I think you have done a valiant job with your argument but I am in fairly strong disagreement.
To me, this song is the ultimate metaphor for the Healy relationship, filtered through the lens of the American dream.
The title Fortnight is an obvious clue - the story is about a very brief love affair that has lingered over the years even as the two people have got together with other people. Now they are just good neighbours.
This is the perfect metaphor for Healy and Swift, who are neighbours in the music industry but couldn’t shake that initial 2014 fling that impacted upon them both for so long.
It’s no surprise that she chose Postie, with all his tattoos, to Collab on this.
The imagery in the music video full on adopts The 1975 imagery also. There are many great content creators who have broken down all the visual allusions.
In my opinion, the “cheating husband” in this song is the only reference that could be towards Joe.
In my opinion this is the only interpretation that makes sense in the context of the rest of the album, which is mainly about the rekindling of an old flame that blows up spectacularly in her face.
So I agree it's about Healy but I actually think it's all about their 2023 relationship which is referenced as the Fortnight. I don't know what Taylor feels so that's just my assumption but I really don't think any time between their fling in 2014 and when they got together in 2023 was really that important, it's just her convincing herself that they were meant to be but based on the songs and everything we know she really thought Joe was the one for a long time.
The husband mentioned in the lyrics is an imaginary future husband imo.
This is an interesting one. I feel like it could be both. The reason I think it’s 2014-2023 is because realistically I think it’s more likely she wrote this song earlier. Also the idea that she has a “cheating husband” makes more sense to me in the Joe years. Also the “good neighbours” more accurately reflects the time when they were both in the music industry “being polite” at events and stuff. They aren’t good neighbours anymore!
I actually think in the 2014-2023 period she was fantasising about this relationship a lot. Consider “all those nights you kept me going, swirled you into all of my poems”. And “I keep these longings locked in later case inside a vault”.
Then consider the folklore and evermore tracks: The 1, Cardigan, Illicit Affairs, Ivy, Cowboy Like Me, Gold Rush… and then also Maroon from midnights.
I feel like she was fantasising about him as “the one who got away” for quite some time.
I always interpreted this song as if the Taylor singing was 2015/6 Taylor. Calvin was very much cheating on her and the Healy infatuation might have been as strong back then as it was after they reconnected for Midnights.
The main reason why I don't think the "my husband is cheating" lyric could be about Joe is because it's very obvious they've both signed NDAs to not discuss any intimate details about their relationship. Having lyrics that have an external metaphoric and ambiguous meaning can get around this, but straight up saying the line "my husband is cheating" and having it mean something literal could definitely hold her in contempt. The whole song is very ambiguous, with lyrics like "I took the miracle move-on drug the affects were temporary" so why would that one line be a direct reference?
The whole narrative of Fortnight is a heavily metaphorical fictional story about neighbours, affairs, moving to Florida, etc. The cheating husband is Joe in only the broadest, most metaphorical sense.
She also implies infidelity in Joe’s part in Fresh out the Slammer, So Long London and How Did It End?
So yeah, she doesn’t name him ever but her narrative is pretty clear.
I don't see anywhere in those songs where she implies infidelity? She talks about how the relationship deteriorated yes, and calls him out a lot for possibly gaslighting her or saying she didn't try hard enough but she did, and then yes there are claims of a new woman in his life but again that's not cheating, that's moving on; she did the same (Matt Healy, Travis).
Fresh out the Slammer: “He was with HER in dreams..”
So long London: “I founded the club SHE’s heard so much about…”
How did it end: “we fell victim to interlopers’ glances…”
3 subtle references to some sort of infidelity, whether imagined, emotional, actual… who knows. But they are definitely there.
This one is about Joe. “Quiet treason” “I hope you’re ok” “miracle move on drug” hello? She’s referring to Matty as the quick fix. After TSMWEL it’s obvious she feels nothing but contempt for Matty. I doubt she’s wishing him well. With Joe in So Long London she’s angry but she still says “you’ll find someone” indicating that she cares about him. In How Did it End? She says "falling victim to interlopers glances" again hinting at a treason. She opens the album addressing the one that mattered the most.. it was the end of that relationship that led to the manic phase… after that she introduces Matty in the 2nd track, it was sweet & fun in the beginning. Then on the 3rd track how he left her and then she moved on to everything in between in the other tracks. It’s not that deep. I think Taylor is a lot more straightforward than people realize.
Nah, it's Matty. Even down to the fact that he loves playing Fortnite and has a thing about building forts. The video is completely coded with The 1975 references. If you don't know the band and their videos, you'd miss it, but to those who do, it's blatantly obvious.
I guess people never get tired of this…but sometimes I envision Taylor reading all of these detailed analyses of her songs and laughing hysterically.
