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.
By the windy shores o Canada bay I broke my fast for Lucia's day,
A beguiling figure she blew my way & rattled me rovin' heart,
The snipers crack, the metronome of pricy heels on polished stone,
That I were soon to call my own by way o' the ancient art.
I were cozened by a whiff-o-the-whim that scours the Costa harryin',
The likes o' men who've lost the lamp, the rudderless and bewildered,
The sands below are littered wi' bones o' those who've taken a belly o' stones,
And turned their backs on wives & homes to follow the black Matilda.
Ho-ro m'lovelies cross yer hearts & hope to die,
If e'er ye're drawn beneath a murky fathom of her eye,
Ho-ro my lovelies kiss yer arse a fond goodbye,
Ye'll never again be able to lift yer head so bloody high.
For even the boys of Inverary know, from Tortuga to Jericho,
She took three hundred souls below off the deck o' the Andalusia,
The poets and the Sages tried to warn us down the ages,
Their blood drips from the pages where they tell o' the Black Matilda.
She pursed her lips & spun a tune as fine as any silk cocoon,
That's ever left McEacherns loom & held me there in a tawper,
A bastard I was born y'ken? I lived as tho' I'd never end,
I'll die a disenchanted man, they'll bury me as a pauper,
For men have drowned & men have swung, the brig at Iron Cove were hung,
Wi' a garland of the old, the young, all battered & unfamiliar,
Theres no poetry theres no tune, no point in howlin' at the moon,
A caution to ye very soon ye'll waltz yer Black Matilda.
By the windy shores O' Canada bay I blew my friggin brains away,
Its not as tho' i'm proud to say, its not as tho I coulda killed her,
I'm off to Hells begotten shores where men like me have sailed before,
And they shall sail forever more in the name o' the Black Matilda.
Ho-Ro m'lovelies cross yer hearts & hope to die,
Its enough to make ye cry, enough to make ye cry!
Ho-Ro m'lovelies kiss yer arse a fond goodbye,
Its enough to make ye cry, enough to make ye DIE!..
A beguiling figure she blew my way & rattled me rovin' heart,
The snipers crack, the metronome of pricy heels on polished stone,
That I were soon to call my own by way o' the ancient art.
I were cozened by a whiff-o-the-whim that scours the Costa harryin',
The likes o' men who've lost the lamp, the rudderless and bewildered,
The sands below are littered wi' bones o' those who've taken a belly o' stones,
And turned their backs on wives & homes to follow the black Matilda.
Ho-ro m'lovelies cross yer hearts & hope to die,
If e'er ye're drawn beneath a murky fathom of her eye,
Ho-ro my lovelies kiss yer arse a fond goodbye,
Ye'll never again be able to lift yer head so bloody high.
For even the boys of Inverary know, from Tortuga to Jericho,
She took three hundred souls below off the deck o' the Andalusia,
The poets and the Sages tried to warn us down the ages,
Their blood drips from the pages where they tell o' the Black Matilda.
She pursed her lips & spun a tune as fine as any silk cocoon,
That's ever left McEacherns loom & held me there in a tawper,
A bastard I was born y'ken? I lived as tho' I'd never end,
I'll die a disenchanted man, they'll bury me as a pauper,
For men have drowned & men have swung, the brig at Iron Cove were hung,
Wi' a garland of the old, the young, all battered & unfamiliar,
Theres no poetry theres no tune, no point in howlin' at the moon,
A caution to ye very soon ye'll waltz yer Black Matilda.
By the windy shores O' Canada bay I blew my friggin brains away,
Its not as tho' i'm proud to say, its not as tho I coulda killed her,
I'm off to Hells begotten shores where men like me have sailed before,
And they shall sail forever more in the name o' the Black Matilda.
Ho-Ro m'lovelies cross yer hearts & hope to die,
Its enough to make ye cry, enough to make ye cry!
Ho-Ro m'lovelies kiss yer arse a fond goodbye,
Its enough to make ye cry, enough to make ye DIE!..
Lyrics submitted by Moooney
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
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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
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.
It's a warning about a woman that lives in Canada named Matilda that seems to fixate on ruining sailor's lives. Although in every version I've heard, in the last part the ultimate line's first part ("Enough to make you cry") is repeated several times, although that apparently is not apart of the official lyrics. The singer got tempted by her and ended up ruining his life so much he committed suicide.