the two had a huge, heartbreaking fallout. LOL That said, I pretty much treat your lyrical analyses as gospel, so I was wondering if you had a list of the FolkEvermore songs that you think are about Karlie. I think maybe I can eventually listen to the albums in full when I know that the sadness isn't just about Karlie seemingly betraying Taylor and Taylor's heart smashing into pieces. (I do know that the albums are also heavily influenced by the Masters Heist, staying in the closet, and maybe even some of the demons TS has with her dad. I'm sure the pandemic also played a part in all the sadness.)

So yeah, I'm a weird consumer of music. Sad songs make me sob, and I don't love that feeling, haha. So I'm the rare fan who gets too depressed listening to those albums.

Hello 👋🏼 and ok, this is kinda long so let me go bit by bit.

If you want, I can give you some of my suggestions of which folklore/evermore songs should go on a kaylor playlist, but that's only based on my interpretation. Will do at the end.

Thanks for the compliment on my lyrical analysis, I love doing these, but please don't take them as gospel.

A lot of people mistake the acoustic/low production nature of folklore and evermore as sadness, and don't get me wrong, some of these songs are gut wrenchingly sad, but just because a song is slow and acoustic doesn't automatically make it sad. Cardigan is very much a happy end song, TLGAD is super fun (imo), so is No Body, No Crime, and Invisible String. But yes, some of these songs are pretty devastating. Reputation definitely got the 'honeymoon phase' love songs, but Lover had False God and Afterglow on it (and the Archer!), so I'd say that already showed the reality of long-term relationships pretty well, and they're just not all sunshine and rainbows forever.

I don't think a single song on these albums suggests that Karlie broke Taylor's heart...? If anything, Taylor always paints herself as the guilty one/the coward when it comes to that relationship. I think there were definitely insecurities and rough patches that show up in some songs, but the real pain is in working through the 2019 stuff, which is mostly about losing your life's work and someone who was like a father figure.

And you're not weird for consuming music with emotion, good art is supposed to make you feel things :)

OK, so, here's my additions for a kaylor playlist from folkmore (songs that I associate with them): cardigan, illicit affairs, invisible string, betty, peace, the lakes, willow, champagne problems, ivy, cowboy like me, and gold rush.

[artist-issues]

Ok, I've been thinking about your wish posts for quite some time, and I’m very confused, can't seem to follow them. Magnifico's main philosophy is to forget without regret (he, like Faciler, is taking the easy route of life).

Even if a goal doesn't come true or you give up, you should still reconcile with those scars, grow, and let them heal naturally. You say the star thing is sacrificial, but it's not saying Asha is a literal star; she's connected to stardust; it more evokes how God says we are made in the image of him (we are obviously not god, but we are all connected to him and his children).  

Putting aside that, I don't think this movie is religious at all, and I find the implication insane. I think Star is more god, and Magnifico is a false idol and a corrupt leader. Asha sings the lyrics, so I look up at the stars to guide them, much like how the shepherds followed the stars to Bethelheman.

Taking the lyrics of at all costs into account, I'll promise, as one does, I'll protect you at all costs. He's locking them up and stealing their souls, and he wants to seal his people's desire to live so he can achieve ultimate power.

When Asha says I'm a star, she's saying anyone should spread peace and reflect on their scars, and the wishes that are dangerous can be stopped, so if society (Magnifco) decides you are useless or not needed in society, do you listen?

Well, God would never say people's autonomy is useless, like Magnifico, nor do you have to grant everyone's wish, but you can't determine people's way of living or their souls. With no offense, I find your analysis posts to be rather anti-human and I’m curious if you have any answers to these points

First:

Every story is presenting a worldview. If you present a worldview, that worldview WILL come into conflict with other worldviews that say the opposite thing.

Wish may not be saying a word about any one religion—but by presenting the philosophy that human beings have the power of the stars in them, from the star matter inside of them—it is in conflict with several religious worldviews.

"Powerful Stardust Inside Humans" an actual "religion/"worldview out here in the real world. It's founded in the "big bang theory," which as far as I know, guesses that the ancient stars of the universe were made up of helium, lithium, and hydrogen. Then the other elements (the ones that make up us) allegedly gradually formed inside of those, then allegedly blasted all throughout the galaxy during the Big Bang. Therefore, allegedly, life on planet earth is made from star debris, or "stardust."

Then New Age believers take that a step further and decide that this means that a spiritual connection is between us and the stars, which are powerful, because of their religious astrological beliefs.

Which is exactly what Wish is also presenting, as a worldview, in "I'm a Star!" and in every moment where Asha claims she can understand what Star is trying to tell her, and in every moment where the effects artists specifically caused characters' chests to glow with a Star sparkle. Real people in real life believe that real stardust in humans gives them real power.

And that belief is either based on truth, or it's not. People who believe it are either wrong, or they're right.

Because other worldviews believe the opposite of both the New Age idea that stardust has supernatural power, and the opposite of the Big Bang.

Christians, as you know, believe that the world was created (and Earth, which mankind was formed out of, was created before the stars) by the word of Yahweh. They believe the Big Bang Theory is false. They believe that worshipping creations like stars through astrology, or attributing any supernatural power to humans, is false and also wrong.

Other worldviews besides Christianity also don't believe in the Big Bang, or astrology, or New Age spiritualism. But Wish framed Star and the whole "I'm a Star!" song as if these things are the truth...meaning, everything else is not true.

So you can say it had nothing to say about religion, but just by presenting a worldview that is contrary to many religions...it is saying something about religion. It is saying religion is incorrect. Passive-aggressively. But still saying it.

Second:

Star does not represent the God of the Bible in any way.

As I've said before, Star is presented as a higher power, because he is blatantly connected to the wishing stars of other Disney movies—which have been higher powers—but then he's able to be defeated. He's trapped easily by Magnifico. He is unable to rescue himself and has to be rescued by everyone else.

Nothing about that is like the God of the Bible.

Additionally, he's just one star. I feel like everybody is acting like there aren't other stars in the sky—the movie never presents Star the character as the only powerful godlike being in the heavens—in fact, the movie has a line from Asha's father about how "the stars (plural) are there to guide us." There's only one God, the God of the Bible specifically claims to be the only higher power.

Plus, even if Wish were saying that Star is the only wishing star, as a parallel to God's exclusive existence...he does nothing to "guide" Asha.

He doesn't suggest a path for her to take. She just decides she wants to go get Sabino's Wish back, and Star does cute little antics like any super-powered sidekick might to help out, and then she gets Sabino's wish back. Then later, he gives her magical tools that wind up being no help at all—she gets captured by Magnifico anyway. In the climax, he just sort of...pushes on the wishes, then gets sucked into a staff. He very simply does nothing super-helpful. He's just the regular amount of ordinary-helpful to Asha.

Besides, when we say a higher power "guides a character," we usually mean that they offer the hero a choice, and that choice challenges the character to choose what they need instead of just what they want. Like the Blue Fairy (the original wishing star) or Mama Odie. They aren't with the heroes every step of the way, jumping in to do part of the work of the adventure. Jumping in and doing part of the work is what Ray the firefly or Jiminy Cricket do. Star jumps in and does part of the work, like a sidekick; he does not give guidance or direction or a challenge that deepens the hero like the Blue Fairy, or Mama Odie, or The Enchantress. And like I said, he's nothing like God—

—except that he's presented like a higher power who gives guidance, only to actually do the opposite of that, which is a commentary on how the creators of Wish see "higher powers." I can't explain it any more clearly than that.

Also, just for point of reference, the phrase "made in God's image" does not line up at all with Asha's "connection" to Star. Because like I just said, Star's set up like he's supposed to be a higher power but then fails, so he's not that high of a power. Asha's "connection" to Star is a direct link to real New Age Evolutionary spirituality—they say, word-for-word, what New Age Evolutionary Spiritualists say in real life in the song "I'm a Star!"

Which is it: is the movie not religious at all, or is Star God while Magnifico's a false idol?

See, you can't even talk about Wish without acknowledging that it says something about higher powers, I.e. God.

I've already explained why Star isn't an accurate representation of the God of the Bible: he's more an accurate representation of what humanists believe about higher powers: they believe we're all "higher powers." (Which is to say, everyone is powerful and nobody, not stars or gods or nature, is higher than humans.)

But listen—they borrowed the idea of "look up at the stars to guide me" from several different places. One, yes, the Bible. Two, all of navigational history, which uses stars like maps. Three, astrology, which believes that stars give literal spiritual guidance and have an effect on everything that happens on earth. So no. It wasn't a direct one-to-one comparison to the wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem.

Your Claims About What the Movie is Saying:

"He wants to steal people's desires to live" - No, he doesn't, that's not in the movie. All the adults in Rosa's no longer have their wishes; none of them act depressed or suicidal. Not even Asha's mother, after her wish is literally crushed in front of her.

"When Asha says I'm a star, she's saying anyone should spread peace and reflect on their scars" - That's just a theory of yours; it's not supported by the movie. Nobody in the movie wrestled with "their scars." Not even Magnifico. The movie just hints that he lost something in his past—it never fully fleshes out that he's still upset by that, or afraid of losing anything he cares about except power. Asha's father is dead, but other than one line about how nobody should have to live with that pain (which is the opposite of "reflecting" on scars) the loss of her father is never treated like a deep emotional wound she needs to acknowledge or overcome. It's never mentioned again in the movie.

