Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift is a heartbreak song written from an intriguing perspective. It tells the story from the perspective of a woman who turned down the proposal of a man she was with. She starts by acknowledging the sadness of the person whose proposal she rejected. How he booked the night train just spend time with himself in sadness.
She goes to admit how she lets this man down “dropped your hand while dancing …”. She also admits that the man prepared a special proposal with his family’s heirloom “Your mom’s ring in your pocket …” and how the devastated his entire family “Now no one’s celebrating…”. Taylor did not leave out the awkwardness of spectators when a proposal is rejected “No crowd of friends applauded”.
All the strings of the story are tired together in the bridge of the song. And this part is my favorite part of the song. It starts by comparing the man’s touch to that of Midas; Midas is a king in Greek mythology whose touch turns everything to gold. So we could say he had a golden a touch. “November flush and your flannel cure”, is a reference to how he kept her warm in the cold month of November; flannel is a soft woven fabric which could be a blanket. And finally referenced how she may be the one with the issues “this dorm was once a madhouse. i made a joke, ‘well it’s made for me”. And then finally admits that she only realized she didn’t know what she wanted until he got down on his knees to propose, “Sometimes you just don’t know the answer, till someone’s on their knees and asks you”. The next line focuses on how she hopes he gets completely healed by the next person he falls in love with “But you’ll find the real thing instead, She’ll patch up your tapestry that I shred”.
So what exactly does the term ‘champagne problems’ mean in this context? Well, it could mean, the very popular proposal method where the ring is placed in a glass of champagne so in essence, this could mean problems associated with proposals. However, it could also mean “complex problems”, in reference to the popular meaning of champagne problems (rich people’s problem).
Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift can generally be compared to a relationship that feels okay but not passionate enough to lead to marriage. A situation where one person didn’t know this until the serious question is asked and then she feels guilty about letting the man down but she knows she had to do it.
Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift is from her album “evermore,” released in 2020. The song was co-written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner of The National. What’s you favorite lyric from Champagne Problems by Taylor Swift?
