1 = awesome elite 2 = awesome solid 3 = awesome better than good a = top of list b = bottom of list
Awesome-1 ELITE a = top of list Don’t Blame Me (6): C, G, L, N, P = 1a I Did Something Bad (6): C, N, P = 1a I Know Places (5): C, G, L, N, P = 1a Look What You Made Me Do (6): C, P = 1a Lover (7): C, G, L, S = 1a Mean (3): C, L, S =1a Picture to Burn (1): C, I, S = 1a …Ready for It? (6); C, G, N, P = 1a (sexy sounds) Shake It Off (5): C, N = 1a (not much substance, but catchiest of ever!) Shoulda Said No (1): C, I, N, S = 1a The Story of Us (3): C, I, S = 1a Style (5): C, G, I, L, N, P = 1a We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (4): C, I, P = 1a You’re Not Sorry (2): C, N, S = 1a
Awesome-1 ELITE b= bottom of list Better Than Revenge (3): C, D, I, N, S = 1B Dancing with Our Hands Tied (6): C, G, L, N, P = 1b Enchanted (3): C, D, I, N, S = 1b Exile (8): C, G, I, L, N = 1b Long Story Short (9): C, G, L, P = 1b Love Story (2): C, D, I, N = 1a Love Story (2-TV): C, D, I, N = 1a (same except staccato reme-o & fa-ding Marjorie (9); C, G, L, P, S = 1b (I love the sentiment more than the song)
Awesome-2 SOLID AWESOME a = top of list Back to December (3): C, D, S = 2a Blank Space (5): C, G, L, N = 2a Dear John (3); C, D, L, N = 2a I Knew You Were Trouble (4); C, N, P = 2a Invisible String (8); C, D, L = 2A Mad Women (8): C, L, N = 2a The Man (7): C, G, L = 2a my tears riccochet (8): D, L, P = 2a No Body, No Crime (9): C, D, L (pronoun/subject) = 2a Out of the Woods (5): D (bridge), G, L = 2a Speak Now (3); C, D, N, S = 2a You Need to Calm Down (7): C, G, S = 2a
Awesome-2 SOLID AWESOME b = bottom of list The 1 (8): C, D, G, L = 2b Closure (9); C, G, L, P = 2b Girl at Home (4): C, N = 2b I Forgot that You Existed (7); C = 2b Ivy (9); C, G, L = 2b Our Song (1): C, D, I =2b Paper Rings (7): C, D, G, P = 2b Wonderland (5); C, G, L, N, P = 2b You Belong w/Me (2); C, D, I, N, S = 2b
Awesome- 3 BETTER THAN GOOD All You had to do was Stay (5): C, N = 3 Bad Blood (6): C, N = 3 Evermore (9): C, L, N = 3 The Moment I Knew (4): D, N = 3 Ours (3); C, L, N = 3 Stay, Stay, Stay (4): C, D, S = 3
1= elite awesome 1a top ever songs 1b = exactly elite 1c = better than your avg awesome 2= solid awesome 2a = top of list 2b = bottom of list 3 = better than good 3a = top of list 3b = bottom of list
IG AWESOME-ELITE 1 1A top of the top Become You (BY): C, I, L, P, S = 1a Closer to Fine (ST); C, L, N, S = 1a Closer to Fine (1200): C, L, N, S, U (pennywhistle?) = 1a Compromise (LwUoCSO): C, I, N = 1a Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright (SDtBD): C, L, N (harmonies), S, U (Brandi!) = 1a Fill It Up Again (AtWLI); C, L, N, S = 1a Galileo (RoP): C, L, P, S = 1a Go (LwUoCSO): C, I, L, N, P = 1A Kid Fears (ST): C, L, N, S, U (feat Michael Stipe) =1a Prince of Darkness (ST): C, L, N, P, S =1a Pushing the Needle Too Far (NIS): C, L, P, S = 1a The Rise of the Black Messiah (OLD): C, I, L, N, P, U (haunting) =1a Second Time Around (SDtBD): C, I, L, P, S, U (live = more emotional) 1A Watershed (NIS): C, L, N, S = 1a
