Taylor Swift Reaction - The Last Great American Dynasty (Folklore Album Reaction)

[@suffireax]

For those of you looking for more Taylor content, Lover, 1989, Red (Taylors Version), Reputation Tour, Long Pond, and more are all up on Patreon

[@PratyushaMishra]

Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits - basically how Taylor was also villanized for dating, speaking up and they do not leave a chance to criticize her! I just love the genius brain of hers!! CANT WAIT for whole Folklore, Evermore (my favourite album), Carolina and Speak Now!!!

[@stillfangirlingtoday1468]

Rebekah was a dance patron and philanthropist, she was ahead of her time, and neighbours will always talk shit about people who deviate from their cookie-cutter morals. The "it must be her fault his heart gave out" is like when people blame the wives when the husband gets fat and sick, they were frequently throwing parties and he probably didn't have a very nice lifestyle, but it was her fault he had a heart attack, of course. Everything said here is veiled by sarcasm and from the neighbour's gossiping, if you try to look at it with kinder eyes, she was just living her life, it was her money now after all.

[@paulanewhook4460]

Don't forget.....she came from a middle class background and the old money only accepted her while her rich husband was alive, then blamed her and the "reckless/decadent" lifestyle for his death. Of course, they forgot Standard Oil ended up in trouble with the Government after the war due to it's involvement in Nazi Germany (like many other American Companies), the floozy, low rent wife was the problem, so she turned her back on them. Much the same happened when Swift bought the house, this was around the time she was dating one of The Kennedys, and this middle class singer moved into a house surrounded by the old money scions. With Swift came the press. And don't forget, this is the house where she hosts her July 4th parties. When Swift was doing research on the house she discovered the parallel between Harkness and her own situation. That was one of the reasons I was sorry when this song was removed from the Eras Tour, there was a little nod from the "Rebecca" character to Swift when it goes to the "then it was bought by me", like telling Swift to carry on for me, stand up to them and don't let them get to you.

[@777Risa777]

From Rebekah's wiki page: "After graduating in 1932, she and a group of female friends formed the Bitch Pack, a sub-culture of local debutantes who enjoyed subverting society events, including lacing punchbowls with mineral oil and performing stripteases on banquet tables". The source is a New York Times article.

[@emmyjo720]

Taylor would have researched this woman before writting this song. Like she spent time with Ethel Kennedy before she wrote Starlight. And Carolina is a very accurate song for Where The Crawdads Sing...

[@777Risa777]

@@emmyjo720 yep, apparently she told Rebekah's story to every guest she's had at that house 😅

[@13alllove]

I love when she says "Holiday House sat quietly on that beach free of women with madness, their men and bad habits and then it was bought by me" like taylor is a woman with madness, men and bad habits. Also "And in a feud with her neighbor she stole his DOG and dyed it key lime green" is also great, because in real life rebekah actually did that to her neighbor's CAT, so taylor changed it, like in every folklore the details end up being changed with time

[@melandloloveholo2519]

I think she changed it from cat since she loves cats so much she wanted to change it to dog in her song.

[@neginnaseri6214]

Haters: "TaYlOr OnLy WriTeS sOnGs aBoAt HeR eXeS" And then she goes and writes a song about her house This woman🔥

[@Midnightsadv1bez]

oml fr

[@PratyushaMishra]

This is one of my favourite songs of the album! The way she twists the story - this woman can do anything!!!!! Taylor mentioned she wanted to do Rebekah Harkness' story from a long time and this was her chance to do it! The story, the words, the parallels! Uffff masterpiece ❤️

[@juliette.r1136]

so happy you're doing this, folklore has such a special place in my heart

[@kosmikpixie]

To me the greatest part of this song is how Taylor sings the chorus after the third verse. After the first two verses she sings the line "She had a marvelous time ruining everything" in her lower range. After the bridge she sings "I had a marvelous time ruining everything" in that same lower range as if apologizing for having a good time. But then when she repeats the line an octave higher several times with a gleeful tone in her voice as if to give out a big FUK YOU and the middle finger to the Rhode Island stiff necks, telling them she don't care what they think. That's my girl. Fearless.

