Sunday, 12 April 2009
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Why Taylor Swift's "Love Story" Makes Me Cringe
By now, we all have heard of Taylor Swift's hit "Love Story". The characters are obviously based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.Besides my bias on music, there's reasons why this song makes me cringe very badly. Starting with the true story of Romeo and Juliet themselves. Near the end of the song, there's these lyrics:
"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
You'll pick out a white dress
It's a love story, baby just say...yes.."She did not just...not just...CHANGE THE STORY? Romeo and Juliet were supposed to die - not because they loved each other so much, but because of their overactive hormones. Which brings me to the next subject: were Romeo and Juliet really in love?
Well, in the beginning, Romeo was pining for Rosaline. He claimed he was so in love with her, all he wanted was her. Then he meets Juliet. And, probably, just because she was prettier than Rosaline, he "fell in love" with her. And then, Juliet sees Romeo and "falls in love" with him too. And within a week, they get married, say they love each other more..blah..blah..blah...But were they really? They've barely known each other, and they already claim they were in love? And what else? Why else do they love each other? Their personalities? Traits? What?
I believe that Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet as a comedy, or maybe as a warning of foolish love,a tragedy. They couldn't have truly loved each other! And how does this relate to the song, well this:
"I was going through a situation like that where I could relate. I used to be in high school where you see [a boyfriend] every day. Then I was in a situation where it wasn't so easy for me, and I wrote this song because I could relate to the whole Romeo and Juliet thing. I was really inspired by that story. Except for the ending. I feel like they had such promise and they were so crazy for each other. And if that had just gone a little bit differently, it could have been the best love story ever told. And it is one of the best love stories ever told, but it's a tragedy. I thought, why can't you... make it a happy ending and put a key change in the song and turn it into a marriage proposal?"
Let's start with this...as I said..Romeo and Juliet were not truly in love. They were in lust, it was not real! This girl believes in love like that, and that is the message of the song. Don't believe me yet? Well, I've hear there's hidden messages in lyrics in her booklet from the CD. Here's the proof from taylorswiftresource.com:
Love Story
Some Day I'll Find ThisThe song, whether Taylor Swift knows it or not, is about shallow love and lust. All about attraction, no connection. And the thing about the scarlet letter? That was the worst misinterpretation I've ever heard of. We learned about the novel last year. The "scarlet letter" meant adultery. Was that part of the song's meaning too?
Nothing against Swift, guys. Just her cheesy songs. Her very cheesy, sugar-drilling songs that plays non-stop on the radio. Ugh.
What's your opinion on this?
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About the Author
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- From: therealdork@xanga
- Name: Ellie
- About Me: OHMAYFACKINGGAWD. You actually cared enough to read this. Oh lol! Yeah, I have no life. So I play Sims all day, because I'm a pathetic loser who hates people. Except for a few, because for some reason I just don't hate them. I have an imaginary friend, and yes, I know it makes me even more pathetic. And no I don't care who likes who, and who screwed who and wh won the Oscars. Because as far as I know, I like cheesecake, I screwed up my computer, and I won the most pathetic loser award. See, I even took the time to write this so you can laugh at me. See how much of a pathetic loser I am? Oh well. I can be a dog lady, because I like dogs better than cats. And yes, I am the real dork...because I don't try to be a dork. I REALLY AM.
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Comments (376)
I HATE THAT SONG
I HATE THAT SONG'S STUPID BS MESSAGE
Everytime I hear that song it makes me want to punch puppies. It's the worst, most unrealistic thing I have ever heard. AUUUGH.
For the sake of Buddha, stop looking for ROMEO and do something with your pathetic life.
/end rant
"Love Story" is kind of a mix of a few different stories, I think. I don't think it's intended to be about JUST Romeo and Juliet. I think she chose to use those names in the song because they are, in fact, the most well-known names in the history of love. And no one can judge whether two people are truly in love or not... only Mr. Shakespeare would know that, and well, he's dead. They very well could have been... we're not to say.
I can see where you are coming from
what
the song doesn't remind me of R and J at allThank you for adressing this! This song is bull, but it's so catcy! :D Jk, hahaha.
Hahaha. But really, it makes me cringe too when I hear her like "And then everythig worked out perfectly and we got married and never fought and LIFE IS SO AWESOME!"
It's almost...depressing! Hahah :]
Agreed.
@nicolejorlene@xanga - I agree.
I love this song, and I love Taylor Swift, but that's my opinion.
apparently scarlet letter is just used to label anything taboo, not just adulterers... that part used to confuse me too
anyway romeo and juliet has come to take on a greater meaning in today's culture. it's no longer about foolish love, young love, tragic love, or whatever. people take romeo and juliet to be a symbol of the strongest romantic love, ignoring the negative parts of the story. kind of like bonnie and clyde - so what if they were gangsters, they had overwhelming love for each other and that's what people remember.
it's a cheesy song, but i like it anyway =) i listen to music to relax, not to get my panties in a twist over archaic literary allusions
i think you're over analyzing the song. it's taylor swift's song, she can put a twist on things if she wants to.
