Taylor Swift fans have been in a state of euphoria following the release of Red (Taylors Version), a rerecording of the singers Grammy-nominated 2012 album.
Although the 10-minute version of All Too Well and accompanying short film got the initial buzz, other songs from the album also deserve attention including the nine From the Vault tracks that Swift originally wrote for Red but never released.
One such track is Forever Winter, which Swift wrote with Foster the People lead singer Mark Foster. Many of the previously unreleased songs focus on romance and breakups, but Forever Winter tackles themes of mental health and suicide.
I see it as about serious mental health struggles, particularly suicidal thoughts, said Jessi Gold, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis. I interpret it as a song written by someone who is trying to love someone through their severe mental health struggles and the challenges of doing that.
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The chorus and bridge in particular highlight these themes:
All this time I didnt know / You were breaking down / Id fall to pieces on the floor / If you werent around / Too young to know it gets better / Ill be summer sun for you forever / Forever winter if you go
If I was standing there in your apartment / Id take that bomb in your head and disarm it / Id say I love you even at your darkest and / Please dont go
The narrator finds out how hurt their friend is and tries to tell them how much they matter to them, tries to be their support (the sun in the winter), and even help and fix things for them, Gold said. But still they are scared he will die by suicide decide to leave instead.
She noted that the narrator tries to help and calls to check in, but she seems to get angry as her friend continues to struggle and doesnt listen to her.
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This shows how hard it is to be a friend in these times, and how complicated mental health struggles are, Gold said. Sometimes you cant fix someone even if you try. Even still, she wants him to know shed love him even at his darkest and wants him to know even if his illness convinces him she isnt, she is always there for him, and he matters so much to her.
Forever winter is probably one of my favorite songs if u struggle mentally it means a lot at the end when taylor says \"Believe in one thing, I won't go away\" cuz thats all you ever want to hear, someone that will stay there with you even in ur darkest times
chantel (@themoondontpick) November 14, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"chantel ","author_url":"https://twitter.com/themoondontpick","cache_age":86400,"description":"Forever winter is probably one of my favorite songs if u struggle mentally it means a lot at the end when taylor says \"Believe in one thing, I won't go away\" cuz thats all you ever want to hear, someone that will stay there with you even in ur darkest times chantel (@themoondontpick) November 14, 2021\n\n","options":{"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"chantel on 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Forever winter is probably one of my favorite songs if u struggle mentally it means a lot at the end when taylor says "Believe in one thing, I won't go away" cuz thats all you ever want to hear, someone that will stay there with you even in ur darkest times
Forever Winter also touches on the isolation many people experience during a mental health crisis.
A lot of people isolate when they are in their darkest moments, often fearing being a burden on those around them, said Brit Barkholtz, a Minnesota-based clinical therapist who specializes in trauma. But Taylor laments that she didnt know he was feeling this way, presumably wishing she had known so she could have offered support sooner.
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Barkholtz said the narrators insistence that she will not go away may send a message to people who are struggling: that those who care will be there for them if they reach out.
Trauma, depression, addiction, eating disorders, all that stuff can convince us we should isolate ourselves from the people who care about us but the song is a reminder that the people who care want to be let in, want to help and be supportive, and want to be in your corner with you, even if things are dark or messy right now, Barkholtz said.
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