‘tis the damn season

The song delves into the complex and bittersweet emotions of returning to one's hometown and reconnecting with a past love. It's narrated by a fictional character named Dorothea, who has moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams, leaving a significant relationship behind. Back for the holidays, she initiates a temporary reunion with her ex, fully aware of its fleeting nature. The central theme is the exploration of 'the road not taken'—a nostalgic and painful wondering about what life would have been like if she had stayed. The title, "'tis the damn season," is a wry acknowledgment of the holiday season's tendency to amplify feelings of loneliness and nostalgia, making old flames seem like a comforting, albeit temporary, solution. The song captures the duality of feeling out of place in both her old and new lives; she has 'so-called friends' in L.A. but feels a genuine, soul-deep connection with the person she left behind, who is the only one who truly knows her. Ultimately, it's a song about the unavoidable heartbreak of temporary comfort and the realization that leaving a second time will be just as painful, if not more so, because she is now fully aware of what she's giving up.

The narrative unfolds from the perspective of a woman, Dorothea, who has left her small hometown to pursue a life in Los Angeles, likely chasing fame. She returns home for the holiday season, staying at her parents' house, and the familiar setting stirs up feelings of nostalgia and reflection. The cold weather that fogs up a car's windshield mirrors the emotional chill and unresolved feelings she experiences upon encountering a former lover. There's a mutual, unspoken pain between them—an ache in him that was put there by an ache in her, suggesting she was the one who left and caused the initial heartbreak.

As she reconnects with this old flame, she contemplates the 'road not taken'—the life she would have had if she'd stayed. This path, in the moment, seems appealing. She proposes a temporary rekindling of their romance, a no-strings-attached arrangement for the weekend. They can pretend to be a couple, 'call it even' for the past hurt, and find comfort in each other's company, knowing it has an expiration date. The phrase "'tis the damn season" serves as a recurring, ironic justification for this temporary reunion, a shrug at the emotionally charged and often complicated nature of coming home for the holidays.

She revisits old haunts, parking her car between the Methodist church and their old school, places steeped in shared memories. The nostalgia is potent, a mix of comfort and sadness. She acknowledges the superficiality of her life in L.A. with its 'so-called friends' who might write books about her if she becomes famous. In contrast, this person from her past is the 'only soul who can tell which smiles I'm faking'. He represents a genuine connection that she lacks in her new life. This realization makes leaving again a painful prospect. The comfort of his presence is described as 'the warmest bed I've ever known', a metaphor for the deep, authentic solace she finds with him. She knows that when the weekend is over and she has to leave, the heart she'll be breaking is her own. Despite this, the pull of their connection is inescapable; her thoughts, no matter where she is, always lead back to him and her hometown.

"'tis the damn season" was written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner for Swift's ninth studio album, evermore, released on December 11, 2020. The song came about unexpectedly during the COVID-19 pandemic, shortly after the filming of Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions in September 2020. After a day of rehearsals, Swift, Dessner, and Jack Antonoff were celebrating and drinking wine. In the middle of the night, while drunk, Swift wrote the lyrics to an instrumental track that Dessner had created many years prior but had never found the right words for. The next morning, she presented the fully formed song to a stunned Dessner in his kitchen. Dessner noted that the music itself, with its wintry, swirling electric guitar, was a personal favorite of his that he was glad found a home with Swift's powerful storytelling. The song was recorded at Kitty Committee Studio in Beverly Hills, California. Swift teased the song's title on her Instagram story the day before the album's surprise release.

"'tis the damn season" utilizes a relatively free and conversational rhyme scheme that prioritizes storytelling over strict formal structures. While there are instances of perfect rhymes (e.g., "sake"/"faking"), Swift frequently employs slant rhymes (e.g., "down"/"now"/"hometown") to maintain a natural, prosaic flow. The song's rhythm is dictated more by the lyrical phrasing than a rigid metrical pattern, enhancing its narrative quality. The tempo is moderate, creating a contemplative and melancholic mood. The interplay between the rhythm of the vocal melody and the steady, looping guitar riff creates a sense of cyclical thought, as the narrator is trapped in a loop of nostalgia and recurring choices. The chorus has a slightly more structured rhythm, with stressed syllables on key phrases like "'Tis the damn sea-son, write this down," giving these lines a sense of punchy, resigned emphasis.

