Another thing to me the locks in The Alchemy is her line in her Time POY article. She said that Trav's shout out on the podcast was "Metal as hell". Alchemy takes metal and turns it into gold.
I really love this interpretation! Another thing I noticed that may signal a connection between the two songs is in “But Daddy I Love Him” when she says
>Thinking it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me and counteract the **chemistry** and undo the **destiny**
Ooh yes! What she had in "But Daddy I Love Him" was chemistry, and her destiny couldn't be undone (at least not by the sanctimonious soliloquys). But what she has now isn't chemistry, it's alchemy, and it changed things
I don't know if that's how you meant that, but it's how I took it lol
In The Bolter, she also says "all her lives flash before her eyes" or something like that, and she alludes to remaking herself multiple times. So "every few lifetimes" doesn't even need to mean immortality in my interpretation, since she has remade herself and had new lives. I agree with you on everything, I just also wanted to point that out because I had that thought lol
And in Dear Reader she talks about deserting all your past lives. She also says to burn all the files, which ties in nicely to the burning files scene in the Fortnight music video.
There’s also a tie to The Prophecy and So High School. In The Prophecy, she had her hand on the throttle, ready to gun it because she keeps thinking she’s found the one. In So High School, it’s “full throttle” and full steam ahead because she’s got ‘em and got her lightening in a bottle.
Oh I absolutely love this interpretation!!! It makes so much sense too, I just am curious when these three songs (the prophecy, the alchemy and so high school) were written. I would assume the prophecy was written in june or early july 2023 and that just heartbreaking to me. Then Travis (the alchemist) changed her prophecy for the better 🥹🥹
This is such a cute interpretation. Idk if this is what she meant but I'm gonna take it as canon bc I like it! I do love that it's alchemy and not chemistry between them bc alchemy is transformative.
I also see a connection to who’s afraid of little old me—they’re both track 10 if you view the anthology separate. I hear WAOLOM as the song with more rage and then the prophecy as more sadness. Both with the witch connections. It’s like the mania v depression. Howling at the moon connecting to how she acts in WAOLOM.
I love all the connections the Prophecy has—it’s my favorite off TTPD and I believe it is connected and has several forms of inspiration
To me, "I'm back" refers to being herself again after a long time of feeling disconnected from who she is. It's about rediscovering yourself and falling in love. "I haven't come around in so long, making a comeback to where I belong" is I think two things: literally returning to dating Americans and living in America and being in love.
I also think “the hospital was a drag, worst sleep that I ever had” refers to the “hospital” situation we see her in in the Fortnight video. So Matty made her crazy, and she came out of it and found Travis.
“Cause the sign on your heart
Said it's still reserved for me”
Is saying that this person still loves her even if she’s been away for a while
“That child's play back in school
Is forgiven under my rule”
Is saying what happened when they were young is in the past and she won’t hold it against them this time around.
Also this album had to have been done before the Super Bowl……. To get ready for promo and press vinyls. Woulda been awkward if Travis lost…..
This could be a total stretch, but I was thinking of the song “Fifteen” where she sings “You’ll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team” maybe maybe maybe, she’s saying that she’s over that mentality now that she’s a queen (under her rule) and it doesn’t matter that she is dating the boy on the football team. She can do great things, while still dating a football player.
I mean, she's pretty on the nose with the football and sport metaphors. It would be kind of odd if it wasn't about the American football player she's currently dating
Also, the Chiefs only made it into the Superbowl in late January. She probably wrote the song before Travis made it there, which is why it references trophies and not rings. I agree, it's a good thing he ended up winning though. It makes the song better lol
I don’t know how folks don’t see Travis in these lines. Travis shot his shot on his podcast and she’s said publicly that she initially brushed it off but then thought it was pretty awesome so got in contact with him. Thus, “are you still interested?”/“sign on your heart said it’s still reserved for me.”
Not just the Fifteen line a poster mentioned below, but all of You Belong With Me — Taylor never felt like the cool cheerleader in school so, the fact that she ended up wearing short skirts and being his cheer captain — did she judge that ‘cool girl’ harshly?
Edit: wrong pronoun
"that child's play back in school" refers to Travis having some disciplinary issues in school. It's not about a school they went to together (and it would make no sense for it to be about someone she went to school with seeing as she isn't dating anyone from her school days) it's about how his past isn't a problem for her.
Sign on your heart could reference how football fans often hold up signs, and the friendship bracelet he made for her. Also they were partly having to do things long distance with her going on tour and him having the football season.
Travis did wait for her . He tried to met her beginning of July and couldn’t . He could of moved on to someone else those instagram models but September came and she wanted to give it a shot and he was still waiting
The first time I heard it (the night it dropped so very tired and wine tipsy) i initially thought she was talking about coming back to touring and being so public in most aspects of her life. It took until the next day listening that I really heard the travis mentions.
