Released: 2024
“How Did It End?” by Taylor Swift is a poignant exploration of the dissolution of a romantic relationship and its aftermath. The song uses striking metaphors and evocative language to illustrate the confusion, grief, and retrospective examination that follows a breakup.
The first verse, “We hereby conduct this post mortem / He was a hothouse flower to my outdoorsman / Our maladies were such we could not cure them / And so a touch that was my birthright became foreign”, sets the scene of the song. Swift employs a medical analogy, portraying the dissection of the ended relationship as a ‘post-mortem’. The comparison of her former lover to a ‘hothouse flower’ and herself to an ‘outdoorsman’ encapsulates their contrasting natures—an inherent incompatibility that may have contributed to their relationship’s demise. The term ‘birthright’ adds a sense of ownership and familiarity in the relationship that has become foreign, underscoring the depth of their connection and subsequent estrangement.
As the song progresses, “We were blind to unforeseen circumstances / We learned the right steps to different dances / And fell victim to interlopers’ glances / Lost the game of chance, what are the chances?”, Swift ponders on the sudden and unexpected nature of their breakup. She reflects on how they knew the intimacies of each other’s lives but got lost in miscommunication and external influences. The repeating phrase “What are the chances?” communicates Swift’s disbelief and confusion about how they ended up here.
Swift then delves into the chorus “How did it end? / I can’t pretend like I understand / How did it end? / Come one, come all / It’s happening again / The empathetic hunger descends / We’ll tell no one except all of our friends / But I still don’t know / How did it end?” The chorus encapsulates the central theme of the song—the persistent questioning and seeking of answers, illustrating the emotional whirlpool that follows a relationship’s terminal stage. The phrase “empathetic hunger” reflects the inherent human desire for understanding and empathy during times of heartbreak and loss.
The bridge, “Say it once again with feeling / How the death rattle breathing / Silenced as the soul was leaving / The deflation of our dreaming / Leaving me bereft and reeling / My beloved ghost and me / Sitting in a tree / D-Y-I-N-G / It’s happening again”, intensifies the song’s sorrowful sentiment. Here, Swift uses the metaphor of “death rattles” and “soul leaving” to vividly illustrate the painful process of the love dying and the ensuing desolation. The wordplay on the children’s rhyme “Sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G” to “D-Y-I-N-G” suggests the stark, painful transition from love to loss.
Overall, “How Did It End?” is Taylor Swift at her most vulnerable, giving listeners an introspective view into her recovery from a failed relationship. From the questioning chorus to the metaphor-laden verses, the song captures all the bewilderment, anguish, and introspection that come with a breakup.
