I think, "Carnations you thought were roses" refers to the shirt Matty wore in 2014, he wears it also in the Robbers video. Since then carnations and roses were often present in the 1975s art. Also during his last two tours, carnations were on the scene in vases almost every show, and at one specific stop (MSG, November 15, 2023) he made the bed of carnations and roses for his Matty's Nightmare part of the concert. Taylor's Eras piano also has carnations among other flowers.
Something I’ve never heard others make a connection too… but I think you might appreciate… is the old adage “Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning… red sky at night, sailor’s delight”. In the song, Taylor seems to be referring to a morning sky that was maroon/red, so a sky that was a warning that it would not be smooth sailing in this “ship”. Maybe she is saying she ignored this warning, or she didn’t see that it was a warning until after the fact. Basically… that it would be stormy with this person. This connection to sailing also works with the idea of being “marooned”… ship-wrecked… Wrecked by this stormy relationship and left alone.
I wonder if she knew this about sailors reading the sky. Who knows? But no doubt she was using maroon two ways, which I hadn't thought of. I love learning about her lyrics!
@@eschrad I say no because you sung about a wine-stain on her dress in her 1989 album which was about Harry. Maroon is on her Midnights album referring to Harry and the color of wine as she spent many nights awake due to their relationship.
@@cherylreinell857 I didn’t say the song was about anyone in particular… just that, whoever it was about, the relationship was ill-fated from the start.
I really love your comments. They create a really compelling story. Personally, I don't think Taylor is referring to a morning sky. The first verse they're waking up in the morning, that's true. But then she says she chose him, the one she was dancing with in New York. She doesn't refer back to morning again. The first verse, they were waking up groggy over the wine and they're cleaning up incense. I don't see them dancing and being romantic at that point. It seems like they're (or at least Taylor) laughing about falling asleep on the floor. I think the dancing took place at another time - and at night. Could it have been the night before the morning? Maybe, but personally I don't think so. This doesn't feel like one continuous story to me, but instead disjointed memories of the two of them.
I looked up Carnations on Bing and I'm finding articles that say they represent love and passion. But yes, they are one of the flowers often used in funeral arrangements. You have an interesting take, but I don't think Taylor's referring to death here. Imho.
Finally someone else who thinks like me, ive tried explaining this to my friends and they dont understand the how deep some of theses gos, please do more!!!!
I really very appreciate Maroon lyrically. After a while of Midnights being dropped, I started getting gravitated towards Maroon. It wasn't initially the track that I was obsessed with, but later on, it became my favourite song off of Midnights. I think it is not just aimply a song about a passing by event, rather, it is about a whole deep and complicated relationship. Thank you for your analysis!
I love the motifs she uses in her writing, like the colors. Even if the muse is different, the meaning can be drawn out based on past uses. It makes analysis so interesting! I'd love to see a broad look at colors in Taylor Swift's discography someday!
It should be taken for granted that Taylor might use the same metaphor/word/phrase for different people. But those different people probably gave her the same feeling. The most obvious case that comes to mind is her using words "casually cruel" in Mr. Perfectly Fine which is SO about Joe Jonas, and then again in All Too Well (you know the verse;) which is, we all know, about Jake Gyllenhaal.
Great job! Not only did you link Midnight to TTPD, but opened the floodgates to Folklore, Evermore and other works. You can surmise that they were in touch frequently. Perhaps the phone had rusted but other avenues were open like a Texas highway.
I think you did a great job of covering the lore in this song! I admit I'm not a huge follower of what man gets what song, but people would say this song is about Harry or Tom and it never made sense. Matty on the other hand, makes sense. Sometimes our shortest relationships can have the biggest impact on us.
Shortest relationship as far as being together, but they had this attraction, connection, banter for over ten years - and they almost had it, but Matty ghosted her during the tour because Swifties got upset with her dating him.
@wephotogal I mean, I wouldn't say that. They might have had feelings for 10yrs but there was definitely years of no connection. Also, how do you know he ghosted her because of the fans? That's not what her music alludes to.
@@cosmoslady I think it does. She asks 'how dare you leave me safe and stranded' - the implication being that he said he was leaving for her own good. Then in But Daddy I Love Him, she says of her fans 'they slammed the door on my whole world, the one thing I wanted.'