AWESOME-ELITE 1B (exactly elite) Become You (SDtBD); C, L, P, S, U (accordian?) = 1b Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1200-live @ atwood): C, L, N, P, U (feat artists, drumming) = 1b Chickenman (1200): C, I, L, N, P, U (harmonica?) = 1b Cold Beer & Remote Control (SDtBD): C, L, N, P = 1b Deconstruction (BY): C, L, N, S = 1b Devotion (SDtBD): C, L, N = 1b Fugitive (LwUoCSO): C, I, N = 1b Galileo (1200): C, L, P, S = 1b Go (CoNS): C, I, L, N, P, U (talking about activism in background, chanting) = 1B Hammer and a Nail (NIS): C, L, N, P, S = 1b Happy in the Sorrow Key (OLD): C, I, L, N = 2B (ENDING!) Happy Joyous Hanukkah (HHD): C, I (BASS!), L, P, U (mandolin?) = 1B I Feel the Christmas Spirit (HHD): C, I, L, N, U (blue grass) = 1b Joking (1200): C, I, (bass @ end) L, N, P, S, U (false ending) = 1b Kid Fears (SDtBD): C, L, S, U (feat Shreena Mead sounds good) = 1b Land of Cannan (ST): C, I, L, S = 1b Least Complicated (1200): C, L, N, P, S = 1b Love of Our Lives (PatBB): C, L, N, S = 1b Moment of Forgiveness (BY): C, L, N, S =1b Moment of Forgiveness (SDtBD): C, L, N, S = 1b Money Made You Mean (DOD-live): C, I (banjo-wow!), L, P = 1b (don’t like plosives) Pushing the Needle Too Far (1200): C, L, P, S = 1b Second Time Around (PatBB): C, I, L, P, S, U (harmonica?) = 1B Tangled Up In Blue (1200); C, I, L, N, P = 1b World Falls (1200-live): C, L, N, S = 1b World Falls (LwUoCSO): C, I, L, N, P = 1b Yield (BY): C, I, L, N, S = 1b Yoke (BQS): C, I, L, P, S = 1b
AWESOME-ELITE 1C (better than your avg awesome) Get Out the Map (SDtBD): C, L, N, P = 1c Go (SDtBD): C, I, L, N, P = 1C Heartache for Everyone (AtWLI): C, I, L, S = 1c Hope Alone (BY): C, L, N, S =1c Howl at the Moon (LL): C, I, L, N, U (tribal) = 1c Land of Cannan (SF): C, L, N, S, U (harmonica) = 1c Last Tears (DOD: C, L, N, S = 1c Little Perennials (DOD): C, L = 1C Make It Easier (SF): C, I, L, N, P = 1c Money Made You Mean (DOD): C, I, L, P = 1c Philosophy of Loss (CoNS): C, I, L, P, S = 1c Rock and Roll Heaven’s Gate (SDtBD): C, L, N, P =1C Salty South (SDoBD): C, I, S = 1c Scooter Boys (SotS): C, L, P, U (wail) = 1c Second Time Around (PatBB-acoustic): C, L, P 1C Shame On You (SotS): C, L, N, P, S, U (road block trippin’ break-down) = 1c1 Shame On You (SDtBD): C, I, P, U (cajin instrument) =1c2 Shit Kickin (LL): C, I, L, P, U (choral backing) = 1c The Wonder Song (HHD): C, L, N, U (country) = 1C
AWESOME-SOLID 2A 1,2,3 (NIS): C, N, S = 2a All the Way(DOD): C, L, S = 2a Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (1200): C, I, L, P = 2a Chickenman (LwUoCSO): C, I, L, N, P = 2a Cold Beer & Remote Control (CoNS): C, L, P, S = 2a Driver Education (PatBB): C, L, S = 2a Fill It Up Again (SDtBD); C, L, S = 2a Joking (RoP): C, L, P, S, U (false ending) = 2a Least Complicated (SO): C, L, N, P, S = 2a Sugar Tongue (SDtBD); C, N = 2a