Literary Techniques:

• Narrative Voice: The song employs a strong first-person narrative from the perspective of a fictional character, Dorothea, creating a short-story-like feel. This technique, central to the folklore and evermore albums, allows for deep character study and emotional exploration.
• Imagery: Swift uses vivid, specific imagery to ground the story in a tangible reality, such as parking "right between the Methodist and the school that used to be ours" and the "mud on the tires." This specificity makes the fictional narrative feel intimate and relatable.
• Irony: The title itself is an example of situational irony, using a festive phrase to describe a period of emotional turmoil and questionable choices.
• Allusion: The line "the road not taken looks real good now" is a clear literary allusion to Robert Frost's famous poem, immediately invoking themes of choice, regret, and wondering about alternate paths in life.

Musical Techniques:

• Instrumentation: The song's arrangement is minimalistic and atmospheric, centered around Aaron Dessner's finger-picked, slightly distorted electric guitar line, which critics described as "icy" and evocative of a wintry landscape. It is supported by programmed drums and subtle strings, creating a soundscape that is both melancholic and nostalgic.
• Vocal Delivery: Swift's vocal performance is reflective and melancholic, conveying the character's sense of longing and resignation. Her delivery is narrative-driven, emphasizing the storytelling aspect of the lyrics.
• Production: The production by Aaron Dessner is characteristic of his work with The National, featuring swirling guitars and intricate percussion that elevates the evocative nature of the lyrics.

Upon its release with the album evermore on December 11, 2020, "'tis the damn season" was met with critical acclaim, with many critics highlighting it as a standout track for its poignant storytelling and atmospheric production. The song debuted at number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Global 200. Its most significant cultural impact lies within Swift's discography as a key piece of the fictional narrative universe introduced in folklore. It is the narrative counterpart to the album's eighth track, "dorothea," which is sung from the perspective of the person left behind in the hometown, wondering about the girl who went to Hollywood. This interconnected storytelling was praised by fans and critics alike. Swift confirmed the connection, stating, "Dorothea, the girl who left her small town to chase down Hollywood dreams – and what happens when she comes back for the holidays and rediscovers an old flame." The song was also included as a regular part of the setlist for Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour (2023-2024), further solidifying its place as a fan favorite from the evermore era.

The song is rich with symbolism and metaphors that deepen its emotional impact:

• The Road Not Taken: A direct reference to Robert Frost's poem, this symbolizes the alternate life the narrator could have had if she'd stayed in her hometown with her former love. Its appeal is a central theme, representing a fantasy of a simpler, more authentic existence.
• 'Tis the Damn Season: This phrase acts as a recurring motif and a cynical, ironic justification for the temporary affair. It twists a common holiday expression to signify a season of emotional vulnerability, nostalgia, and perhaps poor decisions driven by loneliness.
• The Warmest Bed I've Ever Known: This metaphor doesn't just refer to a physical bed but represents the unparalleled comfort, safety, and genuine connection she feels with her hometown ex, a warmth she can't find in her new life in L.A.
• The Kind of Cold that Fogs Up Windshield Glass: This imagery connects the literal winter cold to the emotional chill of seeing her ex again. The fogged glass symbolizes the lack of clarity and the unresolved, complicated feelings between them.
• So-called Friends / Faking Smiles: These phrases symbolize the perceived superficiality of her new life in Hollywood compared to the authentic, grounding connection she has with the person who can see past her facade.

Several phrases and motifs recur throughout "'tis the damn season," reinforcing its central themes:

• "'Tis the damn season": This is the song's primary lyrical motif and title. Its repetition acts as a weary, ironic refrain, justifying the temporary and likely heartbreaking reunion. It frames the holidays not as a time of uncomplicated joy, but of heightened emotions, nostalgia, and questionable decisions.
• "We could call it even": This phrase appears multiple times, suggesting a desire to erase past hurts or create a sense of transactional fairness in their temporary arrangement. It underscores the narrator's awareness that she caused pain by leaving and is now proposing a fleeting way to balance the scales.
• "You could call me 'babe' for the weekend": This line highlights the temporary, performative nature of their rekindled romance. It's an agreement to slip back into old roles, but with a clear, painful time limit.
• The "Hometown" Motif: The idea of the hometown, and how it "always leads to you," is a powerful recurring concept. It represents a gravitational pull to the past and to this specific person who embodies the life the narrator left behind.