Swiftionary:  Cars/Driving & related [C. Definition]

We went over each instance of car/drive and related word in Taylor’s catalog from Debut to soundtracks to vault songs to TTPD. After that, I went through and looked at every individual lyric and tried to interpret the meaning behind it. Let me know if you have any insight here, or big disagreements. Once I had the general vibes I categorized each individual lyric into like-groups, and came up with 15 different groupings. Here those are just to condense the 11 separate posts in one place:

15 Categories for Meaning Behind Related Words:

(the number preceding is individual lyrics in each category)

5. Establishing the Setting/Context (nothing more)
6. Compare this person's emotions
7. state of the relationship to what the car is doing
8. Taxi + cab = Doesn't belong/tourist = Alienated
9. Status Symbol
10. Symbol of Adulthood
11. Independence
12. Power Dynamics
13. Not in Control
14. Feeling Free & less restricted
15. Having privacy
16. Escaping
17. Someone making an effort to see her
18. Chivalry
19. Breaking-up, lonely, alone

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97 total related lyrics

Here is the same information displayed in a more visual way:

I'm sorry, I know it's teeny. I didn't know how to make it larger and fit it on one screen--all the info is in written form above though.

Now we’re going to further combine groups that are similar to each other, for example the ‘symbol of adulthood’ category is nearly the same as the ‘independence’ category. Let’s look at what we come up with once we combine the categories into similar groups.

(Remember, the preceding number is the amount of individual lyrics within each category. Then, I summed up the new group value for each of the 5 new groups.

5. Establishing the Setting/Context (nothing more)
6. Compare this person's emotions/6. state of the relationship to what the car is doing

_______

21. Similes and Context

7. Taxi + cab = Doesn't belong/tourist

Alienated

5. Status Symbol
6. Symbol of Adulthood/1. Independence
7. Power Dynamics/4. Not in Control

______

16. self-reliant

6. Feeling Free & less restricted/15. Having privacy/11. Escaping

_____

32. liberation

6. Someone making an effort to see her/3. Chivalry
7. Breaking-up, lonely, alone

_______

20. Dating

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97 total lyrics

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Number of lyrics/name of group/percent of total 

                       21           context is            21.88%

                       7            alienation is        7.29%

                      16           self-reliant is       16.67%

                      32           liberation is         33.33%

                      20          dating is               20.83%

And the above data in a chart:

Combining lyrical meanings as far as possible:

Number of lyrics/name of group/percent of total 

21.                         Similes and Context       17.58%
22.                         Dating                                21.98%

7 + 16 + 32 = 55   Disencumbering             60.44%

a.k.a. Taylor sets the scene for disencumbering herself in relation to dating

Here are some (not all) related words:

My Takeaway

Based on the Meaning Behind Car/Drive and Related Lyrics

throughout the Catalog:

Taylor has been  internally homophobic and repressed, controlled, shaped, and pressured, all to best suit the brand.  But the car/driving is a source of privacy and escape for true desires and freedom from homophobia.

Auto = Freedom to Love Genuinely - Disencumbered from Brand Expectations