The Meaning Behind Taylor Swift’s ‘Call It What You Want”
When it comes to Taylor Swift’s songwriting, her lyrics are as poetry-like as it gets. One such song is her 2017 release, “Call It What You Want.” Upon its initial release, the song was instantly regarded as one of Swift’s most poetic works to date. Taylor Swift’s “Call It What You Want” speaks to the idea of unbreakable love. In the song, Swift expresses her willingness to do whatever it takes to stay connected to a particular person.
Exploring the Internal Struggles of a Relationship
The song starts out with lyrics about isolation and desperation in her relationship. By referencing herself as a “wine-stained dress,” Swift paints a picture of a person who has been through some tough times–both before and during the relationship, thus far. As the relationship progresses and new insecurities arise, she finds solace in her love and community. Taylor Swift emphasizes this idea of “community” when she sings “Everyone’s got their chains to break.” The line implies that with the right support from the people around us, we can break away from any negative influences and embrace our true selves.
The Strength of Unconditional Love
The chorus further emphasizes the idea of unconditional love and its strength to overcome any adversity. In the chorus, Taylor Swift declares, “My baby’s fly like a jet stream/High above the whole scene/Loving him is like a battle/Awinning everytime/Call it what you want, yeah.” By using imagery of a jet stream and war, Swift establishes a sense of power and strength, and also serves to emphasize the idea of unconditional love being able to overcome any obstacle.
The message of “Call It What You Want” is that true love and acceptance can be found without having to sacrifice or deny who we are. This is an important and timeless lesson, which could relate to both romantic relationships, and any relationship in which we want to feel embraced and accepted. No matter what our individual struggles are, everyone deserves to feel loved for who they are and not who others want them to be.