AWESOME-SOLID 2B Chickenman (RoP): C, L, P, U (harmonica?) = 2b Dairy Queen (AtWLI): C, I, S = 2b Faye Tucker (CoNS): C, L, N, P, U (laugh, chanting) = 2b Get Out the Map (SotS): C, L, N, P, U (banjo?) = 2b Hand Me Downs (NIS): C, I, L, S = 2b Heartache for Everyone (SDtBD): C, L = 2b I Believe in Love (DOD): C, L, S = 2b I Don’t Wanna Know (SF): C, I, N, U (harmonica?) = 2b I’ll Change (PatBB): C, L, S = 2b It’s Alright (SotS): C, L, P, S = 2b Learned It On Me (OLD): C, L, N (harmonies) = 2b Olympia Inn (OLD): C, P = 2B Run (DOD): C = 2b This Train Revised (1200-live): C, I, N = 2b Touch Me Fall (SO): I (really rocks at end) = 2b
AWESOME-BETTER THAN GOOD 3 Favorite Flavor (LL): C, L = 3 Love’s Recovery (ST): C, L, N, S = (don’t like Emily’s deep singing) = 3
a= almost awesome b= exactly good c= almost OK 1 = top of category 2 = bottom of category
a= almost awesome 1 = top of category Cruel Summer (7): C, G, L, N = A1b Cowboy Like Me (9): C, D, G, I, L = A1 Death by a Thousand Cuts (7): C, D, G, L, = A1b Dress (6): C, G, L = A1 (SEXY) Getaway Car (6): C, D, G, P = A1 Gold Rush (9): C, G, L = A1b Haunted (3): C, I (!), N, P = A1a Haunted-acoustic (3): C, I, N, P = A1 Mine (3): C, D, I, N = A1 New Year’s Day (6): C, D, I, N =A1 Red (4): C, I, L, P = A1 Teardrops On My Guitar-POP (1): C, I, L, N = A1 Teardrops On My Guitar-RADIO (1): C, I, L, N = A1 tolerate it (9): G, I, L = A1 willow (9): C, G, L, N = A1
a= almost awesome 2 = bottom of category Betty (8): C, D, I, G, L = A2a Champagne Problems (9): C (bridge), D, G, L = A2a Clean (5): C, G, L, P = A2 Delicate (6): C, D, G, L, P = A2 Me! (7): C, G, I, N = A2 Mine-pop (3): D, I, N = A2 So It Goes…(6): C, G, P, L, N = A2 This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (6): a2 Tim McGraw (1): C, D, G, I, N = A2 Welcome to New York (5): C, D, G, N, P = A2 Wildest Dreams (5): C, N, S = A2
The story and detailed writing really puts many of these this high on the list.
b= exactly good 1 = top of category Afterglow (7): C, P = B1 Come Back…Be Here (4): C, N = B1 Daylight (7): C, G, L, N = b1 Everything has Changed (4); C, N = B1 Fifteen (2): C, D, I = B1 Forever & Always-piano (2): C, I, N = B1 Holy Ground (4): C, D, G, L = B1 I’m Only Me When I’m w/You (1): C, I(!) = b1 The Lucky One (4): C, D, N, = B1 P Mirrorball (8): C, G, L = B1 This is Me Trying (8): C, I, L(!) = B1 Treacherous (4): C, G(!), L =B1
b= exactly good 2 = bottom of category Cardigan (8): C, D, G, L = B2 How You Get the Girl (5): C, D, G = B2 If this was a Movie (3): C, D, I, N = B2 The Last Great American Dynasty (8): C, D = B2 Never Grow Up (3): C, D, I, N = B2 (problematic sentiment) Red-demo (4): C = B2 Stay Beautiful (1): C, I, N = B2 ’tis the damn Season (9): C, D, L, B2 Treacherous-demo (4): C, G(!), L = B2 White Horse (2): D, I, N = B2 You are in Love (5): C, N = B2
All of these are so catchy!
