Pop music is a world that both excites and alienates me. The melodies draw me in for dancing or a mood lift, but the lyrics can feel distant. They often sing about love, a universal feeling that I have also experienced, yet it feels foreign to my own thoughts. I don't envy the romance, but the simplicity of their worries.
Recently, I watched Shrinking, a sweet show where Jason Segel plays a shrink mourning his wife's death. In it, the characters let themselves grieve for 15 minutes every day while listening to sad music. I love this idea! Why hasn't anyone ever taught me to do this? Why do I only learn about these things because of Apple TV? Even just for this tip, I love the show. Unfortunately, I still haven't tried this technique because I don't know what perfect song there is to grieve to.
Few music artists address the kind of issues that my refugee community is dealing with. In fact, very few music artists focus on meaningful lyrics about anything that anyone is dealing with. Take, for instance, Taylor Swift, the queen of pop, with billions in sales and millions of fans mesmerized by her. People adore her witty lyrics, but what is the content of her songs? She is so talented and privileged. Imagine if her music delved into deeper issues, addressing the shared anxieties that so many of us experience but don't discuss openly. What if she created more songs like "You Need To Calm Down," which aim to bring about change instead of just making you want to shout out loud during a breakup? How many loves and breakups can one person have anyway? Don’t answer that.
Lately, I have been very interested in the refugee experience. I am looking for books, TV shows, and music that relate to this experience. Additionally, I started writing my own blog post about common feelings experienced by refugees. However, I found myself getting too upset while writing it... Maybe another time… It’s easier to write children’s books about very cute turtles.
While attempting to write the more serious post at the charming cafe on my block, I found myself humming to Taylor Swift's music. After chugging a yummy iced cold brew with oat milk, I ended up rewriting Taylor Swift songs as if she had a lot of feelings about being a refugee, rather than a wealthy, thin, white girl.
Look what she made me do!
Below are the T-Swift inspired lyrics I wrote in the span of half an hour:
Blank Spaces, New Places: T-Swift's Refugee Remix!
Disclaimer, I did not listen to the songs before writing this. This is from memory. Don’t worry, I will not be doing an audio version of this post and understand I might get sued.
…Ready for it?
🎶 Blank Space 🎶
Nice to meet you, where you been?
I could tell you some terrible things
Murder, madness, poverty, sin
Saw you there and I thought
"Oh, my God, look at that face
In my home country, you’d be erased”
Sorry, zoned out, what’d you say?" Ay
🎶 Bad Blood 🎶
'Cause country, now we got bad blood
You know we fled when we lost our love
So take a look what you've done'
Cause country, now we got bad blood (hey!)
Now we got problems
And I don't think we can solve 'em
You made a really deep cut
And country, now we got bad blood (hey!)
🎶 Shake it off 🎶
I stay out too late
Got too much in my brain
That's what my thoughts say
That's what my thoughts say
I carry too many weights
And nobody relates
At least that's what my thoughts say
That is what my thoughts say
But I keep bruising
Can't stop, won't stop moving
It's like I got this music in my mind
Saying everything is a fright
I never miss a beat
I'm lightning on my feet
And that's what they don't see
That's what they don't see
People say I’m okay, okay, okay, okay, okay
And others say I’m great , great, great, great, great (Kate is great)
Baby, I just try to shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I might never shake it off, shake it off
🎶 You Belong with Me 🎶
If you could see that others are the ones
who need to understand you
Been here now? or all along?
So??? why can’t they seeeeee?
that safety should be a guaranteeeeeee?
You belong safe in any countryyyy,
You belong safe in any land you seee,
Have you ever thought just maybee
“You belong, not just a refugeeeeeee,”
Lovers or haters, I appreciate all of you.
So, should Taylor Swift pivot? Does anyone have her number? Maybe I should pivot and become a songwriter too? I feel like I'm not doing enough!
It is also possible that Taylor Swift has written very meaningful songs that weren't just about love, and I simply haven't listened to enough of her music. Feel free to share your thoughts with me. And if you'd like to change my perception of her music, free concert tickets could do the trick.
Do you know of any other famous musicians who write about the refugee experience? Please let me know in the comments! I am putting together resources. If you're reading this via email, feel free to reply!
So far, the only songs about refugees that I know are Sara Bareilles's A Safe Place to Land and Rise Against's Prayer of the Refugee. Although they are not usually played in the cafes I go to, I will try listening to them and see if they move me to tears for 15 minutes. If so, I’ll let you know swiftly!