Here are five of my favourite tunes from the remarkably talented Taylor Swift. In no particular order, but there are five because a marketing expert told me that odd-numbered lists work better than even-numbered ones. (Much good that’ll do, I suspect…)
Shake it Off
Yes, it’s probably the one people are most familiar with, but it’s fun from the time the needle drops into the outside groove. (Find a young person and ask them what the binary code equivalent is, Ed.). And the video — with its gloriously goofy dancing and general mucking about — is a barrel-load of joy.
Speak Now
Danny Baker played this one morning, sang its praises, and let’s face it, he knows a thing or two about the popular song. Girl loses boy, daydreams about turning up at his wedding, and makes much mirth about the graceless bride, her revolting family and ghastly frock, and the death march of the organ. Uplifting, though. Trademark asides and giggle both present and most welcome. Oh, and TUNE.
Stay, Stay, Stay
Boy and girl have a row but soon make it up; details expertly observed; packed with humour and affection. I’m all in favour of happy music and this up-tempo gem fits the bill. Features toy piano, ukulele, and mandolin but don’t let any of that put you off.
22
It’s some time since I knew what it was like to be 22 and it’s a memory that I can’t often summon up these days. Which is probably for the best. But I can sing “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22” without an ounce of embarrassment. I can’t speak for the rest of the family, though.
The 1
This is from her album, Folklore. (Swift released two albums in 2020 and that’s almost Beatlesque.)
It’s a sweetly melancholic and haunting song about breaking up. Oh, you say, one of those. Indeed, it is. But its tune winds its way into your head and it also contains lines like: “But we were something, don’t you think so? Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool.” They gave Dylan a Nobel prize for stuff like that.
As she says at the end of The Story of Us (a song with chapters, chapters!):
The End.
