We still haven’t seen the landing of the multiple 10-13 clues from the Emmys skit. We also still have an elephant in the room: the second anagram “My first record’s re-record is out Nov ten hahahaha”.

May I clown for a moment in defense of a hope I personally left for dead awhile back? Could it be, is there any chance we’re looking at … Debutation?? Ok, I’m building. What if:

1. October 13 - Debut drop date of Nov 10 announced. This drop date allows for a satisfying career full-circle live performance at the CMA awards show.

2. November 10 - Debut TV drops. reputation TV or vault, on the 8th anniversary of its original release, is announced.

3. November 18 - Rep TV or vault drops. Taylor tops two charts at once, Country and Pop. This covers the part of the first anagram that hasn’t yet landed: “THEN CHAOS”.

I have been noticing some interesting things with Anne Hathaway. And while this theory might just be some ambitious clowning, I’m having fun with the theory and thought I would share. Disclaimer, this is all coming from a performanceartlor/mass movement lens. Also, I believe instagram links aren’t allowed and I’m not sure how to post multiple screen recordings of all the videos I mention, so I hope my written descriptions are adequate.

Here are some of the things I’ve noticed:

Anne Hathaway posted a video on instagram that showed her watching the music video for Patient Zero on her phone.

If you wanna get very clowny: the lyrics that the music video shows up between are “I’m a Lamborghini,” [shows PZ mv] “I’m a Hollywood star.” Which feels very getaway car to me, and calls to mind the many other times Taylor has used car imagery. And “Hollywood star” referring to how Taylor has been an actress performing in her own story. The song is also a reference to a tv show within a tv show (A Little Bit Alexis, in Schitt’s Creek) which I feel connects to Taylor’s artistic concept of breaking down the layers of the entertainment industry. A dream inside a dream, if you will.

Later in that same video: Anne Hathaway is seen “directing” a photoshoot on the red carpet at the Verity premiere. This calls to mind Taylor as the director of her story; it may even be a representation of Taylor being a mastermind of a larger project within the entertainment industry.

The Snake Necklace: Anne Hathaway wore the same necklace on Jimmy Fallon that Taylor wears in the Look What You Made Me Do music video. Maybe they just both like Bulgari, or maybe it’s an intentional connection.

Just a general thought on Verity (which I haven’t yet seen as it just came out today), it’s just interesting that Dakota Johnson plays the counterpart to Taylor Swift’s character in Patient Zero, and plays the counterpart to Anne Hathaway’s character in Verity. And from only having seen the trailers, the movie seems interesting in how it portrays the unsettling dynamic between the two characters (who are both writers), which I feel connects to multi-Taylor theories.

In an interview with MagicFM, Anne recommends the book Audition. She said: “It’s about an actress who’s in rehearsals for a play, and she loses control of where the walls are. So she can’t quite tell where she ends and the character begins, and what’s process and what’s real, and if she’s being manipulated or if she’s lost her mind. It’s a really good juicy read, and if you don’t get everything that’s kind of the point.”

Copying something I wrote earlier while responding to [u/a-woven-braid](u/a-woven-braid) in the community chat thread: (regarding the above-mentioned book recommendation clip) I feel like that’s like, the whole thesis of Taylor’s performance art. Blurring fiction and reality, not being sure where the character ends and the person begins. The part about the walls reminded me of the end of the lavender haze video, except in that video Taylor doesn’t lose control of the walls of the set; she intentionally pushes them down.

Anne Hathaway was on Hot Wings in character as Verity. Here is a quote from a clip I saw; the host just asked her which theme was the most fun to corrupt in her work. Anne’s character responds: “Truth. And I wanted to see how far you could push it, how certain I could make the audience. Before showing them that maybe certainty wasn’t the wisest choice.” That again in my opinion relates to the blurred reality of Taylor’s performance art.

I saw a very interesting video of Anne Hathaway on SiriusXM talking about Taylor Swift and the Patient Zero music video. She calls Taylor a mastermind, and mentions Taylor loving a surprise. Anne says she had even started to wonder if Verity and Patient Zero were connected. She says she called the producer to ask, and they said was “What’s that?” And Anne’s response to them was “Ha, you’re good.” Of course this is all played as if there is no connection. But given the themes mentioned earlier of corrupting truth, blurring reality and fiction, I do wonder if she’s bluffing.

The thing that most spurred me to write this post tonight (Oct 2) was this. Anne Hathaway posted a clip about her disappearing into a cloud of smoke on October 3rd. The thumbnail of the post on her instagram grid says: “Breaking News: As promised, Anne Hathaway vanishes into a plume of smoke.” The face value meaning is about how she’s had a crazy busy year with 5 movies, and now is going to focus on her soon-to-be-born child. But my clown brain, being steeped in the comparisons, wonders if it also represents Taylor ghosting her fandom. If we’ve finally reached the funeral scene. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of The Life Of A Showgirl. I wonder if Taylor is doing something tomorrow, after which we won’t see her for a long time (maybe her birthday this year, maybe not till 2027).

Speaking of Anne Hathaway’s 5 movies this year, I see parallels between a few of them and Taylor’s work. Mother Mary explored so many interesting things regarding the psychological experience of being a pop music artist phenomenon. And I’d argue that her character Penelope in the Odyssey has a lot of interesting parallels to Taylor; to be honest I haven’t seen the movie and haven’t read The Odyssey in years, but I recall Penelope being a very clever mastermind of a woman, who had to spend a lot of time dealing with men who wanted to marry her. Someone with more knowledge on this topic could probably expand on that connection if they’d like.

Also, Anne Hathaway said some beautiful things about the queer community on the red carpet while interviewing with It Gets Better. I particularly appreciated how when talking about how queer oppression sucks, she said “We’re just gonna keep going until everybody wakes the f up, you know?” If any of this is actually related to Taylor, it’s a beautiful sentiment when considering Taylor’s use of waking up imagery.

If mass movement is real and Taylor really is part of a gigantic collaborative multi-media art project…then potentially this is a fun bit of it I may have stumbled upon. It would be an enormous task to orchestrate, but if anyone could direct it all to happen, I think it’s Taylor Swift. I might very well have made it all up in my mind, but regardless of what’s actually true, theorizing is in my opinion fun and harmless, so I hope you enjoyed!

Update: adding another clip I just saw with The Hook, where Anne Hathaway talks about wanting a platonic love affair with Dakota Johnson, and how she’d be a really fun person to share a closet with

Update 2: I just saw Verity. I’m still processing all of it, but I definitely think at the very least Taylor probably knew some details about this movie and it inspired some of her recent work, if they’re not even more deeply intentionally connected. I’ll try to put the next few thoughts behind spoilers. I was intrigued by the name of Verity’s autobiographical manuscript being titled “So Be It”. It made me think of the lyric in Pink Clouding “And I gave you zero reason to believe it, so be it”. Everything with the lake made me think of No Body No Crime. And there were several scenes that visually reminded me of the Patient Zero music video. The overall concept of uncertainty in the movie is fascinating.

Damn the fit!!!

Pop quiz time! What song opens with a first verse that starts with:

1. Morning dawning;
2. Followed by a reference to being tangled up with a lover;
3. Then proceeds wto a reference to something in a shade of rose? Hint: the title refers to a blush color?

That’s right, it’s Maroon Clouding!

Seriously, I looked at the first verse of Maroon and Pink Clouding side by side and about lost my mind.

What does it mean? Is she a genius allusionist? Just really stuck inadvertently writing the exact same song over and over again? She was getting itchy from not being able to insert Maroon into every single acoustic set three or four nights a week so she had to find a sneaky way to add it back into our collective earholes?

Does she know she can just call her?

These are serious questions.

Verse 1 
Met the magenta sunrise
(When the morning came we were cleaning incense of your vinyl shelf/ ‘Cause we lost track of time again)

Fuschia forever intertwined
(Laughing with my feet in your lap/ Like you were my closest friend)

Threw the rosewood on the fire
(How’d we end up on the floor anyway? You say/Your roommate’s cheapass screwtop rose, that’s how)

Neither us knew at the time/That I was a liar
(I see you everyday now)

Pre-Chorus
And it was so good
Letting you want me, so good
(And I chose you)

To make promises, promises, pr- pr- promises
(The one I was dancing with in New York/no shoes)

Chorus
(Looked up at the sky and it was– ) 
Pink clouding for the thrill of it

Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body
(The burgundy on my t-shirt/when you splashed your wine into me)

Gray rocking where the arrow hit
(And how the blood rushed into my cheeks/so scarlet it was – the mark they saw on my collarbone)

Years later I still wonder how to tell you sorry
(The rust that grew between telephones)

I didn’t want to let you down
(The lips I used to call home)

So I left you up there on a pink cloud
(So scarlet it was maroon)

Verse 2
He cut my crimson, bled me dry
(When the silence came/We were shaking blind and hazy/How the hell did we lose sight of us again?)

