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.
I've been to London, seen seven wonders I know to trip is just to fall
I used to rock it, sometimes I'd roll it
I always knew what it was for
There can be no denying, that the wind'll shake 'em down
And the flat world's flying, and there's a new plague on the land
(If we could just join hands)
(If we could just join)
Traversed the planet, when heaven sent me
I saw the kings who rule them all
Still by the firelight and purple moonlight I hear the rested rivers call
And the wind is crying, from a love that won't grow cold
My lover, she is lying, on the dark side of the globe
(If we could just join hands)
You got me rocking when I ought to be a-rolling
Darling, tell me, darling, which way to go
You keep me rocking, baby, then you keep me stolen
Won't you tell me, darling, which way to go, that's right
Oh how I wonder, oh how I worry, and I would dearly like to know
I've all this wonder, of earthly plunder, will it leave us anything to show
And our time is flying, see the candle burning low
Is the new world rising, from the shambles of the old
(If we could just join hands)
If we could just, if we could just, if we could just
If we could just, if we could just join hands
That's all it takes, that's all it takes
That's all it takes, that's all it takes
(Yeah)
I used to rock it, sometimes I'd roll it
I always knew what it was for
There can be no denying, that the wind'll shake 'em down
And the flat world's flying, and there's a new plague on the land
(If we could just join hands)
(If we could just join)
Traversed the planet, when heaven sent me
I saw the kings who rule them all
Still by the firelight and purple moonlight I hear the rested rivers call
And the wind is crying, from a love that won't grow cold
My lover, she is lying, on the dark side of the globe
(If we could just join hands)
You got me rocking when I ought to be a-rolling
Darling, tell me, darling, which way to go
You keep me rocking, baby, then you keep me stolen
Won't you tell me, darling, which way to go, that's right
Oh how I wonder, oh how I worry, and I would dearly like to know
I've all this wonder, of earthly plunder, will it leave us anything to show
And our time is flying, see the candle burning low
Is the new world rising, from the shambles of the old
(If we could just join hands)
If we could just, if we could just, if we could just
If we could just, if we could just join hands
That's all it takes, that's all it takes
That's all it takes, that's all it takes
(Yeah)
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More Featured Meanings
Fortnight
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Seems to be about two or three different things at once: the singer's personal journey, the band, and the progressive struggle in general.
The first lines are about drugs for sure. Pot and acid at the beginning. He says he "always knew what it was for". He probably felt okay about pot because it was mind-expanding or good for musical creativity.
Later there's a "new plague" or "new flag" on the land. This is where it's hard to tell if it's about something personal still or something political, like the progressive movements from the 60's losing steam and dissolving in the entertainment and drug culture. I think it's possibly about heroin addiction-- the lover lying on the dark side of the globe. This could be someone he knows directly, like Page or someone else, or even his muse.
Back to the personal, he wonders about all the riches and fame-- "earthly plunder"-- and if in the end anything will be left. "See the candle burning low" points to knowing that the band is stretching themselves to thin and running out of steam.
"Just join hands" seems to back at the more global or social level-- people could solve the world's problems if they were united.
"Carouselambra" seems to be a later answer to this song. It also blends the bands journey with the social challenges of the day.