#relistened to the album on a long bus ride today

[fish-want-women-me-fear-me]

The GOP is basically just the wannabe Samurai Abstinence Patrol. Maybe the Council of Dick Elders. Take your pic.

[youareboththebestbestfriend]

This is LONG, I’m sorry. I have a theory about how Hoax & the 1 are linked. So I relistened to Hoax with lyrics ready, because I’ve heard it before but didn’t really LISTEN. I did now and I feel like, what ended Kaylor, is that Karlie did betray/deceive her with the Scooby thing. Or maybe she didn’t sell her out, but she didn’t STOP working with him, she didn’t end a contract. In a way, she choose HIS side. I feel that’s what Hoax is about (see lyrics below). I feel like the 1 is actually coming to terms with losing the person Taylor thought was the one. I think Hoax was written before the 1. I like that the ending track is host, because when you replay the album, it continues the story by saying she’s trying to feel better about it. So here it goes… (hehe)

HOAX

My only one // refers back to “the 1” (see below)My smoking gun // I think Taylor “killed” the relationship

My eclipsed sun // Karlie being the sun, but eclipsed, meaning in the shadows/not visible

This has broken me down // She’s hurt by her decision to end it

My twisted knife // Call it what you want reference or maybe TIWWCHNT or LWYMMD about backstabbing

Stood on the cliffside screaming, "Give me a reason" // For Karlie betraying her/SB drama

Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in // faithless (disloyal) love’s the only hoax (deception)

Don't want no other shade of blue but you // Never seen that shade of blue (Karlie Konfirmed)

No other sadness in the world would do // She’d take her back (I think, this is also a theme in more songs on folklore)

My best laid plan // Plan of coming out or going public together?

Your sleight of hand // skilful deception, she really didn’t see it coming

My barren land, I am ash from your fire // swaying as the room burned down (DWOHT reference)

You know I left a part of me back in New York // She moved to NYC (for her)

You knew the hero died, so what's the movie for // all my heroes die all alone (the Archer, where she asked “would you stay?”)

You knew it still hurts underneath my scars // (see below the 1)

From when they pulled me apart // Scooby Braun drama

You knew the password, so I let you in the door // I don’t like your kingdom keys, they once belonged to me (LWYMMD reference)

But what you did was just as dark // Dark side, I look for your dark side (the Archer)

Darling, this was just as hard as when they pulled me apart // SB drama obviously hurt but the fact that Karlie wasn’t on her side was just as hard

My only one, my kingdom come undone // KOMH reference??

My broken drum, you have beaten my heart // Didn’t she use drums in KOMH at rep tour as well??

THE 1

I'm doing good, I'm on some new shit // Better than when writing Hoax Been saying "Yes" instead of "No" // Seems like she avoided meeting with people/being depressed and finding her way back to normal life I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn't though // I forgot which song where she talks about them/her seeing someone/her ghost?  I hit the ground running each night, I hit the Sunday matinee // both distractions to feel better You know the greatest films of all time were never made // ‘cause cruelty wins in the movies (the Archer) I guess you never know, never know // she didn’t expect deception, see Hoax And if you wanted me, you really should've showed // showed Taylor that she was on HER side not SB And if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow // she talks about herself, bleeding refers back to Hoax, how much that hurt (scars/beaten heart) And it's alright now // she’s doing better But we were something, don't you think so? // this seems like looking back on good memories And if my wishes came true it would've been you // pretty clear she wished Karlie would have been the 1, also refers back to some songs on Lover (including title track) In my defense, I have none // she has NO ONE, pretty clear bearding/Joe breakup For never leaving well enough alone // I never leave well enough alone (ME! Reference) Having adventures on your own // I think she wants Karlie to choose for herself, “my ride or die” reference You meet some woman on the Internet and take her home // I feel this refers to “stalk you on the internet” in gorgeous. Maybe Karlie was the one stalking her and taking HER home? I feel like she’s telling Karlie it’s OK to have adventures on your own and then let history repeat itself but making the ending different? We never painted by the numbers, baby // we were different, not following rules a.k.a. sounds like not following heteronormative standards You know the greatest loves of all time are over now // I don’t actually know this reference, it does give me the Archer vibes (would you stay?) I guess you never know, never know // this reminds me again of the archer, wishing you knew if someone would stay, I guess you never know if someone betrays you If one thing had been different would everything be different today? // pretty sure this is about if one of them was a man, their love wouldn’t have had faced many problems they had today – problems that may have broken them up For digging up the grave another time // I think this is referring back to Hoax, where she did dig up the grave, this is why I think Hoax was written before the 1  

Other lyrics I think may relate to this theory:

Cardigan (Karligan) But I knew you, dancing in your Levi's drunk under a streetlight // Karlie was a Levi’s model and the drunk under a streetlight gives me YAIL vibes To kiss in cars and downtown bars was all we needed, You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding // Cornelia street/Delicate vibes and Dress “put your mark on me, a golden tattoo”, the now I’m bleeding refers back to Hoax/the 1 'Cause I knew you, stepping on the last train, marked me like a bloodstain, I knew you, tried to change the ending // she knew Karlie and hadn’t seen deception/Hoax coming and tried to save their relationship but Karlie didn’t show (Hoax) as in; stop hanging/working with SB It does feel like in the end of Cardigan they made up? Taylor did talk in Hoax about how she’d want no other sadness than that love. Basically all of Exile screams break-up, not specifically related to the hurt/deception in Hoax (explicitly). Except maybe the “you never gave me a warning sign/I didn’t see the signs” about betrayal. It does give me big KOMH vibes with the whole, “you’re not my homeland/crown anymore”. It also references bearding (you laugh but the joke’s not funny reminds me of how miserable Karlie always looks when she’s out with Josh). When I hear the song I think of Taylor as the Man singing, and Taylor singing Karlie’s POV.. My tears ricochet does reference quite a few things. We gather here, we line up weeping in a sunlit room And if I'm on fire, you'll be made of ashes, too// she mentions the fire and ashes in Hoax. I feel like this is when they decided to have a talk, and the possible break-up.  Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe, all the hell you gave me? // this breaks my heart, basically same as “screaming Give me reason” in Hoax Because I loved you, I swear I loved you till my dying day // Lover and CIWYW vibes  I didn't have it in myself to go with grace // Don’t blame me reference? Or maybe she wanted to like, break up with Karlie and not be sad but strong and she couldn’t be strong? And if I'm dead to you why are you at the wake? // Feeling like Karlie still checks up on Taylor with their shared friends maybe? Or uses her for clout. Cursing my name, wishing I stayed, look at how my tears ricochet // I’m confused at this part  We gather stones, never knowing what they'll mean, some to throw, some to make a diamond ring // Josh/Karlie marriage? You know I didn't want to have to haunt you, but what a ghostly scene you wear the same jewels that I gave you as you bury me // I feel like the haunting relates to releasing folklore which she drags Karlie with her basically. The jewel reference is pretty obvious, I guess. 'Cause when I'd fight, you used to tell me I was brave // the times before they went through negativity together (kimye drama? Kissgate?) And I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want just not home // Cornelia street vibes when Taylor left her own home And you can aim for my heart, go for blood but you would still miss me in your bones // I don’t know what this means but it hurts And I still talk to you when I'm screaming at the sky // at the sun, perhaps? And when you can't sleep at night you hear my stolen lullabies // this relates to a song about her ghost following the other person? I cannot remember what song And so the battleships will sink beneath the waves, you had to kill me, but it killed you just the same // I think this is a reference to Karlie not wanting to break up (wishing I stayed), so by choosing SB’s side, she killed Taylor and therefore their relationship/herself You turned into your worst fears, and you're tossing out blame, drunk on this pain, crossing out the good years // I feel like this could be both of the girl’s POV. The fears remind me of the archer and DWOHT. Crossing out the good years because it hurts. The good years where Karlie did stay by her side. I feel like mirrorball is before that. It’s positive, shining just for you like the sun/Karlie shines for her. I’m still a believer, I feel like they have had their fights but she’s still a believer everything will be okay? I think this is written before Hoax? Seven is unrelated but gay AF, I mean “hiding in the closet” and “I still love you” about a girl with braided patterns. August is about their affairs/love even though Karlie was never hers, but unrelated to the Hoax/the 1 theory I think. It’s more like a good looking back but being sad? Okay so there’s a LOT in this is me trying. I feel like it’s Afterglow 2.0. She knows she crewed up, this is her trying to make up. Then there’s the I tried pin. I feel like this part might be about a different time in their relationship? I don’t think it references SB drama and deception. I feel like it’s also HYGTG 2.0? Maybe if Afterglow and HYGTG had a child, haha. I think illicit affairs is Delicate 2.0 and about their sneaking around. I don’t think it’s related to Hoax. It’s very gay tho, “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”. This also makes me feel like Taylor was ready to come out (together) but Karlie wasn’t. I feel like we always thought it was the other way around? I feel like invisible strings is about clues that when you start to identify as queer you look back and you’re like “it makes so much sense”. The three-year trip down to the lakes reminds me of big-sur but I don’t understand that timeline. That was in 2014? That’d mean they’d been together since 2011? But I think they met/started seeing each other after VSFS 2013? Or maybe it’s not about Karlie, however the dive bar and gold have BIGASS delicate music video vibes. Like, the golden paper brought her to that dive bar in the video. So Delicate/invisible string are probably related. While mad woman might reference some things in Hoax, I don’t think it’s about that. I feel like it’s kimye or Scooby. I don’t think Karlie was poking a bear. I think she made a mistake that cost them their relationship, but not that she did it on purpose. The cursing my name, wishing I’d come back makes me feel like Karlie regrets it as well. I feel like epiphany is about her mom or maybe even COVID? Not related to Kaylor? I do think Betty is about Karlie ElizaBETTY Kloss, but I think the mistakes she refers to are more like the problems they may have in Afterglow/this is me trying. Fights, but not the one that ended it all. Peace screams The Archer to me and with that anxiety. Would it be enough if I could never give you peace//who will stay? Also DWOHT, about her fears. “I’d give you my sunshine” actually makes me feel like this is Karlie’s POV. I’m having an epiphany, what if it is Karlie’s POV looking at the sunshine line. That would make sense about “I see your brother as my brother” from Karlie’s POV because Taylor actually has a brother! Maybe this song is Karlie’s POV, because she can’t leave Josh? So she can never give Taylor peace? I don’t know, could be either POV! Not related to Hoax though.

Conclusion:

I think Hoax is about Karlie choosing SB side, whether she sold Taylor out, didn’t tell her about that deal and knowing, or not stopping working with him AFTER the SB drama. I feel like, in Lover Taylor was still optimistic about their relationship. Lover, Cornelia street and Daylight being the biggest clues. She was going to name the album Daylight (literally a synonym for sunshine “Karlie”). She changed it to Lover, which makes me think Karlie = Lover. I think they did probably have fights problems, I mean even DWOHT in reputation etc and Afterglow in Lover. I think some songs of folklore are also about those fights (Exile, this is me trying, Betty and Peace), but I think Hoax is about Karlie betraying her and Taylor breaking it off. I feel like the 1 is one of the last songs written (maybe with Cardigan), where she’s doing a little better? I feel like the break-up was quite recent, the SB drama happened in June 2019 I think?? Lover was already produced then, even if they may have broken it off at that time. I’m the biggest Kaylor and this album hurts AF. But there’s so many Kaylor references, I hope both of them get closure. I really thought they’d make it, but I guess you never know... Kookies for the ones still reading. Reply me with your theories/additions. :)