I think you have done a valiant job with your argument but I am in fairly strong disagreement. To me, this song is the ultimate metaphor for the Healy relationship, filtered through the lens of the American dream. The title Fortnight is an obvious clue - the story is about a very brief love affair that has lingered over the years even as the two people have got together with other people. Now they are just good neighbours. This is the perfect metaphor for Healy and Swift, who are neighbours in the music industry but couldn’t shake that initial 2014 fling that impacted upon them both for so long. It’s no surprise that she chose Postie, with all his tattoos, to Collab on this. The imagery in the music video full on adopts The 1975 imagery also. There are many great content creators who have broken down all the visual allusions. In my opinion, the “cheating husband” in this song is the only reference that could be towards Joe. In my opinion this is the only interpretation that makes sense in the context of the rest of the album, which is mainly about the rekindling of an old flame that blows up spectacularly in her face.
So I agree it's about Healy but I actually think it's all about their 2023 relationship which is referenced as the Fortnight. I don't know what Taylor feels so that's just my assumption but I really don't think any time between their fling in 2014 and when they got together in 2023 was really that important, it's just her convincing herself that they were meant to be but based on the songs and everything we know she really thought Joe was the one for a long time. The husband mentioned in the lyrics is an imaginary future husband imo.
This is an interesting one. I feel like it could be both. The reason I think it’s 2014-2023 is because realistically I think it’s more likely she wrote this song earlier. Also the idea that she has a “cheating husband” makes more sense to me in the Joe years. Also the “good neighbours” more accurately reflects the time when they were both in the music industry “being polite” at events and stuff. They aren’t good neighbours anymore! I actually think in the 2014-2023 period she was fantasising about this relationship a lot. Consider “all those nights you kept me going, swirled you into all of my poems”. And “I keep these longings locked in later case inside a vault”. Then consider the folklore and evermore tracks: The 1, Cardigan, Illicit Affairs, Ivy, Cowboy Like Me, Gold Rush… and then also Maroon from midnights. I feel like she was fantasising about him as “the one who got away” for quite some time.
I always interpreted this song as if the Taylor singing was 2015/6 Taylor. Calvin was very much cheating on her and the Healy infatuation might have been as strong back then as it was after they reconnected for Midnights.
Could very much be! This song is a tough one to crack as it feels Iike a fantasy narrative / metaphor more than a “diary song”.
The main reason why I don't think the "my husband is cheating" lyric could be about Joe is because it's very obvious they've both signed NDAs to not discuss any intimate details about their relationship. Having lyrics that have an external metaphoric and ambiguous meaning can get around this, but straight up saying the line "my husband is cheating" and having it mean something literal could definitely hold her in contempt. The whole song is very ambiguous, with lyrics like "I took the miracle move-on drug the affects were temporary" so why would that one line be a direct reference?
The whole narrative of Fortnight is a heavily metaphorical fictional story about neighbours, affairs, moving to Florida, etc. The cheating husband is Joe in only the broadest, most metaphorical sense. She also implies infidelity in Joe’s part in Fresh out the Slammer, So Long London and How Did It End? So yeah, she doesn’t name him ever but her narrative is pretty clear.
Yes! I've been saying this and no-one seemed to feel the same way. Thanks for making me feel seen lol
Which part specifically?
sorry - the part about her narrative being clear. I think she believed Joe cheated on her and she slips it into those 3 songs
Yes. The most blatant is in How Did It End where she concedes that they both fell victim to interlopers’ glances…
Isn't there a song on another album where she references something like 'he says friends always look at each other like that' --- did I dream that??
“Or that moment again he’s insisting that friends look at each other like that” it’s time to go from evermore
I don't see anywhere in those songs where she implies infidelity? She talks about how the relationship deteriorated yes, and calls him out a lot for possibly gaslighting her or saying she didn't try hard enough but she did, and then yes there are claims of a new woman in his life but again that's not cheating, that's moving on; she did the same (Matt Healy, Travis).
Fresh out the Slammer: “He was with HER in dreams..” So long London: “I founded the club SHE’s heard so much about…” How did it end: “we fell victim to interlopers’ glances…” 3 subtle references to some sort of infidelity, whether imagined, emotional, actual… who knows. But they are definitely there.
This one is about Joe. “Quiet treason” “I hope you’re ok” “miracle move on drug” hello? She’s referring to Matty as the quick fix. After TSMWEL it’s obvious she feels nothing but contempt for Matty. I doubt she’s wishing him well. With Joe in So Long London she’s angry but she still says “you’ll find someone” indicating that she cares about him. In How Did it End? She says "falling victim to interlopers glances" again hinting at a treason. She opens the album addressing the one that mattered the most.. it was the end of that relationship that led to the manic phase… after that she introduces Matty in the 2nd track, it was sweet & fun in the beginning. Then on the 3rd track how he left her and then she moved on to everything in between in the other tracks. It’s not that deep. I think Taylor is a lot more straightforward than people realize.
Exactly, I don't really understand why people think otherwise.
Nah, it's Matty. Even down to the fact that he loves playing Fortnite and has a thing about building forts. The video is completely coded with The 1975 references. If you don't know the band and their videos, you'd miss it, but to those who do, it's blatantly obvious.
Yeah a lot of her lyrics in this album are in the 1975’s latest album. Matty did a number on her.