It is the season of nostalgia as the weather gets colder and school closes out for the year. Perhaps it’s the chill of the winter breeze or the warmth of the frosty sun, but it’s easy to feel down. In between the bright lights and delights sometimes a sadder feeling lingers underneath.
The song spotlight this week deals with this theme. “Tis’ the Damn Season” is a song of hometown regrets and the darker side of the holiday season.
“Tis’ the Damn Season” is from Swift’s ninth studio album, “evermore.” Swift writes about her return back to her hometown and engaging in a past failed relationship through the persona of a girl named Dorothea. During this relationship however, Dorothea finds herself to be in a position where she feels like she does not fit into her hometown anymore, ultimately ending the relationship and returning back to LA,reminiscing on what could have been.
Verse 1
“There’s an ache in you put there by the ache in me
But if it’s all the same to you
It’s the same to me”
The song starts off with the awkward and cold tension between Dorothea and her past lover, as they are both still heavily affected by their past relationships–raising the point that there are still multiple open wounds between the both of them. Acknowledging the fact that they are both still hurt, they take the time to talk and spend time with each other to heal.
Bridge
“So we could call it even
Even though I’m leavin’
And I’ll be yours for the weekend
‘Tis the damn season”
The more time that these two characters spend together, the more that Dorothea and her lover realize that the idea of starting again (as ‘friends’ at least) is not a bad idea. They reminisce on their past history together, ignoring the truth of how they ended and pretending that they were never over. Their relationship continues to grow and so do Dorothea’s feelings for her past lover.
Bridge
“And wonder about the only soul who can tell which smiles I’m fakin’
And the heart I know I’m breakin’ is my own
To leave the warmest bed I’ve ever known”
One of the last verses of the song describes how even though they are exes, Dorothea will never feel the same love that she felt with them. She will yearn for him even though their lives are completely different now, wishing that the choices that they both made back then are different. She acknowledges the fact that it will never be the same and she should move on, but she wants to continue to wait for the one day for the chance to come back together.
Celebrating the last few weeks of the school year can sometimes feel bittersweet. Looking back at memories made and people met, it’s easy to find faults in decisions made. Here is a reminder to be easy on yourself and find happiness during the happiest time of the year. Enjoy the much needed winter break and be kind to yourself.
