mad woman
folklore (2020)
Table of Contents
Background and Lyrical Theme
«[The song has] these ominous strings underneath it and I was like, ‘Oh, this is female rage.' And then I was thinking the most rage provoking element of being a female is the gaslighting that happens. For centuries, we were just expected to absorb male behavior silently. And oftentimes, when we – in our enlightened and emboldened state – now respond to bad male behavior or somebody just doing something that’s absolutely out of line and we respond, that response is treated like the offense itself. There’s been situations recently with someone who’s very guilty of this in my life and it’s a person who makes me feel (or tries to make me feel) like I’m the offender by having any kind of defense to his offenses. It’s like I have absolutely no right to respond or I’m crazy. I have no right to respond or I’m angry. I have no right to respond or I’m out of line. So [Aaron] provided the musical bed for me to make that point that I’ve been trying so hard to figure out how to make…How do I say why this feels so bad?»
Taylor Swift
Meaning Within the folklore Universe
«That might be the most scathing song on folklore. It has a darkness that I think is cathartic, sort of witch-hunting, and gaslighting, and maybe bullying. Sometimes you become the person people try to pin you into a corner to be, which is not really fair. But again, don’t quote me on that [laughs], I just have my own interpretation. It’s one of the biggest releases on the album to me. It has this very sharp tone to it, but sort of in gothic folklore. It’s this record’s goth song.»
Aaron Dessner
Live Performances
Critical Reception
Commercial Performance
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
What did you think I’d say to that?
Does a scorpion sting when fighting back?
They strike to kill
And you know I will
You know I will
What do you sing on your drive home?
Do you see my face in the neighbor’s lawn?
Does she smile
Or does she mouth, “Fuck you forever”?
[Pre-Chorus]
Every time you call me crazy I get more crazy
What about that?
And when you say
I seem angry
I get more angry
[Chorus]
And there’s nothing like a mad woman
What a shame she went mad
No one likes a mad woman
You made her like that
And you’ll poke that bear ’til her claws come out
And you find something to wrap your noose around
And there’s nothing like a mad woman
[Verse 2]
Now I breathe flames each time I talk
My cannons all firing at your yacht
They say, “Move on”
But you know I won’t
And women like hunting witches, too
Doing your dirtiest work for you
It’s obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together
[Pre-Chorus]
Every time you call me crazy I get more crazy
What about that?
And when you say
I seem angry
I get more angry
[Chorus]
And there’s nothing like a mad woman
What a shame she went mad
No one likes a mad woman
You made her like that
And you’ll poke that bear ’til her claws come out
And you find something to wrap your noose around
And there’s nothing like a mad woman
[Bridge]
I’m taking my time
Taking my time
‘Cause you took everything from me
Watching you climb
Watching you climb
Over people like me
The master of spin
Has a couple side flings
Good wives always know
She should be mad
Should be scathing like me
But no ones likes a mad woman
[Outro]
What a shame she went mad
You made her like that
Artist | Taylor Swift | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Album | folklore | |||
Released | July 24, 2020 | |||
Recorded | May–July 2020 | |||
Studio | Kitty Committee (Los Angeles) Long Pond (Hudson Valley) | |||
Genre | Indie Folk | |||
Length | 3:57 | |||
Label | Republic Records | |||
Songwriters | Taylor Swift Aaron Dessner | |||
Producer | Aaron Dessner | |||
FOLKLORE CHRONOLOGY | ||||
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