c= almost OK 1 = top of category 22 (4): C = c1 All Too Well (4): D, I, L, N = C1 (almost a powwow beat) Come in w/the Rain (2): C, I = C1 Sparks Fly (3); C, I = C1 Starlight (4); C, I = C1 Untouchable (2): C, I, N = C1
c= almost OK 2 = bottom of category Begin Again (4): D, I, L = C2 Cold as You (1): I, N = C2 Hey Stephen (2): C, D = C2 The Last Time (4): C, I = C2 (weird collaboration) State of Grace-acoustic (4): C, L = C2 Tied Together w/a Smile (1): C, D, I, N = C2
ig good a= almost awesome b= exactly good c= almost OK 1 = top of category 2 = bottom of category i = top of almost awesome ii = bottom of almost awesome
The groups were too big so I had to narrow them down to a, b, and c almost awesome, exactly good, and almost OK respectively. Than those groups were too big so I did 1 as top of their category and 2 as the lower part. And still, some of those groups were too large so I split those into top and bottom (i and ii).
a= almost awesome 1 = top of category Philosophy of Loss (CoNS): a1 ugh–this song. It’s a secret song only. And the song it’s attached to is on a different ranking list, so it’s always harder to rank… I did it after I published this post.
a= almost awesome 1 = top of category i = top of almost awesome Beauty Queen Sister (BQS): a1i Believe in Love (SDtBD): a1i Blood & Fire (ST): a1i Burn All the Letters (SotS): a1i Center Stage (ST): a1i (ending) Collecting You (BY): a1i Fugative (SDtBD): a1i I Don’t Wanna Know (1200); a1i Kid Fears (LwtUoCSO): a1i Land of Cannan-radio single (ST): a1i Last Tears-acoustic (DOD): a1i Love of Our Lives (LwtUoCSO): a1i Midnight Train to Georgia (1200): a1i O Holy Night (HHD): a1i (high difficulty notes) Our Deliverance (BY); a1i Rock and Roll Heaven’s Gate (DOD): a1i Sugar Tongue (LwtUoCSO): a1i Tether (SDtBD): a1i You and Me of the 10,000 Wars (NIS): a1i Yoke (LwtUoCSO); a1i
a= almost awesome 1 = top of category ii = bottom of almost awesome Airplane (RoP): a1ii Angels We Have Heard On High (HHD): a1ii Closer to Fine (SDtBD): a1ii Cut it OUt (SotS): a1ii Damo (LwtUoCSO): a1ii Faye Tucker (CoNS): a1ii Fugative (SO) = a1ii Happy in the Sorrow Key (LwtUoCSO): a1ii Lay My Head Down (DOD); a1ii Little Perennials-live (DOD): a1ii Secure Yourself (ST): a1ii Three County Highway-live (DOD): a1ii Tried to be True (ST); a1ii World Falls (NIS): a1ii You’ve Got to Show (BY): a1ii
a= almost awesome 2 = bottom of category Able to Sing (LwtUoCSO): a2 Crazy Game (SF): a2 Free in You (AtWLI): A2 Damo (BQS): a2 Galileo (LwtUoCSO): a2 (good, but I like original better) Gone Again (CoNS): a2 Leeds (SotS): a2 Let it be Me (RoP): a2 Love of Our Lives-acoustic (PatBB): a2 (stronger singing) Making Promises (BQS); a2 Pendulum Swinger (DOD): a2 Romeo and Juliet (RoP); a2 Shed Your Skin (SofS): a2 Southland in the Springtime (NIS): a2 Starkville (BY); a2 Strange Fire (SF): a2 Sugar Tongue (PatBB): a2 Tether (AtWLI): a2 They Won’t Have Me (DOD): a2 This Train Revised (SO); a2 Three County Highway (SDtBD): a2 Three Hits (RoP): A2 Trouble (CoNS): a2 Watershed (SDtBD):a2 (5d, live singing = less) Welcome Me (NIS): a2 What Are You Like (PatBB): A2
A lot of the songs in this section remind me of Seattle ZooTunes. Whatever year I went it seemed like they played most of these.
