Welcome to the blog of one of my favorite songs on the album. We can’t dive into this song without discussing the links of Clara Bow, Stevie Nicks, and Taylor Swift.
So first, Clara Bow – a lot of images I’ve seen compare ‘Red’ Taylor to Clara Bow. The song is referencing a younger time in Taylors life when she was entering the industry.
Clara Bow was known as the ‘it girl’ during the silent movie era.
After a traumatic childhood in New York City, Bow became the preeminent leading lady of Hollywood in the 1920s and one of the first sex symbols onscreen. She became the original “It Girl” after starring in 1927 box-office smash It. Bow’s romantic life, including her multiple broken engagements, was publicly scrutinized and served as fodder for Hollywood gossip. That, in addition to a demanding work schedule and unraveling mental health, led Bow to retire from acting in 1933. She went on to have a family with her husband of more than 30 years, actor-turned-politician Rex Bell.
Actor Clara Bow became famous during the silent film era of the 1920s. As a teenager, she starred in her first movie by way of a beauty contest. Later roles in films like Black Oxen and Wine brought the onscreen sex symbol considerable attention. Bow had major success with the 1927 movie It, which proved a tremendous box-office draw and lent her the nickname the “It Girl.”
Taylor – similarly, has been scrutinized at every turn doing the same, if not less, than her male peers in the industry. Men write about their relationships all the time, but they are never criticized for it. She however, has somehow kept the label of ‘girl who whines about her boyfriends to teenage girls,’ which, none of it is true. In the Red era we see the fame start to frustrate Taylor. Instead of songs like “Long Live” which embraces the fans and their loyalty to her – there are songs like ‘Lucky One’ which talk about the hardships of always being in the spot light – which was inspired by Britney Spears ‘Lucky.’ .. Which now we have a Halsey version of the same idea. All about the fame, the spotlight, when people have absolutely no clue what goes beyond the camera. I will constantly talk about MGK in this way too – since a LOT of his songs are about that exploitation and lack of care from fans and media.
You look like Stevie Nicks
Musician Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, quickly becoming a sensation. The band’s members faced many personal challenges but, nevertheless, triumphed critically and commercially. Its sophomore album, Rumours, has sold more than 21 million copies and won Album of the Year at the 1978 Grammy Awards. The rock star is the first woman twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The tight-knit Nicks clan included the future singer’s paternal grandfather, Aaron Nicks, a would-be country star. Aaron handcrafted a guitar for young Stevie and taught her well-known selections from the country music cannon. By the time she was 5 years old, Nicks was gigging with him at local gin mills
The most interesting part about this comparison – is the youthfulness somewhat stole from both of these women. Although it’s what they wanted.. it also takes away from the normal experiences that we all get to share.
All three women paved a way for other women. Once one woman has success in an industry it opens the door for another. In these references, Taylor is really saying she isn’t the one to create this accessibility, but she sure has helped younger artist make a mark on the industry, and younger than she was able to.
Lyrical Breakdown
“You look like Clara Bow in this light
Remarkable
All your life, did you know
You’d be picked like a rose”
Picked like the ‘It’ Girl. Dreaming of fame and a way to make it big in the industry. The following verse really does show this child-like dreaming of first being discovered. The first verse she references Manhattan. Manhattan and NYC hold a ton of music industry companies as well as artists that have the potential to make artists really hit the mainstream. Clara bow also lived in Brooklyn – so although not Manhattan – its around the same area of proximity and the idea of ‘big cities’ on the East side.
“I’m not trying to exaggerate
But I think I might die if it happened
Die if it happened to me
No one in my small town thought
I’d see the lights of Manhattan”
“This town is fake but
You’re the real thing
Breath of fresh air through smoke rings
Take the glory, give everything
Promise to be dazzling”
This verse and the following are in quotations for a reason – we [Taylor] are being spoken to – all these people in this city are fake, faux artists, but you are just a breath of fresh air, something new and genuine. The use of smoke rings is also interesting because Taylor not only references smoke as haze in The Black Dog and other previous songs, but also in the music video of Lavender Haze. I’m not sure what that means but the idea of blowin smoke means to be fake, tell lies, pointless information that is inaccurate and misleading. side note: Gracie has a new song called blowing smoke and its great.
Then she is being told to take the chance, give up everything you are for this moment, give everything you have to make this dream come true and promise to be dazzling … feels.. goodness that feels like a pressure or threat. You have to succeed and keep up your image.. or you’re out?
“You look like Stevie Nicks
In ’75, the hair and lips
Crowd goes wild at her fingertips
Half moonshine, a full eclipse”
“I’m not trying to exaggerate
But I think I might die if I made it,
Die if I made it
No one in my small town
Thought I’d meet these suits in LA,
They all want to say …”
In this verse we have a two-way conversation. The first part is again, a commentator on Taylor – You’re gaining power, you look just like Stevie Nicks in her heyday – the half moonshine full eclipse made me think of the image above. Stevie Nicks always came off as a celestial girly, but also the symbolism of referencing a full eclipse references transformation and renewal: Eclipses can represent a chance for growth, introspection, and transcendence. Some say they can be a time to let go of old patterns and beliefs, and embrace new beginnings.
