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.
oceans lay between us and the things we think we need,
but i've known many who would gladly swim to get to where you are.
always more together than the ones you think are better off,
but darling, no one's made it half as far.
and it's so hard.
and i know how hard.
and i know how hard to pursue,
when you're just not breaking through,
but don't you let them tell you that you're wrong.
you're either thinning like the fog upon a marshy tidal bog
as the crane takes flight
and she sings her silent song
or spinning like a hurricane – they’ve not yet used your name
but I’m left wondering,
“why is it taking so long?”
and it’s so hard
and I know how hard.
and I know how hard to pursue when you’re just not breaking through
but don’t you let them tell you that you’re wrong
moving around in the space that you’ve found
to be finally fit for you
and you’re strong at the helm
but you're still overwhelmed by all the painting left to do.
everything's calm in the half-light of dawn
but the morning will bring no peace,
'coz you'll never be done with the work you've begun,
even in moments of relief.
grappling with time
and the mercury line as the afternoon sun gets hot
and you'll always be far from the things that you are
'coz there's so much that you're not.
so move it around, check your depth with a sounding,
your map reference against the stars.
and your work and your home,
like your clothes, are your own, like your skin and like your scars.
i told you they've had power all along,
so dont you let you tell you that you're wrong.
but i've known many who would gladly swim to get to where you are.
always more together than the ones you think are better off,
but darling, no one's made it half as far.
and it's so hard.
and i know how hard.
and i know how hard to pursue,
when you're just not breaking through,
but don't you let them tell you that you're wrong.
you're either thinning like the fog upon a marshy tidal bog
as the crane takes flight
and she sings her silent song
or spinning like a hurricane – they’ve not yet used your name
but I’m left wondering,
“why is it taking so long?”
and it’s so hard
and I know how hard.
and I know how hard to pursue when you’re just not breaking through
but don’t you let them tell you that you’re wrong
moving around in the space that you’ve found
to be finally fit for you
and you’re strong at the helm
but you're still overwhelmed by all the painting left to do.
everything's calm in the half-light of dawn
but the morning will bring no peace,
'coz you'll never be done with the work you've begun,
even in moments of relief.
grappling with time
and the mercury line as the afternoon sun gets hot
and you'll always be far from the things that you are
'coz there's so much that you're not.
so move it around, check your depth with a sounding,
your map reference against the stars.
and your work and your home,
like your clothes, are your own, like your skin and like your scars.
i told you they've had power all along,
so dont you let you tell you that you're wrong.
Lyrics submitted by nedward
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More Featured Meanings
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
"and you'll always be far from the things that you are 'coz there's so much that you're not."
I've been thinking about this line lately, and I think maybe that Ted's sayin' that you can't see who you really are and the traits you really have because you're too hung up on all the things you aren't? Like, I guess just saying you can't be yourself if you're busy trying to be everything you're not?
Just a thought. Anyways, I love this song, and Ted is an amazing artist. :)