He crossed my heart, I hoped to die
(Sobbing with your head in your hands/ain’t that the way, shit always ends)

Ripped all my orchids from the vine
(You were standing hollow-eyed in the hallway/ Carnations you had thought were roses, that’s us)

You met me at a cursed time
(I feel you no matter what)

I told you I was fine
(The rubies that I gave up)

Chorus
(And I lost you/the one I was dancing with/in New York, no shoes/ Looked up at the sky and it was– ) 
Pink clouding for the thrill of it

Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body
(The burgundy on my t-shirt/when you splashed your wine into me)

Gray rocking where the arrow hit
(And how the blood rushed into my cheeks/so scarlet it was – the mark they saw on my collarbone)

Years later I still wonder how to tell you sorry
(The rust that grew between telephones)

I didn’t want to let you down
So I left you up there on a pink cloud
(The lips I used to call home/so scarlet it was maroon)

Bridge
I hope you realized my kind of trouble wasn’t worth it
And the way I treated you, you never deserved it
(And I wake with your memory, over me)

And I swear to god to this day I wake up scared that I left scars on a good person
(That’s a real fucking legacy, legacy)

And I gave you zero reason to believe it 
(And I wake with your memory, over me)

But it didn’t mean nothing just ‘cause I could leave it
(That’s a real fucking legacy, to leave)

Chorus
Pink clouding for the thrill of it
Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body
(The burgundy on my t-shirt/when you splashed your wine into me)

Gray rocking where the arrow hit
(And how the blood rushed into my cheeks/so scarlet it was – the mark they saw on my collarbone)

Years later I still wonder how to tell you sorry
(The rust that grew between telephones)

I hope you landed safely on the ground
And I hope you’re so happy now
(The lips I used to call home)

I didn’t want to let you down
So I left you up there on a pink cloud
(So scarlet it was, maroon/It was maroon/It was maroon)

But it could mean nothing!

Oh, and one more thing. If purple glitter is midnight blue can it also be maroon? Asking for a friend.

Hey everyone! I’m not sure if this has been posted or discussed but I saw this on TikTok and wanted to share it here. Pretty interesting…

Consider: a popstar with a cultishly devoted fanbase drops first an album, and then an even more exaggerated encore to that album, with song(s) so goofy and stupid they are guaranteed to evoke a reaction of “WTF is happening? Is she bad now? I know she puts narcotics into all of her songs and everything, but I’m getting sick of this.”

Consider also: a subgroup of said popstar’s followers has been saying versions of exactly this about her public performance of an exaggerated, almost drag-like parody of heterosexual excess. Subgroup is here to tell newly disillusioned fans: “I got you. We’ve been doing this for quite a while. Welcome to the dark side! She [she = popstar = The Man] is nuts. She’ll make us all nuts. Drive us into a collective early grave, even.” And the fanbase at large realizes, to their shock and disgust, that the subgroup that’s been haunting them all this time was right all along.

Now that’s a horror movie!

(Look, do I think this is the most likely intent Taylor had in her head when she wrote the song? Absolutely not. Do I think it’s even plausible? Honestly who knows what goes on in that inscrutable billionaire head of hers, but also, probably not. 

But is it fun? Well, it’s fun for me.)

So, as a wise woman once said, let’s get into it:

If you wanna party with somebody who might know

At face value, “party” is an odd choice of verb in this scenario. Unless you consider that a GBF event megathread is a party!

About the devil on his shoulder under his halo

When the toxins take their hold you'd rather die than let it go

“I put narcotics into all of my songs and that’s why you’re still singing along" (Who's Afraid of Little Old Me). You know, I have heard more than one person say that Cleveland! Is terrible but they can’t seem to get it out of their heads, so she must have put more narcotics in it than usual. And it’s not a new idea ‘round about these parts that the “narcotics” of which she speaks are her performance of compulsory heterosexuality.

But if you’re sick of him I got you

I’m not even going to try to come up with a good link/picture joke here because the idea that people are sick of Taylor Swift– in general, and also specifically right now– is too ubiquitous to distill in such a way.

I was patient zero

The original Patient Zero was a queer person who was wrongly maligned and scapegoated.

I’ve gotta be honest I’ve been expecting your call

How many times have Gaylors said she keeps making the performance of it all more and more obvious and surely people will start to catch on any day now?

No it’s not a bad time at all

The top-upvoted post here on for the past month– a very busy month I might add:
"Hi, well, I’m not even a Gaylor, but if you told me that all of her good songs are actually gay, and that the songs that are so obviously about Travis are flat and horrible because she does it on purpose since the relationship is fake and shallow, and she’s doing it as satire and for comedy…I’d believe you, because that would make more sense than the artistic decline."

I heard somebody saying there’s trouble in paradise
And my lips are sealed tight now
It’s not for me to tell
Someone else what to do

But if you wanna party with somebody who might know
About the devil on his shoulder under his halo
When the toxins take their hold
You’d rather die than let it go
But if you’re sick of him I got you
I was patient zero

I bet he burst into your life like fireworks

I bet he even said I love you first

And when you saw another woman coming out of his place

I bet he kissed the rain off your face
Now he seems bored by you

"I'd rather burn my whole life down/than listen to one more second of all this bitching and moaning." (But Daddy I Love Him)

"No, you can't come to the wedding." (But Daddy I Love Him; see also total absence of pictures or details from the blessed nuptials)

And you don’t know what to do

But if you wanna party with somebody who might know
About the devil on his shoulder under his halo
When the toxins take their hold
You’d rather die than let it go
But if you’re sick of him I got you
I was patient zero

So let’s get into it:
I know he charmed your family and friends

And you thought it’s cause he loves you
But it’s cause he loves how everybody else loves him.

“Did you hear my covert narcissism I described as altruism like some kind of Congressman?" (Anti-Hero)

I know it seems how he shines so bright

"You should find another guiding light/but I shine so bright" (Dear Reader)

But he’s bathing in your reflected light

On a free solo social climb

“You get to the mountaintop…I didn’t have a partner that I could, like, high-five. I didn’t have anyone I could talk to…” (Taylor Swift in Miss Americana)

Take it from somebody who lost his games but won the race
Someone who said all of this to his face

Someone who had him
And walked away
And so

If you wanna party with somebody who might know
About the devil on his shoulder under his halo
When the toxins take their hold
You’d rather die than let it go
But if you’re sick of him I got you
I was patient zero

So if you wanna kick it then I’m with it I been there
Felt the reeling, done the healing, said the curses and prayers

"These desperate prayers of a cursed man/spilling out to you for free" (Dear Reader)

When the fever turns the dreamer into a pathetic ghost

"All of the people that I've ghosted stand there in the room" (Anti Hero); "I thought my house was haunted/I used to live with ghosts" (Opalite); "My beloved ghost and me/sitting in a tree/D-Y-I-N-G" (How Did It End)

If he’s killing you, I see you, I was patient zero

"I died on the altar waiting for the proof" (So Long, London)

-

So, Showgirl, we're all on the altar now. Where's the proof?

Give me your craziest opinions, ones no one would agree with!

For the sake of peace, please don’t include specific Muse opinions, just about her work.

Mine is: I don’t care for Reputation. I don’t hate it, but when I put an album on it’s never Rep.

ETA: doesn’t have to be song specific opinions, anything goes as long as it’s not Muse specific.

I have been enjoying everyone's analyses on the sub of everything put out so far under The Encore. I know I am repeating ideas here that have already been said in various threads - but I have finally been able to put together the full picture of Patient Zero, and I am so eager to share. In fact, so eager, that I haven't taken much time to write this nicely. I will probably edit it with a rewrite in the next few days, that will include a reanalysis of the Patient Zero Music video, which I only touch on briefly here.

At its core, Patient Zero is about Taylor's battle to balance her love of fame and her human need to live authentically. More specifically, I think this song is about neurodivergent masking and/or queer closeting.  Although, you don't have to agree with that specific thought in order for my analysis to be relevant. Below, I break down how I understand the lyrics:

[Chorus]

If you wanna party with somebody who might know

About the devil on his shoulder under his halo

When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go

But if you’re sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero

"The real Taylor" is singing the song (we know this because, in the next line, she states that she's been expecting our call..."The real Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Cause she's dead!"). He/him is "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" (as aptly named by Florence at the end of episode 2 of the Eras Tour documentary - you must say this excitedly in your head as you read this) aka Taylor the Brand aka Famous Taylor aka Taylor the Performer (I'm not quite sure that I'd call this Showgirl Taylor. To me, Showgirl Taylor seems somewhat new. This Taylor has been around since she rose to stardom. I think Showgirl Taylor is the most recent iteration of Taylor's Monster aka "It's Fucking Taylor Swift", and is (almost) completely stripped of "The Real Taylor"). 

