I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
America’s Sweetheart to Miss Americana:
You know I adore you/I’m crazier for you/Then I was at sixteen/Lost in a film scene/Waving homecoming queens/Marching band playing/I’m lost in the lights…/Now I’m feeling hopeless/Ripped up my prom dress/Running through rose thorns…/…No cameras catch my pageant smile…/…Leave with my head hung…/…I’m feeling helpless/The damsels are depressed…/…No cameras catch my muffled cries…/They whisper in the hallway, “she’s a bad, bad girl”…/…And I don’t want you to (go)/I don’t really wanna (fight)/’Cause nobody’s gonna (win)/I just thought you should know/And I’ll never let you (go)…/…Oh, I just thought you should know/You should know/It’s you and me/There’s nothing like this/Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!)…/…‘Cause I know this is a (fight)/That someday we’re gonna (win)
As Taylor’s competence increased with age, she was perceived as more of a threat:
But the sexism was always there, even when Taylor was viewed as America’s Sweetheart:
Here’s another Lover track that is more easily understood by separating the perspectives/subjects in the song. I’ll show you the parts I mean, then do multi posts on the gay content inside each of those parts.
Am I getting any better at that? It’s hard!
it’s a long song, here’s the last part:
America’s Sweetheart to Miss Americana:
You know I adore you [America]/I’m crazier for you [USA]/Then I was at sixteen/Lost in a film scene [innocent, naïve, charmed]/Waving homecoming queens/Marching band playing/I’m lost in the lights [caught up in youth and fame]…/…Ripped up my prom dress/Running through rose thorns…/…No cameras catch my pageant smile…/…American stories/Burning before me…/…No cameras catch my muffled cries [Disillusioned by American politics]…/…They whisper in the hallway, “she’s a bad, bad girl” [as Taylor aged, her image became more negative]…/…You and me [Taylor’s country]/That’s my whole world/They [Patriarchal oppressors, homophobes, far right conservatives (take your pick)] whisper in the hallway, “she’s a bad, bad girl”/”She’s a bad, bad girl”
Sapphic love:
It’s you and me [Kaylor in this case, as the song is political]/There’s nothing like this/Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!)/We’re so sad, we paint the town blue [they can’t be openly together]/Voted [references after Trump loses, and the Ku$hners aren’t as involved, Kaylor will be more free to be together] most likely to run away/With you…/…You are the only one/Who seems to care…/…It’s you and me/There’s nothing like this/Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!)/We’re so sad, we paint the town blue [Taylor and Karlie show their support for Democrats]/Voted most likely to run away/With you/And I don’t want you to (go) /I don’t really wanna (fight)/’Cause nobody’s gonna (win)/I think you should come home…[Taylor asks Karlie to choose her over Jo$h]/…It’s you and me/That’s my whole world…/…Oh, I just thought you should know/You should know/It’s you and me/There’s nothing like this [Pleading Karlie to keep their relationship]
2016 Election:
American glory/Faded before me/Now I’m feeling hopeless…/…I counted days, I counted miles [Keeping an eye on the campaigning and the primary run up to the election]/To see you there [to see a Democrat in office]…/…My team is losing [Democrats lost]/Battered and bruising/I see the high fives/Between the bad guys [Trump, cronies, lobbyists, investors, the benefactors of exploitation and oppression]…/…American stories/Burning before me…/…Boys will be boys, then/Where are the wise men?/…I counted days, I counted miles/To see you there/To see you there/And now the storm is coming, [The GOP is about to create laws that hurt everyone aside from wealthy, white, straight, cis males] but
Politics and Kaylor has to end:
I counted days [counting days to the election], I counted miles [following the campaign trail through the stops and primaries]/To see you there/To see you there/It’s been a long time coming [after the election, Kaylor has the option to be together] but/It’s you and me/That’s my whole world…/…It’s you and me/There’s nothing like this/Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!)/We’re so sad, we paint the town blue [Trump won so Taylor is depressed she cannot be associated with Karlie at all because of those very public Ku$hner/Trump associations]/Voted most likely to run away/With you…/…Darling, I’m scared…/…I counted days, I counted miles/To see you there/To see you there/And now the storm is coming, [The Trump win is the nail in the Kaylor coffin] but…/…And I don’t want you to (go)/I don’t really wanna (fight)/’Cause nobody’s gonna (win)/I think you should come home [This is an important decision point for Karlie, and also Taylor can’t have a secret affair with her as long as she’s tied to Ku$hner evil]…/…Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!)/We’re so sad, we paint the town blue (paint it blue)/Voted most likely to run away/With you/I don’t really wanna (fight)/’Cause nobody’s gonna (win)/I think you should come home
Fear of Republican animosity toward Women, LGBT, minorities, etc, etc:
