Decoding the Deeper Significance of Taylor Swift and The National’s “Coney Island”
During the pandemic when most people stopped working, Taylor Swift embarked on creating a peaceful, cabin-in-the-woods folk album with The National’s Aaron Dessner. The result was the surprise release of the elegant Folklore in 2020, reflecting the isolation of both the project and the time.
The collaborative sessions were so inspiring that Swift and Dessner continued their efforts and released Evermore five months later.
For “Coney Island,” Dessner brought along his entire band. While The National members are from Cincinnati, the band was formed in Brooklyn, New York.
By referencing Coney Island, Swift brought the group back to their roots, prompting singer Matt Berninger to express on Instagram that the experience made him miss Brooklyn. He also mentioned that singing with Swift was like dancing with Gene Kelly, as she made him look good without dropping him once.
In “Coney Island,” Swift and The National are stripped down musically and lyrically in a minimalist production that mirrors the wounds of separation.
About the Song
“Coney Island” uses the famous New York destination to set the scene for the end of a relationship. Berninger joins Swift in a conversation where both partners admit to neglecting each other.
Break my soul in two
Looking for you, but you’re right here
If I can’t relate to you anymore
Then, who am I related to?
And if this is the long haul
How’d we get here so soon?
Did I close my fist around something delicate?
Did I shatter you?
During Berninger’s verse, he reflects on the emptiness of losing himself in the relationship due to self-absorption.
The question pounds my head
“What’s a lifetime of achievement?”
If I pushed you to the edge
But you were too polite to leave me
Aaron and Bryce Dessner produced and co-wrote (with Swift) “Coney Island.” Aaron’s tranquil acoustic guitar reflects the fragility of the relationship, while Bryce arranges wintry strings, linking the visuals to a cold, empty amusement park.
Swift’s then-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, under the pseudonym William Bowery, is also credited as a co-writer.
Working with The National
Swift explained her choice to collaborate with The National to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, citing her admiration for the band’s introspective and self-reflective style. She also highlighted Berninger’s male perspective on regret and guilt, which she wanted to capture in “Coney Island.”
And I’m sitting on a bench in Coney Island wondering, where did my baby go?
The fast times, the bright lights, the merry-go
Sorry for not making you my centerfold
The Mall Before the Internet
Swift uses Coney Island as a backdrop to evoke nostalgia and portray sadness in a once-popular American entertainment spot, akin to a mall. She reflects on the shift from a bustling place of thrills to a desolate setting, symbolizing regret and loss.
While Coney Island is recognized as a cultural reference, Swift’s mall analogy provides a more localized representation of desolation that many can relate to.
Most towns now have either a deserted mall with “for lease” signs or a struggling mall yearning for closure.
Conclusion
Swift and Dessner continued their collaboration after the release of Folklore, with the songs for Evermore taking shape without constraints. As a result of the critical and commercial success of Folklore, Swift kept writing.
In an interview with Variety, Swift described Evermore as a more subdued conclusion. The two sister albums serve as companion pieces to Swift’s poignant songwriting, with Evermore marking the end of a creative chapter for Swift, symbolized by “Coney Island” representing the conclusion of a romantic relationship in the song.
Just as the amusement park rides rust and the lights dim, the relationship, much like the former lovers, fades into memory.
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Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy