invisible string
folklore (2020)
Background and Lyrical Theme
Connections to Taylor's Personal Life
«When I first heard the track that [Aaron] sent me I thought, ‘I have to write something that matches it’. And pretty quickly I came upon the idea of fate. ‘Cause sometimes I just go into a rabbit hole of thinking about how things happen and I love the romantic idea that every step you’re taking, you’re taking one step closer to what you’re supposed to be, guided by this little invisible string. I wrote it right after I sent an ex a baby gift and I just remember thinking, 'This is a full signifier that life is great!'»
Production
Live Performance
Critical Reception
NPR placed “invisible string” at No. 22 on its ranking of 100 best songs of 2020, for “all the beautiful detail, all the muscular melody and immaculately placed acoustic production details” takes a mature perspective in celebrating of “the fact that love doesn’t have to paint the entire world to change your life; one tiny thread of gold can be enough.”
Commercial Performance
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Green was the color of the grass
Where I used to read at Centennial Park
I used to think I would meet somebody there
Teal was the color of your shirt
When you were sixteen at the yogurt shop
You used to work at to make a little money
[Chorus]
Time, curious time
Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs
Were there clues I didn’t see?
And isn’t it just so pretty to think
All along there was some
Invisible string
Tying you to me?
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[Verse 2]
Bad was the blood of the song in the cab
On your first trip to LA
You ate at my favorite spot for dinner
Bold was the waitress on our three-year trip
Getting lunch down by the Lakes
She said I looked like an American singer
[Chorus]
Time, mystical time
Cutting me open, then healing me fine
Were there clues I didn’t see?
And isn’t it just so pretty to think
All along there was some
Invisible string
Tying you to me?
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[Bridge]
A string that pulled me
Out of all the wrong arms, right into that dive bar
Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire
Chains around my demons
Wool to brave the seasons
One single thread of gold
Tied me to you
[Verse 3]
Cold was the steel of my axe to grind
For the boys who broke my heart
Now I send their babies presents
Gold was the color of the leaves
When I showed you around Centennial Park
Hell was the journey but it brought me heaven
[Chorus]
Time, wondrous time
Gave me the blues and then purple-pink skies
And it’s cool
Baby, with me
And isn’t it just so pretty to think
All along there was some
Invisible string
Tying you to me?
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Me
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[Outro]
(ah-ah-ah)
(ah-ah-ah)
Album | folklore | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | July 24, 2020 | |||
Recorded | May–July, 2020 | |||
Studio | Kitty Committee (Los Angeles) Long Pond (Hudson, NY) Sterling Studio (NYC) Gaite Lyrique (Paris, France) | |||
Genre | Indie Folk | |||
Length | 4:13 | |||
Label | Republic Records | |||
Songwriters | Taylor Swift Aaron Dessner | |||
Producer | Aaron Dessner | |||
FOLKLORE CHRONOLOGY | ||||
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