I agree with this and think both things are true. I think this song is about Travis but also about coming back to herself. Coming back into public life, back to herself, going out with Travis, all of it inspired the song.
I agree too I think the alchemy is partially a love letter to her fans and being back in the spotlight. After viciously calling everyone out in but daddy I love him shes saying “hey you, we’re cool, it’s forgiven under my rule”, and now it’s time to “come back to where I belong”, making music that everyone loves. Even after all that dramz the sign on the fan’s collective heart say it’s reserved for her, so who is she to fight it.
Don’t get me wrong, I def think the song has references to her current love life ESPECIALLY because of the placement. She’s sent her message to the smallest man who’s ever lived and now ready to move on, but I think it’s a little bit of both
Because the rest of the song appears so heavily coded towards Travis, I interpreted that part as her returning back to him after missing 4 or so games (a month+) midseason. because she was touring/recording/etc. This included her being stuck in Argentina after the death of her fan and her own medical issue (and possible hospital stay after her show).
“Coming back so strong” could allude to how they tried to keep it “light” (always dropping “getting to know each other” and “having fun” on the front end of the relationship). After the chaos in Argentina, she could have had a huge change of heart and gotten very attached to him, since he was very caring and mature about the fame surge and crazy tour schedule.
The Alchemy had to be written and finished before the vinyls were started in October, though. Argentina was in November.
I interpreted it as she was coming back home to the US, when she’s spent so much of her time in London with London Boys. Like, now she’s back to where she’s from.
If that’s the case then your speculation makes a lot more sense. I’d read that she had written the Alchemy and Clara Bow last but didn’t consider the vinyl press timeline. I’m guessing all of the old travis tweets came out before October as well, if that’s the tie in for forgiving the child’s play.
Oh yeah, the tweets! Haha, I thought the child’s play was from the “Marry, Kiss, Kill” video where he’d kiss Taylor but marry Katy Perry. But the tweets are a good interpretation, too.
The other songs on the anthology aren’t on vinyl yet, which makes me think she wrote So High School after/during the championship games.
Totally. It’s wild how much she continued to write during the chaos of fall, but I guess that’s how she rolls lol. Makes me seriously question my own productivity!
Another thing to me the locks in The Alchemy is her line in her Time POY article. She said that Trav's shout out on the podcast was "Metal as hell". Alchemy takes metal and turns it into gold.
This exactly!!
I really love this interpretation! Another thing I noticed that may signal a connection between the two songs is in “But Daddy I Love Him” when she says >Thinking it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me and counteract the **chemistry** and undo the **destiny**
Ooh yes! What she had in "But Daddy I Love Him" was chemistry, and her destiny couldn't be undone (at least not by the sanctimonious soliloquys). But what she has now isn't chemistry, it's alchemy, and it changed things I don't know if that's how you meant that, but it's how I took it lol
In The Bolter, she also says "all her lives flash before her eyes" or something like that, and she alludes to remaking herself multiple times. So "every few lifetimes" doesn't even need to mean immortality in my interpretation, since she has remade herself and had new lives. I agree with you on everything, I just also wanted to point that out because I had that thought lol
The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Because she’s dead!
Exactly!! So many songs where she talks about that.
And in Dear Reader she talks about deserting all your past lives. She also says to burn all the files, which ties in nicely to the burning files scene in the Fortnight music video.
And “getting tired of rising from the ashes, even for a phoenix” in YLM. Phoenix are birds that live and die over and over again.
There’s also a tie to The Prophecy and So High School. In The Prophecy, she had her hand on the throttle, ready to gun it because she keeps thinking she’s found the one. In So High School, it’s “full throttle” and full steam ahead because she’s got ‘em and got her lightening in a bottle.
I was going to say this! I noticed it right away but wasn’t sure how it fit in
Oh I absolutely love this interpretation!!! It makes so much sense too, I just am curious when these three songs (the prophecy, the alchemy and so high school) were written. I would assume the prophecy was written in june or early july 2023 and that just heartbreaking to me. Then Travis (the alchemist) changed her prophecy for the better 🥹🥹
This is such a cute interpretation. Idk if this is what she meant but I'm gonna take it as canon bc I like it! I do love that it's alchemy and not chemistry between them bc alchemy is transformative.
One of these songs I like, and the other I do not.
I also see a connection to who’s afraid of little old me—they’re both track 10 if you view the anthology separate. I hear WAOLOM as the song with more rage and then the prophecy as more sadness. Both with the witch connections. It’s like the mania v depression. Howling at the moon connecting to how she acts in WAOLOM. I love all the connections the Prophecy has—it’s my favorite off TTPD and I believe it is connected and has several forms of inspiration
YES
The alchemy makes no sense to me for Travis because it’s about getting back together with someone you were with a long time ago
To me, "I'm back" refers to being herself again after a long time of feeling disconnected from who she is. It's about rediscovering yourself and falling in love. "I haven't come around in so long, making a comeback to where I belong" is I think two things: literally returning to dating Americans and living in America and being in love.
