Teardrops on My VCR: Forrest Gump (1994)

It was the first movie I recall seeing in the movie theater. At the age of 6, I didn't understand one goddamn thing about Vietnam or Watergate or ping pong. The only thing I understood was Forrest loved Jenny and when they were kids, they slept in the same bed. As a young romantic, I couldn't understand why I couldn't have such sleepovers with my best male friend (who I not-so-secretly had a crush on). But that's another story...

In the first grade, I wasn't so emotionally developed to I cry during this movie. It wasn't until one PMSy day in high school, alone in my basement. I have a habit of never crying during something atrociously sad (like Thomas J.'s death in My Girl) until much, much later. But then it hits you the way The Notebook hits most adolescent girls for the first time. [Shudder].

What made me cry...
The romance between the adorably dimwitted Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) and the emotionally damaged Jenny Curran (Robin Wright-Penn) is one of the most tumultuous in cinema. Never before has a more one sided love affair been presented on celluloid.At the end of the film, after Forrest has spent his life hopelessly devoted to his childhood pal, he finally gets to marry her. But alas, her hedonistic disco life has given her AIDS and she dies shortly after they wed.

Then Forrest speaks to her grave. He describes taking care of their son, and the aspects of destiny. And how he buried her under the tree where they spent they're childhood. As Forrest tearfully walks away, a flock of birds flies towards the tree. Ah, symbolism, how you make a weeper out of me.

Why I cried...
Even though Forrest spent his entire life relentlessly in love with Jenny and he finally got her, he had such a brief amount of time with her. It's almost cruel. Not to mention her poor treatment of him. Such as constantly choosing jerks over him, claiming he doesn't know what love is, and rejecting his marriage proposal even when knowing he's the only man who's ever truly loved her.
And the kicker is, Forrest never thinks Jenny is doing anything wrong. His love is unconditional. Like for a family member. It's not my intention to turn their love incestuous, but I'm convinced most people wouldn't put up with such behavior for thirty years.

Teardrops on My VCR: Atonement (2007)

So, I cry during movies...quite a bit. And because I wanted to start yet another series, here is one that will dissect my reasons behind crying during any given scene during a film. Sometimes it's from happiness, sometimes from release. Others because I can personally relate to the scene. But most of the time it's from sheer depression.

For my first "Teardrops" blog, I'll discuss the tragic WWII era epic romance Atonement.

What made me cry...

At the end of the film, an elderly Briony Tallis (played by Vanessa Redgrave) is conducting an interview on her latest and last novel, "Atonement", which portrays the events of the film. She is overcome with grief and admits to the autobiographical elements of the book and how the happy ending is fictional.

In truth, Robbie Turner (the very sexy James McAvoy) died of septicemia the day before the evacuation of Dunkirk.

And Briony's sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley) was killed in the Balham Tube Station flooding.

Briony never made amends with her sister. And Robbie and Cecelia never saw each other after their one half hour meeting at the coffee shop.

Through this quote, Briony explains her reasoning for changing the ending:

"So, my sister and Robbie were never able to have the time together they both so longed for... and deserved. Which ever since I've... ever since I've always felt I prevented. But what sense of hope or satisfaction could a reader derive from an ending like that? So in the book, I wanted to give Robbie and Cecilia what they lost out on in life. I'd like to think this isn't weakness or... evasion... but a final act of kindness. I gave them their happiness."

The movie ends with a scene of the fictional Robbie and Cecilia enjoying their togetherness while chasing waves on an English beach.

Why it made me cry...

Well, this is one of the more personal ones. I plan on someday writing a series of young adult novels based on the true events of my romantic life. (Not self-indulgent at all, is it?) Anyway, if things don't conclude climactically or harmoniously, I will fake a happy ending. Like Briony said, what sense of hope or satisfaction can a reader find in an unhappy ending after you've dragged a reader/viewer through such tumultuous events?

But truly, the real sadness comes from the realization that the real characters died seperated and miserable. To hell with their fictional counterparts. A fake happy ending doesn't make up for the real tragedy.

