Since Taylor Swift released her version of “1989,” it’s time to look back at the classics. And the “Blank Space” song is, by far, one of the best songs off this album. It satires the media’s obsession with her love life and paints her as a “crazy” woman. Even now, people still scrutinize her relationship history, making “Blank Space” still relevant. Here are some of the best lines:
1. “You look like my next mistake.”
Imagine seeing someone and thinking, “Oh, I know this person is bad for me—I can’t wait to get with them!” In all seriousness, who actually looks for failed relationships? Honestly, whether Swift’s relationships are “just” publicity stunts or not is irrelevant. It’s a funny image, though, and one that comes across as larger than life.
2. “Love’s a game; wanna play?”
You’ve heard singers croon about people treating love like a game, but what if they purposely saw love as a game? It sounds like something your average mustache-twirling villain would say and do, which is exactly the point—no person like this exists, no matter how much we may think we know a celebrity’s personal life.
3. “I’m dying to see how this one ends.”
Like the first line, can you imagine someone would go into a relationship wondering how things will end? While we don’t know if relationships will last, why think about how it will end before it’s even started? Sure. Some people self-sabotage aspects of their lives, including relationships, but I doubt it’s as common as people make it out to be.
4. “I can make the bad guys good for a weekend.”
Once again, picture a mustache-twirling villain trying to lure the so-called good guys to the dark side. Think of the stereotypical villain speech: “We’re not so different after all.” The caricature really shows how ridiculous it is when people imagine Swift, or any woman, being some manipulative, scorned person who’s only out to hurt men.
5. “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”
There’s an old but still alive idea that women are devious masterminds who seduce men, corrupt them, or break their hearts. Like sirens, these evil women lure men into their traps by playing innocent. Won’t anyone think of the poor men who have suffered?
6. “Boys only want love if it’s torture.”
The way some men talk about relationships with women makes you wonder if men actively seek out horrible relationships. After all, if these women make it their job to manipulate and hurt them “just for fun,” why would anyone date them in the first place? Are men really gullible, helpless victims to feminine wiles? Or are they ignoring the role they played in a relationship gone wrong?
7. “It’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames.”
The all-or-nothing approach to relationships is a recipe for disaster that works perfectly for satire. But I think there’s some truth to it, as well. If you put love on a pedestal, viewing it in a black-and-white manner, you’re setting yourself up for disaster.
8. “Got a long list of ex-lovers; they’ll tell you I’m insane.”
The media is obsessed, and I mean obsessed, with Swift’s love life. Yes, she writes songs about her relationships, but you’ll note that she rarely names the people she’s dated. Her music portrays the emotional highs and lows of a romantic relationship. For me, I love Swift’s music because of the power of her songwriting and how her lyrics resonate with me, not because of who she kissed or broke up with last night.
9. “I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your name.”
And we come to the song’s title and how it perfectly sums everything up. Swift is portraying the negative picture many people have of her and is proud of it. She’s saying that yes, she makes room for all her lovers that she plans to dump and deviously write songs about as revenge and for money. Do you want to be next?
“Blank Space” will forever be iconic, showing off Swift’s masterful songwriting skills and clever humor. And it’s also just funny, not to mention badass, how she took a negative portrayal of her and made it into a hit song. That’s the best kind of revenge, in my opinion.
Video from Taylor Swift – Blank Space via Taylor Swift Youtube
