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(Yes, yes it is).
I think we can all agree that Taylor Swift is a mastermind. Her lyrics are amazing and full of incredible meaning and symbolism. What made me fall more in love with evermore and folklore were the lyrics themselves. I found myself captivated by the stories she was telling, and how raw the emotions were.
It took me quite a while to really understand "Cowboy Like Me." I love the feeling of the song, and how her emotion seems to burst through. Every time I listened to it I would begin to feel sad. Why is that? What is the song really about?
There are many definitions on what a cowboy is. Merriam-Webster says that a cowboy is "one who tends cattle or horses," which is I think where most of our minds would go. However, there are a few other options. They also say that a cowboy is "one having qualities (such as recklessness, aggressiveness, or independence) popularly associated with cowboys." I think that this is most definitely the definition that Swift used.
It's also fun to note that this use of "cowboy" is a british slang term, which could be a nod to Taylor Swift's general love of the british, or a confirmation that this song's rumored muse—Tom Hiddleston—really is the topic of her song.
Now that we know Swift is using "cowboy" as a term for recklessness and even independence, what does that mean for the song?
The song begins with a seemingly cryptic setting. However, I believe it's a wedding location.
"And the tennis court was covered up
With some tent-like thing
And you asked me to dance
But I said, "Dancing is a dangerous game"
Oh, I thought
This is gonna be one of those things
Now I know
I'm never gonna love again"
So, basically what Swift is saying is that her love interest asked her to dance at a wedding, and she became scared. She said "dancing is a dangerous game," warning him that they will fall for each other. And she fears both falling in love with each other and losing her recklessness, and falling in love but having him break her heart.
"I've got some tricks up my sleeve
Takes one to know one
You're a cowboy like me
Never wanted love
Just a fancy car
Now I'm waiting by the phone
Like I'm sitting in an airport bar
You had some tricks up your sleeve
Takes one to know one"
Swift says that it 'takes one to know one.' She's suggesting that while this man feels like he's a player, she is too. And she has some tricks up her own sleeve. She's saying "look, you're just like me." They never wanted to fall in love, just to enjoy a 'fancy car.' This specific choice of words intrigued me. She could easily just be saying that they wanted the beauty and excitement of love which fades over time—like that of a new car—but I think it could also be hinting at a "getaway car." When her and Hiddleston met at the Met, they were videoed dancing. And she used Hiddleston as her getaway car, which one can assume means she never meant to fall for him.
And yet, she fell. She sits by her phone like she's 'sitting in an airport bar,' or sitting with nothing better to do than to hope he calls. She realizes that while she was so sure she was the cowboy in the relationship, he was too. And now she loves him.
"You're a cowboy like me
Perched in the dark
Telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear
Like it could be love
I could be the way forward
Only if they pay for it"
Next, Swift reaffirms that he is a cowboy just like her. Except he tries to hide it. He tells the 'rich folks,' or the pop stars and fans, 'anything they wanna hear.' He tells them that it's love, and that Taylor Swift is the only way forward. But the fans will pay for believing someone so reckless.
"You're a bandit like me
Eyes full of stars
Hustling for the good life
Never thought I'd meet you here
It could be love
We could be the way forward
And I know I'll pay for it"
When she says 'bandit like me,' she could either be referring to how both her and Hiddleston cheated while she was in a relationship, or that he has stolen her heart just as she stole his. As much as they didn't want to fall in love, they're both reckless and couldn't help it. Their eyes were 'full of stars,' or bright-eyed and hopeful. They never could have imagined that they would meet and fall in love, but here they are. And Swift knows she'll pay for that.
"And the skeletons in both our closets
Plotted hard to mess this up
And the old men that I've swindled
Really did believe I was the one
And the ladies lunching have their stories about
When you passed through town
But that was all before I locked it down"
Falling in love is supposed to be a joyful experience, but because of their pasts it was far from it. It was hard, because their past lives kept threatening to come back and ruin the relationship. Swift also mentions the fact that she dated older men many times, and adds that they 'really did believe I was the one.' She's good at having people fall in love with her, much to her dismay. Also, the 'ladies lunching' line excites me because it feels like a reference to "No Body No Crime." I'm sure it's just a reference to the 'town gossips,' or the rumors spread on the media. But even after all of this, she chose to love him.
I especially love the line: "Forever is the sweetest con."
They both knew the relationship would never last in the beginning, but began to believe the long con that forever could really be for them.
So this song is most definitely a sad romance song, and possible about Tom Hiddleston, but I hope knowing a little more about it adds to your listening and awe of the song!
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