b= exactly good 1 = top of category Change My Heart (LL); b1 Down by the River (1200): b1 Elizabeth (OLD): B1 (DETAILED STORY) Fleet of Hope-acoustic (PatBB); b1 The Girl w/the Weight of the World in Her Hands (NIS); B1 Jonas and Ezekiel (1200): b1 Jonas and Ezekiel (RoP): b1 K.C. Girl (LL): b1 Keeper of My Heart (NIS): b1 Love of Our Lives (SDtBD): b1 Mariner Moonlighting (BQS): b1 Muster (LL): b1 Ozilline (CoNS): b1 Ozilline (SDtBD): b1 Reunion (SO): b1 Run (DOD): b1 True Romantic (PatBB): b1 What Are You Like-acoustic (PatBB): B1 The Wood Song (SDtBD): b1 Woodsong (LwtUoCSO): b1 Your Holiday Song (HHD); b1
b= exactly good 2 = bottom of category Come a Long Way (LwtUoCSO): b2 (ending!) Dead Man’s Hill (SO): B2 Digging for Your Dream (PatBB) = b2 Fly Away (SDtBD): b2 Get Together (SF) = b2 Ghost of the Gang-acoustic (PatBB): b2 I’ll Change-acoustic (PatBB): b2 Nashville (RoP): b2 Peace Tonight (CoNS): b2 Perfect World (AtWLI): b2 Sorrow and Joy (LL); b2 (WTF is this song about?) Southern California is Your Girlffriend (OLD): b2 True Romantic-acoustic (PatBB): b2 War Rugs (LwtUoCSO): b2 We are Together (CoNS): b2 Wild Horses (SDtBD); b2 The Wood Song (SO): b2
c= almost OK 1 = top of category Come a Long Way (OLD): c1 Digging for Your Dream (SDtBD): C1 Dirt and Dead Ends (DOD): C1 (BLEAK) Feel this WAy Again (LL): c1 I’ll Be Home for Christmas (HHD): c1 It Really is (A Wonderful Life) (HHD): c1 Love Will Come to You (RoP); c1 Salty South-acoustic (PatBB): c1 Something Real (AtWLI): c1 Spread the Pain Around (OLD): c1 Walk Away (SF): c1
I suspect these songs are ranked relatively low bc they’re a bummer. They all have serious, heavy (very important) topics, but the bleakness just gets to me. In all this ranking, I learned I prefer upbeat and fast songs.
c= almost OK 2 = bottom of category Alberta (OLD): c2 Back Together Again (1200): c2 Country RAdio (LL): c2 Everybody’s Waiting for Someone to Come Home (SF): c2 Ghost (RoP); c2 Gone (BQS): c2 Love’s Recovery (1200): c2 (too much brass) Thin Line (1200): c2
Ironically, Spotify and Lastfm will probably say I listened to this section most. But only bc I’d either tune out, or it wasn’t clear where they should be ranked on the list…
These are the songs that aren’t meh or skip, but also aren’t great enough to make the goods. They’re A-OK. I split it into 3 parts: OA which are nearly good, OB = exactly neutral, and OC which are just above a meh. Then, I split the 3 groups into top of that list (1) and bottom of that list (2)–just to make it a bit more manageable. The songs within each group aren’t in order quite yet.
IG OK OA 1 Bitterroot (BY): C =OA1 Compromise (CoNS): C, I, L, N, P = OA1 Ghost (LwtUoCSO): I, L, N = OA1 Ghost of the Gang (PatBB); C, L, P = OA1 In the Bleak Midwinter (HHD): I, N = OA1 Pendulum Swinger-live (DOD): C, L, P = OA1 Prince of Darkness (SDtBD): C, N, P, S = OA1 Rise Up (AtWLI): C = OA1 Three County Highway (DOD): L, S = OA1 Three Hits-live (RoP): C, I, L, P = OA1 Virginia Woolf (LwtUoCSO): C, I, L, N = OA1 War Rugs (BQS): C, I, L, P = OA1 (instruments!) We Get to Feel it All (BQS); C, I, L, N = OA1 What are You Like (SDtBD); C, I, L = OA1
It was tough narrowing down each group, and it took many, many listens to get the Awesomes, goods, neutrals, mehs, and actually the skips were easy bc you know what you don’t like. And these just weren’t as good as the good-list. But it’s VERY close!