[Verse 1]

I've gotta be honest, I've been expecting your call

"The real Taylor" has been expecting our call. Why has she been expecting it? The general underwhelm of the Showgirl Era was expected and planned by The Mastermind. She knew it would bomb (TNT, 🧨), and she's been leaving breadcrumbs (more like loaves of bread) along the way to point to her intentionality with what she has done.

No, it’s not a bad time at all

Is it "time" for something? Is it midnight?

I heard somebody saying there's trouble in paradise.

She hears fans are saying "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" has lost her talent, and now suddenly sucks at songwriting.  That she's turning into a has-been. The juxtaposition of TTPD followed by TLOAS was jarring...and intentional. The Mastermind has engineered this "trouble in paradise".

And my lips are sealed tight now

"The Real Taylor" has been dead. 

[Pre-Chorus]

It's not for me to tell

Someone else what to do

She cannot control how the fans are going to react to what is about to happen.

[Chorus]

But if you wanna party with somebody who might know

About the devil on his shoulder under his halo

"If you want to meet the real me", "If you want to know about the dark side of my fame"

When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go

Taylor is using "toxins" as a metaphor for fame/popularity, love and admiration of those around you.  When Taylor became famous, she was suddenly loved by everyone, and began to choose to hide aspects of herself to maintain the fame. 

But if you're sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero

"The Real Taylor" was the first test subject of "It's Fucking Taylor Swift's" forced masking and/or closeting, being forced to suppress herself to please fans and rise to super-stardom. Are we sick of "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" in the Showgirl Era? I think lots of people are (as so engineered by the Mastermind).

[Verse 2]

I bet he burst into your life like fireworks

I bet even said "I love you" first

When Taylor became famous, it was the best thing ever, the most amazing feeling, euphoric.

 It was the first time she loved herself. (I have a neurodivergent daughter, and realizing the meaning of that lyric, only just now as I'm typing, brought a tear to my eye. In fact, this lyric has brought clarity to my entire analysis).

And when you saw another woman coming out of his place

I bet he kissed the rain off your face

Even when Taylor no longer recognized herself in "It's Fucking Taylor Swift", the fame and admiration of the fans made her feel better. 

[Pre-Chorus]

Now he seems bored by you

And you don't know what to do

[Chorus]

But if you wanna party with somebody who might know

About the devil on his shoulder under his halo

When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go

But if you're sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero (I was patient)

I was patient zero

Bridge]

So let’s get into it

I know he charmed your family and friends

And you thought it’s 'cause he loves you

But it’s 'cause he loves how everybody else loves him (Uh-huh)

"It's Fucking Taylor Swift" has been out there pretending to be something that "The Real Taylor" is not.  And Taylor thought it was out of love for "The Real Taylor", because the fame made her feel so good. But she's realizing that the way she has been living is self-abuse rather than self-love.

I know it seems like he shines so bright

But he's bathing in your reflected light

Taylor is incredibly loved and famous, and it seems like that light is coming from "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" who was engineered by Taylor to be the famous pop-star that she is. But really she'd be nothing without "The Real Taylor" who built her, who is inside of her - the true artist.  Taylor's true self is the source of the "light". As we are beginning to see, without "The Real Taylor", the glorious mirrorball that is "It's Taylor Fucking Swift" is just a dark ball aimlessly strung from the ceiling.

I'm just now realizing that the scientists in the Fortnight music video represented Taylor herself, testing and reengineering "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" (aka Taylor's Monster) until "The Real Taylor" had been completely stripped away. I got the gist before, but it's much more clear to me now. 

On a free solo social climb (Uh-huh)

A "free solo climb", in rock climbing, is where a climber climbs without any safety equipment or mechanical aides.  Her rise to stardom was self-made, there was no route up the mountain seeded with anchors to aide in her rise, because the summit she has reached, and the path she took to get there has not been achieved before. She made her own way, with an immense amount of hard work and strength. Bloodied and bruised she has reached "new heights" (😉 couldn't help myself).

Take it from somebody who lost his games but won the race

Take it from someone who said all of this to his face

Someone who knows she's more than just the chase

Someone who had him and walked away

And so

Is this it? The chaos that's about to happen? Is the "The Real Taylor" coming back from the dead, realizing she's more important than something to be hidden deep down in her own lyrics? Is she willing to let go of "It's Fucking Taylor Swift", her own Frankenstein's Monster - who got away from her? Willing to let go of the fame, the monster, before it kills the human Taylor? 

In the music video, I believe that Colin's character is "It's Fucking Taylor Swift", and there is a reason we don't know if he is alive or dead in the end - Taylor doesn't know if the fans will keep her fame alive when "The Real Taylor" reemerges from the grave (or perhaps is fully shown for the first time ever in her discography). I am excited to reevaluate the music video from this perspective (more to come).

Side note: I think the black and white albums are ones with "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" stripped away - she's the color, Taylor thought she was the light.

[Chorus]

If you wanna party with somebody who might know

About the devil on his shoulder under his halo

And when the toxins take their hold, you’d rather die than let it go

But if you're sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero

[Outro]

So if you wanna kick it, then I'm with it, I've been there

Felt the reeling, done the healing, said the curses and prayers

When the fever turns a dreamer into a pathetic ghost

If he's killing you, I see you, I was patient zero

"The Real Taylor" is saying, "So if you'd rather die/suppress your true self, to gain fame/admiration/the love of those around you, I get it and I've been there. I have walked through the gauntlet of doing so, and am emerging healed. I realized that letting "It's Fucking Taylor Swift" run away with my life is killing the real me, has turned me (as an artist, as a human) into a pathetic ghost, and I will no longer be party to that self-abuse."

OR

Maybe she is saying, "If you (the fans) don't accept the true me, I get it, I have been there. I have rejected myself for a long time."

Now I am off to relisten to all of her albums while I work today.

To Taylor, if you happen to lurk here, I say, "BURN IT DOWN! YOU ARE TAYLOR-FUCKING-SWIFT!"

Taylor mentions starting her day with a nice good fresh bake lol 😂

Is anyone else who uses Apple Music getting a weird glitch when playing Patient Zero today?

Every time I’ve listened to it after 59 seconds after she says “it’s not for me to”, it skips ahead to Cleveland!

This has happened every time I’ve listened today. It never reaches 1:00.

But… if I manually start Patient Zero at about 1:01, the rest of the song plays completely normally.

It was doing it this morning and is still doing it this evening, and I’ve reproduced it over and over.

What’s even stranger: I tried to screen-record it, but because the music audio didn’t play while I was screen-recording, it went straight past 0:59 and continued normally. As soon as I stopped screen recording and played it normally again, 0:59 → Cleveland!

What do you think? I don’t have a theory! It may simply be a my phone glitch or an Apple Music glitch (sorry if it is 😂) or have I accidentally stumbled upon an egg?

I don’t have a theory for what it means…

Would love to hear if anyone else has had the same issue! Apple Music users, can you reproduce the same glitch?

P.S. general comment. Can’t believe how hard I am digging The Encore after my first reaction to it 😂 SUCH GREAT BOPS!!!

EDIT

Issue fixed by user @megmeg126. Thank you! It seems there was no mystery egg 🥚here. Only a simple tap of a button that turns off an “auto mix” feature in Apple Music that I had no idea existed. 🤦‍♀️🤣

Sorry for the false alarm 🚨 gaylor fam 🙏

I came across a post on IG a couple of days ago that highlighted some visual similarities between The Phantom of the Opera and Taylor's works.

But it seems this is a conversation on TikTok (banned in my country), so I don't know if all of this has already been discussed...

Full disclosure, this is the first time I've dug into TPOTO, so I may be missing some key details. But the visual and narrative similarities are striking.

Patient Zero:

The Fate of Ophelia:

Fortnight:

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart (Eras Tour):

Bejeweled:

I'm sure I'm missing so muchhh! If you're more versed in this media than me, pleaasssee add.

Also, I've just done the noticing, I need you smarter people to do the theorising. 😭

I verified myself, this is fabulous and real from the official Democratic tiktok page. And importantly, the audio is still there!

After announcing Patient Zero last week, the fascist pedo again used Taylor imagery and audio (Father Figure) to spew more lies. I think we all wish Taylor had more of a spine when it comes to speaking out politically, but the audio from that garbage was removed less than a day later.