This was wonderful. I never understood before how she was explaining a past moment of sitting with her feet in his lap and then I see you everyday now is the present. It fits perfectly into the theme of midnights being 13 sleepless nights in her life. ❤❤❤ great analysis
I thought it was in the present of the album and that now she sees him everyday as opposed to just recently. My way of thinking makes no sense. Your analysis does. :)
Thanks for explaining it and breaking it down so beautifully and making it easy to understand! I appreciate your analysis and knowledge of her to help me understand the sometimes hidden meanings of her beautiful songs! Keep up the great work!!!!❤
Ooh. I think you might have missed something. You read it and it really stuck out. “The incense on your VINYL shelf, we lost TRACK of TIME again”. A vinyl album has tracks. Both of them have released albums, and I think she’s subtly calling him out but only he knows it’s about him. So I don’t think she’s referring to incense at all. There was a vinyl playing when they were together and it ran out of time into static sounds, like insense runs out of time. What do you think? 🤔
Love it! ❤ so many things I hadn’t considered before! (one thing though as someone whose top played song of 2023 was Dear Reader (send help lol) I did not think Taylor and Joe were happy during midnights era😅)
@@ixfindxhope it’s so funny you mention this because I was JUST LISTENING to Dear Reader and I completely agree. I think a lot of us believed her that it could be about any time in her life but never again. 😂😂
I always thought Midnights was a break up album. 🤷🏻♀️😊 Maybe it’s because I never followed her personal life, other than the unavoidable stuff on tv and social media? Maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of a songwriter and guitar player, so I look at celebrity and celebrity gossip differently? Generally, what is seen in the media is fabricated either by the celebrity or media. At her level, if you see it, she wants you to see it. Otherwise, she doesn’t go out or pays to keep photos off shelves and away from the public. Her celebrity status and financial status both allow her to control what gets seen. When she was in her earlier days on tour and mouthed the words, “I love you. You know who you are.” She meant for the WORLD to see it. It’s the only way she could be certain Matty saw it. The world certainly saw it. While everyone is pushing for her to get married to Travis, I’d expect her to take a little more time. He was fresh off Matty and I don’t think she would dive all in right away. I also don’t think she will wait 6 years again.
@@MichiaMakesTravis wants children, so since she is fully with him and showing no signs of a breakup, she also must want children. Even with eggs frozen some time ago, pregnancy just gets harder. She could wait until 40 but I can't see her going beyond that.
I thought the rust that grew between telephones was the distance too between the States and England, even tho she lived in London during much of this period. However what causes rust? Sea water
Midnights was written about past events that kept Taylor up at night, so it very well could be the exact same relationship, just looking back on it years later. We don't know. Not that it matters, but I like keeping that option in mind.
Haha I think that was me in my video about Chloe, Sam, or Sophia or Marcus! I did the Scarlet letter for the reference this time but I do think Scarlet could be her too!
Wasn't Florida the first stop after the breakup with Joe was announced and the rumours about Matty started? I always felt that song was about her just breathing "I got out, I scaped, I will not serve time, I have bodies to bury and I'll do it in Florida"
@@NinasNook I discovered Taylor with Folklore and Evermore as a woman in my late 40's her lyrics really spoke to me since she was older and her songs were so layered. Maroon is one of my favorites, not just on Midnights!
I had always been a fan but more casually of TAS, but as soon as the folkmore sisters came out I was seated... ive never been into her relationships, even Harry i couldnt really care less, but I really thought Lover and Rep were weird albums because they had an undertone of the relationship feeling sooooo one sided...which MANY of us feel... and folkmore just felt really sad, escapism, turmoil... (which often can happen for years in long term relationships...) but the Swifties online were like "nah... they are great!".... girls....
I love maroon. It’s one of my favorites from midnights as well as her discography. That is an interesting link between red and maroon. It’s very plausible!! The last I read, Matty is engaged now.
