Formerly *coined by me (I think)* "Braid Theory" **Disclaimer: I'm honestly saying this in a mostly...
I think people are sleeping on this song, and I'm honestly confused about that. Taylor has written for or about children before: Never Grow Up, Ronin, Fifteen, Mary's Song, etc... But the tone is usually childlike. The tone of this song is... Not. Nearly every lyric is negative. I think the following are the strands:
1. Robin = Aaron Dessner's son’s name (I think this is a very small part of the song).
2. Robin = buurrr-eed = I thought it was British pronunciation, but the online didn’t sound like that. It’s a definite Christopher Robin (Winnie the Pooh) reference.
phonetically: [read it as symbol, word that contains sound, phonetic representation of that sound]
3. Robin’ = Stay with me here. Remember:
Knew I was a robber first time that he saw me
Stealing hearts and running off and never saying sorry
But if I'm a thief, then he can join the heist
And this more serious lyric:
And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky)
And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)
Like a homophone Robin and robbin’ sound the same
(reach a bit, add a “b” robbin') it could be stealing.
Masters Heist
4. Smallest part of the song = taking the piss out of (at? Brits how do you use this?) Donald Trump
5. A.k.a. the ‘Sure, Jan’ song
Long may you reign
You're an animal
You are bloodthirsty
Out window panes talking utter nonsense
You have no idea
[the person in the verse is a fucking idiot. The person in the next part is just a puppet.]
Strings tied to levers,
slowed down clocks tethered,
Waiting periods for re-recording used to be between five to seven years after the original release date.
Starting in November 2020, her old contract with Big Machine allowed her to start rerecording five of her
six previous albums owned by Braun.
all this showmanship
To keep it, for you,
In sweetness
I'll tell you something right now
I'd rather burn my whole life down
Than listen to one more second of all this griping and moaning
I'll tell you something about my good name
It's mine alone to disgrace
I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothing
God save the most judgmental creeps
Who say they want what's best for me
Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see
[Taylor the brand hyper-focused on image, PR, and money is FOR her. She is saying, sure Jan, seems like it’s for YOU.]
Way to go tiger
Scott Borchetta was a judge on a reality show in the 20-teens (I think)
and as part of the job, he gave his assessments of each of the reality contestants.
I don't know who this particular contestant is, but the language here is very interesting...
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
Long may you roar
WASHINGTON — An Oval Office meeting over Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election became so heated that staff could hear shouting from outside the room and participants nearly came to blows, the Jan. 6 committee revealed during Tuesday's hearing. "The meeting has been called 'unhinged,' 'not normal' and the 'craziest meeting of the Trump presidency,'" said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who led part of the hearing. The explosive hours-long meeting became the focal point of the hearing, in which the committee made the case that a group of outside advisers tried to persuade the former president to invoke a national emergency to stop himself from being ousted from office while White House aides argued forcefully in opposition. On one side of the fight White House lawyers argued there was no evidence of widespread election fraud and no ground to challenge the results. On the other was a colorful cast of outside Trump advisers exploring ways to keep the 45th president in power — by any means necessary.
At your dinosaurs
The old dinosaurs who manifest themselves as our leaders and politicians will be long gone, whilst future generations bear the brunt of their actions and inactions. I can only assume the ultra-rich sponsor that these dinosaurs have a plan to save themselves at our expense. Bunkers for the rich and enslavement for the poor that survive.
You're a just ruler
[Sarcastic? A fair ruler doesn’t rule with fear and aggression such as roaring.]
Covered in mud, you look ridiculous
and/or
And you have no idea
[Another two-pher. The above person looks fucking ridiculous. The person below had information kept from them.]
Buried down deep and out of your reach, the secret we all vowed to keep it, from you,
and/or
[It's just a question... How did her dad know to skip the call if he didn't know anything was afoot?]
In sweetness
[Her dad has access to information about her brand. Taylor didn’t find out about the masters until June 30, 2019 when it happened prior to that. He probably said he kept it from her ‘for your own good.’ But here, Taylor says, sure Jan, seems like it was for YOUR own good.]
Way to go tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
You got the dragonflies above your bed
https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/dragonfly-spiritual-meaning
You have a favorite spot on the swing set
You have no room in your dreams for regrets
https://www.azquotes.com/author/14371-Taylor_Swift/tag/regret
You have no idea
[Taylor in childhood. She’s so focused on pursuing her career she doesn’t have time for regrets. Below the child (Taylor) was kept innocent and naive. They over-protected her.]
The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean
You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline
But now we'll curtail your curiosity
In sweetness
Way to go, Tiger
Higher and higher
Wilder and lighter
For you
[The last line is an emphasis on the 'Sure, Jan' of it all. All of these parents, Taylor Inc. Team, and label said they were doing it for her. She is sarcastically challenging that and reminding them she’s the worse for it. They actually did it for themselves, but justified their behavior that ultimately harmed her.]