Little Miss Marker (1934)

"Sorrowful" Jones: "So he sneaked her out, eh? Serves me right. Every time I get big hearted–"
Regret: "When was the other time?"

Order: 2

Rated: NR

Runtime: 1 hour, 19 minutes

Starring

Shirley Temple as Marthy Jane a.k.a. "Marky"

Adolph Menjou as "Sorrowful" Jones

Dorothy Dell as Bangles Carson

Charles Bickford as Big Steve Halloway

Plot: A jaded bookie and a cabaret singer wind up as reluctant parental figures after a young girl is left as a marker at a horse track.

Comments

Little Miss Marker is a vast improvement from Stand Up and Cheer! in nearly every possible way. Here, the true Shirley formula has begun: a young orphan (or at least motherless) Shirley touches the heart of a few undesirable folks with her innocence and talent.

Little Miss Marker, along with movie #4, Now and Forever, were both produced by Paramount Pictures early in Shirley’s career. I’m not completely sure as to why Shirley was loaned to Paramount for two movies. (Maybe if I was a good little film student and read her autobiography I would know). It doesn’t make a difference, Little Miss Marker wasn’t really any different from any of the other movies Shirley would make in the future.

The plot of this movie is a tad barbaric: a gambling addict leaves his child at a horse track as a marker while he goes to find more money. He doesn’t return, so the head bookie takes her home for the evening. The next day, the bookie and his friends learn that the father had committed suicide, leaving the child on their hands. If you’re familiar with the Shirley formula, you may have already guessed that the bookie, one "Sorrowful" Jones, is an old grump who wants nothing of children, women, or love. Of course, in the end, he finds all three.

One interesting thing that I found about Little Miss Marker was Shirley’s character’s transformation. In the beginning, "Marky" is precocious, innocent, and constantly comparing real life to that of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. But as time goes on, and Marky is surrounded by the dregs of society (okay "dregs" is a little harsh, but these people are gamblers, drunks, and tramps...not the best company for impressionable little ladies), she starts to pick up on the rougher side of life and begins to get sour and wisecracking. Bangles Carson, (awesome stage name!), the one woman in this group sees that Marky needs her childhood whimsy returned and organizes a King Arthur party.

At first, Marky thinks the whole thing is childish. Then "her" horse, the Charger is brought out and everything is like new again. This is when things get a little worrisome. The Charger's owner (who also happens to be Bangles' boyfriend and the only external conflict keeping her and Sorrowful apart) appears, making the horse nervous and causing it to throw little Marky. She is rushed to the hospital in desperate need of a blood transfusion, but the only one who matches her type is Big Steve, Bangles' boyfriend.

Of course, in the end, everything is set as right as rain. Marky lives, Big Steve dumps Bangles and leaves her to Sorrowful. Presumably they all live happily ever after. It's a typical Shirley Temple movie ending. The only difference with this film is that it wasn't made by Fox.

Featured Songs

"I’m Just a Black Sheep Who’s Blue" - Dorothy Dell

"Low Down Lullaby" - Dorothy Dell

"Laugh You Son of a Gun" - Dorothy Dell and Shirley Temple

"Sidewalks of New York" - Ensemble

"The Bowery" - Ensemble

The Shirley Temple Canon Ranking Attempt

During the Christmas break of my sophomore year at college, I discovered blogspot. Thanks to the IMDb hitlist, I found a couple doing an exploration of all the best picture winners who posted a blog about each one. A few years ago, I had watched and ranked all the best picture winners so I was immediately intrigued and loved the idea of going through an entire list of movies. But because there so many BPW's and I had so little time, I settled on the 22 movies from Shirley Temple's youth.

 

Since I was a little girl (in the early to mid-90's) I have been a fan of Shirley Temple. I have collected most of her movies (on good ole’ VHS) and devoured them. I love them. The childish off key cutesy singing. The extraordinary tap dancing numbers. The cheesy-deep-fried-in-sugar dialogue. I love it all. I feel that no one is really familiar with her movies anymore so I have taken it upon myself to view and dissect her canon.

I originally started in 2007, with half of the blogs being written then. Shit happens, blah blah blah and I didn't finish. But since a friend of mine has all of them on VHS, I figured now was as good a time as any to finish.

