evermore (feat. Bon Iver)

"evermore" is a deeply introspective track that explores the journey from profound depression and despair to a nascent sense of hope. The song, which closes the standard edition of the album of the same name, functions as a narrative of enduring mental and emotional hardship. It opens with the narrator in a state of prolonged sadness, symbolized by the transition from a gray November to a bleak December. This period of darkness is characterized by feelings of being lost, retracing past mistakes, and a sense of futility, as expressed through the metaphor of "writing letters addressed to the fire". The pain feels all-consuming and eternal.

The collaboration with Bon Iver introduces a contrapuntal perspective in the bridge, representing either a dialogue between two people in a fractured relationship or an internal conflict within the narrator's own mind. Justin Vernon's part, with its frantic tempo and chaotic energy, embodies the overwhelming anxiety and the feeling of being shipwrecked and tossed by waves. This section highlights the struggle of being caught in a storm of painful memories and the inability to process the loss.

However, the song concludes on a redemptive and hopeful note. After the storm of the bridge, there is a return to a calmer state. The narrator realizes that the thought of a significant person acted as a lifeline during their darkest moments. This realization brings a sense of clarity and the understanding that the pain, which once seemed perpetual, "wouldn't be for evermore". The song ultimately suggests that even in the depths of despair, a glimmer of hope and the possibility of healing can emerge.

The narrator begins in a state of prolonged sadness, feeling down since July and now facing a bleak, gray November. They are lost in introspection, retracing their steps to pinpoint where things went wrong. The imagery of sending letters to the fire signifies the futility of seeking closure for a pain that feels all-encompassing. The cold has seeped into their very bones, a physical manifestation of their emotional state, and they are caught in a cycle of reliving past motion, unsure of how to move forward. This feeling of despair seems like it will last for an eternity.

As December arrives, the sense of being unmoored intensifies. The narrator is outside, feeling the harshness of the season, a reflection of their internal turmoil where everything significant has been lost. The future feels like a vast, empty expanse of white, and the biting cold makes it hard to even recall the warmth of the sun or how it felt to be held. The pain still feels as though it will endure forever, a constant and unchanging presence in their life.

A shift occurs in the song's bridge, where a second voice, that of a partner or a different aspect of the self, enters. This voice is caught in a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts, unable to process the cost of what has been lost. It’s a moment of being overwhelmed by memories and the sheer weight of the situation, a desperate plea for a pause from the relentless forward motion of time and consequence. This section captures the frantic energy of anxiety and the struggle to stay afloat amidst emotional wreckage. There’s a sense of being lost at sea, tossed by waves, with only the memory of the other person to cling to.

The narrator recalls being shipwrecked and thinking of this other person. They were adrift on the waves, feeling completely lost. But a profound realization dawns: the other person was there with them, in their thoughts, even in the darkest moments. The memory provides a flicker of light. The narrator envisions a floor of creaking boards, a return to a more grounded reality. As they look up, the motion of the storm has ceased, and there's a sense of stillness. They can finally see a clearing, a sign that the turmoil is subsiding. In this moment of clarity, they understand that the intense pain they've been experiencing will not, in fact, last for evermore. There is an end to the suffering, and a hint of hope emerges from the quiet aftermath of the storm.

"evermore" is the title track from Taylor Swift's ninth studio album, released on December 11, 2020. The album was a surprise release, a "sister record" to her album "Folklore," which had come out only five months earlier. The song "evermore" was created in collaboration with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and William Bowery, the pseudonym for Swift's then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn. The creation of the song began with a piano part composed by Alwyn. This piano piece had a unique structure, with a tempo change for what would become the bridge. Swift then wrote the vocal melody based on Alwyn's piano arrangement and sent it to Justin Vernon. Vernon was drawn to the tempo change and built his bridge section around it, creating a part that Swift described as representing "the clutter of all your anxieties in your head... all speaking at once". After receiving Vernon's contribution, Swift wrote the final narrative section, where the narrator finds a sense of hope after being metaphorically shipwrecked. The song was recorded at Aaron Dessner's Long Pond Studio in the Hudson Valley, where much of the album was created.

