This song is Swift's response to the negative reputation the media has given her.
"I can make the bad guys good for a weekend" - the bad guys are the paparazzi to Swift, but are good to the "player" since association with Swift immediately gives publicity. Any publicity is good publicity and Swift knows this.
"You can tell me when it's over" - the tabloids rumor relationships are over before the couple announces it officially.
With this song Swift is portraying the way she is portrayed by the media.
It is a sarcastic jab at how she views herself and how her "ex-lovers" only wanted to be with her to increase their fame.
I applaud the brilliance in writing about how you always write about relationships.
It is expected so Swift is giving the media what they want and profiting off the attention.
Will someone please call a surgeon
Who can crack my ribs
And repair this broken heart
That you're deserting for better company?
I can't accept that it's over
I will block the door
Like a goalie tending the net
In the third quarter of a tied-game of rivalry
So just say how to make it right
And I swear I'll do my best to comply
Tell me am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together?
I feel I must interject here
You're getting carried away
Feeling sorry for youself
With these revisions and gaps in history
So let me help you remember
I've made charts and graphs
That should finally make it clear
I've prepared a lecture on why I have to leave
So please back away and let me go
I can't, my darling, I love you so
Tell me am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together
Don't you feed me lines
About some idealistic future
Your heart won't heal right
If you keep tearing out the sutures
I admit that I have made mistakes
And I swear I'll never wrong you again
You've got allure, I can't deny
But you've had your chance so say goodbye
Say goodbye
Who can crack my ribs
And repair this broken heart
That you're deserting for better company?
I can't accept that it's over
I will block the door
Like a goalie tending the net
In the third quarter of a tied-game of rivalry
So just say how to make it right
And I swear I'll do my best to comply
Tell me am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together?
I feel I must interject here
You're getting carried away
Feeling sorry for youself
With these revisions and gaps in history
So let me help you remember
I've made charts and graphs
That should finally make it clear
I've prepared a lecture on why I have to leave
So please back away and let me go
I can't, my darling, I love you so
Tell me am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together
Don't you feed me lines
About some idealistic future
Your heart won't heal right
If you keep tearing out the sutures
I admit that I have made mistakes
And I swear I'll never wrong you again
You've got allure, I can't deny
But you've had your chance so say goodbye
Say goodbye
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I'd have to say a little of each, as it would be between any two complicated human beings, each probably is in the wrong AND in the right. He probably sees things as too rosy...but has every right to try to keep it together. She probably is being too calculating...but shying away based on some very important reasons.
Right now for me, I sympathize with the guy. I feel like my recent relationship was ended abruptly for no real reason...actually I would have appreciated if he would have pulled out some "charts and graphs" so I could actually have a reason to let go.
It makes me think exactly what you said. The girl is trying to state that she sees beyond all of the rose, puffy-paint, lovey-doveyness of the relationship. She sees beyond the beauty and attraction and chemistry and is telling him that being with him means she can't overlook all of the times that she's felt like leaving him. That his memory of her is comprised of gaps... and those gaps are all of the times that their relationship went wrong.
I think neither of them are wrong or anything in any way. It's a song to illustrate the sheer beauty of interpreting love in different ways. What is a functional, deep, soulmate-like love for one human being is torture and confinement to another.
This is my second favorite The Postal Service song. Possibly it may become my first.. We'll see. Obligatory note to illustrate that this is my favorite "band" int he universe. Something about The Postal Service makes me feel alright. The music makes me feel okay for having feelings. Okay for feeling awkward. Their music is so unbelievably fragile and delicate that it's breathtaking.
And with that digression, I must remind whoever is reading this that the parent comment and my comment are 9 YEARS APART. WHOOOA.