So here's some information from my original blog...

I will watch the 22 Shirley Temple vehicles starting with Stand Up and Cheer! made in 1934 to Young People made in 1940. Over the next few weeks, I will post a blog on each in chronological order. I will give basic information on each film (i.e., ratings, run time, plot summaries, etc.) I will also give a list of featured songs and offer my favorite quote. Finally I will discuss the film in question to the best of my ability.

As you may know, the Motion Picture Association of America instituted its rating system on November 1, 1968, long after the Shirley films were made. But by the late 80's, Shirley’s movies were being release on home video, meant to be devoured by families across America. With censor friendly parents chomping at the bit to show their kids the "gentler" good old days, the Fox video department thought it wise to go back and rate all the movies in the Shirley canon by the M.P.A.A.’s current standards. This resulted in 11 of the films being rated "G" and 9 being rated "PG". This is most likely due to the racial stereotypes and mild violence that I’ll discuss later. The other 2 films, Little Miss Marker and Now and Forever were released by Paramount Pictures and not re-rated for their video releases in the early 2000's. 

For those of you who are sticklers... On Shirley Temple’s actress page on IMDb, there are two films made in between Stand Up and Cheer! and Young People that won’t be discussed in this blog. They are Change of Heart and Now I’ll Tell. What I can gather from these movies’ pages, Shirley is a minor character and brought in for whatever reason. This blog will only focus on her star vehicles in which she is given top billing. As for after Young People, those films were made after Shirley’s contract at 20th Century Fox had ran out and she was picked up by other production companies. Afterwards, her films had more of a "teen" feeling. 

Okay...so yeah...I'll be posting the ones I wrote a year ago shortly and hopefully get going tomorrow.

Stand Up and Cheer! (1934)

Angie: "Did you know that Lawrence Cromwell is the authority on feminine beauty?"
Secretary: "A lot of good that’ll do you, Angie."

Order: 1
Rated: PG (for good ol' 30's style racism)
Runtime: 1 hour, 9 minutes

From the commencement, let me state that Stand Up and Cheer! is not what we know as a "Shirley Temple movie"; it just so happens to be a movie with Shirley Temple in it and the first of her films at Twentieth Century Fox. Those expecting a story about how a sweet little waif single-handedly ends the Great Depression with her tap dancing and dimples will be sorely disappointed. Instead, it is the story of Lawrence Cromwell (Warner Baxter), who is appointed the "Secretary of Amusement", a government ordained position meant to cheer up all those sad Americans.

For the next twenty minutes, we get several boring musical numbers and audition pieces for the BIG! DAMN! SHOW! Cromwell is putting on. All are mediocre or laughable in an unintentional way. "Broadway's Gone Hill-Billy", is particularly grating. Then comes the only reason why anyone in the modern era would watch this film: Shirley Temple's film debut.

Shirley plays the talented daughter of Jimmy Dugan (James Dunn), a vaudevillian trying to get his father-daughter act into the BIG! DAMN! SHOW! But first, they have to convince Mary Adams (Madge Evans), the head of the children's department to let little Shirley audition even though she is just under the age limit. After meeting Cromwell, Shirley melts her first heart of many and is allowed to perform.

Certainly, the brightest spot in the whole film is Shirley's number with James Dunn, "Baby, Take a Bow". Unfortunately, there are 45 more agonizing minutes until the film's end. Here's what you need to know: more numbers, Cromwell flirts with the head of the children's department, Cromwell struggles with his political duties, evil bankers want the Depression to go on longer...yadda, yadda, yadda.

But because this is a movie, the Great Depression magically ends seven years early thanks to Cromwell's efforts. Then there's a BIG! DAMN! PARADE! where Shirley returns for a ten second cameo.

I'm going to be a huge fucking star!

As well as being mostly boring as Hell, Stand Up and Cheer! is also racist. I know what you're thinking: practically everything in the 30's was a little bit racist. However, when you're not exposed to that kind of "comedy" routinely, it's uncomfortable when you actually see it. Several actors in the background are made up in black face. And then there’s Steppin Fetchit, an actor who specialized int playing lazy, dumb, poor, and "jive-talking" African-Americans. Oh my God, his scenes are painful to watch in this enlightened age. All those who think Gone With the Wind is bad...just stay away.