Your analysis is always awesome and enlightening❤!!!btw speaking of the metaphor of red (and blue too) to express feelings/emotions about romantic relationships, I strongly recommend one amazing song by Halsey called Colors, which is allegedly about Matty, and it def has connection to the topic that you discuss here😊! ‘Everything is blue, his pills, his hands and his jeans’ ‘Everything is grey, his hair, his smoke and his dreams’ ‘You were red/ And you liked me cause I was blue/ cause you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky/ Then you decided purple just wasn’t for you’ Anyway it’s pretty interesting that both Taylor and Halsey have depicted Matty in a similarly poetic way and I think it also explains why the color of the flame coming out of the typewriter in Post Malone’s hands is blue from the music video of Fortnight (but ofc it has the interpretation of twin flames as well!!!)
OMG thank you for this! I've been waiting for someone else to mention those connections (Halsey/Colors and the colors coming out of the typewriter). I hadn't thought of the twin flame element though, so thanks so much for that :D I'm wondering if the pink/blue from Lover are also connected to MH...the 1975 had similar colors but could just be the aesthetic of the time. Halsey's mention of lilac also has me wondering if Lavender Haze has some MH references. And in Anti-Hero, when she gets sick it's purple (is that connected to the lyric 'lovesick' from Sl*t! "Got lovestruck, went straight to my head. Got lovesick, all over my bed" ??)
I'm still 10 minutes in do I don't know if you're gonna talk about it, but as a fan of both, we know for a fact that in 2014 Matty's addiction started... So sobbing with your head in your hands, ain't that the way it always ends ... Quite what you would expect in a relationship with a troubled soul like his at the time.
So if she has been writing songs about Matty since folklore then how did she expected Joe to marry her... This is something that I've been struggling to undrestand since TTPD came out...
Taylor and matty met in 2014. Taylor wrote Red while on Speak Now Tour & after & released it 2012. I don’t think Red was about Matty Healy. Maroon? Maybe so.
It's quite possible they met in 2009 when TS interviewed for MH's mom's TV show, Loose Women, which was publicity for her UK Fearless shows. Still, I'm doubtful Red is about him, but it's not impossible ;) The 1975 was first formed in 2002 (but not yet known as the 1975), and then professionally released music in 2012.
The mark on her collarbone is a hickey I think. Obviously Matty would be childish enough to "mark" her with no regard for what that would look like to the people in her life. She would feel a little awkward because he's obviously just a playboy and just wanted to be physical with her.
@@tessabyrns3627 yeah, I tend to agree that is the type of mark you’d have most likely on your collarbone. I felt awkward getting to specific but that’s how I read it too!
@@cherylreinell857Interesting that I would have said the opposite. Matty and Taylor had a situationship for a decade, while Harry was a blip. He did merit the album 1989.
“You painted all my nights a colour I’ve searched for since” and “you showed me colours I can’t see with anyone else” comes to mind here
@@lovesweetPANDA YES! I think the color was MAROON. 🥰
I think, "Carnations you thought were roses" refers to the shirt Matty wore in 2014, he wears it also in the Robbers video. Since then carnations and roses were often present in the 1975s art. Also during his last two tours, carnations were on the scene in vases almost every show, and at one specific stop (MSG, November 15, 2023) he made the bed of carnations and roses for his Matty's Nightmare part of the concert. Taylor's Eras piano also has carnations among other flowers.
Something I’ve never heard others make a connection too… but I think you might appreciate… is the old adage “Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning… red sky at night, sailor’s delight”. In the song, Taylor seems to be referring to a morning sky that was maroon/red, so a sky that was a warning that it would not be smooth sailing in this “ship”. Maybe she is saying she ignored this warning, or she didn’t see that it was a warning until after the fact. Basically… that it would be stormy with this person. This connection to sailing also works with the idea of being “marooned”… ship-wrecked… Wrecked by this stormy relationship and left alone.
I wonder if she knew this about sailors reading the sky. Who knows?
But no doubt she was using maroon two ways, which I hadn't thought of. I love learning about her lyrics!
And we know she is at least familiar with sailor's floklore thanks to The Albatross ❤
@@eschrad
I say no because you sung about a wine-stain on her dress in her 1989 album which was about Harry. Maroon is on her Midnights album referring to Harry and the color of wine as she spent many nights awake due to their relationship.
@@cherylreinell857 I didn’t say the song was about anyone in particular… just that, whoever it was about, the relationship was ill-fated from the start.
