I got Taylor Swift on my noggin, and you should too.

It happened without my knowledge or permission. A song here, a lyric recalled there, and before I knew it, I became a Taylor Swift fan. Now, I must clarify, I’m not one of her die-hard fans. They have actually given themselves a name, which I’ll admit, I had to Google: Swifties.  Not Swifter, that’s a cleaning thing. I have one of those. Big difference. Swifties are all over facebook, twitter, tumbler and a million other social media that I don’t know how to use, I’m sure.

She was all over the place during the holidays when she bought, wrapped and delivered personalized gifts for fans she’d been facebook stalking (see, even famous people do it). Seeing that video didn’t make me into a fan, I think I already was one, but the video of it did cement the humanity of a young artist who could have so easily gone another route with her fortune. You can catch a bit of that video here, if so inclined. That said, I have done something that I haven’t done in ages, which confirms me as a ‘fan.’ I bought her album 1989! At full price! Gasp!

So what made me realize that I was a fan of her? It wasn’t her always-put-together look cause I’m always just barely put together. It wasn’t the catchy beat of her songs either, though it didn’t hurt. I mean, come on, try not dancing to “Shake it off.” I double-dog-dare you.

The thing that turned me into a fan was … wait for it…  her writing. Shocker. A writer liking writing.

In all seriousness, it’s one thing to write one song that is deep and means something, it’s another to do it for as long as she has and at her age. I’m almost twice as old as she is and yet I don’t have a tenth of the wisdom to write some of the stuff she comes up with. Not that I’m jealous. Okay. I am.

I snatched a few of her lyrics from Pinterest, yes, there is a whole Pinterest board dedicated to just quoting her lyrics.  Here are some of my favorites:

“And the saddest fear comes creeping in. That you never loved me. Or her. Or anyone. Or anything.” I knew you were trouble

I could write a novel on that line alone! But wait, there’s more!

“Every lesson forms a new scar” or “Now we’ve stepped into a cruel world, where everybody stands and keeps score.”  Eyes Open

Truth, sister.

“I’d go back in time and change it, but I can’t. So if the chain is on your door, I understand.” -December

That whole song guts me, truth be told.

“I’ve never heard silence quite this loud” The story of us.

That’s good, simple prose people. Harder to do than you think.

And then, my recent favorite line, perhaps of all time from her.

“Cause darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.” Blank Space

Now, that is a novel waiting to be written. All of these lines could be changed into novels, but at the risk of being sued, I will resist, or at least write them and never show a living soul. In fact, there is actually a list of books that Book Bub Blog actually claims : 13 YA novels that are actually Taylor Swift songs…   Kind of makes me want to go back and re-read The Catcher in the Rye.  Oh fine, read if for the first time.

If you’ve never stopped to listen to the lyrics in a Taylor Swift song, I suggest you try it one day. Are some of her songs pure bubblegum?Sure. But I am willing to wager there is a hidden gem or two stuck inside even the peppiest tune, because the writer in her wouldn’t be able to resist it.

One of her song lyrics jokes: “Got nothin in my brain.” I beg to differ, Ms. Swift. I think you got a lot in that noggin.

Danielle Bannister, Author and new Taylor Swift Fan.

 

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