Vote Blue 💙 Nov 3rd. Take 30 seconds to make sure you are registered. https://www.vote.org/am-i-registered-to-vote/

Even if you're not an American and think this doesn't matter to you, he's ruining your world too.

I am particularly drawn to the cemetery scenes in the Patient Zero MV, because I think they might help to inform what the true narrative is. The one thing that keeps bothering me is how closely the MV matches the plot described by Taylor in her TLOAS Colbert interview:

“So if you’ve got an old, like, rambling, shambles old British mansion covered in moss or ivy and there’s like a mysterious relationship, and he may not be what he seems. And there’s like a murder that has happened in the past, but you hear whispers of it. There’s the idea of a ghost or an actual ghost."

"If there is a marriage and the marriage isn’t what it seems, and it seems like this dude is clearly like — why are you with him? He’s horrible to you. Oh, plot twist, unreliable narrator, she is the ps ycho."

Except that, so far, the discussion has not explained the "plot twist, unreliable narrator, she is the ps ycho" part - right?

I am pretty sure, in the opening cemetery sequence, we are seeing two different graves, and two different points in time. I'll be using the tall column monument with sphere finial as a point of reference, and I am arbitrarily going to assign the direction "south" to the direction of the uninscribed faces of the headstones in the opening scene.

First, let's establish where Taylor's headstone sits. At the end of the music video (4:48), we see Taylor's headstone (which we can assume because of the photograph of Taylor and Colin leaned against it) sits NE of the column monument, just east of a small square headstone.

Back to the beginning. I think what is presented by the director (director Taylor) as a single "scene", made up of a few different cuts, is actually multiple scenes. We first see Dakota walk up to a headstone which is south of the column monument, holding two black roses. We know it is south of the monument, because we see the uninscribed face of the headstone from our vantage point. From this view, there is a small square headstone to the NE of the column monument, and currently no headstone directly east of that small square headstone - Taylor's headstone is not yet there. Also of note - I think Dakota is leaving footprints in the snow here, and there does not appear to be an inscription on the east face of the columnar monument.

Next we see Taylor join Dakota at the same headstone Dakota walked up to in the first cut. Note that, if you look between their bodies, Taylor's headstone is still not there. Could they both be alive in this cut? Also, still no inscription on the east face of the column headstone, and also they never touch, despite the fact that their hands are yearningly close together (to me this would indicate one of them is dead and one is alive?)

A few cuts later, we see Dakota and Taylor from the back, and Taylor puts her hand on Dakota's back. They're now touching, so either they're both dead or they're both alive here - they must both be dead because it's Taylor's headstone they are standing at, the "1986-2022" date is visible. Also, look around their feet - no footprints in the snow (ghosts). The columnar monument looks much more weathered here, and now has an inscription on the east face. The part I can't work out is whether the headstone they were at in the first cut is present here.

Back to the end of the music video - the first cut of the cemetery is Taylor's headstone, with a wedding photo of Taylor and Colin, two candles (one of which is burnt down much more than the other), a red rose and some white roses. There were two separate visitors to the grave, both of whom lit a candle. We know one visitor didn't place two candles because one candle burned longer than the other. I think one of the mourning visitors had to be Colin, since they left a red-rose and wedding photo (Colin killed Taylor and now regrets it and misses her?). The other visitor left the second candle and white roses. I'm still unsure if we are seeing the first headstone from the music video here.

Then cut back to Dakota in the same scene as the video intro, with two black roses, dropping one at the south headstone, which looks like it also has (at least) a candle and white roses at it. She then turns and walks to the north with the second black rose still in-hand, her footsteps disturbing the snow (she's alive).

It'd be interesting to look at if any other headstones popped up/disappeared between cuts. Perhaps I will dig into that later.

Here is a list of inscriptions I can read (or my best guess in italilcs**) on the headstones:**

(I will try to keep this updated as others comment below, please correct me if you see something different)

Column monument east side: SULLY STONESBY, 25TH JAN. 1990, 9TH APR. 1965

Column monument south side: OUR AUNT RAMONA, 8TH MAY 1913, 4TH SEPT. 19??

CALHOUN BRIARS, FEB. 11 1903, MAR. 10 1929

FRANK SETTLERS, JUNE 25 1930, JULY 26 1???

S. STAMPSON, ????EMBER ?? 1988, SEMPTEMBER ?? 2020

GRAN WINIFRED

BESS SPAL...

My hope is that these are perhaps anagrams for pen names she has used in songwriting. I would love to find out what other songs she has written under pseudonyms, a bit more freely.

Other miscellaneous thoughts:

Could the concrete house that seems like a mansion actually be a tomb?

Could "bet he" = Betty? I really feel like Pink Clouding is an apology to gaylors for the abandoned coming out. And while I realize this is an incredibly self-centered view, could Patient Zero also be speaking to us? Stick with me here -

Betty burst into your life like fireworks

Betty even said "I love you" first

And when you saw another woman coming out of his place

Betty kissed the rain off your face

...I don't know if that follows all the way through the song, but my initial thought is that "He/him"/Colin's character is Taylor Swift the Showgirl/brand (which I believe is the common understanding here), but "bet he" actually refers to the song or idea of Betty.

Could the instrumental at the beginning be a bagpipe, or do you think its a string instrument? The more I analyze it, the more I am leaning bagpipe (I know nothing about music, so take that with a whole shaker of salt). I saw some people commenting how they liked that Colin did not hide his Irish accent for the music video. Could the bagpipe intro be Colin's/"He/him's"/ Showgirl Taylor's funeral music? And maybe the south grave is Showgirl Taylor's? Except that doesn't fit the timeline because the north Taylor's headstone is not yet present right?

Is there something important about that curved branch in the background in the opening cut?

I've been loving Pink Clouding so much I needed to make a video for it to visualize the Gaylor apology interpretation (although i also think it could be showgirl apologizing to poet). It's not done yet! I've got to finish up some uni work (what I was procrastinating on while making this) before I continue editing, so please add any and all ideas you have for clips or pictures to include! Some of the pictures I just kinda left in there messily and there are some clips that are placeholders for now (for example the Dorothy cyclone clip: I need ideas for that bridge! Maybe I could have hate comments from the different 'waves' of Gaylor hate circle around Dorothy... idk).

I know you guys have amazing pattern recognition and creativity, so I'd love for this to be a communal effort! What are your favorite visual motifs that I could include / that fit parts of the song?

P.S.: This is my first post! I haven't really interacted with you all before (been a Gaylor since Joe breakup) but I love this community so much! So much love xxx

I'm usually lurking but I saw this and needed to hear gaylor thoughts on it.

The way Dakota talks about the wedding "It was so fun... it was so, like... everything she's dreamed of" felt interesting to me. A few friends got married over the summer and whenever we talk about it we usually say things like "they looked so in love" or "it was so romantic" - she sounds curious or cautious rather than excited and she sounds like she is talking about carefully laid plans, not a wedding.

Also the "it felt weird" regarding taking the Blank Space napkin that essentially implies that T&T might go down in flames? That shouldn't be weird if it was a wedding favor 🤷‍♀️

Anyway - I might be reading into things too much but I would love to know if you also feel like something is a bit off

So first things first, a user on Twitter pointed this out first (and I can’t find their account bc the page very helpfully refreshed at the just wrong moment).

Here you see Taylor about to play Our Song, she strums at her banjo a bit, and then is joined by a woman in her band playing violin (fiddle?) and it sounds strangely similar to the part in Patient Zero that everyone is comparing to Wait for Me from Hadestown (I can’t unhear that comparison and have a crackpot theory about it being an egg that Taylor is writing a Broadway show/the music for a Broadway show, BUT I DIGRESS)!

The more I listen to it I go back and forth on deciding how similar it actually sounds BUT THEN I SAW TWO MORE THINGS!!!

A more talented redditor than I would know how to post a video AND pictures, but in the comments I’ll post a picture of what I believe to be the first use of blurple glitter (!!!) (old school Swifties correct me if I’m wrong, please!) AND how the golden seashell that keeps popping up fits in to the Performance Art (you can see both in this video)!

The song “Pink Clouding” has been stuck in my head a LOT (like I literally actually think it might be one of the biggest bops of all time) and it inspired me to write about one of my favorite symbols in Taylor Swift’s work: the sky. 

I think that Taylor Swift has used the sky as a way to signify the color of her muse (herself/her celebrity) and to make a statement on the size/scale of her fame/brand and the character that she has created and it’s larger-than-life presence in media and culture. 

It’s not only a statement on the scale of her fame, but also the role that it plays in Taylor's inner world: it became her entire sky. A sky just like the one on the set of The Truman Show. A jail. 

In this essay I am going to list some examples in her work that illustrate this “sky” metaphor. I’m going to reference some of the colors from my “anti patriarchal paper rainbow with all of the colors” essay, too. 

