Who is “I Almost Do” about?
When it comes to Taylor Swift's "I Almost Do," it is difficult to pinpoint who exactly the characters within the lyrics might be, considering the song's universal theme of lingering longing after a breakup. However, to understand the song, it might be more fruitful to consider these characters as archetypes rather than specific individuals, as well as potential influences from Swift's own life and broader cultural, literary, or historical inspirations.
The protagonist of the song—arguably Swift herself or a Swiftian stand-in—is a common character in her oeuvre, a woman grappling with her feelings post-breakup, torn between wanting to reconnect and knowing better than to do so. The recurring phrase "I almost do" paints a picture of a character caught in the limbo of what was and what is, not quite over the past but cognizant of the futility of looking back.
As for the "you" Swift addresses in her lyrics, we can glean that this character might be an old flame—one with whom the narrator shared a deep, intimate relationship. Still, rather than just focusing on who Swift might have been dating at the time of the album's release, it's more enlightening to see this character as an amalgamation of past loves or even a universal 'ex,' familiar to anyone who has endured a significant breakup.
Turning to possible literary influences, we could potentially consider the Heathcliff to Swift's Catherine, a la Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." Like Heathcliff, the ex in "I Almost Do" is a figure of fixation and internal conflict, someone the narrator finds hard to reach out to, fearing another painful goodbye. It captures the essence of Bronte's characters—a destructive love that both parties are unable to completely let go of.
Drawing from a historical perspective, one could compare Swift's song characters to those found in the poems of the Romantic era, like John Keats' "Bright Star." Like Keats, Swift describes a love that was deep yet fraught with impossibilities, resonating with the Romantic ideals of unfulfilled passion.
If we consider pop culture, the song might remind us of the bittersweet relationship between Mia and Sebastian in "La La Land." Just as Swift's characters yearn for each other while understanding the necessity of their separation, Mia and Sebastian choose their individual dreams over their shared love story.
In essence, "I Almost Do" speaks to the universally shared experience of dealing with the aftermath of a significant relationship. The characters Swift portrays through her lyrics—the longing protagonist and the absent ex—are figures many can relate to, regardless of whether they map directly onto specific figures from Swift's own life. They represent a form of love that's characterized as much by longing as by letting go, and an internal struggle that is fundamentally human. In doing so, Swift has crafted a narrative that extends beyond her personal experiences, touching the shared emotional realities of her listeners.