I really love your comments. They create a really compelling story. Personally, I don't think Taylor is referring to a morning sky. The first verse they're waking up in the morning, that's true. But then she says she chose him, the one she was dancing with in New York. She doesn't refer back to morning again.
The first verse, they were waking up groggy over the wine and they're cleaning up incense. I don't see them dancing and being romantic at that point. It seems like they're (or at least Taylor) laughing about falling asleep on the floor. I think the dancing took place at another time - and at night. Could it have been the night before the morning? Maybe, but personally I don't think so. This doesn't feel like one continuous story to me, but instead disjointed memories of the two of them.
Carnations are the flowers used at funerals, but this person thought he’d given her roses when in fact they were the flowers symbolising death.
I looked up Carnations on Bing and I'm finding articles that say they represent love and passion. But yes, they are one of the flowers often used in funeral arrangements. You have an interesting take, but I don't think Taylor's referring to death here. Imho.
Finally someone else who thinks like me, ive tried explaining this to my friends and they dont understand the how deep some of theses gos, please do more!!!!
“So if I sell my apartment / And you have some kids with an internet starlet / Will that make your memory fade from this scarlet maroon?”
Oh! I thought it was a blatant easter egg saying go read thru the song Maroon to understand... My idea is limited in understanding.
I think this 👆🏽was such a genius line that ties all of it together. Wonder what color her love is right now.
I really very appreciate Maroon lyrically. After a while of Midnights being dropped, I started getting gravitated towards Maroon. It wasn't initially the track that I was obsessed with, but later on, it became my favourite song off of Midnights. I think it is not just aimply a song about a passing by event, rather, it is about a whole deep and complicated relationship. Thank you for your analysis!
Maroon meaning stranded -> “How dare you think it’s romantic leaving me safe and stranded” in Down Bad, which we know is about Matty…
This is exactly what I thought of when she said that
Another great analysis, I love going to literature class with you & reading all the comments
I love the motifs she uses in her writing, like the colors. Even if the muse is different, the meaning can be drawn out based on past uses. It makes analysis so interesting! I'd love to see a broad look at colors in Taylor Swift's discography someday!
It should be taken for granted that Taylor might use the same metaphor/word/phrase for different people. But those different people probably gave her the same feeling. The most obvious case that comes to mind is her using words "casually cruel" in Mr. Perfectly Fine which is SO about Joe Jonas, and then again in All Too Well (you know the verse;) which is, we all know, about Jake Gyllenhaal.
Great job! Not only did you link Midnight to TTPD, but opened the floodgates to Folklore, Evermore and other works. You can surmise that they were in touch frequently. Perhaps the phone had rusted but other avenues were open like a Texas highway.
I think you did a great job of covering the lore in this song! I admit I'm not a huge follower of what man gets what song, but people would say this song is about Harry or Tom and it never made sense. Matty on the other hand, makes sense. Sometimes our shortest relationships can have the biggest impact on us.
Shortest relationship as far as being together, but they had this attraction, connection, banter for over ten years - and they almost had it, but Matty ghosted her during the tour because Swifties got upset with her dating him.
@@wephotogalI doubt they would have stayed together very many years regardless of what either did. Just a feeling.
@wephotogal I mean, I wouldn't say that. They might have had feelings for 10yrs but there was definitely years of no connection. Also, how do you know he ghosted her because of the fans? That's not what her music alludes to.
@@cosmoslady I think it does. She asks 'how dare you leave me safe and stranded' - the implication being that he said he was leaving for her own good. Then in But Daddy I Love Him, she says of her fans 'they slammed the door on my whole world, the one thing I wanted.'
This was wonderful. I never understood before how she was explaining a past moment of sitting with her feet in his lap and then I see you everyday now is the present. It fits perfectly into the theme of midnights being 13 sleepless nights in her life. ❤❤❤ great analysis
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I thought it was in the present of the album and that now she sees him everyday as opposed to just recently. My way of thinking makes no sense. Your analysis does. :)
Thanks for explaining it and breaking it down so beautifully and making it easy to understand! I appreciate your analysis and knowledge of her to help me understand the sometimes hidden meanings of her beautiful songs! Keep up the great work!!!!❤
I feel exactly the same.
