Taylor Swift’s long-awaited tenth album, midnightFinally, it gives us more insight than ever.
The first 13 songs dropped by 12 am on Friday. But, being a master of surprise, Taylor didn’t stop there, releasing seven more tracks just three hours later.
Spoiled for choice, fans immediately began lyrical analysis, peeling the layers of each song for the behind-the-scenes insight we’ve come to expect from Taylor’s music.
However, there was one emotional path that immediately moved people.
“Bigger Than The Whole Sky”, which was one of the seven songs released in 3 am editionexplores themes of loss, with her heartbreaking lyrics that lead fans to theorize that it might be on the topic of miscarriage.
It’s important to note that over recent years Taylor has begun to explore songwriting from the perspective of others – whether it’s people she knows or fictional characters she created – and so the song may not relate to her own experience.
In the first stanza, Taylor tells the story of the heartache in the aftermath of an important life event, as he sings: “No words appear before me in the aftermath / Salt flows from my eyes to my ears / Everything I touch sickens grief / ‘Cause it’s all over now, all something in the sea.”
It’s fairly obvious that the song is about the experience of losing something or someone. However, many fans began interpreting the song as about a miscarriage after hearing the chorus reflect on not “meeting” the person in question after a “short time” together.
“Bye, bye, bye / I was greater than the whole sky / I was more than just a short time,” she sings. “And I have a lot to look forward to / I have a lot to live without.”
The chorus concludes: “I will never meet / What could have been, what should have been / What could have been, could have been you.”
Then, in the second stanza, Taylor appears to explore notions of blame and debt related to the loss, asking, “Did I take you some strength because I didn’t pray? / Everything to come turned to ashes / ‘Cause it’s over, it’s not supposed to be / So I’ll say words no” I believe her.”
Not long after, fans gathered on the Reddit forums to discuss the song, with many people linking the lyrics to their own experiences of pregnancy loss.
“This is so sad,” wrote one user. “It totally reads as a miscarriage/pregnancy loss.”
In response, another added: “I came here to say this. I had a miscarriage and this hit me hard.”
One mum has opened up about feelings similar to those described in the song, saying that the lyrics match her experience “perfectly”.
“For me, this song is about pregnancy loss,” she wrote, introducing that she was reluctant to speculate on such a sensitive issue. “A miscarriage, a loss. I was greater than the whole sky. I was more than just a short time. So much to live without. I would never meet what it should have been, it could have been you. Even self-punishing, did this happen because of me?”
Echoing another fan, he called the song “extremely heartbreaking.”
They replied, “That’s what I thought too.” “I also don’t expect Taylor can write so clearly about experiences that aren’t very private to her, and her personal life has nothing to do with me. That’s exactly what I thought too—it’s very sad and heartbreaking.”
It’s also interesting to note here that this isn’t the first time Taylor’s fans have had these discussions. Her song “Trick” from the album 2020, folkloreDialogues about abortion, after some fans interpreted that the song’s lyrics tell a story of a deep and painful loss.
In fact, there were many fans who said that hearing “bigger than perfect heaven” made them interpret “hoax” quite differently, and vice versa.
“I remember when I read someone’s explanation of a ‘hoax’ saying it might be related to an abortion. It was the first time the song really made sense to me,” they said. “Now hearing Bigger Than The Whole Sky” sounds more believable. “
Another person added that the connection between the two songs was “breaking my mind and breaking my heart”.
Elsewhere, people have made an important point that even if the song isn’t about a pregnancy loss, the song’s lyrics still serve as a “correct interpretation,” which can be a source of comfort for anyone grieving a loss of any kind.
With this in mind, fans were asked to share their personal experiences with loss, whether it was the death of a friend or family member, a miscarriage, or even a breakup.
“This song is harder than anything I’ve ever written,” wrote one user, who proceeded to talk about his own fertility struggles.
“Knowing that she shares something so personal and shocking with us makes me feel like I don’t deserve her music,” they said. I recently decided to stop trying after 5 years of infertility with my husband. Mourning what must have been the worst kind of pain. This song broke me.”
Another said, “I miscarried my first child over 10 years ago, and I always said it could have been, and it should have been,” so those words stopped me in the tracks and took me. “
They added, “Beautiful words that break the heart.” “Written in a way that can be broadly construed for any loss, as this thread shows.”
In contrast, others spoke openly about the loss of family members, and how their interpretation of the longevity reflects their experiences.
“The chorus started and I felt tears in my eyes – I lost my dad in early 2020 and hit every way I needed to,” said one user. “The 3 AM issue really said it’s time to get comfortable with our feelings.”
“This song hits hard. I’m sure these songs are about a miscarriage but for me, my brother (aged 25) passed away two years ago,” others added, as they proceeded to reflect on their personal tragedy.
“We haven’t had the best relationship because of drug issues/mental illness, but it really makes me think I have a lot to live without. They also said what it would have been like if we had had more time or if I tried a little bit more in our relationship.”
After reading the various interpretations, some felt that listening to the song might be difficult in light of their personal experiences.
“I think I need to wait for this,” one person admitted. “My friend passed away earlier this year and the emotions are running high too much for me in need of sleep.”
Originally published at San Jose News Bulletin
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