The song "Fortnight" by Taylor Swift and Post Malone tells a story about strong feelings, complicated relationships, and secret wishes. It talks about love, betrayal, and wanting someone who doesn't feel the same. The word "fortnight" shows short-lived happiness and guilty pleasures, leading to sadness. It shows how messy relationships can be and the results of hiding emotions. “I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me,” she kickstarts the song in the first verse with lines suggesting an admission to a hospital for people with mental illnesses. She goes in the verse admitting her lover is the reason why she is like this. In the chorus, she sings about their time in love and reflects on how he has now settled with someone else. “I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life,” on the second verse she details her struggles to forget about him and the negative effects of her failure. “Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up / ‘Nother fortnight lost in America,” Post Malone sings in the outro.
You know where I come from
You know what I feel
You're Yul Brynner Westworld
Reporting from the field
I threw it into reverse
Made a motion to repeal
You kicked my legs from under me
And tried to take the wheel
I told you I wanted to be wrong
But everyone is humming a song
That I don't understand
Now I know that the sun has shined on my side of the street
The basket of America, the weevils and the wheat
The milk and honeyed congregation, scrubbed and apple-cheeked
Salute Apollo 13 from the rattle jewelry seats
Mythology's seductive and it turned a trick on me
That I have just begun to understand
I told you I wanted to be wrong
But everyone is humming a song
That I don't understand
The rodeo is staged, gold circle goat-ropers and clowns
A rumble in the third act, tie 'em up and burn 'em down
We're armed to the teeth, born a little breech
Blue-plate special analysts, cells and SUV's
We can't approach the Allies 'cause they seem a little peeved
And speak a language we don't understand
I told you I wanted to be wrong
But everyone is humming a song
That I don't understand
Prop up The Omega Man, we're primed for victory
God gave us the upper hand, there's honor among thieves
Temper it with arrogance, a dash of sad conceit
The top's down on the T-Bird, we're the children of the free
Storm into the boardroom of the conquering elite
Did you recognize the madman who is shouting in the streets?
Destroy the things that I don't understand
Destroy the things that I don't understand
You know what I feel
You're Yul Brynner Westworld
Reporting from the field
I threw it into reverse
Made a motion to repeal
You kicked my legs from under me
And tried to take the wheel
I told you I wanted to be wrong
But everyone is humming a song
That I don't understand
Now I know that the sun has shined on my side of the street
The basket of America, the weevils and the wheat
The milk and honeyed congregation, scrubbed and apple-cheeked
Salute Apollo 13 from the rattle jewelry seats
Mythology's seductive and it turned a trick on me
That I have just begun to understand
I told you I wanted to be wrong
But everyone is humming a song
That I don't understand
The rodeo is staged, gold circle goat-ropers and clowns
A rumble in the third act, tie 'em up and burn 'em down
We're armed to the teeth, born a little breech
Blue-plate special analysts, cells and SUV's
We can't approach the Allies 'cause they seem a little peeved
And speak a language we don't understand
I told you I wanted to be wrong
But everyone is humming a song
That I don't understand
Prop up The Omega Man, we're primed for victory
God gave us the upper hand, there's honor among thieves
Temper it with arrogance, a dash of sad conceit
The top's down on the T-Bird, we're the children of the free
Storm into the boardroom of the conquering elite
Did you recognize the madman who is shouting in the streets?
Destroy the things that I don't understand
Destroy the things that I don't understand
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
This is sort of a depressing take on the American mindset. Especially the end. It's saying the madman, far from being a lonely person in the street, is an embodiment of much of our culture's attitude. Americans, who seem to have it all, are afraid and insecure.