I bought this film--on VHS--in 2004 to complete my Shirley Temple collection which I started in the mid-90's. It was actually the last one I needed and the hardest one to find. My video has had over 15 minutes of Steppin Fetchit material removed (according the box). Knowing what they kept in, I don't even want to think of that missing footage.

If it weren't for Shirley Temple, this film would have easily fallen into obscurity. Basically all of the musical numbers are crap and the acting is unmemorable and hardly worth mentioning--whoops--except for James Dunn and Shirley who aren't acting but letting their natural charm/fucking adorableness ooze. Rest assured that Stand Up and Cheer! is the worst of the Shirley Temple canon, if we can even consider it a part of the canon. The folks who release the DVD's sure do, so on the list it goes.

Featured Songs

• "I’m Laughin’" - Dick Foran, Tess Gardella and Ensemble 
• "Baby, Take a Bow" - James Dunn and Shirley Temple 
• "Broadway’s Gone Hill-Billy" - Sylvia Froos and Ensemble
• "This is Our Last Night Together" - John Boles and Sylvia Froos
• "We're Out of the Red" - Dick Foran and Ensemble
• "Stand Up and Cheer" - Dick Foran

Titanic (1997)

Rose: “You’re crazy!”

Jack: “Well, that’s what everybody says. But with all due respect, miss, I’m not the one hanging off the back of a ship here.”

Title: Titanic
Genre: Historical Romance
Year: 1997
Rated: PG-13

Starring
Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt-Bukater
Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson
Billy Zane as Caledon Hockley
Gloria Stuart as Rose Calvert

Plot: An engaged rich girl and a poor artist meet and fall in love on board the ill-fated unsinkable ship.

Tagline: A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.

First Viewing: Summer of 1998, rented on VHS.
Added to The List: Always been there.

Comments
It may be the highest grossing film of all time. It may have won 11 Academy Awards, including best picture. It may have properly launched two of our greatest working actors. But the truth is, Titanic isn’t that great. Now, don’t get me wrong. I fucking love this movie, but 12 years later, it’s kind of hard to believe that this movie was once the living end.

I was nine years old when Titanic was released in theaters. All of my friends had seen it and since I was a slave to their social whims, I wanted to see it too, despite having no prior knowledge of the unsinkable ship. However, my mother refused to take me simply because she hated long movies. So it wasn’t until later in the summer of 1998 when I finally saw it when my mom caved and rented it on video.

Neither of us liked it.

This is a reoccurring theme on my list. Movies I don’t like somehow end up there with repeated viewings. Magically, Titanic was shown on HBO a few times and then on the major networks. Slowly…ever so slowly, I fell in love with it and soon I was renting it when renting videos was obsolete. By high school, Titanic had made my list.

All of the movies on my list are there because they resurrect childhood memories or strike an emotional chord. Titanic does neither. Therefore, I’ve decided to use this blog to determine why exactly this romantic epic not only makes my list, but ranks in the top five.

Until The Notebook (gag!) came along, I was certain Titanic would be hailed as the romance of my generation. After all, it contains all the classic necessities:

1. Rich girl (meaning beautiful costumes)

2. Poor boy (meaning full of integrity)

3. Evil fiancée

4. Overbearing mother

5. Historical event full of danger and adventure

The story starts out simple enough. Rose DeWitt-Bukater is a rich debutante on her way to America with her overbearing mother and asshole fiancée. Depressed with her meaningless life, Rose contemplates jumping off the back of the Titanic. Luckily, starving artist Jack Dawson happens upon her and convinces her not to do it.

After saving Rose, her fiancée Cal invites him to dinner in the first class dining room. Jack actually makes an impression on the other rich folks. Afterwards, Jack and Rose attend a third class party. Cal’s valet discovers them and reports back to his master. Both Cal and Rose’s mother Ruth forbid her from seeing Jack ever again.

(P.S. I love this scene!!!)

