Continuing the tracklist of my version of Taylor Swift’s latest album…
Taylor Swift’s Asylum
Track #4: ‘thanK you aIMee’
Yesterday’s track, ‘Cassandra,’ was a darkly mysterious portrait of betrayal and redemption framed around the story of a mythological Greek priestess. Today’s song is a spritely diss track about Kim Kardashian.
That Taylor Swift can channel her trauma into such starkly different, but equally winning, art is a sign of her genius.
This song feels like a throwback to the Speak Now days, both musically and in its use of capitalized letters to call out its subject matter. And, like that album’s ‘Mean,’ it works as both a very specific defense for Swift and an anti-bullying anthem to which anybody can relate.
When I picture my hometown
There’s a bronze, spray-tanned statue of you
And a plaque underneath it
That threatens to push me down the stairs at our school
[Pre-Chorus]
And it was always the same searing pain
But I dreamed that one day I could say
[Chorus]
All that time you were throwin’ punches, I was buildin’ somethin’
And I can’t forgive the way you made me feel
Screamed, “Fuck you, Aimee” to the night sky as the blood was gushin’
But I can’t forget the way you made me heal
[Verse 2]
And it wasn’t a fair fight
Or a clean kill each time that Aimee stompеd across my grave
And then she wrotе headlines
In the local paper, laughing at each baby step I’d take
[Pre-Chorus]
And it was always the same searing pain
But I prayed that one day I could say
[Chorus]
All that time you were throwin’ punches, I was buildin’ somethin’
And I couldn’t wait to show you it was real
Screamed, “Fuck you, Aimee” to the night sky as the blood was gushin’
But I can’t forget the way you made me heal
Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead
I pushed each boulder up the hill
Your words are still just ringing in my head, ringing in my head
[Bridge]
I wrote a thousand songs that you find uncool
I built a legacy that you can’t undo
But when I count the scars, there’s a moment of truth
That there wouldn’t be this if there hadn’t been you
[Verse 3]
And maybe you’ve reframed it
And in your mind, you never beat my spirit black and blue
I don’t think you’ve changed much
And so I changed your name and any real defining clues
And one day, your kid comes home singin’
A song that only us two is gonna know is about you, ’cause
[Chorus]
All that time you were throwin’ punches, it was all for nothin’
And our town, it looks so small from way up here
Screamed, “Thank you, Aimee” to the night sky and the stars are stunnin’
‘Cause I can’t forget the way you made me heal
Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead
So I pushed each boulder up that hill
Your words were still just ringin’ in my head, ringin’ in my head
[Outro]
Thank you, Aimee
Thank you, Aimee
Meet Me In Montauk 
This one immediately jumped out as one of my favorites on the new album. I love so many lines in these lyrics, including the bridge and this one:
Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead
Great stuff!
After giving most of the first half of the album a proper listen, driving at night in a car alone, I’m hoping a few of rose songs will find their way into your album. I’ll name them when (and if) we get there.
Other than the funny line Dana cited above, the one that gets me here is “there wouldn’t be this if there hasn’t been you.” What is the “this”? Certainly not Taylor’s talent or career, both of which were in full swing before she came into unfortunate contact with Kim. This very song? Sure, but that’s not all that much for a star gazing moment of truth. The woman she is today? Likely, but why refer to herself as “this”? I’m intrigued.
No need to worry… my final tracklist is split evenly between the first and second halves — by coincidence, not design.
My take is that, while this song is pretty directly about Kim K, it’s also about all the haters and doubters Taylor has faced throughout her career. And without all of them, there wouldn’t be this career she’s built.
“And so I changed your name and any real defining clues” makes me laugh every time. She’s a funny lady that Swift.