The thing is, none of your points are supportable from what's in the movie. You're reading more meaning into it than the movie actually has—and some of that meaning, the movie itself contradicts.

About how my posts are anti-human:

They're not anti-human. They're anti-humanist, maybe. I don't believe humans are the center of everything. I don't believe they are just as powerful as "higher powers." The point of "higher" powers is that they're HIGHER than what? Higher than humans.

God absolutely does determine what's right and wrong; He invented "right." And He does judge people's lifestyle, and their souls. Sure, Magnifico had no right to do that—but you know what, it's not because "nobody should decide how an individual lives except the individual themselves!" —it's because Magnifico is human. So he doesn't get to judge. God however? God gets to judge. God gets to decide. And He always makes the right decision.

[cursed-man-prayers]

Lost in Your Current Like a Priceless Wine

A queer analysis of wine mentions in Taylor Swift’s discography (folklore and evermore)

Rose’ flowing with your chosen family.

Chosen family is a very queer concept. Rose as a lighter version of red wine (literally), and also that it’s casually flowing refers to how this person (who was not “the one”) is able to freely express queerness around their chosen family, whereas Taylor is still digging up the grave another time. We’ll come back to this when I analyze Maroon (your roommate’s cheap-ass screw-top rose). 

August sipped away like a bottle of wine.

God this fucking song. I saw someone say that, since the song is from August's perspective (I know Taylor said "Augustine" but i think August is a prettier name), she’s saying that she herself was sipped away like a bottle of wine, carelessly. When you get to the end of a bottle of wine, you’re drunk and surprised that the bottle is already empty. The song as a whole is about a relationship that was unexpected, wrong, desperate, secret. “Are you sure?” “I’ve never done this before.” (Never have I ever as a teenage party game paired with “seven years in heaven” on happiness.) 

August is a retrospective. It’s nostalgic in lyrics and production. “Wanting was enough, for me it was enough” harkens back to False God and the desperation to stay for the sake of wanting each other. August remembers; she wonders if her former lover does to “do you remember when I pulled up and said get in the car…” The repetition of the outro reminds me of All Too Well 10 Minute Version. It was rare, I was there, I remember it all. Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it. Wine is so fleeting but it leaves a permanent stain, as we first saw in Clean. 

“Meet me behind the mall” implies a youthful secrecy. August as a part of the cardigan/betty lore solidifies it as a song themed around adolescence. I want to write more on this later, but I believe the queer concept of “second adolescence” plays heavily into folklore, whereas evermore is the end of that adolescence.

Lost in your current like a priceless wine.

I think I’ll do a full queer analysis of willow someday, because the lyrics are actually devastating. The set-up for the song is that this person came into the narrator’s life unexpectedly and derailed her plans dramatically. We have secrecy (“wait for the signal and I’ll meet you after dark”),  the lover feeling exceptional from others (“as if you were a mythical thing”), and desperation for the lover to stay as they’re leaving  (“Wherever you stray, I”ll follow; I’m begging for you to take my hand”).

Here in the first verse, Taylor says she’s “lost in your current.” She didn’t mean to fall, but it’s “like a priceless wine,” the most meaningful love she’s had. The most meaningful, but once the bottle is open, that wine gets sipped away. It’s the best thing that’s ever been hers, and it’s almost gone. The rest of the album is about loss and endings.

And drink my husband’s wine.

Ivy is almost universally believed to be sapphic (though non-gaylors will call it fictional). It’s very Emily Dickinson (I watched all of Dickinson on Apple TV+ to get to the moment this song plays). Ivy is about an extremely risky affair, one that will inevitably end in fire and destruction, but one that is beautiful. There are so many queer themes included in the lyrics. What is more “magnificently cursed” than being queer and forced to hide it?

In ivy, to “drink my husband’s wine” means drinking it both secretly and in a way that takes from said husband. This wine is supposed to be the husband’s, but now it represents what the illicit lover can’t have. (i’ll mention here that I also think wine could also be a metaphor for pussy. tried to find a more delicate way to say it but u get it.) If wine represents sexuality, the context of it being her “husband’s wine” implies that, while they may continue to be together in secret, there will always be the shadow of this man looming over them. They’ll never truly belong to each other as long as the narrator is forced to stay in a heteronormative relationship.

Summary: here, wine is used in the context of loss. The end of the bottle is the end of the relationship. What was once full and beautiful and light has become sour and empty.