[@jewelpoole9191]

She got blamed but the doctor told him to take it easy but apparently, he didn't so his heart gave out. There is a book written about Rebekah. Taylor usually has 4th July party there (hence the reference to bitch pack).

[@robertthompson7242]

Harkness' "Bitch Pack" were the friends she made in college (private all-girls school; graduated in 1932). It was their name for themselves (which their parents thought was vulgar). They went to their society parties, spiked the punch, put emetics in the appetizers, and shocked their rich parents by stripping (these occasions being formal affairs, ballroom dancing type events, coming out parties for debutantes, lol). Taylor was hammered for her "Squad" --- her friends were either performing artists or models, and for a year or so she was trying to avoid dating because the media attention always doomed the romance, and the talking heads always celebrated her misery.

[@d3stroyx69]

Yes great commentary!!! 👍💯👌 + They were both Villainized for living their best lives

[@TotallyRobssed2009]

I'm happy your Taylor reactions are 'back'. Can't wait for the rest of Folklore and Evermore. :) It will be a great journey.

[@janvipatel13]

I think another interpretation of the term 'the last great american dynasty', in regards to patriarchal society, is that of thinking that only a man can carry down a dynasty, implying a woman is incapable of such a thing. And since Rebekah and Bill didn't have any sons (or kids in general), there was no male descent to carry down the Harkness legacy, apart from a woman - Rebekah. That's why according to the conservative thinkers the dynasty was so-called 'ruined' and therefore, Bill (Rebekah's husband who passed away due to a heart attack) was 'the last great successor of the Harkness dynasty'. Few parallels between Rebekah and Taylor: 1. "It must have been her fault his heart gave out": Here, Rebekah is blamed for her husband’s death, even though she was not responsible for his demise. This presages the sexist attitudes Rebekah would be subjected to and draws an interesting parallel between her and Taylor Swift, whose experience with sexism is well documented. Remember how the media and anti-swifties used to blame Taylor for her past failed relationships, and never threw hate at any of her exes. Especially the time when 19-year-old Taylor dated 32 year John Mayer, people only criticised Taylor for the downfall of their relationship. Like seriously, how was she supposed to know, she was barely an adult. John Mayer should've known better according to his age, and yet he got away with it. (Listen to 'Dear John' from Speak Now Album by Taylor to know what I am talking about. PS: She wrote the entire Speak Now Album all by herself without any co-writers, when 19 years old). 2. "There goes the last great American dynasty, Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been": Taylor introduces the continuing sexist motif of women being blamed entirely for people’s own problems. Rebekah is blamed for destroying the “last great American dynasty” even though her husband’s problems were his own. The society around her, however, finds it easy to blame her for his and their own problems since she is an easy target as an unconventional woman of the time. Rebekah’s experience parallels the modern-day female experience, who to this day, are subjugated to such sexist assertions. Taylor herself has been unjustifiably accused of “ruining everything” for a person. In a 2017 civil trial, Taylor testified that DJ David Mueller had sexually assaulted her. When the jury sided with Taylor, Mueller blamed Taylor for “ruining his life,” instead of acknowledging that his own predatory actions sealed his fate. 3. "Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city": Rebekah's friend circle who was referred to as 'Bitch Pack' would have possibly gotten the same criticism that the so-called 'Taylor Swift Squad' (a name given by media, as Taylor and her friends, don't refer themselves with that title) has gotten previously. Taylor's squad includes actresses such as Jaime King, Hailee Steinfeld, Sarah Hyland, and Emma Stone. Singers such as Lorde, Selena Gomez, and Ed Sheeran. Models including Martha Hunt, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, and Cara Delevingne are also a part of the squad. Many of the people in the squad have even appeared in Taylor's “Bad Blood” music video. 4. "Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names": Although this line is meant for Rebekah, we can still imply it to Taylor. Before she disappeared for a year in 2016, Taylor used to throw big 4th of July parties, ironically at her Rhode Island house - 'Holiday House' and the invite list included big names. After her hiatus in 2016, Taylor has become private as far as sharing her private life details is concerned on public platforms. She has become more careful regarding what she posts on social media. She also made a reference to a similar line in a song about Kanye called 'This is why we can't have nice things' from reputation Album. 5. "And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet": of course, people slut-shamed Rebekah for her multiple failed marriages, the similar way they have criticised Taylor for her dating life in the early 2010s. 6. "There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen": Obvious reference to Taylor's song called 'mad woman', which is also on 'folklore'. This song, according to Swifties' interpretation is about Sc*oter Br*un and Yael Br*un (Sc*oter's wife); K*nye W*st and Kim K*rdashian. 'Mad woman' is one of my favourite songs from folklore, as in this song, which I think a lot of swifties would agree with, Taylor predicted Kim and K*anye; Sc*oter and Yael' divorce in the bridge of the song. And guess what? They did end up getting divorced post the release of folklore. Remember the time when in 73 questions interview with Vogue Taylor said, "Karma is real"? Well, I guess she wasn't just joking with that statement. Tayvoodoo is true y'all. THE ABOVE STATEMENTS WERE HEAVILY INSPIRED BY THE WEBSITE 'GENIUS'. THEREFORE, I DON'T TAKE COMPLETE CREDIT FOR THE ABOVE ANALYSIS.