IG OK OA 2
Caramia (SotS): C, I, L, N = OA2 Come On Home (LwtUoCSO): C, I, L, N = OA2 Crazy Game (SF): C, N = oa2 Don’t Give that Girl a Gun (SotS): C, L, N, P = OA2 Fleet of Hope (PatBB): C, L = OA2 Share the Moon (BQS): C, I, L = OA2 She’s Saving Me (BY); L, N, S = OA2
IG OK OB 1 Digging for Your Dream-acoustic (PatBB): C, L, P = OB1 Dirt and Dead Ends (PatBB): L, N, P =ob1 Driver Education-acoustic (PatBB); C, L, P = OB1 Fly Away-acoustic (DOD): L, N =OB1
I pretty much like all these songs a lot, but picked better versions of each to rank higher.
I’ll Be Home for Christmass (HHD); N, S = OB1 Sister (CoNS): L = (too quiet) = OB1 Sugar Tongue-acoustic (PatBB): C, L = OB1 Virginia Woolf (1200); C, L, N = OB1
IG OK OB 2 Center Stage-live (ST): C, L, P = OB2 (little off-key) Come On Home (SDtBD): C, L = ob2 Cordova (SDtBD): C, L = OB2 Everything in it’s Own Time (SotS): C, I, L, P = OB2
These are good songs, and in any other catalogue would be ranked that way. But relative to the other good songs, they just don’t hold up as well.
Fishtails (OLD): L, N, P = OB2 Ghost-live (1200): L, N = OB2 Look Long (LL): C, L, N, P = OB2 Soon be to Nothing (CoNS); C, L =ob2 Virginia Woolf (RoP): C, L = OB2
IG OK OC 1 All That We Let In (AtWLI): C, L = OC1 Fly Away (DOD): C, L, N, P = OC1 If I Don’t Leave Here Now (OLD): N = OC1
Language or the Kiss (1200): L, N = OC1 Power of Two (SO); L = OC1
The fans love these 2, but I find them overrated. I just find them OK, no matter how many times I listen.
IG OK OC 2 Findly, Ohio 1968 (OLD); L, P = OC2 Language or the Kiss (SO); L = OC2 Closer to Fine (LwtUoCSO): C, I, L, P = OC2 (Emily sounds out of breath; slow) Hey Kind Friend (SotS): I, L = OC2 Love Will Come to You-live (RoP): L = OC2 Mystery (SO): L, N = OC2 Texas was Clean (OLD): L = oc2
You know when you’re listening to your playlist and you just kinda tune out? And like 10 min later you’re like, what songs just played, I don’t even know. The funny thing is that it’s not an anomaly (usually, unless you had to focus hard on work, or actually got distracted doing something) these songs are just meh. Even in trying to re-listen several times to rank these, my mind would wander. I listened to this set the very most bc of tuning out. You know what you don’t like pretty readily, you know what you love, and even the songs that aren’t quite love, but really good. But the neutral to meh are the most difficult to decipher. So here are the below neutral/OK and above skip songs:
Meh (in order)
-Strange Fire (1200): C, I, L, P
-Come On Home (AtWLI): C, L
It’s a nice little song, and fits perfectly with the vibe of the All That We Let In album. But as a stand alone song–It’s just meh.
-Dead Man’s Hill (1200): N, P
-Able to Sing (BQS): C, N
-Mystery (LwtUoCSO): I, N
-Neuvose Senorita (BY): L, P
-Cordova (AtWLI): C, L, N, P
I like the Latin-X (is this the proper term now?) flair in these two, but I guess I’d like a little more going on. Maybe live, or with the orchestra or something would be better.