Jack seeks Rose out of concern, but she rebuffs him. Finally, Rose refuses to accept her life of unhappiness and finds Jack. Then he holds her on the beau of the ship.

Then he draws her in the nake.

Then they have sex in the backseat of a car.

And all though it doesn’t make “any sense,” Rose has every intention of leaving with Jack as soon as they arrive in America. To hell with Cal! To hell with her mother’s debt! And to hell with society! It seems all is well for our two lovers, but alas…tragedy strikes when the Titanic hits an iceberg and all hell breaks lose.

Titanic is a classic external conflict romance. Everything keeping Jack and Rose from achieving their happy ending is caused by outward sources and neither character’s personal weaknesses. Through out the movie, Rose overcomes her slavery to societal rules and defies her mother by breaking her engagement with Cal. Jack never has an emotional conflict. He’s in love with Rose at first sight. Of course, internal conflicts could arise if they had both survived and if they remained together. After all, Rose is used to the sweet life and Jack may feel guilt about not being able to provide for her…

But I digress. Personally, I feel a more tragic romantic scenario is when two people can be together, but refuse to for reasons like “what’s better for the other person” (like at the end of Spider-Man and Casablanca) or a prior relationship/marriage to another person (like in The Bridges of Madison County…and Casablanca) or a needless infatuation with another person (like in Wuthering Heights and Gone With the Wind).

I digress more…Titanic is a far from perfect movie, even when you ignore the historical inaccuracy and average, simplistic screenplay and concentrate solely on the love story. First of all, you have to remember that the entire film takes place over four and a half days:

Day 1: Everyone boards the ship. (With a four and a half day time frame, you think they’d at least meet on the first day!)
Day 2: Jack sees Rose. Jack convinces Rose not to commit suicide.
Day 3: Jack and Rose take a walk around the ship. Jack comes to dinner. Jack and Rose go to the third class party.
Day 4: Rose rejects Jack. Jack draws Rose wearing only the Heart of the Ocean. Jack and Rose have sex. The Titanic hits the iceberg.
Day 5: The ship sinks. Jack freezes to death. Rose is rescued.

I’ve never been a fan of love at first sight. I don’t believe it truly exists. Generally, I enjoy love stories where the hero and heroine have a solid amount of time to talk and get to know one another. Perhaps that’s why I love Beauty and the Beast so much (but even that movie can be taken as taking place over the same amount of time as Titanic…but that’s debatable).

What’s with me and my digressions in this blog? Let’s just get to the most controversial aspect. The “never let go part.”

So Jack and Rose were actually on the ship as it sank and are separated in the confusion. He finds her and swims her to a piece of floating wood paneling. They both try to get on, but it can only support the weight of one. And since this film takes place in a time when chivalry was not yet dead, Jack lets Rose stay on the wood. Personally, if I had written/directed this film, I would have Rose insist that Jack get on the panel, or have her offer a trade, “You ten minutes, me ten minutes” for example. Of course, chivalrous Jack would refuse, but that one line, that one offer would make the movie all the better.

As they’re freezing in the water and awaiting the arrival of the lifeboats, Rose starts saying her goodbyes. Jack rebuts and makes her promise to survive and go on to lead a full life. Rose agrees. So, after what seems like forever, the boats finally arrive. Rose tries to wake Jack but realizes he’s dead. I love the moment when she settles back down on the panel like she has no plan to get up. She’s lost the love of her life. But then she frantically remembers the promise she made. And vows to “never let go” of that promise. Not him. Not his frozen, lifeless corpse. The promise. I hate when people who saw this movie once, six years ago, make fun of this scene. I defend it. Ruthlessly.

The one final thing I’d like to cover in my epically long winded Titanic blog is the subject of Rose’s virginity. In the scene where Cal first presents Rose with the Heart of the Ocean, he says “There’s nothing I would deny you, if you would not deny me.” Later on, the night after the third class party, Cal’s says “I hoped that you would come to me last night.” All of this is so highly unorthodox. It’s no longer the Victorian era, but in 1912, virginity was still a prized attribute in a bride. All though they’re engaged, I don’t think premarital sex, especially among the first class, was a common practice. Then later in the backseat of the Model T, Jack asks Rose if she’s nervous which I assume is because he assumes she’s a virgin. I hope he wasn’t disappointed. I don’t really see why Cal and Rose having a sexual relationship is necessary and I still don’t know why James Cameron put it in.