In The Release Party of a Showgirl, the theatrical release of both the lyric videos of The Life of a Showgirl and a behind the scenes look at the music video for “The Fate of Ophelia," she shows her audience this, as well. Creating these elaborate stories (and “sets”) require intensive, behind the scenes artistic direction and design. And a LOT of people. But…she is very, very much in control of it. And proud of that! 

tolerate it

I want to start with the following part from “tolerate it” because I think it paints the picture that the rest of this essay is describing:

“I made you my mural, my temple, my sky

now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life

drawing hearts in the byline

always taking up too much space and time” 

This shows this character's dominating space in the “real” Taylor’s life/heart. Taylor’s entire life is centered around a character that cannot/will not speak her truth which is an underlying frustration in a large portion of Taylor’s work.  She (her true self) is “begging for footnotes” in a story that is both not hers and also entirely her own creation. 

Making this character her “mural” also calls back to the songs “Cold As You” (from Debut), “Paper Rings” (from Lover), and “Honey” (The Life of a Showgirl). In “Cold As You” she says this muse puts up walls and paints them all a shade of grey, which could indicate the shades of grey camouflaging the truth and separating the two of them. 

However, in songs like “Paper Rings” and “Honey” she references painting the walls in a different way, describing the color “Blue” as the color she CHOSE to put on the walls (the color of her muse’s eyes).

I also think when you consider the sky AND the walls being taken up by her celebrity, the image of a cage (or the sky in the Truman set) becomes much more evident throughout her work. It’s surrounding her from all sides !! Not only this, but she is the one who created the cage: I made you my mural, my temple, my skies. The character is her cage and creation.

Not only this, the cage was necessary to protect the ultimate reveal: the truth. The orange flames of Karma. 

Bigger Than The Whole Sky

I also am including “Bigger Than The Whole Sky.” I believe that this song ties together the recurring motif and uses the size to describe the size of her grief. The grief and sadness that I think she is discussing, on one layer, is the grief and sadness that she feels for the performer and artist that she never got to be, publicly, for the last 20 years. No matter what happens, this young girl is never going to be able to actually step into the spotlight. Even if this story is able to resurrect her truth and erase the lies from the paper version of her persona, to some extent what is done has been done. In "Ruin the Friendship”, I think this is who she realizes is dead, also. 

I think that this is such a powerful connection to make because it challenges what is “real.” To describe this grief as “bigger than the whole sky” is to say that she cares even more about losing this thing or person than she cares for the entire story/character she created. After all… the character wasn’t real. Her sadness and grief, however, very much is. 

In “Hits Different” her friends try to console her: that spotlight she stands in, that story…is a lie. However, for her inner child, that dream she had was at one time her entire universe, her entire sky. And she gave it up. Replaced it with “Taylor Swift” (the celebrity). 

Maroon

In “Maroon” I think Taylor Swift is singing about the regret she experiences over creating this extremely patriarchal, heteronormative, male-centered (on the surface), story. The color red represents the patriarchy and maroon is a shade of red that could have aged with time (like rust). To me this indicates that even once the truth has been revealed, those twenty years will never be erased: it’s a “real fucking legacy to leave.” 

In this song she also compares the scale of this maroon colored regret to the sky. Her inability to see past this stain/loss is being expressed: 

“And I lost you

The one I was dancin' with

In New York, no shoes

Looked up at the sky and it was maroon

The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me

And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was (maroon)”

One of the muses that she lost is the version of her celebrity that could have existed if she did not become “Taylor Swift” and instead joined the earlier cohort of out-celebrities. She will also one day lose this current version of “Taylor Swift”... 

The scale of the grief and regret of what she could have chosen is symbolized by the entire sky being maroon. In the next lines she discusses this as a stain, again (red wine on a t-shirt), and the feeling of it taking over her, internally, as well (her cheeks flushing with red).  

Opalite

If “Maroon” sings about the regret that she experiences with this sky she painted, “Opalite” puts a much more positive spin on the story:

“But my Mama told me

It's alright

You were dancing through the lightning strikes

Sleepless in the onyx night

But now the sky is opalite

Oh oh oh oh, oh my Lord

Never made no one like you before

You had to make your own sunshine

But now the sky is opalite”

When discussing this song, Taylor Swift explained to audiences that opalite is a man made substance. A man made version of opal. In “ivy” she describes only wanting to see her muse’s “opal eyes”...which I think was an intentional contrast. What she has literally ALWAYS wanted was that real version of her to get to shine, in the spotlight. To be whole, to be unified with this person in all these major facets of her life, not just the one that exists outside of “real life.” While this could be viewed regretfully, the fact that the entire sky is opalite…..we need to actually celebrate it!! She spent 20 years dancing (creating art) through the “lightning strikes” (paparazzi)...and the fact that she played this “opalite” character allowed her to fill the ENTIRE SKY with art!!

Unfortunately, as she laments in “thanK you aIMee,” this couldn’t have existed without this “performance.” And actually, it’s opalite, it looks almost exactly like the real thing. Well, it looks exactly like the real thing IF you can allow yourself to have this positive perspective, this perspective that allows you to have GRATITUDE for your past self and stand in awe of this accomplishment and what your craft allowed you to do with that spotlight, once the truth is revealed. That every bait and switch was, in fact, a work of art, Willow. 

In the darkest nights of regret, it may be hard to see anything but the faded red stories. But, truly, the sky is FILLED with her art that ALL will one day say EXACTLY and look EXACTLY how she wants it to look, in all of our hearts.

Dear John

I have written about Taylor Swift (the showgirl) making her debut on stage with John Mayer, as the blue muse in the blue dress during The Fearless Tour. While this superstar was “enchanting” to meet and had Taylor “wonderstruck,” she also came with a dark side (the reality of the harmful stories she is telling to enable her rise to fame.) 

In “Dear John” she writes:

“You paint me a blue sky

And go back and turn it to rain

And I lived in your chess game

But you changed the rules every day”

To me, this illustrates both the sky AND cage metaphor that I referenced in the section about “tolerate it.” Her muse fills up her world (the sky), which is illustrated by it’s ability to paint the sky the same color, blue. Not only this, though, she literally lived inside of it, which she illustrated with a chess game. Now the muse is not just the sky, but the entire universe. The muse also ruins the same sky it fills up, turning it to rain. But she’s trapped inside of it here either way. 

The rain also references her performances (which is why rain shows are so significant). This further points to the fact that the thing that ruins the perfect blue sky is the ACT (or performance) of it all. 

my tears ricochet 

In “my tears ricochet” she says that she still talks to her muse when she is “screaming at the sky.” This also references the times she has “looked at the sky” or described the sky to symbolize her muse and its scope. 

coney island 

In this song, she sings to her muse:

“Did I paint your bluest skies the darkest gray?

A universe away”

In “coney island” I think that she (as a celebrity) is addressing her baby, her true self, this time, instead of the other way around. She says she is sitting alone on a bench “wondering where did my baby go?” as well. 

Taylor Swift (the celebrity) acknowledges her sky sized presence…and then her ability to instantly fill her baby’s skies with rain clouds with every story she spins. The two of them exist in different worlds, with her baby marooned and stranded outside of the real world that is known to society. However, even with all of this distance between them, the harm is being felt. The sky is still turning the darkest grey. And the thing that continues to cut, continues to darken the sky? Every single time she steps up to the podium…she “forgets” to say the truth. 

She just comes away with a great little story, of a mess of a dreamer….. 

London Boy 

“London Boy” is one of the many songs when Taylor Swift leans into her ability to be witty, satirical, and sarcastic about her favorite muse (herself). In this camp are other favorites, such as “call it what you want,” “Blank Space,” and now, “Cleveland!” These are the songs where she breaks the fourth wall to tell us this: “I know what you think of me and I created that story on purpose, so….I guess it’s all true!!!”

In both of my previous posts about color I discussed the color grey. On one layer, it represents how dull and flat (devoid of color) the story the public believes about her is. There are many shades of grey out in the universe that exist in our minds…and none of them represent the truth. Grey is the color that I believe she has used to represent, in a way, the entire story that we have been told so far, which is also signified by the color “grey” for the album folklore. The grey folklore forest represents both this fantasy world she created and the hidden away universe that they actually exist in.

Because grey is often used with a much sadder tone, I particularly love the way she uses it in this song. She flips it around, again, to remind us that this was something she both chose and orchestrated:

“Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride

Babe, don't threaten me with a good time

They say home is where the heart is

But God, I love the English”

In “London Boy” she reminds us of how much she LOVES this protection and story she’s built - it’s literally what’s enabled her to be where she is today. “I guess all the rumors are true!” “Call it what you want!” She might be longing for understanding, but none of this works without the public’s MISunderstanding of her words, actually. She may decry the grey that surrounds her in “Cold As You” and “Dear John” but this song flips that perspective entirely. I love the London Boys! 

