This article was originally published on Ski Mag
Taylor Swift released her 13-track album, “Midnights,” last week and the internet has been ablaze with speculation about what (or who) each song is about. But it seems clear to us that an album about self-loathing, revenge, falling in love and falling apart is almost certainly inspired by life as a skier. The proof is here. These are the most revealing lyrics from the singer’s 10th studio album. Ski later, Tay.
1. Brown
“How the hell did we lose track again?”
Sobbing with your head in your hands
Isn’t that how shit always ends?
These lyrics are clearly about being lost in the woods with the friend (read: the guy you’re dating) who always says “it’s right here” and refuses to use a map. You’ve reached your breaking point and you’re on the verge of tears because it happens every time this person talks to you about a Type two fun outing. It hurts now, but it feels good later.
2. Anti-heroes
“I got this thing where I get old but never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons
When my depression works the graveyard change
All the people I ghosted are standing there in the room”
T Swift must have tried dating a ski resort to inspire this lyrical masterpiece. In the sordid world of ski resort dating, it’s not your girlfriend, it’s just your turn. So be nice to your exes, because you’re absolutely going to see them in the queue, in the afternoon, at the grocery store, or on your roommate’s arm. It’s a cruel world, but some of us think it’s worth it.
“It’s me. Hi.
I’m the problem, it’s me”
Everyone likes to bitch and complain about ski traffic, and that’s just to some degree because it’s a real problem. in places like Salt Lake City and Colorado’s I-70 corridor. But let’s keep one thing in mind: you’re not IN traffic, you ARE traffic. So before complaining about the thousands of cars on the road, look around and ask yourself: are you part of the solution or are you part of the problem?
3. Snow on the beach
“I took off, thanks to you
And it’s like snow at the beach
Weird but it was beautiful”
As skiers, we tend to obsess over the weather forecast. But in the face of the last few strange years, do the signs we’ve used before matter even more? And what should we watch instead? SKI and longtime outside contributor Heather Hansman reveals more about the weird and wacky winters of the past and how they will affect this ski season in the face of climate change. Snow on the beach? We would prefer it on our tracks, thank you.
“This scene looks like I once saw on a screen
I searched for ‘green northern lights’
I’ve never seen
Someone enlightened from within
Blur my periphery »
The best way to catch the Northern Lights in all their illuminated beauty: go to the darkest places on earth, at the right time, and hope for the best. Oh, and bring your skis. (I saw the Northern Lights for the first time on a trip to Alaska and cried…very on the mark.)
4. You’re all alone, kid
“I gave my blood, my sweat and my tears for this”
Here are some of our favorite tales, from the hilarious to the horrifying, that offer an insight into what it’s like to work as a ski patroller, arguably the most important job on the mountain. We salute you!
5. Midnight Rain
“My city was a wasteland
Lots of cages, lots of fences
Pageant queens and top contenders
But for some it was paradise”
In northwest Montana, a small, once unknown town called Whitefish has become a symbol of the quality of life crisis facing ski resorts around the world. It’s heaven, but is it to be loved to death?
6. Questions…?
“Did you leave his house in the middle of the night?” (Oh)”
This song is about nothing but a dawn patrol. The early bird gets the powder worm!
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