Let’s not forget the quote in Americana from Taylor talking about having to reinvent- create something herself into more – every single era.
“Everyone is a shiny new toy for like two years. The female artists have reinvented themselves 20 times more than the male artists.”
This song is exactly this. It’s an updated The Lucky One, Castles Crumbling [which was a vault on Speak Now, but the updated idea in The Lucky One was published on her next album] it’s her being scared she is Nothing New, but in a new positive way. It is her acknowledging that she is in her peak right now- and maybe as she stated in Americana, she is tired of reinventing, it’s exhausting, and going forward we may not have ‘eras’ but we may just have continual music.
The second part of the verse is her speaking back. She signed herself at 16 – learning that she was too young to know what she was singing, but she gave everything so she could have a chance. She started to make it in New York [1989] but now she dreams of making it big in LA. Is this the time?
“This town is fake but
You’re the real thing
Breath of fresh air through smoke rings
Take the glory, give everything
Promise to be dazzling”
“The crown is stained but you’re the real queen
Flesh and blood amongst war machines
You’re the new god we’re worshipping
Promise to be … dazzling”
The crown is stained. How can you hear this line and not think about Carrie, or better yet You’re On Your Own Kid.
‘I looked around in a blood-soaked gown
And I saw something they can’t take away‘
She also wakes up in blood in Down Bad, but I believe that’s more of the relationship that has died.
The crown is stained, it’s not shiny and new, it’s been tampered with a bit – but it’s still yours for now. She gave her blood, sweat and tears for this. Right now – she is in the limelight and she knows it. She is very much overexposed – to the fact that people online really do treat her like its 2015 all over again. People are too cool to admit they like her music. But she is literally the biggest star in the world. The Eras Tour not only is the longest in length, and most profitable tour of all time, she also creates something new every day on that stage for interest of people all over the world streaming her music. If you keep reinventing and doing fast album drops, and. rerecording your music with new music on it – you will still be dazzling.
Beauty is a beast that roars
Down on all fours
Demanding “more”
The weight of being the ‘It’ girl, having to always be careful, never being allowed to walk out of your house unprepared for the cameras that flash – is exhausting. She is comparing beauty, and the demands of society, to a beast, a monster. I can’t help also, but think about the crowd was chanting MORE! in I can do it with a broken heart. Are we also the beast that demands more?
Only when your girlish glow
Flickers just so
Do they let you know
It’s hell on earth to be heavenly
I think we need to read this as a full sentence. Only when your girlish glow flickers just so do they let you know its hell on earth to be heavenly. This line actually struck me a bit when I first heard it. You have to present just right, not too much, not too little to succeed. Just like in Americana – again
The body dysmorphia, the eating disorders, all in the name of being what society demands at the time. It’s hell on earth to be heavenly. … am I allowed to cry? The weight of the societal pressures – being too much – but also you ‘would have died if you made it’ when you were younger. You are there – but sometimes it’s simply too much to handle.
They tell you while you’re young
“Girls, go out and have your fun”
Then they hunt and slay the ones who actually do it
Criticize the way you fly when you’re soaring through the sky
Shoots you down and then they sigh, and say
“She looks like she’s been through it” – Nothing New
Them’s the breaks
They don’t come gently
Them’s the breaks was a new line for me – I had to look up references for it : The phrase can be used to express resigned acceptance of a situation. So really, the negativity flying her way, the constant backlash, is now expected by her, but every blow is as hard as the previous – it’s not something she can get used to – because she is too soft for all of it.
“You look like Taylor Swift
In this light
We’re loving it.
You’ve got edge she never did
The future’s bright
… Dazzling.”
Who else loves Taylor Swift singing Taylor Swift?
This next line is to the next young artist in line. I really think about Sabrina Carpenter in this time. She is a bit more edgy and playful – because she is allowed to be. Taylor didn’t really have that opportunity. To be seen she had to be seen as a Christian good-girl presenting in Country. She didn’t have the capacity in her label to even think about breaking that mold. It took her really until Reputation – and even then she still presented in a specific way.
She uses 3 artists and the next one in line to paint this full story of women leading other women into success.
I know someday I’m gonna meet her, it’s a fever dream
The kind of radiance you only have at 17
She’ll know the way, and then she’ll say she got the map from me
I’ll say I’m happy for her, then I’ll cry myself to sleep –Nothing New
Visual Representation
You’d be picked like a rose
I thought of so many things to do for this image – including a self portrait that is styled in a black and white fashion that tries to look LIKE Clara Bow. But instead I decided on this more vintage – washed out – grainy image. Something that was once brand new – and within the image are dead flowers except one being picked – a garden rose. The others have had their time of beauty – but the new rose – being picked out from the others has it’s moment of awe and beauty – until time does to it what it did to the others.