Ooh. I think you might have missed something. You read it and it really stuck out. “The incense on your VINYL shelf, we lost TRACK of TIME again”.
A vinyl album has tracks. Both of them have released albums, and I think she’s subtly calling him out but only he knows it’s about him. So I don’t think she’s referring to incense at all. There was a vinyl playing when they were together and it ran out of time into static sounds, like insense runs out of time.
What do you think? 🤔
I always thought "The one" as a character inside Taylor's lore ... There's a lot there ...
Great analysis! I also noticed the repeated use of “scarlet”, which reminds me of the scarlet letter.
Love it! ❤ so many things I hadn’t considered before! (one thing though as someone whose top played song of 2023 was Dear Reader (send help lol) I did not think Taylor and Joe were happy during midnights era😅)
@@ixfindxhope it’s so funny you mention this because I was JUST LISTENING to Dear Reader and I completely agree.
I think a lot of us believed her that it could be about any time in her life but never again. 😂😂
I always thought Midnights was a break up album. 🤷🏻♀️😊 Maybe it’s because I never followed her personal life, other than the unavoidable stuff on tv and social media? Maybe it’s because I’m the daughter of a songwriter and guitar player, so I look at celebrity and celebrity gossip differently?
Generally, what is seen in the media is fabricated either by the celebrity or media. At her level, if you see it, she wants you to see it. Otherwise, she doesn’t go out or pays to keep photos off shelves and away from the public. Her celebrity status and financial status both allow her to control what gets seen.
When she was in her earlier days on tour and mouthed the words, “I love you. You know who you are.” She meant for the WORLD to see it. It’s the only way she could be certain Matty saw it. The world certainly saw it.
While everyone is pushing for her to get married to Travis, I’d expect her to take a little more time. He was fresh off Matty and I don’t think she would dive all in right away. I also don’t think she will wait 6 years again.
@@MichiaMakesTravis wants children, so since she is fully with him and showing no signs of a breakup, she also must want children. Even with eggs frozen some time ago, pregnancy just gets harder. She could wait until 40 but I can't see her going beyond that.
@@NinasNook “you wouldn’t take my word for it if you knew who was talking” 😂 and we were there taking her word for it
Great analysis as always!
it's one of my faaaaaaavorite songs of her, it's such a vibe and a story that keeps on giving
12:25 CHILLS I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT THAT WAYY OMGGG
I thought the rust that grew between telephones was the distance too between the States and England, even tho she lived in London during much of this period. However what causes rust? Sea water
OMGGGGG 🎉
'how the hell did we lose sight of us again' - to me this clearly implies that they had more than one go at this BEFORE 2023.
Midnights was written about past events that kept Taylor up at night, so it very well could be the exact same relationship, just looking back on it years later. We don't know. Not that it matters, but I like keeping that option in mind.
Someone mentioned scarlet being a reference to Scarlet O'Hara from gone with the wind and that also makes so much sense to me!
Haha I think that was me in my video about Chloe, Sam, or Sophia or Marcus! I did the Scarlet letter for the reference this time but I do think Scarlet could be her too!
Any thoughts on the song Florida? I can’t figure that one out.
Wasn't Florida the first stop after the breakup with Joe was announced and the rumours about Matty started? I always felt that song was about her just breathing "I got out, I scaped, I will not serve time, I have bodies to bury and I'll do it in Florida"
Marooned on an island...maybe Manhattan?
Exactly maybe Manhattan!!!!
You see the vision. 😂😂
@@NinasNook I discovered Taylor with Folklore and Evermore as a woman in my late 40's her lyrics really spoke to me since she was older and her songs were so layered. Maroon is one of my favorites, not just on Midnights!
The mark they saw on my collarbone I’ve always taken to be a hickey, which of course is maroon
I had always been a fan but more casually of TAS, but as soon as the folkmore sisters came out I was seated... ive never been into her relationships, even Harry i couldnt really care less, but I really thought Lover and Rep were weird albums because they had an undertone of the relationship feeling sooooo one sided...which MANY of us feel... and folkmore just felt really sad, escapism, turmoil... (which often can happen for years in long term relationships...) but the Swifties online were like "nah... they are great!".... girls....
I love maroon. It’s one of my favorites from midnights as well as her discography. That is an interesting link between red and maroon. It’s very plausible!! The last I read, Matty is engaged now.
