01.01 “Tim McGraw” and the Memory-Evoking Power of Music
Caught in the Swift Current: My Deep Dive into Taylor Swift’s Discography
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Hey, there. My playlist has been stuck in the 1980s; it’s time to branch out. Join me as I explore some of the world’s most popular music — for my first time.
I’m a newcomer to the world of Taylor Swift. When I started this journey, I couldn’t even name five of her songs. Now, I’m listening to them one at a time, album by album. I want to figure out why Taylor Swift has so many devoted fans — and whether or not I’ll turn into a Swiftie.
If you’re new, you can start the series here.
Here’s what I thought of the first song on Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album:
Taylor Swift (2006)
1. “Tim McGraw”
(The link is to the official video on Taylor Swift’s YouTube channel)
Tim McGraw is an actual country artist, so the title seems a bit weird to me. Will this song be a fangirl homage to a favorite singer?
Is this a “stalker” type of song? Should I be concerned for Tim’s safety?
Let’s see what we’re getting into here…
First Impression
Positive. I really like the intro music. This song makes for easy listening; it has a soothing sound. My concern for Tim has been alleviated.
I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard this song before, unless it was just in the background somewhere.
I’m not the best at distinguishing lyrics, so I always miss some things the first time I hear a song. This one sounds like a “story song,” which is quite common in country music (at least in my experience).
A couple country “story songs” that pop into my mind are “That Summer” by Garth Brooks and “Strawberry Wine” by Deana Carter; both songs are also about young love, if from different angles.
Overall, I’m liking it. It’s cute to hear young Taylor putting that country twang into her vocals. There are a couple places where I’m sure it’s an affectation, and not how she actually pronounces the words.
Second Thoughts
Wow, I really like the lyrics. The right song truly can take us back in time. To quote a line from the Karley Scott Collins song “Tattoos” — “Nothing can bring up old memories / Like the songs we made our memories to.”
(Karley is an artist who grew up not far from where I live. That’s why I know her music, even though she’s even younger than Taylor.)
One song that immediately takes me back to high school is Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes.” One person comes to mind. Remarkably, she and I are still friends today; she’s a forgiving person.
There are other songs that make me think of specific people or times of my life, too. Actually, a more recent one is Amanda Seyfried’s version of “Little Red Riding Hood,” which I stumbled upon on YouTube.
So, the speaker in “Tim McGraw” probably doesn’t have to worry. The boy who broke her heart will remember her whenever a particular Tim McGraw song comes on the radio — or on his Spotify playlist, for all you subscription service readers out there.
One thing I like about this song’s use of imagery is the balance of the specific and generic. It offers a particularly powerful combination of the two. On the one hand, the song offers just enough detail to stir up specific images in our minds — but not so many details that we can’t get lost in our own similar memories.
For example, who hasn’t been on a date involving a “little black dress” or a pair of “old faded blue jeans”? I’m sure female listeners remember selecting such outfits in anticipation of a special night, while male listeners remember seeing them on a particularly lovely young lady.
(Actually, my date to the Senior Prom wore a little black dress.)
This song also hits a few other memories, too. Although I’ve never owned a truck, back in high school my car did get stuck once on a dirt road at night. And my girlfriend was probably wearing some blue jeans at the time.
Of course, we got in a little later than expected and explained to her parents what happened. Ah, the stupidity of youth. Cue the easily-anticipated question: “What were you doing out there?”
Crickets. “…Star gazing?” Even I recognized that my reply sounded like a question. D’oh!
Even more poignantly, like the speaker here, I’ve written a few letters that a once-Special Someone has never read. I probably still have a few of them packed up in a box somewhere. Maybe I should inspect them for potential song lyrics.
After all, such letters are snapshots of our emotions — they can express confusion over what went wrong, anger at the pain the other person caused, or regret for things said or done (or not).
And isn’t that what songs do? Don’t they create emotional snapshots that allow us both to connect to someone else through shared experiences and reconnect with our own memories?
Final Verdict: I actually like this song. Although, after watching the video, it looks like the speaker broke up with poor Johnny instead of the other way around.
For the moment, this is my favorite Taylor Swift song — and not just because it’s the first one I’ve really paid attention to, either. I genuinely like the sound (especially the first ten seconds or so), the story element/situation, and the lyrics.
In fact, I think I’ll replay “Tim McGraw” in a little while as I’m getting ready for bed. The lyrics might call to mind a few old flames, but that’s okay. Once in a while, it’s good to reflect.
What does “Tim McGraw” make you think about? Let me know in the comment section!