Popular music tends to twist things into something new and supposedly original, and not necessarily correct.
Yes, it changes the story, and yes, Romeo and Juliet wasn't real love.
However, being the geek that I am, I was simply elated to hear two literary references ("Romeo and Juliet" and "I'll be your scarlet letter"), and so didn't come to the same conclusion as you did.
@nicolejorlene@xanga - Agreed.
You don't HAVE to listen to it either. Change the radio station, tele channel or just close your ears.
What's so bad about her changing it up? I mean really, was the ending in the original literature all that great? Er, no.
I think I know exactly what happened with that song. Do you know how many girls go around talking about how they wish they could find their Romeo? There are tons of references that girls make about Romeo and Juliet. Now, Romeo and Juliet generally represent love. The original meaning of the literature is pretty much long gone. I don't think that when girls say "I'm Juliet and he's my Romeo" that they're imagining their impending doom.
In the song she says "I was a scarlet letter" right? Well, basically scarlet letters were worn by people who committed adultery, yes. They were worn as a way to say, "Stay away, they committed adultery."
Her saying she was a scarlet letter is a twist on the term. Think about it. "I was a scarlet letter, daddy said stay away from Juliet"; get it? She's not talking about adultery per se, but she's using it as a way to say that Romeo was supposed to stay away from her. She was a scarlet letter: stay away from her because dad wouldn't like you.
It's a love song that starts out with her wanting him, them having to go around her dad, them falling in love, and after he talks to her dad it becomes a happy ending. The end.
Romeo & Juliet was written to make fun of courtly love. It actually took place over a span of 3 days...and Juliet just killed herself because there was nothing else to do. I mean, come on...she's 13 and she married someone without her parents' consent, that guy killed her cousin (i think it was her cousin), faked her own death and the guy she was supposed to marry is dead as well...plus, she had had her wedding night with Romeo...so that probably wouldnt have gone over well with Paris if he hadn't been killed.
OMG I'm so glad I'm not the only one who was very bothered by that song. A horrible clash of historical and literary references.
As far as Romeo and Juliet goes, keep in mind that they were like, barely into puberty when they met. You know how pre-teens make everything so dramatic. I'm sure Shakespeare was a teenager himself at one point...
But yeah, this is probably my least favorite Taylor Swift song. She's much better at writing break up songs than love songs, I think. Teardrops on my Guitar will always be my favorite.
Yeah, I'm 20 years old and I like Taylor Swift, don't judge me!!!!
ahaha, this post made me laugh. I don't listen to the song, I can't stand it.
excellent logic, buuuuuuuut i still like the song. something about the cheesy sugar-drilling of it makes me like it. or, maybe it's just cause Taylor Swift sings it. lol
the scarlet letter doesn't necessarily mean adultery. the scarlet "A" stands for adultery, and that is the one made famous by hawthorne's novel. in general, different scarlet letters denoted different puritan sins, and swift's claim that she was a scarlet letter meant that she was forbidden and that their relationship was sinful.
I LOVE that song. My little sister and I always sing it. And I don't care if it is cheesy. Taylor's dress is gorgeous, and so is the lyrics of the song. And the tune. I would like to have a dress like that on my wedding day.
THANK YOU. Hate how she turned Shakespeare into cotton-candy tween fluff. And I've been telling my friends the exact same thing about Romeo and Juliet's cousin. They just start humming the song in my face.
I'm getting annoyed by the song too, but it's just a song. Music artists can do whatever they please. Don't like it, don't listen to it. Just sayin'.
And try dealing with a 45 year old coworker that says she's so hot when the song does come up. Yeah, talk about creepy. >.<
Too bad Taylor Swift looks like a cobra.
scarlet letters. as in the hester was off-limits, per se, just as taylor swift says she is in her song. "and daddy said stay away from juliet." as in when hester wore the scarlet letter... people knew to stay away. and the charming guy in the song is supposed to stay away because daddy said to. just as romeo and juliet weren't allowed. and even though romeo and juliet ended tragically, the basic idea of it is still romantic.
someone's just cranky off their ass.
cheesy songs are fine. why are you so whiney?
and saying that she wrote the lyrics to her song is like saying that every actor writes his own movie lines. really? like, it's not all her. she just sings. her voice is nice. the fucking end.
can't say her lyrics are magnificent all the time, but you clearly do not understand the true concept of the song.
have you read pride and prejudice? read that then try to complain some more.
the scarlet letters means off limits. romeo and juliet were a 'forbidden love'. taylor swift's dad apparently is telling prince charming to stay away from her.
people complain about 'love story' and applaud britney spears's 'if you seek amy'. seriously, people?
@MissPixieGlitter@xanga - why don't most people understand that?