[@abdullahjaved0330]

Major respect to you for taking the time to write all this down. Alot of swifties (myself included) were thinking this but you PUT IN the work🙌

[@user-lc3wy7ih8f]

Taylor is the master of full circle moments in her songs where there's that moment in the bridge that the story changes and comes to a satisfying conclusion.

[@siriuswarren6764]

This is the best real story once had in the album and Taylor Swift's favorite song over all as it so much about a woman with freedom. I love all the lyrics especially, it must've been her fault his heart gave out , she had a marvelous time ruining everything and all the bridge lines. Edition - when a woman went free and being herself, she got blame( the unfair about woman's rights) so much can relate how she created (the man). She is the man.

[@sosomam4049]

It's really fascinating how an essay worth of things can be written about a song that on the surface sounds so simple but is actually really deep and complex. That's how talented Taylor is. At first I really enjoyed the song, the storytelling, I could picture Rebeccahs life in my brain but I didn't give it much thought. But soon people started pointing out things and it really is very very complex. It talks about so much of various societal issues along with Rebeccahs life and Taylor drawing comparison with her own life. It is absolutely mind-boggling. And the upbeat music is the cherry on the cake, almost like covering the infuriating double-standards that Rebeccah faced but not exactly hiding it. Haha. This is amazing.

[@shevster13]

What I get from the song is not that Rebecca killed her husband, Instead the community blamed her for 'corrupting' her husband and instead of settling down and starting a family, they had a life of partying and fun until he died of a heart attack ending the husbands dynasty.

[@rosterchomba125]

Her facial expression when she sang "then it was bought by me" in the long pond studio sessions is priceless!!!

[@Kumar-hc5pb]

This song is absolute genius

[@Sofia-fp4mw]

Yes!

[@June-of4wi]

I love your reaction videos so much, Suffi Reax specially on Taylor's music. I love how you paid attention to the lyrics and pause it to explain how you understood it. I started watching your since yesterday and I'm really obsessed now! Keep up the good work and your channel is amazing!!

[@kellye.5678]

The story telling in this song is amazing I love it

[@rianray_music]

You get everything so well 😍

[@devanshidubey2029]

You never disappoint us with your reaction videos ✨🙌🏻

[@SavageSoldiers-oe3rf]

Keep pondering my lovely hope to see you soon

[@JoleneDaviesITKWJ]

This is one of my favourites on the album. We could use a movie based off this song!

