Taylor Swift has a gift for writing songs that can be so poetic that fans can't help but decipher their meanings. Some of her albums are full of Easter eggs and others contain lyrics that reveal a lot about her life. Her latest album, Folklore, has been met with intense fan speculation over its meanings and the lead single, cardigan, is no exception.
'Cardigan' Is About Young Love
The song is about an innocent romance that never made it into the future, but still clings to the narrator’s memories. It’s a comforting memory because she feels it was special. But it also teaches her that young love is often fickle.
It’s a relationship that doesn’t last, but he leaves her with a lingering scent that makes her think of a burning fire. She wonders if she could’ve saved him from the pain if she had tried harder.
She sings, “I knew you playing hide and seek,” a nod to Swift’s habit of leaving little Easter Eggs in her music for her fans. She also mentions Peter Pan in her third chorus, which is a reference to the Disney film “Peter Pan.”
The video starts in a cabin where she sits at the piano and finds golden sparkles in the air. She plays the song again, and eventually climbs out of the piano seat and into a forest, where she is surrounded by moss and rough water.