The rhyme scheme in "evermore" is not strictly consistent, which reflects the free-flowing, introspective nature of the lyrics. It often employs couplets (AA) and alternating rhymes (ABAB), but also uses slant rhymes and internal rhymes to create a more subtle and poetic feel. For example, in the opening verse, there's a mix of perfect rhymes ("breath"/"death" if it were there, but it is not, instead it's more freeform) and near rhymes. The song's rhythm is largely dictated by the piano melody, which has a steady, melancholic feel in a 4/4 time signature for most of the track. This creates a contemplative pace. However, the most significant rhythmic feature is the dramatic tempo increase during Bon Iver's bridge section, which shifts the song into a more chaotic and urgent feel before resolving back to the original tempo. This rhythmic contrast is a key element in conveying the song's emotional arc from despair to hope.

• Narrative Structure: The song is structured like a story with three acts, moving from a depiction of despair, through a chaotic climax, to a hopeful resolution. This narrative arc enhances the emotional journey of the listener.
• Vocal Interplay: The duet with Bon Iver is not a simple harmony but a dynamic interplay of two distinct vocal styles and perspectives. Swift's clear, melodic delivery contrasts with Vernon's raw, falsetto-laden performance, creating a sense of dialogue or internal conflict.
• Tempo and Rhythmic Shift: A notable musical technique is the dramatic shift in tempo and rhythm during Bon Iver's bridge. The music accelerates and becomes more frantic, mirroring the lyrical content of anxiety and chaos, before returning to the initial slower tempo, creating a powerful dynamic contrast.
• Instrumentation: The song is primarily a piano ballad, which creates an intimate and melancholic atmosphere. The spare arrangement with subtle orchestral elements allows the focus to remain on the vocals and the lyrical storytelling.
• Imagery: The lyrics are rich with sensory and natural imagery, such as "gray November," "frozen swims," and "sinking ships on waters," which create a vivid emotional landscape for the listener.

"evermore," the song, serves as the thematic anchor for the album of the same name, which had a significant cultural impact. Released as a surprise, it continued the indie-folk direction of "folklore," solidifying Taylor Swift's artistic evolution and critical acclaim as a songwriter. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and its singles were strategically released to different radio formats, showcasing its broad appeal. While the title track itself wasn't a commercial single, it was widely praised by critics as a powerful and emotionally resonant conclusion to the album. The album "evermore" was nominated for Album of the Year at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards, a testament to its critical success. Culturally, "folklore" and "evermore" are often seen as quintessential "quarantine albums," capturing the introspective and melancholic mood of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also helped to further popularize indie and folk sounds within mainstream music. The song and the album are celebrated for their storytelling, lyrical depth, and mature exploration of themes like grief, love, and hope.

• Seasons (November/December): The song uses the transition from November to December to symbolize a descent into a deeper state of depression and hopelessness. "Gray November" sets a bleak, sorrowful tone, which is intensified by the cold and desolation of December.
• Writing Letters to the Fire: This imagery represents futile and desperate actions. It highlights the narrator's feeling that their attempts to communicate pain or seek closure are pointless and being consumed without being heard or understood.
• Shipwreck and Waves: Being "shipwrecked" and "tossed" on waves is a powerful metaphor for being overwhelmed by emotional turmoil and anxiety. It conveys a sense of being lost, out of control, and at the mercy of powerful, destructive forces.
• The Cabin: Throughout the "folklore" and "evermore" albums, the cabin represents a place of isolation and introspection. In this song, the narrator is initially inside, looking out, and then ventures outside, signifying a confrontation with their feelings. The return to the cabin at the end suggests a return to self, but with a newfound perspective.
• Evermore: The word itself is a central symbol, initially representing an endless state of pain. However, by the end of the song, its meaning is subverted, as the narrator realizes the pain "wouldn't be for evermore," transforming the symbol from one of despair to one of hope and resilience.

• The phrase "for evermore": The central recurring motif is the word "evermore" itself. It is first used to describe the seemingly endless nature of the narrator's pain ("this pain would be for evermore"). Its repetition emphasizes the depth of the despair. The significance of the motif is transformed in the final line, where the narrator concludes that the pain "wouldn't be for evermore," providing a powerful sense of resolution and hope.
• Water and Ship Imagery: The album "evermore" contains a recurring motif of water, ships, and the sea. In this song, the imagery of being "shipwrecked" and tossed on "waves" is a significant element that connects to other songs on the album like "willow." This motif symbolizes being lost in emotional turmoil and the journey through difficult times.
• Seasonal Imagery: The progression from November to December is a motif that grounds the song in a specific, bleak time of year, reflecting the narrator's internal state. This use of seasons to mirror emotions is a common technique in Swift's songwriting on both "folklore" and "evermore".