đ¶ Taylor Swift - "Midnight Rain"
Oftentimes in life, there are moments which present us with two separate but equally difficult choices. And what could be more excruciatingly difficult than having to choose between love and success?
Aside from the random single played through store speakers, or inside friendsâ cars, Iâve never actively sought out or searched for a Taylor Swift song. I have almost zero knowledge of her careerâs history or what came out when and who it was aimed at or why. But I recently stumbled upon a pretty good song. A really good song, actually. âMidnight Rain.â Not only is it easy to listen to, but it has just enough buildup that it almost feels like it wants to erupt into a last-chorus finale, even though it never does. No matter, itâs catchy as hell and just what one would expect from someone with as bright a star as hers. My point isnât to sell you on an already established icon, but to delve into the dilemma that is at the crux of the songâs chorus:
âHe was sunshine, I was midnight rain
He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain
He wanted a bride, I was making my own name, chasing that fame
He stayed the same, All of me changed like midnightâŠâ
My question is: what would you do personally? Would you go after the emotionally stable, comfortable, and even predictable hometown life? Or would you chase your lifelong dreams (assuming that they differed enough to where you couldn't have both)?
Of course, there are pros and cons to both paths, but does it really depend on the journey or is it all about the outcome? Toward lifeâs end, I imagine we all look back and think about what we did, how we wouldâve done it differently, and where the perfect balance between regret and acceptance is. Some are perfectly happy to have become grandmothers and grandfathers with a knowledge of future generations to come, while others want to know that theyâre able to enjoy their last season on this earth in comfort and that they accomplished what had always been placed within their hearts. Neither of these is the right or wrong answer. I suppose it all just depends on your personal goals. I honestly donât know the backstory to this song other than what I can make out from its lyrics alone. But if itâs to be taken at face value, then itâs a pretty heartbreaking story with a substantial silver lining. She mayâve lost the love, but she won the world.
In all honesty, this article comes from someone who used to put a lot of pressure on romantic love and where it all leads to, only to have that opinion shift into a reality where nothing matters more than success and living out deeply-held dreams. I suppose thatâs what comes with wasting too much of oneâs life. âYour time here is short,â my inner-self consistently whispers out to me. So I side with Taylor on this one.
Some may look down at this and ask how itâs possible to write about both Young Thugâ(post coming soon)âand Taylor Swift, but itâs fairly simple when thereâs actually something to write about. This being an easy example of putting some type of philosophical spin on pop culture, as well as a fun one.
Finally, to be sure, some are so incredibly blessed that theyâre able to have both paths merge in the middle at some point. But to most, I askâŠ, love or success? Because no matter what the answer ultimately is, Swift reassures us that:
âI guess sometimes we all get just what we wanted.â
Choose wisely, grasshopper.