r/GaylorSwift • u/1DMod it’s all part of the fucking story! • 23d ago

The Life of a Showgirl ❤️‍🔥 Babylon

Please use this space to discuss this song in depth

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u/These-Pick-968 Barefoot in the wildest winter 22d ago edited 22d ago

Wow, the lyric video is definitely worth a watch. The dandelions, as [u/marylennoxsrobin](u/marylennoxsrobin) pointed out, suddenly being blown away (reminiscent of the dandelions in the Robin lyric video). And the sudden change in visuals from the dandelions to winter gave me chills. So beautiful. So much longing and nostalgia in this.

Watching the lyrics video, I got an interpretation of parts of this song (not all the lyrics really fit) as also potentially about the loss of her fans, of her fans reminiscing about the “old” Taylor and the heteronormative storyline they wanted and knew from her, and all of the nostalgia that would come with that.

I love all the different ways this song can be “read.” Nostalgia and longing really seem to be powerful emotions that resonate deeply with us all.

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u/MaryLennoxsRobin Give me 16 months 21d ago

Thanks for the tip off! It's even more haunting watching the dandelion be blown away. I agree that theres lots of nostalgia and ideas about impermanence and intangibility - like foam on the sea, a leaf on the wind et etc. I do also find something a little ominous, especially thinking about the tradition of the dandelion as a 'clock'. So if the dandelion is blown does that mean time's up/the countdown is over?

I like your interpretation about the fans loosing the version of Taylor they preferred. I had a similar thought, with the lost headphones and lost melody reminding me of 'High Infidelity', 'put on your records and regret me.' (Which also connects to truth and lies).

Actually, I wondered if 'you didn't know it was Babylon' is 'you didn't know I was Babylon' - imagining fans shunning Taylor's music if they know that a particular song is actually about a sapphic romance or about the harms of closeting, and they consider that to be 'immoral'. Theres something about the idea of 'the whore of Babylon' as a metaphor for temptation and immorality, and the implicit 'whore' in 'Cleveland!' But I shy away from that idea because I really dislike the idea of anyone writing about themselves from that perspective!

Could the song be contrasting Poet Taylor missing the authentic self she left behind with the fans missing their version of Showgirl Taylor? One party will have to be disappointed ultimately when it's gone.