I saw the scoreboard [Election results]/And ran for my life…/…They whisper in the hallway, “she’s a bad, bad girl” (okay!) [Taylor is a threat as a powerful woman]/The whole school is rolling fake dice [The election win was based on false premises (Lies and exaggerations about Hilary, Qanon garbage, and stoking fear and hate to generate support)]/You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes [If people voted in anger or hatred, they get what they asked for–Trump and his cronies]…/…Leave with my head hung…/…I’m feeling helpless/The damsels are depressed [Women and minorities know their rights are in question]…/…Boys will be boys, [Politicians are gonna politic, hatred and corruption are common tactics] then/Where are the wise men? [Who will save us? Why is bad behavior, and shady ethics the norm?]/…Darling, I’m scared [because Taylor is a woman and she’s also part of the queer community]…/…And now the storm is coming, [there will be rollbacks on hard-fought freedoms, and prejudiced new laws] but…/…They whisper in the hallway, “she’s a bad, bad girl” (okay!) [Sapphic rumors and gossip?]/The whole school is rolling fake dice/You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes…/…And I don’t want you [the oppressed minorities and the advocates] to (go)/I don’t really wanna (fight)/’Cause nobody’s gonna (win)/I just thought you should know/And I’ll never let you (go) [Taylor will always be associated with the LGBTQ community (because she’s in it)]/‘Cause I know this is a (fight)/That someday we’re gonna (win) [The fight for LBGTQ rights will see progress one day]…/…And I’ll never let you (go)/‘Cause I know this is a (fight)/That someday we’re gonna (win)/Just thought you should know
I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
Afterglow
It’s on your face, and I’m to blame, I need to say/Hey/It’s all me in my head/I’m the one who burned us down/But it’s not what I meant/Sorry that I hurt you/I don’t wanna do, I don’t wanna do this to you/I don’t wanna lose, I don’t wanna lose this with you/I need to say, hey/It’s all me, just don’t go/Meet me in the afterglow…/…Tells me this love is worth the fight, oh/I lived like an island, punished you with silence/Went off like sirens, just crying/Why’d I have to break what I love so much?/It’s on your face, don’t walk away, I need to say…/…Tell me that you’re still mine/Tell me that we’ll be just fine/Even when I lose my mind/I need to say/Tell me that it’s not my fault/Tell me that I’m all you want/Even when I break your heart
***Trigger Warning***
I’m not making any accusations here. Writers can deviate from complete non-fiction, and exaggerate and embellish for the sake of entertainment. I don’t know Taylor, I don’t know the context of Afterglow, and I don’t know details of her behavior. I’m going to give some information about a real problem in the LGB community to help raise awareness. [T was not part of this particular study, and their stats are very bad so probably would have skewed results if they had been included].
I thought it would be interesting to share all of the questionnaires that lead to the research conclusions:
I know I never think before I jump…/…And trouble’s gonna follow where I go…/…But one of these things is not like the others/Like a rainbow with all of the colors/Baby doll, when it comes to a lover/I promise that you’ll never find another like/Me-e-e…/…I know you never get just what you see…/…Spelling is fun!…/…Strike the band up, one, two, three
I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
Daylight
My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in…/…I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you/I don’t wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you/I’ve been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night/And now I see daylight…/…I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked/Clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke/Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down…/…Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it’s morning now/It’s brighter now, now…/…I’ve been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night/(Now I’m wide awake)/And now I see daylight (Daylight), I only see daylight (Daylight)/And I can still see it all (In my mind)/All of you, all of me (Intertwined)/I once believed love would be (Black and white)/But it’s golden (Golden)/And I can still see it all (In my head)/Back and forth from New York (Sneaking in your bed)/I once believed love would be (Burning red)/But it’s golden/Like daylight, like daylight…/…You gotta step into the daylight/and let it go/Just let it go, let it go/I wanna be defined by the things that I love/Not the things I hate/Not the things that I’m afraid of, I’m afraid of/Not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night/I, I just think that/You are what you love
I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
Cornelia Street
We were a fresh page on the desk/Filling in the blanks as we go…/…We bless the rains on Cornelia Street/Memorize the creaks in the floor/Back when we were card sharks, playing games/I thought you were leading me on/I packed my bags, left Cornelia Street/Before you even knew I was gone/But then you called, showed your hand
UGH, can researchers stop lumping gay men and lesbians into the same category as if we’re some homogeneous group?! I’d like to see many more categories of bi people too-they are certainly not a monolith.
