Taylor Swift's 'folklore' explained: The meaning behind all the songs in the album

Taylor Swift's folklore is her surprise eighth album that she released at midnight on July 24, 2020. The latest album completely stylized in lowercase letters. Even all her songs are titled in lowercase. Each song from folklore has a distinct meaning that resonates with Taylor Swift's life. Here is what every song on Taylor Swift's folklore actually means. 

Taylor Swift's Folklore explained: Here's meaning of each song

the 1

Taylor Swift's the 1 is all about reminiscing about bad relationships. “It would’ve been fun, if you were the one,” is the defining line in the song. This song brings back all the negative memories related to past relationships. 

cardigan

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The music video for cardigan was released online at midnight alongside folklore. The song deals with dejection and finding new love even when you feel left out. The line, "And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone’s bed, you put me on and said I was your favourite,” defines what cardigan is all about. 

the last great american dynasty

Fans have theorized that the last great american dynasty is telling the story of Karlie Kloss, who was reportedly Taylor Swift's best friend and rumoured ex-girlfriend. The song is inspired by St. Louis-born Rebekah Harkness who married the heir of Standard Oil. But some lyrics in the last great american dynasty also elude to things ending badly between Taylor and the woman from St. Louis. 

exile

Taylor Swift's exile is a collaboration between her and Bon Iver. The song's meaning is more ambiguous than the others. But fans believe that exile is all about the pain of parting from the people close to you. 

hoax

hoax tells the story of a flawed yet long-lasting relationship. “No other sadness in the world would do,” is a line that reveals how Taylor Swift feels about the bittersweet feeling of love. 

epiphany

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Taylor Swift's epiphany is another song that takes inspiration from historical roots. This song tells the story of Taylor's grandfather Dean. It details how he landed on the beaches of Guadalcanal in 1942 during the Second World War. 

mad woman

mad woman is all about a widow getting revenge on those who wronged her. But is also showcased how women like talking down to other women. The line “and women like hunting witches too” emphasises on that point. 

betty

betty is undoubtedly one of the most popular songs from folklore as it harkens back to Taylor Swift's country roots. The song is also vaguely autobiographical. The song also refers to two other characters, James and Ines, whose names are the same as Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' two daughters. 

my tears ricochet

my tears ricochet is one of the darkest songs in folklore. There are several lines in the song that allude to an abusive relationship. Fans believe that this song is dissing one of Taylor Swift's exes. 

mirrorball

The song mirrorball compares Taylor Swift to a disco ball. Taylor basically discusses how her life is like a mirrorball, a facade that appears to be pretty to look at but is actually very fragile. She also talks about how her image has constantly changed just like how the colours on a disco ball keep changing. 

seven

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seven is the seventh song in Taylor Swift's new album. This song tells the story of Taylor Swift's childhood friend who had a difficult upbringing. Taylor reveals how she tried to console this friend and help her. Taylor is also seven years old in the song and shares how she was at the “peak” of her happiness at that time. 

august

august is another bittersweet song that tells the story of a love that never was. Taylor Swift reveals how she sent a night with one guy who she felt a romantic connection with. But the romance she desired never came to be. Taylor also realized that the guy was actually having an affair with her.

peace

Taylor Swift's peace is all about how Taylor wants to always be there for her lover. However, Taylor also knows that dating her is not a 'peaceful' task, due to her massive popularity. The song also talks about how Taylor would rather be happy in secret than make her personal life public. 

this is me trying

In this song, Taylor Swift discusses her shift from Country music to Pop. She also confesses to all the mistakes she made that led to her past breakups. Taylor also "swallows" her pride and apologises to someone she wronged in the past. 

illicit affairs

In illicit affairs, Taylor Swift reveals that she committed an act of adultery. She discusses how the relationship makes her feel horrible. Yet she keeps coming back for more. 

invisible strings

This song talks about an invisible link that connects two people in a relationship. Taylor also discusses how the best and worst trait about the string is that it can easily be broken. Invisible strings can be broken but there is always a cost according to Taylor. 

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[Promo from Taylor Swift Instagram]