Your analysis is always awesome and enlightening❤!!!btw speaking of the metaphor of red (and blue too) to express feelings/emotions about romantic relationships, I strongly recommend one amazing song by Halsey called Colors, which is allegedly about Matty, and it def has connection to the topic that you discuss here😊!
‘Everything is blue, his pills, his hands and his jeans’
‘Everything is grey, his hair, his smoke and his dreams’
‘You were red/ And you liked me cause I was blue/ cause you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky/ Then you decided purple just wasn’t for you’
Anyway it’s pretty interesting that both Taylor and Halsey have depicted Matty in a similarly poetic way and I think it also explains why the color of the flame coming out of the typewriter in Post Malone’s hands is blue from the music video of Fortnight (but ofc it has the interpretation of twin flames as well!!!)
OMG thank you for this! I've been waiting for someone else to mention those connections (Halsey/Colors and the colors coming out of the typewriter). I hadn't thought of the twin flame element though, so thanks so much for that :D
I'm wondering if the pink/blue from Lover are also connected to MH...the 1975 had similar colors but could just be the aesthetic of the time. Halsey's mention of lilac also has me wondering if Lavender Haze has some MH references. And in Anti-Hero, when she gets sick it's purple (is that connected to the lyric 'lovesick' from Sl*t! "Got lovestruck, went straight to my head. Got lovesick, all over my bed" ??)
I'm still 10 minutes in do I don't know if you're gonna talk about it, but as a fan of both, we know for a fact that in 2014 Matty's addiction started... So sobbing with your head in your hands, ain't that the way it always ends ... Quite what you would expect in a relationship with a troubled soul like his at the time.
Maroon is also mentioned in Chloe or Sam…. Which is also about Matty. I agree with your breakdown! Thank you! Can you do loml?
Yes! I plan on doing LOML! I also did Chloe or Sam last week! ❤️
So if she has been writing songs about Matty since folklore then how did she expected Joe to marry her...
This is something that I've been struggling to undrestand since TTPD came out...
Taylor and matty met in 2014. Taylor wrote Red while on Speak Now Tour & after & released it 2012. I don’t think Red was about Matty Healy. Maroon? Maybe so.
Yeah, I agree. I state this in the video, I do not think Red is about Matty Healy either.
It's quite possible they met in 2009 when TS interviewed for MH's mom's TV show, Loose Women, which was publicity for her UK Fearless shows.
Still, I'm doubtful Red is about him, but it's not impossible ;) The 1975 was first formed in 2002 (but not yet known as the 1975), and then professionally released music in 2012.
She lost him to drugs. 22:36
Hmmm... I have my own theory about Red but I'm going to keep it to myself. Also, who drives a Maserati? There are so many better cars to choose from.
I'm so glad I found your channel! Great analysis! 🫶
so scarlett it was maroon!
The mark on her collarbone is a hickey I think. Obviously Matty would be childish enough to "mark" her with no regard for what that would look like to the people in her life. She would feel a little awkward because he's obviously just a playboy and just wanted to be physical with her.
@@tessabyrns3627 yeah, I tend to agree that is the type of mark you’d have most likely on your collarbone. I felt awkward getting to specific but that’s how I read it too!
Agreed about the hickey. I'm not sure why you think Matty is a playboy who just wanted to be physical with her?
it sounds like she was pretty keen to be physical with him too lol
Sometimes i think style is also about matty idk it just makes sence t-t
Martin was written about Harry Styles and now Taylor pretends it’s about Matty 😏
Maroon is about Harry Styles. Grape Juice and Clean also connect. Harry Styles and not Matt Healy. And Red is about Harry too.
You are very invested in Harry. Intellectually Taylor had more in common with Matty than Harry. Harry was a kid when they dated for some months.
@
They dated longer under the radar but told their story in their music. Matt was only a blip in her life.
@@cherylreinell857Interesting that I would have said the opposite. Matty and Taylor had a situationship for a decade, while Harry was a blip. He did merit the album 1989.
@@cherylreinell857 I think you have it backwards as TTPD makes abundantly clear
@
Everyone knows when Midnights album came out that Maroon was about Harry. Everyone but you, apparently.