The lyrics on Taylor Swift’s Midnights that will speak to Red Sox fans
Taylor Swift’s new album Midnights is perfect for Boston Red Sox fans
Taylor Swift just dropped yet another highly-anticipated album, Midnights, and it’s full of lyrics to which Boston Red Sox fans can relate.
The album covers everything from love to heartbreak, revenge, and karma, there’s something for everyone. I listened to every track and picked out some of the most relatable lyrics for Red Sox Nation…
Track 3: Anti-Hero
"“I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser”"
Anti-Hero opens with a line that perfectly encapsulates the Red Sox’ inability to learn from their past mistakes with homegrown stars and unproven free agents. This ownership has certainly gotten older over the last two decades, but so far, not wiser.
"“I should not be left to my own devicesThey come with prices and vicesI end up in crisis(Tale as old as time)I wake up screaming from dreamingOne day, I’ll watch as you’re leaving‘Cause you got tired of my scheming(For the last time)”"
This whole song is really made for the Red Sox.
Prices? Always high.
Vices? Overpriced free agents.
Crisis? Two last-place seasons in three years, Mookie Betts in a Los Angeles Dodgers uniform, Xander Bogaerts being disrespected, et cetera.
One day, fans really will get tired of all of it and leave for the last time.
"“Pierced through the heart, but never killed”"
This lyric is pretty self-explanatory.
Track 4: Snow On The Beach
"“I can’t speak, afraid to jinx itI don’t even dare to wish it…Now it’s like snow at the beachWeird, but f***ing beautifulFlying in a dream…Tonight feels impossibleBut it’s coming down”"
This song gives Curse of the Bambino-era vibes. Superstitions, jinxes, never daring to hope that this would be the year the drought ended. And yesterday was the anniversary of Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. Talk about impossible.
Track 5: You’re On Your Own, Kid
"“Summer went away, still, the yearning stays”"
Is it spring training yet?
Track 6: Midnight Rain
"“My town was a wastelandFull of cages, full of fencesPageant queens and big pretendersBut for some, it was paradise”"
Fenway Park isn’t for everyone. It’s America’s oldest (and Most Beloved) ballpark, and some people don’t appreciate that history. But it’s pretty incredible to think about how much this ballpark has seen and stood through. It’s hosted baseball royalty to some of the biggest duds, and its batting cages and the ultimate fence, the Green Monster, are seeped in history.
Track 8: Vigilante S***
"“You did some bad things, but I’m the worst of themSometimes I wonder which one’ll be your last lie”"
Speaking of the post-2018 collapse, these lyrics could very well be sung by Betts. The Sox lowballed him after he became the first player in MLB history to win a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, batting title, MVP, and World Series in the same year, leading him to declare he would test free agency no matter what.
This ownership has made quite a few mistakes over the years, but trading Betts stands out from the pack, and claiming that they couldn’t have signed him to the kind of deal the Dodgers gave him is patently false. It might not have been pretty for the first few years, but it certainly was doable, especially if they’d kept negotiating instead of turning around and giving buckets of money to Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi.
Likely for the remainder of his career, Betts will be “dressin’ for revenge” in Dodger blue.
Track 9: Bejeweled
"“Best believe I’m still bejeweledWhen I walk in the roomI can still make the whole place shimmer”"
If Fenway Park had a song for the haters, it would be this one. Forget about the few obstructed views, the uncomfortable wooden seats, and the minimal food options; there’s no better place to watch a summer sunset.
Track 10: Labyrinth
"“It only hurts this much right now”Was what I was thinkin’ the whole timeBreathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe outI’ll be gettin’ over you my whole life…...Uh-oh, I’m fallin’ in loveOh no, I’m fallin’ in love againOh, I’m fallin’ in loveI thought the plane was goin’ downHow’d you turn it right around?”"
The pendulum of joy and heartache swings hard when you’re a Red Sox fan. But as soon as a disappointing season comes to an end, we’re all counting down the days until Truck Day, spring training, and Opening Day.
Track 11: Karma
"“Spider boy, king of thievesWeave your little webs of opacityMy pennies made your crownTrick me once, trick me twiceDon’t you know that cash ain’t the only price?It’s coming back around”"
If ever there was a song to caution Sox ownership against continuing to hurt their fans, it’s this one. There’s no baseball without fans. No tickets, concessions, or merchandise sales. No tv deals or corporate sponsorships. Our pennies made your crowns.
Track 12: Sweet Nothing
"“They said the end is comingEveryone’s up to somethingI found myself a-running home to your sweet nothings”"
Red Sox fans spent the summer and fall of listening to the brass rave about how wonderful Xander Bogaerts is, but they know better than to trust those sweet nothings.
Track 13: Mastermind
"“Nothing was gonna stop meI laid the groundwork, and thenJust like clockworkThe dominoes cascaded in a lineWhat if I told you I’m a mastermind?”"
We don’t give Pedro Martinez enough credit for pushing the Red Sox to sign David Ortiz and give him regular playing time. If there’s a more stunning and significant domino effect in franchise history, let me know.
