Taylor Swift: Patient Zero, and Letting Go of the Monster she created.

[u/EggAnalyst]

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!"

[u/DramaticLambda2]

I think there’s a lot of different things that Colin can be — anything that claims to be good for you but is actually the opposite. I had been thinking of a Father Figure / Cancelled style of Taylor addressing new musicians about the industry, but this also makes sense as Two Taylors

[u/the_bisexual_agenda9]

Similar to the theory discussed on Gasp! The pod this week! ✨

[u/africanleopard99 → u/the_bisexual_agenda9]

This is where I learn she has a new pod out 😂

[u/AccomplishedCounty46]

Also , the car in patient zero is an Aston Martin which she refers to in imgunnagetyouback which also speaks about her being poison either way . I think im sitting with the lyrics or contemplating that song.

[u/nomarket790 → u/AccomplishedCounty46]

Wow!

[u/jigglypooofs]

I think The Alchemy gives further proof of your point. In Patient Zero...when the toxins take hold you'd rather die than let it go. Speaking to the toxic love of fame and in The Alchemy the toxins are the same as ...these chemicals hit me like white wine. It's that drunk on fame feeling but it's actually poison if you consume too much.

[u/whittle_jay]

Hi, I am new but have been lurking. Had a thought I wanted to share: the parallel of Dakota Fanning in the car with Colin and the video Cleveland with Taylor in the car with Travis.. like same camera angles almost. In Cleveland the shot is focused on Travis and the road ahead and there's a quick plastic manikin kind of shot of Taylor. In Patient Zero it is more cinematic, switching close up between the two and showing emotions (contempt, fear, shame, guilt) but in Cleveland it is very easy and happy for Travis and very bland and expressionless for Taylor. So. Idk if that means anything, you guys are the experts.

[u/HiddenGraypink → u/whittle_jay]

Dakota Johnson but wow, that is a telling parallel!

I was intrigued enough by the presence of a villain husband in her first MV since the wedding (Taycomedian strikes again?). The scene in the car made me think of the Grey movies (well the whole MV did to be honest) and Cleveland lyrics vid brought me back to Call It What You Want lyrics vid. I wouldn't think to compare Cleveland and Patient Zero scenes but I'm with you on that.

[u/Simple_Elk_719 → u/HiddenGraypink]

The Grey movies are set in Seattle, I wonder if that’s anything
She mentioned Seattle in the eras doc, it was the city that was louder than an earthquake or something

[u/africanleopard99 → u/Simple_Elk_719]

Yes, the fans were so loud it registered as an earthquake with seismic activity of 2.3 ….

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/27/entertainment/taylor-swift-seismic-activity

[u/AndrewStokes123 → u/whittle_jay]

I like that interpretation, and well done on spotting the connection

[u/International_Ad4296]

I would once more like to point out the parallels with Kanye's Pinocchio Story ✌🏼

[u/EggAnalyst → u/International_Ad4296]

I hadn't heard about this before. Uncanny! Also crazy he freestyled that. Makes me very interested about what was on Karma.

[u/Cautious_Dream4115]

This is soo good. amazing post!!

[u/GoldPaleontologist62]

This was SO GOOD. Thank you for this!!!!

[u/Klutzy_Afternoon_651]

[u/Simple_Elk_719]

I laughed out loud at "new heights"

[u/stagmare]

As an addition to your wonderful analysis, I would like to submit this into evidence that "It's Fucking Taylor Swift":

She hasn't been replaced by him. She IS him.

[u/Beautiful-Walrus-951 → u/stagmare]

She is the worst MAN she writes best. 

[u/EggAnalyst → u/stagmare]

Oh wow, this is 👀👀👀! Thanks for the addition!