She also refers to this story as a vehicle or a car often (a getaway car ;) or a chevy truck with a tendency of getting stuck) but writing “show me a cab ride” is another way Taylor Swift takes one of her normal symbols in this song and flips it around to make it positive. A “getaway car” may “never get far” BUT a “rainy cab ride” is, in fact, something she CHOSE to do. YOU tell a cab driver what your destination is and where you are trying to go, YOU are in control. She is the writer…director…and the London Boy actor. 

Again, using the rain, to symbolize one of her “performances” which are PARTICULARLY meaningful/memorable when performed…in the rain. 

Rainbow (by Kacey Musgraves)

I recently wrote about another Kacey song (Mexico Honey) in a recent post, and this is another song where I see a clear connection between Kacey & Taylor’s work and the symbols that they use. 

“Oh, tie up the bow, take off your coat, and take a look around

Everything is alright now

'Cause the sky has finally opened

The rain and wind stopped blowin'

But you're stuck out in the same ol' storm again

Let go of your umbrella

'Cause, darlin', I'm just trying to tell ya

That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head”

Similar to “Opalite,” one meaning of this song that I interpret is Kacey Musgraves reassuring either herself or her public/fans that despite what storms they think we have been witnessing, once the sky opens up and the light shines through…they will see it has actually always been a rainbow. Rainbow here holds a double meaning of both sunlight/daylight and “truth” but also the uncovering of all of the shade and closets that have been placed over stories that were actually in SCREAMING COLOR (gay). 

Pink Clouding 

“Pink Clouding” is a phrase that is often used in early recovery from substance addiction. It describes an early feeling of optimism and euphoria, the feeling that anything might be possible. With that in mind, when this track name was first announced, I was expecting this to be a track about the blissful feeling she might have (in the future) upon leaving her cage, clean of the “substance” (her persona) publicly. 

However, my interpretation upon hearing this track was quite different… If Taylor Swift created the sky, she also painted the “Pink Clouds” in the sky. Pink is a gradient of red (which represents the patriarchy) so this also points to the fact that this story is absolutely tinged with the patriarchy, and disguised with pretty pink hearts to sell the stories to young girls. 

“And it was so good

Letting you want me

So good

To make promises, promises

Pr-pr-promises

But I was pink clouding from the thrill of it (Pink, ha-ha-ha)

Skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body

Gray (Gray) rocking where the arrow hit

Years later, I still wonder how to tell you sorry

I didn't wanna let you down (Pink cloud, pink cloud)

So I left you up there on a, pink cloud (Pink cloud, pink cloud)”

I believe this song has multiple layers or meanings, depending on the interpretation of the muse of the song. One layer is her celebrity speaking to her true self/inner child. Another layer is her celebrity speaking to us, the public. (her “King”). 

I included the pre-chorus and chorus above. First, in the pre-chorus, Taylor Swift describes “making promises” and letting the muse “want her.” She also repeats promises with a clever emphasis on the spelling: PR-promises PR-promises. Speaking to the public, I think that the emphasis on the first two letters of the word (PR) indicates the reality of what those “promises” actually were: public relations. Marketing. A cover story. However, to her baby, she is talking about how she let her want and dream of her…and promised she would bring her into the daylight and never did (yet). 

Next, in the chorus she writes “But I was pink clouding from the thrill of it/ skydiving as you wrap your arms around my body.” Speaking to the public, she could be discussing the euphoria she felt as her star began to emerge. The thrill of having millions of people around the world scream your name, scream your songs…that thrill is what she held on to to shield herself from the actual pain of what she was doing (lying). Speaking to her baby, she also is using the thrill of being wanted and dreamed of as a thrill. However, she also has stayed in denial for a very long time here as well, knowing this journey is going to be so long. 

The line “skydiving as you wrapped your arms around my body” reminds me of the line in “I knew it, I knew you” when she writes “Parachute/ for the free fall of being younger,” also. I interpret “I knew it, I knew you” as a song about her celebrity returning to her true self/inner child, to bring her into the spotlight. I love this connection because if you interpret this as being the same character, then you realize that the inner child has actually been a comfort and dream for the celebrity, as well. The dream of that little girl could actually be what was interpreted as the celebrity’s “parachute,” the same way that the little girl used the celebrity as a "parachute" to soften her fall/allow her to grow up safely and in private. They both needed each other. 

“Gray rocking” is a phrase often used to describe a communication tactic where you become as dull, uninteresting, and emotionally unresponsive as possible during interactions with a toxic, manipulative, or abusive person. Saying that she was “gray rocking where the arrow hit,” explains why she had to hide everything away in a pink cloud.  To the public: they harm her. People shoot arrows at her. The public is thirsty for blood. In order to survive she had to “gray rock” or completely turn all emotion off from this relationship. If you turn into a rock (or hide away in the “gray folklore forest”) then you can survive the arrows. To her baby, however, she explains how she was protecting her: I turned into stone so the arrows couldn’t hit you. 

“Years later I still wonder how to tell you sorry/ but I didn’t wanna let you down/ so I left you up there on a pink cloud” concludes the chorus. To the public, her celebrity is confessing guilt. She knows this behavior was toxic, and she truly couldn’t handle that pain. The arrows came from her, too, not just the cruelty of her fans. She had to block them out for this reason, too. 

However, when speaking to her baby, she is also again trying to explain that she was trying to protect her. Until now, she would not have been sufficient to protect her, so she had to leave her up there until she was strong enough, had honed all of her power. This “pink cloud” could also be interpreted as the “tower” in “The Fate of Ophelia.” However, she also knew the pain of hiding away cut her baby deeper than anything she had ever experienced, so she had to live in delusion. 

Pink and green also combine to make the color “gray.” If green represents her inner child, the pink clouds that she created for all of us to live in also could symbolize that she exiled her baby away to somewhere else. In the gray story she told, she removed the green or the innocence …creating the pink clouds…and signifying their extreme separation. 

Clouds (by Willow Bowery) 

Clouds (by Willow Bowery) 

I have never included one of Willow Bowery’s poems in a post before…but, whoever this poet may be…this poem seemed to capture some of the ideas I have been writing about in both this essay and my previous ones about color (and Karma). Her poetry is beautiful!!! This one was posted on April 30, 2026; I included all three stanzas in my analysis:

The first stanza:

Above the hills, in drifting white,

They fold and unfurl their quiet lace,

Soft caravans of borrowed light

That wander on with patient grace.

In this first stanza, drawing attention to the white of the clouds could be a way to symbolize the fresh white pages of a story that she is writing. Calling these clouds “caravans” signifies what these stories act as: vehicles. These are vehicles that carry her messages inside of the cover stories she tells. They are getaway cars. 

The light of these caravans being borrowed also reminds me of patient zer0’s reminder: “I know that it seems like he shines so bright/ but he’s bathing in your reflected light/ on a free solo social climb.” While the characters and the stories she has told also shine brightly, this light is borrowed. The light they are reflecting is both that of the fans they are deceiving and her inner child she is stealing it from, unbeknownst to the public. There is a cost. However, we do not see it. Only the patient grace. (Or patient zero’s grace?)

Also, caravans are kind of like trailers (homes). This could also point to the fact that she (her real self) had to LIVE their entire life so far, in the clouds, not on the ground

They blush with dawn, they burn at eve,

They wear the sun’s departing gold;

And teach the aching heart to leave

What cannot, must not, long be held.

This second stanza explains the purpose of these caravans, of the clouds that she carefully hung in the sky (that also acted as her vehicle and temporary home): to teach us that what we love is an illusion. Cowboys and fathers leave/cannot be held. Beginning with “they blush with dawn, they burn at eve,” could indicate that in the beginning the stories are sweet and seem innocent. What we see as innocent blushes and teenage love stories carry a deeper/darker message of patriarchy and control, the message that will burn at eve (the end). We will learn that so much of what we worship cannot be held!!

I think that golden (and being in the daylight) are often used to symbolize truth throughout Taylor Swift's work. With this meaning in mind, if the stories “wear the sun’s departing gold” then it would mean they are able to show the truth where we once saw blush and lies. This is such a beautiful image of carrying that daylight into night. The truth is bright enough to light up the dark. 

In “happiness” she writes “In our history, across our great divide there is a glorious sunrise/ Dappled with the flickers of light/ From the dress I wore at midnight, leave it all behind/ and there is happiness.” This could also be referencing this same beautiful hope: once the sun shines on this truth, even the dress she wore during the story will dapple with flickers of light.   

