1. “STATE OF GRACE”
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Taylor noted that this track was one of the early songs that helped shape the album. She pinpointed one couplet in its chorus as defining the whole record: “Love is a ruthless game / Unless you play it good and right.”
BETWEEN THE LINES
In Christianity, a state of grace is that of divine forgiveness and unconditional love. This opening track presents two imperfect people (the Christian undertones continue with one being “not a saint”) who find redemption, not in God’s love, but in one another. And that love, while soaring and surprising, is not guaranteed or everlasting, which is perhaps why Taylor calls this song a warning. Red is an album of extremes of passion and heartbreak, and both are evident in its first song. The songwriter conjures a “golden age” but, sticking to classical references, also mentions an Achilles heel. In the instrumentation, she went for “a really big sound” that evokes “the feeling of falling in love in an epic way,” but that grand romance is always edged by risk.
AUDIENCE OF ONE
The references to “twin fire signs” and “four blue eyes” point to Jake Gyllenhaal, but the very private actor has kept his thoughts about this song (and the others likely about him) out of the papers.
FUN FACTS
“Never” and “ever” are repeated over and over in this song — perhaps connecting it to the breakup anthem that seems to be for the same suitor.
Bonus fun fact: Marie Claire recently asked Taylor what she would write on her headstone if she could (morbid!), and Taylor chose a lyric from this song: "Love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right."
DIARY DECODER
If optimism dominates the song’s lyrics, the secret message plays up that ever-present threat: “I love you doesn’t count after goodbye.”
CHARTING SUCCESS
The fourth promotional single for Red, “State of Grace,” peaked at (lucky) number 13 on the Hot 100.
(excerpted from our book on Swifty: Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition, which is available everywhere books are sold)
Big thanks to @horsepassion for the Swift Notes pic!
ВЫ ЧИТАЕТЕ
Swift Notes: Red (A Guide to Taylor Swift's Songs)
ФанфикA song-by-song analysis of Taylor Swift's RED album, excerpted from our just-released-in-stores Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition.
