The 6 Lads You Meet in London
As Told by Taylor Swift Songs
Taylor Swift: queen of the break up ballad, darling of the downhearted, apple of the melancholic's eye.
Well... sometimes. As one of the powerful women in the world, she's also writer of some of the most upbeat, stick it to the boy, power pop ballads around.
So having moved back south as a singleton, perhaps it's no wonder that her latest album '1989' has joined all of her others to become the soundtrack of my new London life London Love Life. Therefore, I thought I'd introduce you to some of the guys I've met in the last ten months, all in the songs of the one and only Taylor Swift.
1. Style
He
got that James Dean daydream look in his eye … This guy lives in Dalston,
hangs out in Shoreditch. He’s edgy. And he has no need for those hard-rimmed
glasses. Absolutely zilch. This is the lad that takes you to a bar where they
serve cocktails out of jam jars and serve food in a dog bowl. Also terribly
romantic when he wants to be – but only if you think being woken up at midnight
after three weeks of silence is romantic, all you want to do is swap
meaningful, burning looks in the course of a long cold ride on the Number 55,
and you’re quite content to be fed the full menu of his smooth one liners.
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| What you've heard is true but I / Can't stop thinking about you," and I... |
2. I Knew You Were
Trouble
Once
upon a time, a few mistakes ago… Trouble walked into a bar. Point is, he’s the
guy you meet one Friday night after one too many double G&T’s in Camden
Barfly. He’s not your usual type but you’re 100% spleened for the evening and
he doesn’t care, so you don’t care. Most of the evening comes back in
flashes, like a kaleidoscope of memories. In the morning, you’ll crawl onto
the sofa with your flatmate and tell them about Irish Snakebites Guy or Band
T-Shirt Boy and describe your amazing, unforgettable DFMO with a guy whose name
you can’t remember, whose number you’ve drunkenly deleted, and who you’ll
obsess over for at least the rest of the weekend.
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| I knew you were trouble when you walked in… |
3. Treacherous
I'd
be smart to walk away… But you're quicksand... It all seems fun and games at
first with this guy, then you realise that this slope City
boy is treacherous. You like it, of course you do. He makes you feel
wonderful. He’s a charmer, probably works super long hours in Canary Wharf and
wears a delectable suit. However, let’s face it, you swiped right for this
cheeky chappy because you almost certainly met him on Tinder. The path is more
than a little reckless, but the attention is amazing and you will definitely
enjoy your fancy dates to crazy-exclusive, super-expensive cocktail bars in Central
London. However, he’s also the guy than on date number two or three you might
wonder if it was a mistake. My advice? Give this one time. And don’t let him
know where you live too soon.
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I will / Follow you, follow you home... / I'll follow you, follow you home... / I'll follow you, follow you home... / I'll follow you, follow you home...
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4. The Story of Us
See
me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy, And you're doing
your best to avoid me… A born-and-bred Londoner, he isn’t a bad type. However, you’ve
tested the waters, gone on a date, and now you’re stuck doing that awkward
‘we’re not sure if we’re speaking’ thing because dating him is a bit like riding
the Circle Line at rush hour with neither of you willing to break the Rule of
Silence… even though you really want to sit with him… and there’s an empty seat
next to him… and all he’s using it for is a giant bag. Gambling on whether he’s
going to make space for you in his life is risky. He’ll probably try to avoid
eye contact and leave you feeling like a lemon. Or he’ll reluctantly move the
bag just enough for you to squeeze in but it’s not real commitment. However, he
might look up, see you, move the bag and his pride to the floor, and that can be the beginning of a real
story.
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| This is looking like a contest, / Of who can act like they care less, / But I liked it better when you were on my side. |
5. Bad Blood
Cause, baby, now we got bad
blood / You know it used to be mad love … Just your typical geezer who moved into London
from somewhere like Stevenage. He thinks
he’s a bit of a Lad. Meet him on a night out and he’s the guy that wolf whistles, calls you a
‘rocket’, then tell his mates he just wants to ‘smash that’. Be warned, for all
that he can say the right words and show you some good times, this guy’s a
player. Also if you turn him down he’s the King of Ego. Rejection makes him nasty and fickle. Don’t get attached. Shake him off. Enjoy yourself as a
strong, awesome, powerful single lady instead because girls, we deserve better.
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Did you think we'd be fine? Still got scars on my back from your knife / So don't think it's in the past, these kinda wounds they last and they last.
|
6. Begin Again
Walked in expecting you'd be
late / But you got here early and you stand and wave … Everything the others
weren’t, this guy is polite, makes you laugh and respects you. In all
likelihood, very little about him stands out. He lives in Clapham or Wimbledon
or Finchley or Acton. He wears a suit but not a tie to work in a job with a
nice progression rate. He’s happy eating at The Anchor on Southbank, or
splurging at an eatery like Kurobuta in Marble Arch. He’ll happily come with
you to the V&A or for a sunlit rummage on Brick Lane. This guy is your guy;
relaxed, honest, nice. He might even be a keeper. Sadly, you’re still hung up
on the last boy you dated and he’s too close to the friendzone. Likely to be the
buffer between you and the next Treacherous mistake, but at least he reminds
you not to give up.
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| I've been spending the last eight months / Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end / But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again |
7. Shake It Off
I go on too many dates [chuckle] But I can't make them stay… This one isn’t about
the guys. It’s about us single, twenty-something London women. Right now, we’re kissing frogs instead of princes, as Lauren
would say. Don’t worry about this. We’re allowed to make mistakes. We’re
allowed to have fun with people we know are bad for us and to pass over the
good ones because we’re not really ready to settle down. People might comment.
They might gossip. You might sometimes feel like everyone is judging and
laughing. But remember: the only person whose opinion matters is yours. So
shake off the mess other people make. Judge yourself. Laugh at yourself. Love
yourself. It’s the longest relationship you’re going to have.
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| Just think while you've been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world, You could've been getting down to this sick beat. |
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| Thank you, Taylor Swift |
Je serai poète et toi poésie,
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