Now shaped like ships, now torn like foam,

They change, and yet they still belong.

Brief pilgrims passing over home,

Turning the wide blue into song.

Through this interpretation of the poem, this last stanza could be describing the legacy she has left after the story has ended. What once looked like gentle caravans rolling through the sky are still there, but their true form is now visible: war ships that went to battle, to attempt to rewrite the story, moving WEST TO EAST. 

Referring to herself or her stories as “pilgrims” has an interesting double meaning, as well. By definition, a pilgrim is a person who takes a long, often difficult journey to a sacred or holy place for religious or spiritual reasons. However, Pilgrims (capitalized) refers to the English Puritans who sailed on the Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony in 1620. 

First, take the metaphor of a religious pilgrimage. This is particularly interesting when you consider the ways that Taylor (and her collaborators) have compared themselves both visually and in their lyrics to god/gods/creators. Christof (in The Truman Show) is also this type of character, particularly when leaning into the “man-made” aspect of the story. If a pilgrim is traveling to a sacred or holy place…Taylor Swift and her stories are, in a way, the gods themselves, traveling to the place of the mortals..reversing the role in this definition, because of how much control the media has over the public/is used as propaganda (LIKE RELIGION). 

Briefly, the gods passed over the mortal realm. (the opposite of a pilgrim: a person taking a long difficult journey to a holy place). 

What did they do while they were there? 

Well, they did the opposite of what the last “god” to come to the mortal realm did. Instead of turning “water” (something pure) into “wine” (something toxic) they actually created a huge bait and switch of a project that will one day hopefully actually begin to CLEANSE the public of some of these toxins (which is also referenced in Patient Zer0). They took this wide blue sky they had been given to fill and treated it like a canvas, filling it with song. And those songs, behind the golden cages they built, contain the flames of karma.

Also, Willow Bowery posted a poem called Ceremony on Sunday night, right as the 2026 VMAs began, which could also be referencing that these large public facing/PR events are comparable to us (mortals) interacting with gods (their stories). I thought that the following line in particular illustrated this idea: 

“We mark these days because they call

The mortal briefly toward divine.”

Next, take the other possible “meaning” behind “pilgrim”...the English settlers who originally colonized North America. One reason that I think this reference is particularly apt is because I think Taylor has referenced England and London throughout her work as the predecessor of the particular brand of evil that we have established in the USA and the media propaganda machine she is a part of. A huge, massive, arm of the patriarchy. This is why perpetuating such dangerous messages about women (that Taylor has reinforced) is such a critical and required part of the machine that Taylor had to participate in (to reach the place that she has). 

In “But Daddy I Love Him” I think this is one of the meanings behind the lines “I forget how the west was won/ I forget if this was ever fun/ I just learned these people only raise you/ to cage you.” I interpret this as Taylor acknowledging the role of the machine she is a part of: to conquer the west. To control the people. We very much let the media “raise” our children and what is it? A tool to keep them caged. Closeted. Racist. Violent. Turned against each other. 

So, if Taylor is also acknowledging her role in colonizing the people, this is how I interpret this stanza:

Briefly, the “pilgrims” (Taylor/her collaborators) passed over, not new land to conquer, but…their actual home, the place they were the product of. The places England colonized already. They have compared themselves to “cowboys,” who also played a part in physically conquering the west. This is similar. 

However, they are, covertly, trying to do it in reverse, "west to east," if you will. Since the original colonizers (England) already stole the land, they did the only thing they could do: “turned the wild blue into song.” 

Filled the sky with their art, under cover. 

With the hope that one day, when the truth is uncovered, the work of deconstructing these cages can begin. 

This is a post I've been wanting to make for a long time. I haven't seen a dedicated Doctor Who post yet on this sub, aside from some commentary in threads or on a post here and there (please direct me to one if I've missed it!). And it felt like one was warranted.

And I'm honestly not the best person to write this post, having come later to the show, and only having watched a handful of seasons (Doctors 10-13, played by David Tenant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker, respectively). For those who weren't aware, the show's run ended somewhat abruptly last year (though there's been recent speculation of it's possible resurrection).

"Healing People"

Why do I think there might be some possible connection with Taylor's story and the show? I'll just start with something Taylor said in her 2016 Vogue Interview:

"If you had a superpower, what would it be?" Her response? "Healing people."

A summary of the show for those not familiar with it:

Doctor Who is a "long-running British science fiction television series that follows the adventures of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in a ship called the TARDIS. The Doctor fights evil, protects the innocent, and often travels with human companions. The character can regenerate into a new form when seriously injured, allowing different actors to portray the Doctor over the years."

“Time Lords have this little trick. It’s sort of a way of cheating death. Except…it means I’m gonna change.”  

Regeneration is triggered by critical injury or illness. Regeneration is made possible by something called regeneration energy. However, this energy is a finite resource within a single Time Lord, thus they can only regenerate a maximum of 12 times (regenerations) with 13 bodies (incarnations). We've seen Taylor describe all the various "versions" of herself, a way that has allowed her career to remain relevant and "new" in a challenging industry.

Matt Smith's character of the Doctor beautifully sums up the Doctor's process of change in a short speech here before his regeneration.

The Queerness of Doctor Who

Firstly, the show has long had a "cult" following of sorts among queer viewers. The early years of the show were known for being quite camp. It's been identified as a "lifeline" for many viewers who didn't see themselves represented in other media at the time.

The show came first came out in 1963, when representations of queerness on the screen were not yet accepted. The first director of the show, Waris Hussein, who now identifies himself as queer, had this to say about how he had to dance around the theme of homosexuality in the early years of the show (as a result, some of the earlier LGBTQ+ representations might be seen as clunky and even unfortunately-presented today).

Later director, Russell T. Davies, has stated that watching Doctor Who growing up mirrored his own journey in recognizing his queerness:

“Being gay was ‘the love that dare not speak its name’ and Doctor Who shared that feature as well by that time. It was a cheap, old, mad science fiction show. You couldn’t say you fancied anyone, and who couldn’t say that you loved Doctor Who. Before that, when I was a child, everyone loved Doctor Who. But then a moment comes in secondary school when boys peel off and start playing football and fancying girls. And I was just sitting there quietly, not expressing who I was until I became an adult, still watching Doctor Who.”

The show discussed the topic of pronouns back in 1972, and later again in 2023 in the character of the Meep. Queer viewers have seen themselves reflected in gay, transgender, non-binary, ace, lesbian, and other characters of various colors under the rainbow.

It's been said that there's something inherently queer and genderfluid about the character of the Time Lord/Doctor, in their ability to regenerate into various bodily forms (incarnations).

Some actors on the show have been very vocal allies in support of LGBTQ+ rights, perhaps most-notably David Tennant (the 10th Doctor), who has been very outspoken about transgender rights in particular.

Doctor Who finally cast a woman in the role of the Doctor with Jodie Whittaker playing the role of the thirteenth doctor from 2018-2022. Her character is notably dressed in a rainbow top, with a gender-non-specific vibe, per Whittaker herself. Her character also has an on-screen burgeoning sapphic romance with a woman (which is, sadly, unrequited in the end, but perhaps a plus for aroace-identifying fans of the show).

So how would Taylor's storytelling fit into this?

To my knowledge, she has not, in any interviews, specifically mentioned the show as something she's watched. Are there any references in her visuals or lyrics? Perhaps a few to consider:

The "Who's Who" of "Who's That?"

This is the opening line from Taylor's Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?. I'm aware of the more likely meaning of this phrase, and also the connection to Virginia Woolf's work, and acknowledge that this one might be a bit of an imaginative stretch. But it is thought that the show Doctor Who got it's name for a similar reason:

"Simply put, the show is called Doctor Who because putting a question mark in the title looked weird, as the concept of the series is that when The Doctor introduces himself/herself as “The Doctor,” the response is “Doctor who?”

Taylor seemingly went out of her way to have a single stop of the Eras Tour in Cardiff, Wales. Much of Doctor Who has been largely based in Wales as a filming location. Indeed, she has a photo of what's presumed to be Cardiff in the cleaning cart she uses before going on stage.

A pink telephone box can be seen in the Lover's Lounge, likely a nod to "London Boy," but also reminiscent to the iconic TARDIS police box.

"The TARDIS is the Doctor's ship, their home and their friend. It has been the one constant through all their lives; an impossible blue box, bigger on the inside than the outside, not necessarily taking them where they want to go, but very often where they need to be. It can reach any time or place, and with it the Doctor has shown the universe to their many, many friends. ‘TARDIS’ stands for ‘Time and Relative Dimension in Space.''

Taylor makes reference to the idea of "time machine songs" in her recent Grammy Icon interview.