I think I’ve finally figured out why I love Titanic so much. Rose had this one four day fling with some random man she met on a ship at age seventeen. But the love touched her so deeply, that she let it affect all the aspects of her life. I mean, she took his name for Christ sakes! And at the end of the movie, we see the picture of her riding a horse in front of a roller coaster in Santa Monica. Rose never considers her love for Jack as a teenage whim. Sure, she probably loved her husband (after all she had to fulfill her promise to “make lots of babies”) but who does she meet in heaven? Who is waiting for her in heaven? (Which raises the question…is there a special section of heaven for Titanic victims?)

Okay…I’ve written four pages on this movie. But I reached my goal in discovering my reasons behind my love for Titanic. It’s not just the wonderful, hauntingly beautiful score. Or awesome costumes. Or Leo’s incredibly sexy portrayal of Jack Dawson (see my list of Top 10 Hottest Movie Characters). It’s Rose’s never ending love for a man “who exists now only in her memory.” Because of which, I have an immense amount of respect for her.

Favorite Screencap:

Fine...judge me.

Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs

Yes, I am aware of how premature it is to make a Top 10 list of songs for an artist who has only been popular for a couple years and only has two official albums. But, I’m going to do it anyway. And that is because I love Taylor Swift’s music. It was the summer after my senior year when Taylor’s first single “Tim McGraw” came out. That song exemplified everything I thought summer romance should be. And like others with the romanticism of a thirteen year old, I was hooked.

I’m really glad that Taylor Swift didn’t fade into obscurity after her first album. And at the rate things are going now, she should have a couple more successful albums before she inevitably switches to adult themes and gets shunned for it. But until then…here are my Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs.

Rank: 10 
Title: Mary’s Song (Oh My, My, My) 
Original Appearance: Taylor Swift (2006) 
Interpretation: Two childhood friends grow to love one another and get married.

Comments: I’ve always had a thing for childhood romance. It’s probably because of “The Wonder Years.” And this song is reminiscent of that show…you know, but a lot happier. I remember this was one of the first Taylor Swift songs I heard on late night radio. I loved the way she portrayed a life-long small town romance. Even though I’ve moved on from that ideal, this song reminds me of what I once wanted.

Listen to “Mary’s Song (Oh My, My, My)” here.

Rank: 9 
Title: “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” 
Original Appearance: Taylor Swift: Deluxe Edition (2007) Interpretation: A girl only feels at ease with one of her guy friends who may be more than that.

Comments: This is an upbeat song that shows Taylor’s versatility. She can write a touching love ballad and then a fun friendship song. This one also romanticizes small town life and feels very honest.

Watch the music video for “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” here.

Rank: 8 
Title: “Our Song” 
Original Appearance: Taylor Swift (2006) 
Interpretation: When a girl claims she and her boyfriend have no song, he says it’s the various sounds of summer.

Comments: This is another upbeat and lively song about the innocence of first love. You put a teenage boy acting romantically in a song, you are bound to have a hit on your hands.

Watch the music video for “Our Song” here.

Rank: 7 
Title: “Change” 
Original Appearance: Fearless (2008) 
Interpretation: A girl refuses to give up on her dreams because she is certain things will change for the better.

Comments: If there is one thing all Taylor Swift songs have in common, it’s hope. Keep holding on. Don’t stop believing. Tomorrow is another day. These things will change. Certainly, she writes about heartache, but even if some bastard breaks her heart, Taylor knows she’s better off without him. “Change” is not necessarily a romantic song. It can be interpreted as such (like by yours truly) or it can refer to something like sports, which is why this song was featured on the “AT&T Team U.S.A. Soundtrack” for the Olympics.

Watch the music video for “Change” here.

Rank: 6 
Title: “(When You Think) Tim McGraw” 
Original Appearance: Taylor Swift (2006) 
Interpretation: A girl reminisces about a summer love who has left for college and wants him to think of her when he hears her favorite Tim McGraw song.

