Somewhere Along The Way

Clearly, this song is about a very driven woman who perhaps does not really know herself, but at the same time is comfortable with this. However, she pursues her current calling tenaciously as she makes sure the world bend "beneath her will." To me, this seems to be what the singer finds attractive in women, as he says "She was as new and as ancient as the solar paneled hills." This means that while she is new to him, there is something very familiar about her as this part of her resembles other women he has been with.

Here is where things get a little tough to interpret, and it may have been meant to be that way. I was talking to a friend, and they seem to think the choruses are all about the girl, where I believe it is about their relationship from the man's perspective. Essentially the first chorus is saying that their relationship is not turning out like they had planned it, or at least like he had dreamed it would be.

The following verse dives into how self-driven she had a lot of problems herself in terms of working through life's struggles, but as Taylor says he "needed to witness someone wrestle with what it means to just exist."

The next two lines emphasize how he is being dragged though her struggles with figuring out her life, and the following verse explains that chasing after her and/or being dragged along with her began to lose its fun. The line "it happens to everyone" I believe shows that this is more a commentary on relationships as a whole. That men don't find women who have everything completely figured out to be intriguing to our own detriment.

However, in the final verse he talks about how while he was with her she tried to teach him that having everything planned out is not always the best way to live, but at the time he didn't understand that. But after leaving her, and making his way back home he began to understand. And is now "connected to the continental drift." (lets the world decide his fate).

Suddenly, in the final chorus there is a total change of tone. He begins to realize that maybe blind optimism is the better way to live, and that he should let life take its course. He now believes that "Things will turn out just fine."

All in all, and incredible song. I believe there could be many different interpretations, and that's what makes it great. I also appreciate how the chorus does not have entirely repeated lyrics throughout. This adds to the storytelling nature of the song, as well as the kind of "go with the flow" message that the man finally understands in the end.