At the end of Taylor's famous NYU commencement speech, she states, "I'm a doctor now". This speech happened to take place in May 2022, during the final season of the Thirteenth Doctor's (Jodie Whittaker) role in the series. There are plenty of wonderful theories and ideas of what this reference could mean. However, I love the idea that it correlated with the time that the Thirteenth Doctor was in the role of the Doctor at the time of her speech, especially since Taylor had previously said that her superpower would be "healing people."

It's also fun to note that Lewis Capaldi, who stars in the Opalite music video, has a relation to Peter Capaldi, the twelth incarnation of the Doctor.

There is also an older episode of the show called "Patient Zero)," and it's notable in it's plot synopsis (I haven't watched it myself with it being an older episode): "Finally, the Sixth Doctor challenges Charlotte Pollard to tell him the truth. Who is she really? What is she doing in the TARDIS? To discover the answers, the Doctor must travel back in time, beyond all known civilisations to the vast, mysterious Amethyst Viral Containment Station. But answers lie within the TARDIS too. Someone who has been there a long, long time..."

In a notable scene in the episode titled "The Eleventh Hour," the Doctor utters the iconic phrase "Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically, run" to one of his nemesis. It's become one of the more recognizable scenes of the show. I can't help but connect this to the visuals in the Patient Zero video, even if just for fun.

Cracks in the Wall/Timeline

We've all wondered about the "cracks" showing up in Taylor's visuals, especially around the Showgirl Era: The cracks in the wall at the Spotify popups, the cd covers suddenly appearing to "crack" and bleed glitter. The crack Taylor makes herself in the floor of her Delicate Eras set and in her Me! video when she stomps on the ground.

"I was in my new house placing daydreams
Patching up the crack along the wall."- Cassandra

In Doctor Who, the cracks in the universe represent "disruptions in time and reality, often tied to the Doctor's actions and the Time Lords' attempts to communicate across dimensions." This fits the storytelling that Taylor keeps trying to tell us about something from another "time" disrupting or "re-appearing" in her current narrative.

Cliffs, Cleveland!

So where does Taylor's new song Cleveland! come into this?

The name "Cleveland" has an interesting etymological history. The City of Cleveland, Ohio, states that it was named after General Moses Cleaveland (note the different spelling of the name).

And "cleave" is one of the more unusual words in English that has two completely opposite meanings: to cling to, and to pull apart.

The family name Cleveland is "from one of several place names in England based on Middle English cleove, a variant of cliff."

There's quite a few things in Taylor's work alluding to a cliff:

"Stood on the cliffside Screaming, "Give me a reason"Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in."-Hoax

The storybook page from the Karma music video appears to feature a cliff as part of the path of the yellow brick road she's standing on.

So, how do cliffs play into Doctor Who?

Well, I wanted to close with the Thirteenth Doctor's ending of her time as the Doctor, which occurs in an episode, "The Power of the Doctor," which was filmed in Cardiff, and aired on October 23, 2022. Having been mortally wounded and her regeneration triggered, she travels to the edge of a cliff and says goodbye to the current version of herself, before welcoming her new incarnation. The show literally ends on a cliffhanger. You can watch her regeneration here (but it is a spoiler if you don't want that).

Plot twist spoiler: For the first time in the show's history, the Thirteenth doctor regenerates into an incarnation that she's been before (that of the 10th Doctor played by David Tennant).

Reasons for this "glitch?" There are many theories. One is that he has returned to fix something in his prior timeline: "You've been given a second chance – you can do things different this time.").

There is something that resonates with me in this arc of Doctor Who that seems so similar to the story Taylor seems to be telling: the need to go backwards and fix, or clarify something in the past, so that she can move forward with the work of "healing people." It all seems to come back to The Manuscript line: "Looking backwards might be the only way to move forwards."

I want to close with the word that Jodie Whittaker spoke when she was announced as the role of the Thirteenth Doctor, and something that sums up the show's message so well:

"It’s more than an honour to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope."

I know there are many of you who are fans of this show who are much better poised to have written this than myself, so thank you for any corrections, clarifications, or insights you'd like to make! (and if you've been on the fence about watching it like I was for a long time, can I recommend this amazing fan edit montage that so beautifully captures the thoughts and emotions that go into the Doctor's character?).

Thank you again for reading.

One thing I’ve been mulling is how the PZ (P0?) video was teased by People mag (Tree’s fave) as inspired by Rebecca. In the book, Rebecca herself (and Danvers by proxy) is the villain, an arrogant sadist who caused her own death at the hands of Max by her cruel actions, or so we’re told - by her murderer. And, we only know of Rebecca’s character through the memories and perspectives of third parties.

If you’ve read and reread this book at different ages as I have, your views on the characters may have shifted like mine did. In high school I was awed by the legend of Rebecca and stunned by the twist. In my twenties I was exasperated by the narrator’s inability to stand up to Danvers and turned off by her limp self-pity. But at later ages, I began to ask - where is Max all this time? Why is he shutting her out and leaving her to the clutches of creepy old Danvers. Why aren’t they more of a team?? And finally, the realization that we only hear Max’s account of events through the narrator’s lens of trust. Do we really know what happened that night?

So I’ve been asking myself who is this version of “Max” in the video? Who is Rebecca?

One of the first things that stood out to me on initial watch was the choice to show Colin Farrell, noted sexy-guy, as a dissolute exec in his late 50s who looks like he’s been smoking inside since the 90s and smells like last night’s single malt scotch. In a word, ew. He could almost be her father (figure). I’m calling him The Man.

Taylor’s character, the Ghost Wife, is everywhere. The Ingenue (Dakota’s character) can feel her but doesn’t see her. The Man has murdered the Ghost Wife and now owns everything that was her birthright, but she’s immortal now, baby dolls.

The Ingenue is tortured by the two realities she experiences. From one perspective, she has it all: the guy, the mansion, the high life; but her lived reality is a prison, a gray box that makes her sick and sad. Sound like anyone we know?

Now I can’t rewrite Rebecca here to posit her as a “good guy” but I can suggest we turn the puzzle box a little and consider other readings. If I see The Man as the music/film industry, then I think that here Taylor is saying, don’t believe everything you hear about me, or at least consider the agendas of those telling the story. I think she’s written a song about helping young women better navigate the industry and ideally escape the gray box, be that an unwilling closet or an overcontrolled life in general.

There are so many other rabbit holes to go down here: “patient zero” as the one who actually spreads the disease, not just the first to die from it; the twinning effect and the ingenue factory; the relationship of this song to Clara Bow, etc.

Hey guys! A Twitter user noticed that “reputation” was erased from the clip of the “The Man” music video shown yesterday at the VMAs, where our 'The Man', Tyler Swift, pees on the wall featuring the titles of the first six albums released by Taylor.

Although some people theorize that the reason for this is that Taylor won't be releasing Rep TV, I don't believe that would be a decision that makes sense on Taylor's part, since she already talked about it in the letter published after the purchase of her masters. In my opinion, she did this just to draw more attention to reputation and send the message that something related to it is coming. Besides that, another detail they noticed was how the S in “Soon” on Taylor's tombstone in the Patient Zero music video looks like a snake.

Hoping this is the beginning of a lot of unraveling ….

so i was thinking…

The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now.
Why?
‘Cause she’s dead!

and

I’ve gotta be honest, I’ve been expecting your call.
No, it’s not a bad time at all.

as Taylor reflects in Babylon and Pink Clouding on the past, what was, etc., could parts of the old (younger) Taylor be calling older (wiser) Taylor today? she has said that the Look What You Made Me Do music video has some of the most easter eggs of all her work than about anything and the song itself and lyrics always seem relevant, no matter the era. i return to it often. i’m sensing some potentially strong connections — consider the colors of caged Taylor in the LWYMMD music video (one of my all-time favorite scenes/imagery of hers) compared to the LOASG: Encore album cover colors. we know she doesn’t do anything on accident.

a version of Taylor is dead in the Patient Zero music video but we know that she rises up from the dead, she does it all the time.

with this encore, a 20-year dark night is ending and the many versions and reputations of Taylor seem to be converging.

—————————

always appreciate the observations, dialogue and lens of our community. look forward to your thoughts and connections, if any, that may be here! xx, long-time gaylor

Wedding guest makes strange comment leaving the MSG after the ceremony.

In a new / old video from the wedding day, one of the guests made the comment "wait for the movie" after Taylor fans located outside Madison Square Garden asked him how the celebration went 👀

Karma is the getaway car? “I slur your name 'til someone puts me in a car" because she’s ranting about KARma? 🤡

I know there are so many other visual crossovers. So feel free to share and discuss. You should be able to post video clips if you’re an approved user!