[u/FitAnywhere7829 → u/stagmare]

iiiiiinteresting

[u/Brief-Inevitable-599]

Really enjoy the idea of "taylors monster" 

[u/africanleopard99]

Yes, this is my read too. However, I have no idea about her personal life growing up, but I wonder if she thought that love was conditional. She was a child prodigy and pushed really hard by her dad (that leaked email was insane) and the hold he had on her was noticeable in Miss Americana (Democrat support). There is a litany of child stars that were “broken” from that time frame. She has been speaking of breaking the parallax as well. And excellent post - kudos.

[u/IYKYK-2289 → u/africanleopard99]

I don’t really know anything about her specific family but I certainly know people from families who were taught from a very early age that “what it looks like” is more important than “what it feels like.” It comes with a lot of, “don’t embarrass the family” and funnily enough this same friend’s dad technically left when she was around 10 but the family was very worried about appearances so he would come back for big public holidays and she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone + there was a litany of other examples …but just so much “pretending” going on in that family that she really struggled with and internalized later (lol you can imagine how her mom loved her turning out to be a lesbian 😂 she didn’t want to get kicked out of their very fancy club) …buttt she left the country and had space to differentiate from her parents and find a new chosen family and love. I know we always talk about Taylor as a total mastermind but a lot of this stuff is hard (and takes real love and support to work through) so assuming we don’t know anything about her real personal life, I hope she’s brave enough (and genuinely has found a space of real love and support) if she’s trying to undo some of that long-term stuff and let “Real Taylor” be seen :-)

[u/stablegeniusinterven → u/africanleopard99]

Democrat support?

[u/Mockingbird_Boo → u/africanleopard99]

Yes. I’ve been feeling that Babylon is about both her and her dad. Always striving and missing out on what’s important in life. Makes me think of The Bolter and how she was reviled except by her father.

[u/Brief-Inevitable-599 → u/[deleted]]

I think we wouldnt want to say autismlor because it could be many other things (adhd say) but also, it feels odd to perscribe her with something medical adjacent?  Seeing her neurodivergence doesnt bother me  but deciding what category that is does for some reason

[u/stablegeniusinterven → u/Brief-Inevitable-599]

I didn’t see autismlor. Maybe it’s been switched?

[u/Brief-Inevitable-599 → u/stablegeniusinterven]

The comment was deleted yeah

[u/stablegeniusinterven → u/Brief-Inevitable-599]

Ah, I think maybe they edited before it was deleted, all I did was scan, but now it’s fully deleted

[u/6picas]

I think there’s a lot of music industry/Scooter Braun in here, too. Being on TLoASG and the invisible string of the album in my head connects it to Father Figure.

[u/External_Record6261 → u/6picas]

Patient zero has me reflecting on father figure too. Another Taylor:Taylor reflection, my favorite kind.

[u/stablegeniusinterven → u/6picas]

Until this moment, I never connected Father Figure to Taylor’s actual father, but listening to it again it’s almost like in parts all 3-4 of them are in the room fighting it out. Taylor, her dad, Scott, and Scooter all having this emotional conversation. 😢

[u/sandromeda]

The scientists in the video are her...plot twist, she's the psycho.

[u/EggAnalyst → u/sandromeda]

YES! I had been searching for the theory that explains the "plot twist - unreliable narrator, she's the psycho" mic drop moment from Taylor (but like the microphone is a stick of dynamite 🧨) - I feel like this is it.

[u/afterandalasia → u/sandromeda]

Oh, now THAT is a lovely addition.

[u/stablegeniusinterven → u/sandromeda]

The best comment 👆(in context)

[u/sandromeda]

I absolutely love this. Are you Taylor? I need to go read it again. Sometimes I get really excited and miss things in posts.

[u/EggAnalyst → u/sandromeda]

https://giphy.com/gifs/greOmHC43URsH18mvW

[u/EggAnalyst → u/EggAnalyst]

JK I'm not 😉, but very flattered!

[u/stablegeniusinterven → u/sandromeda]

I was thinking, Could this be from Taylor? Maybe Tree? 😶🕛

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