1.1 | Tim McGraw

to Read (
Words)

I hope you think of me.

While most songs from the Debut album take me back to the teenage angst and feelings of longing that are unique to the high school experience, Tim McGraw withstands the test of time and seems just as relevant to Mallory at age 33 as it was to Mallory at age 16. I relate to the themes of Tim McGraw now as much as I ever did. For me it really captures the human need to mean something to the people that come in and out of our lives. Each phase of life brings in new people and the transitions between phases can mean people who meant a lot to us at one point are gone. A childhood best friend, a first love, a college roommate, these are the people we share BFF bracelets with, risk everything to hold hands with, stay up til midnight sharing stories and secrets and laughter with. Because of time and space these relationships can fade until one day you realize they are so far in the past, and potentially gone forever. All these people who were so important to a developmental stage of your life become people you realize you may never see or talk to again. Even if you did connect now, could it be in the same way as it was before? The relationships that we had were so specific to where we were, and as time marches on we cannot return to what was. Sometimes that makes me feel so sad.

Yet Tim McGraw holds a bit of optimism for me. In this song I find that what is gone in reality still exists in my memory. Over and over we hear the phrase “When you think (fill in the blank)… I hope you think…” One specific example is “When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song. Someday you’ll turn your radio on, I hope it takes you back to that place.” This idea has me believing that on some typical Tuesday night and old friend might be out there living life, when something out of the blue jogs a memory of me. I do hope that people that have impacted me in positive ways were also impacted by me in positive ways. I hope my memory makes them smile for a moment before they return to their regularly scheduled lives. I guess it is just nice to believe that my existence in someone else’s life was meaningful. I hope that our connection transcends the time and space that has since separated us.


It's nice to believe that my existence in someone else's life was meaningful. I hope that our connection transcends the time and space that has since separated us.

I love Taylor Swift’s music and have a deep curiosity about who it is so meaningful to so many people. If you have any thoughts about this song in particular please share it in the comments below so that me and the Swiftie community that finds this space can enjoy your insights. 

Mallory Hazel
0 Comments

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)