Meaning of Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted” from “Speak Now”
On the surface, Taylor Swift's "Enchanted," from her re-recorded album, "Speak Now, Taylor's Version," appears to be a poignant articulation of that intoxicating feeling of initial attraction, that thrilling moment of possibility when two people first meet. Swift paints a vivid picture of a potentially transformative encounter, one that she holds dear and seems hesitant to release from her grasp, even as the night wanes and day breaks.
Through her enchanting lyrics, she explores the paradoxical experience of wanting to hold onto a fleeting moment, while also wrestling with the sobering potential of unrequited feelings or mismatched circumstances. “Please don't be in love with someone else, Please don't have somebody waiting on you,” Swift pleads, underscoring her longing and vulnerability.
However, a more nuanced exploration of the song's lyrics might suggest intriguing underpinnings that weave deeper into cultural narratives and individual psyche. One interpretation could be an exploration of the lyrics through the lens of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Orpheus, a musician of extraordinary talent, falls in love with the beautiful nymph Eurydice. However, their happiness is short-lived as Eurydice is fatally bitten by a snake. Orpheus descends into the Underworld to retrieve her, using his enchanting music to beg Hades and Persephone for her life. They agree, but on one condition: Orpheus must not look back at Eurydice as they leave the Underworld until they reach the land of the living.
Swift's lyric, "This night is sparkling, don't you let it go" could be interpreted as an echo of Orpheus' journey through the underworld, a journey fraught with fear and uncertainty. The sparkling night then becomes a metaphor for that perilous journey back to the world of the living. Meanwhile, the repeated plea to not let the night go is reminiscent of Orpheus’ own struggle to not look back at Eurydice, to not let their shared moment slip away before its rightful time.
Swift's plea, "Please don't be in love with someone else, please don't have somebody waiting on you," may hint at her own apprehensions, akin to Orpheus' fear of losing Eurydice to the permanent grip of Hades, which would translate in our modern context as a rival lover. The line "I'll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you" echoes Orpheus' agony of never truly knowing if Eurydice understood the depth of his love, or the lengths he went to for her.
There's also another angle one could view the song, that veers slightly from the romantic interpretations and delves into the realm of the self. The 'you' Swift refers to in the song, could, in fact, be seen as an embodiment of her own evolving identity, her self-discovery, mirrored through her music.
In this context, the line "There I was again tonight, Forcing laughter, faking smiles" suggests a confrontation with her own artifice, a self that's performing to societal expectations. The person Swift becomes "enchanted" by could be an authentic version of herself, discovered in an unexpected moment of vulnerability. Here, the silhouette crossing the room isn't just a potential romantic interest, but a deeper, truer self, unmasking itself slowly.
"I'll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you," then, becomes a poignant rumination on self-awareness. Did her own authentic self know how liberating it would be to encounter itself? It's as though Swift is simultaneously stepping out and stepping into herself, experiencing an enchanting moment of self-recognition and acceptance.
Both these readings offer us not only an insight into the complexity of Swift's songwriting, but also serve as reminders that enchantment can be found in the most unexpected of places – within ancient myths that echo our feelings of love and longing, and within the winding journey of our self-discovery.