I look through the windows of this love/Even though we boarded them up/Chandelier’s still flickering here/’Cause I can’t pretend it’s ok when it’s not/It’s death by a thousand cuts/My heart, my hips, my body, my love/Trying to find a part of me that you didn’t touch/Gave up on me like I was a bad drug/Now I’m searching for signs in a haunted club/Our songs, our films, united we stand/Our country, guess it was a lawless land/Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand/Paper cut stings from our paper thin plans/My time, my wine, my spirit, my trust/Trying to find a part of me you didn’t take up/Gave you too much but it wasn’t enough/But I’ll be all right, it’s just a thousand cuts
I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
Lover
And this is our place, we make the rules/And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear/Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?/You’re my, my, my, my/Lover…/…Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?/…I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover/My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue/All’s well that ends well to end up with you/Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover/And you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me/And at every table, I’ll save you a seat, lover
I think this article is a bit too sympathetic to Bill. It excuses his signing DOMA as he couldn’t know it would soon be relevant. Any student of history could tell you one presidential intervention has led to major social change many times before Clinton was in office. For example, FDR created a government research agency for defense technology. Then he covertly approved The Manhattan Project. This led to creation of atomic bombs–and you know the rest: one decision had a major impact on the entire world, and still affects us today. In more modern times one decision has led to a cascade of events that eventually changes the fabric of society: Trump appoints the 1st (of 3!) conservative supreme court judge. Everyone could see that move in the chess game of politics would lead to an abortion ban–and it did in pretty short order. In all 3 cases, the president didn’t start the conflict–tensions in each scenario had been building, with many smaller strategic moves (by special interest groups, citizens, and politicians) toward an ultimate goal. But the president’s tacit approval in all 3 examples opened the door for concrete changes that enacted the desired change: USA is a nuclear world power, LGBT rights are quashed, abortion is banned. Clinton knew how politics work, and probably had an idea that the GOP would capitalize on any anti-LGBT legislation. With same sex marriage the writing was on the wall. I think Bill made a decision: Moderate voters vs. the gays, and we know who he chose.
Why DOMA Matters:
Equality at Last:
Just kidding. Equality is still far off. Even After DOMA was Killed LGBT are STILL a Wedge Issue. ie Scapegoat boogeyman to stoke fear and generate votes from ignorants to republican candidates who have no new ideas to garner support–just attacks. Ask me what I really think.
I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
Paper Rings
The wine is cold/Like the shoulder that I gave you in the street/Cat and mouse for a month or two or three/Now I wake up in the night and watch you breathe/Kiss me once ’cause you know I had a long night/(Oh!) Kiss me twice ’cause it’s gonna be alright/Three times ’cause I’ve waited my whole life/(One, two, one two three four!)/I like shiny things, but I’d marry you with paper rings…/…I hate accidents except when we went from friends to this…/…In paper rings, in picture frames, in dirty dreams/Oh, you’re the one I want…/…When you jumped in first, I went in too/I’m with you even if it makes me blue…/…I want to drive away with you/I want your complications too
I split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
London Boy
But something happened, I heard him laughing/I saw the dimples first and then I heard the accent…/…He likes my American smile/Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you…/…So I guess all the rumors are true/You know I love a London boy/Boy, I fancy you (ooh)…/…Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride/Babe, don’t threaten me with a good time…/…Stick with me, I’m your queen…/…Just wanna be with you (ooh)/Wanna be with you/I fancy you (yeah), fancy you
kit10phish.wordpress.com 
Taylor Swift’s Gay Moments: Lover ~ London Boy
13 MarI split the songs up on the Lover album as well so we can delve into each one a bit more.
London Boy
But something happened, I heard him laughing/I saw the dimples first and then I heard the accent…/…He likes my American smile/Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you…/…So I guess all the rumors are true/You know I love a London boy/Boy, I fancy you (ooh)…/…Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride/Babe, don’t threaten me with a good time…/…Stick with me, I’m your queen…/…Just wanna be with you (ooh)/Wanna be with you/I fancy you (yeah), fancy you
The Wiki defines satire:
https://prowritingaid.com/art/1109/everything-you-need-to-know-about-satire.aspx#:~:text=At%20its%20core%2C%20satire%20is,institutions%2C%20or%20society%20at%20large.
Wiki
https://www.studysmarter.us/explanations/english-literature/literary-devices/satire/
Click to access 1012448ar.pdf
Author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift (the following not to be confused with Taylor Swift):
STOP HERE IF YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT MORE EXAMPLES OF LGBT SATIRE
Here is a (non-exhaustive–more of a smattering, if you will) list of satirical media questioning/criticizing norms on gender and LGBTQ:
Faggots:
As an aside, because the previous paragraphs may not paint him in the best light:
The Great Gatsby:
The Importance of Being Earnest:
Tags: AIDS, bisexual, book, commentary, farce, film, gay, Gaylor, Gulliver's Travels, homophobia, humor, irony, Jonathan Swift, lesbian, LGBT, London Boy, Lover, movies, political, queer, religion, sapphic, satire, social norms, Taylor Swift, travel, writing