Taylor Swift Has Actually Been Singing About The Red Sox This Whole Time, Part Two

Here you go, everyone, the long-awaited follow-up to Part 1 of my imagining that Taylor Swift has been writing about the Red Sox this whole time. I know you all have been anticipating and kept up at night by its absence. I finally feel in touch enough with all of the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) tracks to assign a Red Sox player/team/moment/associated person to each one.

How benevolent a ruler is Taylor Swift? I mean, she re-records all of these albums so they can be self-owned and written, AND she goes on to include new music for us to enjoy as well. There’s no one out there that’s better than her.

Electric Touch: 2021 Red Sox

Electric Touch is about falling back in love after getting your heart broken, but being cautious while doing so. This is pretty representative of my feelings about the 2021 Red Sox. We’d just gotten all of our hearts ripped out of our chests and stomped on in 2019 and 2020, and now, we had a glimmer of hope and new love.

“All I know is this could either break my heart or bring it back to life

Got a feelin’ your electric touch could fill this ghost town up with life”

Still, I was scared to believe and put my trust and happiness in this seemingly rag-tag group of players.

“I’ve got my money on things goin’ badly

Got a history of stories ending sadly

Still hoping that the fire won’t burn me

Just one time”

I had similar feelings in 2017. We were going up against the Astros, the team was anything but stunningly fantastic, yet the entrance of the highly-touted Rafael Devers excited me, and I dove in and believed anyways.

“‘Cause every time I tried hard for love, it fell apart…

Still, I know that all it takes is to get it right”

But 2017 was fun for other reasons, so I did my best to put hope and faith into these 2021 Red Sox and let myself enjoy the present, no matter what the result may be.

“I was thinking just one time (Just one time)

Maybe the stars align”

Although the stars may not have totally aligned, it sure was a fun ride, and I got to see one of my favorite players have the most incredible postseason relief effort by a starting pitcher since Nathan Eovaldi in 2018.

When Emma Falls in Love: Rafael Devers

“She waits and takes her time

‘Cause Little Miss Sunshine always thinks it’s gonna rain”

I don’t think Devers has a cautious or negative outlook on life— honestly, he has anything but— but he is our Little Miss Sunshine!

“‘Cause she’s the kind of book that you can’t put down

Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town”

Devers is entertaining, exciting, and completely captivating— which makes him impossible to put down. Why would I not want this amazing man and baseball player on my team? And now the Red Sox can’t put him down because he’s extended, essentially for life!

Also, he grew up in a small town.

“And to tell you the truth, sometimes I wish I was her”

Do I wish I were the star third baseman for one of the most iconic teams in baseball? Not necessarily, because my anxiety would not be able to handle that. But I do admire the joy and passion that Devers exudes every day, whether it’s during an interview on Sunday Night Baseball in the middle of a walloping of the Mets, on an off-day, or even during a loss. He’s always smiling about something, and I’d like to live my life similarly.

“‘Cause when Emma falls in love, she’s in it for keeps

She won’t walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave”

Devers fell (for the Red Sox) and he’s in it for keeps (signed an 11-year extension). He won’t walk away unless he absolutely HAS to leave (there are no opt-outs).

“Emma met a boy with eyes like a man

(The Red Sox).

Turns out her heart fits right in the palm of his hand

Now he’ll be her shelter when it rains

Little does he know, his whole world’s about to change”

Honestly, the Red Sox’s entire future changed with Devers’ extension. After YEARS of asking and hoping, the team finally showed that they cared about keeping at least one of their homegrown stars — and Devers was the perfect fit.

I Can See You: Alex Verdugo

Verdugo feels very back-and-forth, almost breaking out, but pulling back once the progress is already there— which is very similar to the themes expressed in this song.

“You brush past me in the hallway

And you don’t think I, I, I can see ya, do ya?

I’ve been watchin’ you for ages

And I spend my time tryin’ not to feel it”

Yes, the back-and-forth relationship Verdugo has with consistency and success itself. Although it’s frustrating, at least we can rely on him in right field, which is stress-relieving in and of itself.

I mean, just look at this clip from his Savant page. The whole point of this song is going back and forth with a love interest while trying to keep your intentions and feelings to yourself. The back-and-forth point can be clearly seen right here. No further explanation is needed.

Castles Crumbling: 2019-2020 Red Sox

“Once I had an empire

In a golden age

I was held up so high,

I used to be great.

They used to cheer,

When they saw my face,

Now I fear,

I have fallen from grace.”