Comments: Ahh…summer romance in a small town. How many damn songs are there about this topic? So many. Taylor tends to repeat themes, which for folks like me, is fine. All through my adolescence, I wanted a summer love like the one portrayed in this song. Like “Mary’s Song”, this song brings me fond memories of what I once wanted.

Watch the music video for “Tim McGraw” here.

Rank: 5 
Title: “I’d Lie” 
Original Appearance: Unreleased 
Interpretation: A girl will willingly release information about a guy but will lie if asked if she loves him.

Comments: Okay, here’s another one of Taylor’s favorite themes: secret unrequited love. This also happens to be a favorite theme of mine. This is another upbeat Taylor song in which she is in love with anti-romance friend of hers. Still, the overall mood of the song is hopeful and she will hang on until the bitter end.

P.S. I really don't know what the deal is with song. I found it on Youtube, but it hasn't been released on any official Taylor Swift CD's...which is odd because it's studio quality.

Listen to “I’d Lie” here.

Rank: 4 
Title: “White Horse” 
Original Appearance: Fearless (2008) 
Interpretation: After the ending of her relationship, a girl realizes she wasn’t living a fairy tale romance and will find someone far better than the guy she held in such high regard.

Comments: I’ve been there. In fact, I feel like I could say that about most of the songs on this list (with the exception of the summer romance ones, of course). Interestingly, this song was released on the tails of “Love Story’s” popularity which shows Taylor’s opposing views on relationships. She’s not simply a hopeless romantic spewing references about Romeo and Juliet (Sorry. Lyrically, I don’t like “Love Story”). Anywho, like all Taylor songs, this one ends on a positive note despite dragging fairy tale romance through the mud.

Watch the music video for “White Horse” here.

Rank: 3 
Title: “You Belong With Me” 
Original Appearance: Fearless (2008) 
Interpretation: A girl in love with the boy next door pleads for him to understand that he belongs with her and not his stereotypical girlfriend.

Comments: And here is the second unrequited love song on the list. Like “I’d Lie,” it’s exceptionally upbeat even though the guy doesn’t notice the narrator. This time it’s because of a girlfriend. An unappreciative girlfriend. I won’t beat around the bush. I love this story line. I always have and I probably always will. The song leaves the ending open, but the music video gives us the ending we all want.

Watch the music video for “You Belong With Me” here.

Rank: 2 
Title: “The Way I Loved You” 
Original Appearance: Fearless (2008) 
Interpretation: Even though a girl is in a steady relationship with a “perfect” guy, she misses the extremes of a past love.

Comments: One of the darker Taylor songs, because it does not contain the tradition happy resolution. Usually, Taylor is portrayed as the wronged girlfriend or hopelessly devoted best friend. She is never the “bad guy” but this song changes that. She remains in a relationship with someone she can never fully love. Because this is off of her second album, I think Taylor’s themes are getting a little bit more mature. This song certainly exemplifies that.

Listen to “The Way I Loved You” here.

Rank: 1 
Title: “Teardrops On My Guitar” 
Original Appearance: Taylor Swift (2006) 
Interpretation: A girls secretly loves her friend Drew who talks to her about another girl.

Comments: The greatest Friend Zone song of all time. You can quote me. There was no other song before this one that dealt with these particular themes. (Okay…maybe Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best For Last”…but the happy ending disqualifies it). As cutesy and great as “I’d Lie” and “You Belong With Me” are, they are also unrealistic. Because, let me tell you something, there is no hope in the Friend Zone. Although there is some hope in “Teardrops On My Guitar,” the narrator knows it’s in vain, she realizes how useless it is to still have hope, and yet she can’t not have hope. That is the living hell that is the Friend Zone. And, unlike in “You Belong With Me”, the other girl in “Teardrops” is not portrayed as the evil bitch girlfriend. This is nice, because in real life, the other girl isn’t always the evil bitch girlfriend. “Teardrops On My Guitar” is, in my humble opinion, not only the greatest Taylor Swift song, it’s also one of the greatest songs of all time.

Watch the music video for “Teardrops On My Guitar” here.