u/dassylogic

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Sometimes I feel like the shock value of certain songs on TLOAS overcome recognition of their wit and writing in general. It's always a good idea to revisit them!

This song may seem incredibly straightforward but it is not at all. Not at all. Let us recall the fake feuds and vilification. She has every reason to write an ode to hate and negative attention. Shockingly, it's more than that.

This is a Taylor move beyond Taylor moves. So, yes, it's clear that she has a thick skin. In CANCELLED! she totally embraces that and that change is a necessary piece in making TLOAS. She is moody, savvy, and extraordinarily bright. This is galaxies away from CANCELLED! though. Truly!

So what is Actually Romantic here?

This is a beautiful portrait of Taylor by Taylor herself through amplified figurative language. It's satirical and if the "wet" comment hadn't clued people in I don't think they're ever going to figure it out.

It really reads as though the song isn't an ode to anyone in particular. Although there are a lot of hints Swifties bring up about other artists, it's all part of the same game. It's not really the "Charli XCX" song. It definitely feels more like those attacking her have become her muses. It's certainly a "you" song where she's taking a group of people or a type of person and hitting them with classic Taylor humour when she hits back (Think: "Oh my God you should see your faces"). She's being ridiculous/facetious and having the best time, which seems to be the case in Wood as well.

It's not so much fighting back with words so much as fighting back with wit and humour. Because she has amplified it to the point of a satirical piece, she's doing a two punch approach. First, she writes about it in a biting way. Second, she does it in a way where any response would seem silly.

satire | ˈsaˌtī(ə)r | noun

>the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues: 

In The Life of a Showgirl there is a similar, poignant lyric,

>And all the headshots on the walls // Of the dance hall are of the bitches // Who wish I'd hurry up and die // But I'm immortal now, baby dolls // I couldn't if I tried

(Did anyone hear "hedgehogs"?)

Again, she's being a bit flippant and marking her place in this world. I would say there are a few songs that come across as smug but are actually written as satire. That doesn't mean the content isn't serious. Not at all. It means she's witty as hell and able to get her point across with finesse and creativity.

Sister Songs (?)

Wood:

A celebration of a relationship mired in metaphors that are unserious but, in between the lines (We make our own luck) and abandoning her former superstitious, daydream-filled mode of being (All of that bitching wishing on a falling star). Wood is about passage to a new life. More on that in another post.

Note: These songs are also the ones with sexual lyrics which, again, elevates them to a place of near absurdity and, if not appreciated for what it is, pearl-clutching.

Phone-free event so no pictures (yet?) but I'm sure it was a lovely wedding! Rumour has it she wore a navy dress.

So this whole thing started when I realized,

>But a shattered glass is a lot more sharp

Is an exit strategy from

>Glass shattered on the white cloth (right where you left me)

So I admit I was intrigued by CANCELLED! and I decided to do a little exploration because it is actually an incredibly interesting song.

Prompt

She initially sets up someone's story:

>You thought it would be okay at first // The situation could be saved of course

Eerily, there's a TTPD vibe already of condemning someone as they were accused of lies (Cassandra). Cassandra was cursed in that no one would believe her truths. It's not so distant from the trials of fame.

>Something wicked this way comes

Straight out of Macbeth. As the witch says, there's going to be something ominous. Love her continued Shakespeare nods. It is as ominous as one can be.

There is no security.

Scars

Now we get to the first chorus. I'm only going to point out lines I find poignant or else we'll be here... forever.

>Welcome to my underworld where it gets quite dark

This obviously alludes to the combination of scandals over decades that she has had to face and that she is willing to share in and not so much commiserate but maybe offer refuge and support.

>They're the ones with matching scars

Taylor mentions scars across her discography in Bad Blood, cardigan, Lover, Blank Space and, thematically, scars represent heartbreaks in a myriad of ways and the showing of these scars is considered an intimate way of knowing someone:

>Show me the places where the others gave you scars (willow)

And, though scars have been from inherently difficult interpersonal relationships, they are also marks of growth.

>But when I count the scars there's a moment of truth // That there wouldn't be this // If there hadn't been you (thanK you aIMee)

Taylor's Warning

>But one single drop you're off the roster // Tone deaf and hot let's fucking off her

The frenetic and dangerous pitfalls of overexposure or a failed attempt at coming across a certain way. This is Taylor's warning.

>Did you make a joke only a man could? // Were you just too smug for your own good?

This is a direct hit at the theme of songs like The Man, which essentially touches on being famous as a woman. It's an important part of the song as it re-iterates that the friends she is speaking about are all women. This is what is imagined but it is also confirmed. The theme of self-respect looking like conceit is touched on as well.

>Or bring a tiny violin to a knife fight?

>I brought a knife to a gun fight (Call It What You Want)

Echoing the knife fight in Call It What You Want, the person is not prepared for the encounter and is therefore, well, cancelled.

Innocence

CHORUS 2

>At least you know exactly who your friends are

Using darker experiences to relate to others creates a bond, as though they have matching tattoos or they have an exclusive pass to a different kind of relationship. Taylor does touch on this in a few places.

>Come with me, when they see us, they'll run [...]

It seems like she's speaking directly to a protegé of sorts whose innocence is in question and is taking them under her wing.

BRIDGE

>They believed I was innocent // So I'm not here for judgment

(or the most judgmental creeps?)

VERSE 3

>[...] then just be better at it // everyone's got bodies in the attic

Okay, so more of an affirmation that one may not be innocent but that it's acceptable so long as it is kept out of sight. It's about navigating the judgmental creeps as opposed to being concerned with innocence

>[...] we'll take you by the hand // and soon, you'll learn the art of never getting caught

We indicates that she already has people in her life that have similar experiences. People that know their way around being cancelled.

We'll take you by the hand hearkens back to Father Figure in that it seems like Taylor is taking someone as her protegé, perhaps whoever she may have warned in the first verse.

Turning Tables

>Can't you see my infamy loves company

This feels like the next step from TTPD. In The Prophecy, there's a longing desire for company and a landscape of isolation. TTPD touches on infamy (WAOLOM), as does reputation of course but it is narrowed down to a lack of innocence in this case.

>Now they've broken you like they've broken me

Ominous and a deeper cut.

>But a shattered glass is a lot more sharp

No more shattered on the white cloth. It's new. It's growth.

CANCELLED! is a culmination of Taylor's experience with fame, moreso than her interpersonal relationships. In the beginning, she's referring to someone who is about to be in the throes of negative media scrutiny and, well, being cancelled. She's a step beyond thanK you aIMee, where she finds the silver lining of the hell she had to go through. In this iteration, Taylor comes across as experienced and as a crusader in her own right. Now that she knows her truths, she endeavours to not only help but mentor and befriend others who have been at risk for Hollywood hatred. The song goes through the steps of her own narrative and ends with someone who is empowered by this whole notion of being "cancelled" and finding a way to make the wicked more palatable. Ultimately, it's not about embracing being cancelled so much as having the power to challenge it and to give others that grace.

Would love to hear your thoughts on CANCELLED! and everything in between.

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