-Mistletoe (HHD): C, L
-John (BQS): L, N, P
I like the sentiment, and it tells a detailed story, but *yawn*
-Peace Child (HHD): C, L, N
-There’s Still My Joy (HHD): L, N
-Cedar Tree (RoP): I, N, U (bag pipe sounding)
-Power of Two (LwtUoCSO): I, L, N
-Power of Two (1200): L, N
I know, this is a travesty–this is a fan-favorite. But yup, I think it’s over-rated. I just can’t get into it.
-Andy (CoNS): L, N
-When We Were Writers (LL): N
P.S. Spotify ranked this my very top listened to song in 2020. Which is… I just tuned out EVERY damn time I tried to rank it. This song is pretty much the ultimate definition of meh.
Let’s be real: Taylor Swifts skips are still OK songs. Nothing she does is bad. OK, maybe that lazy, repetitive voting song, but she had good intentions with it, like maybe some people voted when they heard her encouraging it. But the following songs would be OK to other artists. It’s just that Taylor has set the bar so high that these are the couple weaker ones. PS–I normally don’t care for Christmas music, as it’s nothing but stale covers, so I did not bother listening to that early cookie-cutter Christmas album. Maybe if she does an original holiday album, I’ll add it to the rankings later.
Epiphany (8)
As you’ve heard me say before, I think this song was thrown on the album at the last minute to speak to current events. And I think it’s bad writing, from a normally genius-level song-writer. It especially bothers me that Taylor didn’t delve into one topic, or cover three subjects more superficially. There is a rule of threes for a reason. So it doesn’t make it on to my playlists.
Soon You’ll Get Better (7)
This song is a totally different story. It’s a good, good song, and has backing from one of my favorite groups-The Chicks! The lyrics are relatable, and personal, and universal. What a brave topic to cover, than can resonate with every single person at some point. But it’s a bummer. A FUCKING bummer to listen to. I don’t wanna be bee-bopping around to Shake it Off then have this mood-killer come up. So it’s a skip. Until I need it, that is…
Superman (3)
I never look at song credits, but did Taylor even write this one? It’s not on-brand at all. It’s too light and superficial, and meh. I think it’s really weak, and it seems like it was curated to be radio-friendly more than written to evoke feelings, or convey a story, or symbolize anything. Not my fave.
I’m ranking the entire catalogue, which is a big project. But I thought I would start releasing the rankings in pieces. Here are the few songs from the Indigo Girls I don’t care for.
Skip
-Sister (CoNS): C, L
This version is after the Faye Tucker track as a short interlude before the secret song, Philosophy of Loss. I usually like the song, but this one is too short and too quiet. Note–don’t have secret songs anymore. And now that there’s streaming, release the secret songs as their own track. It’s been hell trying to rank Philosophy… when it’s tied to another song. I think it’s the only track in their entire catalog that was never re-released on another album, put on a live album, or it’s own song. This needs to change.
Skip-Boring
-Feed & Water the Horses (BQS):
-Birthday (BQS): N
Emily was too happy and content when she was writing for Beauty Queen Sister, and as a result her songs are bland vanilla.
Skip-dislike
-Left Me a Fool (SF): L
-History of Us (ST): L, N
-Fare Thee Well (SO):
There are very few IG songs I genuinely dislike (pretty much these 3) and it’s mostly bc of the singing style. It may be the proper way to sing, but it isn’t my thing.
35.3% Awesome; 35.3% Good; 17.6% OK; 11.8% Meh; Skip out of 17
6 Awesome
No Body No Crime
Ivy
Long Story Short
Marjorie
Closure
Evermore
I like this album because TS is showing a lot of gay here. The writing is better than the music for the most part, but it does encourage multiple listens to dig in to the content. Double-meanings are becoming Taylor’s specialty, and I love trying to decode the songs.
Catty Remarks