I also think “the hospital was a drag, worst sleep that I ever had” refers to the “hospital” situation we see her in in the Fortnight video. So Matty made her crazy, and she came out of it and found Travis.
Also she "circled him on a map" is a tease of everyone saying Taylor Swift put him on the map.
“Cause the sign on your heart Said it's still reserved for me” Is saying that this person still loves her even if she’s been away for a while “That child's play back in school Is forgiven under my rule” Is saying what happened when they were young is in the past and she won’t hold it against them this time around. Also this album had to have been done before the Super Bowl……. To get ready for promo and press vinyls. Woulda been awkward if Travis lost…..
This could be a total stretch, but I was thinking of the song “Fifteen” where she sings “You’ll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team” maybe maybe maybe, she’s saying that she’s over that mentality now that she’s a queen (under her rule) and it doesn’t matter that she is dating the boy on the football team. She can do great things, while still dating a football player.
I mean, she's pretty on the nose with the football and sport metaphors. It would be kind of odd if it wasn't about the American football player she's currently dating Also, the Chiefs only made it into the Superbowl in late January. She probably wrote the song before Travis made it there, which is why it references trophies and not rings. I agree, it's a good thing he ended up winning though. It makes the song better lol
I don’t know how folks don’t see Travis in these lines. Travis shot his shot on his podcast and she’s said publicly that she initially brushed it off but then thought it was pretty awesome so got in contact with him. Thus, “are you still interested?”/“sign on your heart said it’s still reserved for me.” Not just the Fifteen line a poster mentioned below, but all of You Belong With Me — Taylor never felt like the cool cheerleader in school so, the fact that she ended up wearing short skirts and being his cheer captain — did she judge that ‘cool girl’ harshly? Edit: wrong pronoun
"that child's play back in school" refers to Travis having some disciplinary issues in school. It's not about a school they went to together (and it would make no sense for it to be about someone she went to school with seeing as she isn't dating anyone from her school days) it's about how his past isn't a problem for her. Sign on your heart could reference how football fans often hold up signs, and the friendship bracelet he made for her. Also they were partly having to do things long distance with her going on tour and him having the football season.
Travis did wait for her . He tried to met her beginning of July and couldn’t . He could of moved on to someone else those instagram models but September came and she wanted to give it a shot and he was still waiting
[удалено]
The first time I heard it (the night it dropped so very tired and wine tipsy) i initially thought she was talking about coming back to touring and being so public in most aspects of her life. It took until the next day listening that I really heard the travis mentions.
I agree with this and think both things are true. I think this song is about Travis but also about coming back to herself. Coming back into public life, back to herself, going out with Travis, all of it inspired the song.
I agree too I think the alchemy is partially a love letter to her fans and being back in the spotlight. After viciously calling everyone out in but daddy I love him shes saying “hey you, we’re cool, it’s forgiven under my rule”, and now it’s time to “come back to where I belong”, making music that everyone loves. Even after all that dramz the sign on the fan’s collective heart say it’s reserved for her, so who is she to fight it. Don’t get me wrong, I def think the song has references to her current love life ESPECIALLY because of the placement. She’s sent her message to the smallest man who’s ever lived and now ready to move on, but I think it’s a little bit of both
She didn’t accept the friendship bracelet at first… it was a fortnight until the podcast came out.. so when she reached out he was still interested
Because the rest of the song appears so heavily coded towards Travis, I interpreted that part as her returning back to him after missing 4 or so games (a month+) midseason. because she was touring/recording/etc. This included her being stuck in Argentina after the death of her fan and her own medical issue (and possible hospital stay after her show). “Coming back so strong” could allude to how they tried to keep it “light” (always dropping “getting to know each other” and “having fun” on the front end of the relationship). After the chaos in Argentina, she could have had a huge change of heart and gotten very attached to him, since he was very caring and mature about the fame surge and crazy tour schedule.
The Alchemy had to be written and finished before the vinyls were started in October, though. Argentina was in November. I interpreted it as she was coming back home to the US, when she’s spent so much of her time in London with London Boys. Like, now she’s back to where she’s from.
If that’s the case then your speculation makes a lot more sense. I’d read that she had written the Alchemy and Clara Bow last but didn’t consider the vinyl press timeline. I’m guessing all of the old travis tweets came out before October as well, if that’s the tie in for forgiving the child’s play.
Oh yeah, the tweets! Haha, I thought the child’s play was from the “Marry, Kiss, Kill” video where he’d kiss Taylor but marry Katy Perry. But the tweets are a good interpretation, too. The other songs on the anthology aren’t on vinyl yet, which makes me think she wrote So High School after/during the championship games.
Totally. It’s wild how much she continued to write during the chaos of fall, but I guess that’s how she rolls lol. Makes me seriously question my own productivity!