Yeah…

“​​And I feel like my castle’s crumbling down

And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

And you don’t want to know me, I will just let you down”

After an acceptable off-season before the 2019 season, I had hopes that the Sox would at least be competitive in upcoming years. If not World Series competitive, at least PLAYOFF/DIVISIONALLY competitive. But the castles crumbled, the bridges burned, and they let us all down.

“Once, I was the great hope for a dynasty

Crowds would hang on my words and they trusted me

Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far

I held that grudge ‘til it tore me apart”

Dave Dombrowski pushed my faith too damn far, and he tore apart this Red Sox team (though it was never really sustainable considering his strategies, but that’s just how Dombrowski operates).

Power went to my head and I couldn’t stop…

And here I sit alone behind walls of regret

Falling down like promises that I never kept

The power DEFINITELY went to his head, and he couldn’t stop. Now he’s out of the job with unfulfilled promises to a hopeful fanbase. (This is also the owner’s fault(s) for deciding to spend money to win, then pivoting strategies once they actually won).

My foes and friends watch my reign end

I don’t know how it could’ve ended this way

Foolish One: Bobby Dalbec

I would like to preface this by saying that I LOVE Bobby Dalbec, and he will forever be my guy. As much as it pained me to select him for this song, its truth could not be ignored.

“You give me just enough attention

To keep my hopes too high”

You let me play in the majors until better people come along, and I still hope that I can get back.

“And I will block out these voices of reason in my head”

Yet, I will trust in myself and believe that my dream of playing for the Red Sox is still alive and well.

“Foolish one, stop checking your mailbox for confessions of love, that ain’t never gonna come, you will take the long way down”

Bobby, stop hoping to be called back up, because the time will not be coming soon. You will take the long way down (to the minors).

“You know how to keep me waitin’

I know how to act like I’m fine”

They are keeping this man in the perpetual hell of AAA and he’s absolutely mashing and performing well… I just feel bad.

“And it’s delicate, but I will do my best to seem bulletproof”

It’s definitely a delicate situation, as are many things in the game of baseball. It’s a balance between what we have, what we need, and what you can provide, but Bobby’s doing his best to put on a brave face and work his hardest regardless of the situation.

“You’ve got her on your arm, and me in the wings

I’ll get your longing glances, but she’ll get your ring”

You’ve got her (Triston Casas) in the big leagues, and me in the wings (a possible replacement in AAA). I’ll get your longing glances (minor league accolades), but she’ll get your ring (starting first baseman role).

“The day is gonna come for your confessions of love

When all is said and done, he just wasn’t the one”

Bobby Dalbec, you WILL find a way back to the majors someday. But perhaps it’s time to recognize that you just might not be the one for the Red Sox.

Timeless: Dustin Pedroia

There was absolutely no question in my mind who this song was about from the first time I ever heard it.

“The kinda love that you only find once in a lifetime

The kind you don’t put down”

Pedey was a once-in-a-lifetime second baseman and I wouldn’t trade anything for getting to watch him on the field every day growing up. If it were up to me, he’d still be out there being awesome and leading this young team to success.

“And that’s when I called you and it’s so hard to explain

But in those photos, I saw us instead”

In the trials and tribulations of Red Sox second basemen since you left the game (Ian Kinsler, Kiké Hérnandez, Marco Hernandez Tzu-Wei Lin, Christian Arroyo), I saw you instead.

“And, somehow, I know that you and I would’ve found each other

In another life, you still would’ve turned my head”

We would draft, develop, and love you in any lifetime. In any other circumstance, I would choose you.

“I would’ve read your love letters every single night”

(Watched the compilations of your glory days).

“And prayed to God you’d be comin’ home all right”

(You wouldn’t be in the lineup on April 21, 2017).

“And you would’ve been fine”

(Manny Machado would not exist).

“We would have been timeless

‘Cause I believe that we were supposed to find this”

(You’d still be a Red Sox, on his way to the Hall of Fame).

“Time stood still like somethin’ in this old shop

I thought about it as I started lookin’ ‘round

At these precious things that time forgot”

Time may forget you, but we never will.

“Story of a romance torn apart by fate”

Your story is sadly now one of a romance torn apart by public enemy No. 1 Manny Machado.

“Time breaks down your mind and body

Don’t you let it touch your soul”

Time damn well did break down your poor, precious body, but the resiliency of Pedroia shows that the effects of time have never diminished his heart, passion, and soul