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willow

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"Willow" (stylized as "willow") is the lead single and first track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's ninth studio album, evermore, released on December 11, 2020, through Republic Records.

Background[]

Swift penned the song while in Westerly, Rhode Island. "willow" is about intrigue, desire and the complexity that goes into wanting someone.[1]

Remixes[]

Music video[]

The music video is a continuation of the video for "cardigan", picking up right where it left off. Throughout the music video, her character follows a golden thread that leads her to her lover, a reference to "invisible string" on folklore. Swift often uses the color gold when referencing her then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, in her music.

It stars Taeok Lee, one of Swift's backup dancers during the Red Tour, Indiana Cheairs and Samuel Silver.

Storyline[]

The music video picks up where the "cardigan" music video left off; Swift is soaking wet, wearing a cardigan and sitting in front of a piano. She finds a golden thread and follows it into the piano. She ends up in a beautiful forest, alone. As she looks into the water, she sees a reflection of her and a man. However, when she looks beside her, he isn’t there and now her own reflection has disappeared. She dives into the water, following the golden thread. She ends up in a tent along with the man as children. They play with the golden thread, but all of sudden the man vanishes. Swift leaves the tent, ends up in a glass box and performs for a crowd. The man appears, but Swift can’t be with him because she’s still inside the box. She finds a way out through the floor, following the golden thread again. She ends up walking through the woods with a group of people wearing capes and masks. They gather in a circle and play with the golden energy, doing a witchy ceremony. She then notices the golden thread, and follows it. Meanwhile, one of the people wearing masks takes it off and is revealed to be the man. Swift then arrives at the same place she started, but wears a different outfit. At the end of the golden thread, she sees the man again. They are finally together and walk off into the sunny woods.

Trivia[]

  • In a YouTube Q&A, Swift said that the music video represents the songs: "seven", "exile", "mirrorball", "invisible string" and "mad woman".[7]
    • The fire scene represents "mad woman".
    • One of the scenes shows Swift and her lover as kids, referring to the song "seven".
    • Swift being locked up in a box, performing at an abandoned circus, refers to "mirrorball" and possibly "exile".
    • At the end of the video, Swift finds a golden string and sees her lover. This is a reference to the line "one single thread of gold tied me to you" from "invisible string".
    • Swift and her lover walking into daylight at the end of the video, may be a reference to "Daylight".
  • Swift mentioned that one of the scenes (presumably the one where she is locked up in a glass box) represents how she feels about fame. There’s also a scene that represents each season throughout the journey of the video.[7]
  • During the glass box scene, a poster of a woman with a snake can be seen in the background, referring to either the reputation era or people calling her a snake.
  • The music video has parallels with the "...Ready For It?" music video: Swift is also wearing a cape, they both refer to witch craft and there's a scene where she is locked up in a box.
  • Five versions of "willow", those being the "Dancing Witch Version", "Lonely Witch Version", "Moonlit Witch Version", "willow" instrumental and "willow" original songwriting demo, were featured on a limited time digital music collection called the "woodvale collection". It also featured a 2019 live recording of "Christmas Tree Farm".

Gallery[]

Photographed by Max Wanger.

Pre-premiere photos[]

Premiere Countdown[]

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night
Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife
And if it was an open-shut case
I never would have known from the look on your face
Lost in your current like a priceless wine

[Chorus]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Verse 2]
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
Head on the pillow, I can feel you sneaking in
As if you were a mythical thing
Like you were a trophy or a champion ring
But there was one prize I'd cheat to win

[Chorus]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train can take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Bridge]
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
They count me out time and time again
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
I come back stronger than a 90's trend

[Verse 3]
Wait for the signal, and I'll meet you after dark
Show me the places where the others gave you scars
Now this is an open-shut case
I guess I should'a known from the look on your face
Every bait-and-switch was a work of art

[Chorus]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train could take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train could take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Outro]
Hey, that's my man
That's my man
Yeah, that's my man
Every bait-and-switch was a work of art
That's my man
Hey, that's my man
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Spoken Introduction]
Okay, here's the Westerly one, written in Westerly

[Verse 1]
I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night
Rough on the surface, but you cut through like a knife
And if it was an open-shut case
I never would have known from the look on your face
Drowned in your current like a priceless wine

[Chorus]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Verse 2]
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind
Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in
As if you were a mythical thing
Like you were a trophy or a champion ring
And there was only one game I'd die to win

[Chorus]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train can take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Spoken]
And then I was thinking, like a choral section, like
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

[Verse 3]
Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark
Show me the places where the others gave you scars
And now this is an open-shut case
I guess I should've known from the look on your face
Every bait-and-switch was a work of art

[Chorus]
I know that you say the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train can take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Chorus]
The more that you say, the less I know
Wherever you stray, I follow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man
You know that my train can take you home
Anywhere else is hollow
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

[Outro]
Yeah, that's my man
Yeah, that's my man
Every bait-and-switch was a work of art
That's my man
Hey, that's my man
I'm begging for you to take my hand
Wreck my plans, that's my man

Audio[]

Videos[]

Live performances[]

Swift performed "willow" for the first known time on March 14, 2021, at the 63rd Grammy Awards, as part of a medley alongside "cardigan" and "august". It was also performed as the eighth song in the folklore + evermore section of The Eras Tour - and served as the twenty-fifth song on the overall setlist.

References[]

  1. ↑ - Willow YouTube premiere - Taylor Swift Q&A
  2. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvUQDYJ1U5/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
  3. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CIzpjebpb3X/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
  4. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CI1yX2BpSRG/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
  5. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CI6idIbpd7f/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
  6. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqGaXNH57b/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 - Willow YouTube premiere - Taylor Swift Q&A
evermore
"willow" • "champagne problems" • "gold rush" • "'tis the damn season" • "tolerate it" • "no body, no crime" • "happiness" • "dorothea" • "coney island" • "ivy" • "cowboy like me" • "long story short" • "marjorie" • "closure" • "evermore"
Deluxe Edition
"right where you left me" • "it's time to go"
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