[@hazey6945]

A few Fun facts: She actually stole the neighbors CAT and dyed it key lime green but since Taylor is a huge cat person, she changed it to be a dog lol The story of her death is actually quite sad. She was withering away in her death bed and people/friends were coming over and leaving with her belongings. Taking them right off the walls and out of her bedroom and basically robbing her blind as if at a free estate sale without a care that she’s just lying there watching. Incredibly sad. Rebekah also “ruined” the dynasty due to lack of legitimate heirs I’m assuming Her friend Salvatore Dali (the famous painter) that she kept losing bets to lol actually designed an elaborate urn for her named the Chalice of Life. It’s a $250,000 jeweled urn. All of her ashes couldn’t fit so the rest of them were put into a Walmart sack essentially 🙊 And lastly, Taylor refers to herself as the loudest woman this town has ever seen because naturally after buying a home that’s been sitting abandoned for 50 years… repairs needed to be made. The sea wall on the beach was greatly eroded and needed to be replaced so the locals were in an uproar about the noise of construction. They also weren’t happy that they could no longer access that part of the beach now that it’s private property. And there was someone on the board of something that literally wanted to raise some sort of tax just because Taylor moved into the neighborhood. He literally called it “the Taylor Swift tax” and everyone was pissed at HER for it. Obviously no one passed that motion.

[@ArindamRoy1994]

Wow, thanks for the info!

[@r_a9066]

Thanks 🙌🏻

[@hazey6945]

No problem!!🥰

[@Kammy-nh8vl]

She also changed it to indicate that folklore tales change throughout time with multiple retellings and details get messed up

[@javilex452]

OMFG… This is my fav song from this album!!!

[@melandloloveholo2519]

Have you watched the entirety of the long pond sessions on Disney+? She talks about writing this song was similar to country music to her. You're listening to a song and then the storyline changes (ie and then it was bought by me) and it gives you goosebumps!

[@ladzpremium3547]

I wish you could react to her new single "CAROLINA." It's the soundtrack to the film "WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING." It has the same vibe as Folklore and Evermore, but I think it also has those so-called western vibes.

[@SavageSoldiers-oe3rf]

Eagle Eye, I bury hatchets but I keep maps to where I put them

[@SavageSoldiers-oe3rf]

I'm not just ruining things in the entertainment industry I'm calling out corrupt government and restoring history....grandma told me to

[@MaryD-xn5yy]

He explains it well !!!!

[@gibinas8466]

The reaction always turn out great when reactors understand the back story first. ❣️

[@violapesavento2008]

"it must have been her fault his heart gave out" means that it was her fault since she was, as the people in her town said, crazy and liked to party a lot. obviously those were only rumors due to the dislike that everyone felt since she was rich and beautiful. "bitch pack" was for Rebekah life aswell.

[@areeanachowdhury9070]

I always felt like it was also a reference to how so much of the time, people tend to somehow blame women for men's problems (what also happened to taylor) So even HIS heart failure "must have been her fault" regardless of what actually happened

[@violapesavento2008]

@@areeanachowdhury9070 yes of course that's the meaning that Taylor wanted to express but also we all know that that happened in real life too

[@richardh776]

Will you be reacting to the full album on Patreon? You need to!

[@kaylagraham1377]

That’s what I’m wondering also!

[@thin4740]

Oh I’m glad that we get Taylor’s contents again. I thought you’ve done with everything on folklore and evermore and other past eras. I’ve been patiently waiting for your reactions on Taylor’s new work.

[@markjosephaguirrecielo6651]

I found listening to the song first and discovering how she tied her predicaments to the woman's fate before googling everything and knowing how she is Rebekah Harkness was a more fulfilling experience.

[@SavageSoldiers-oe3rf]

I've been wanting to show you the story of the Rockefeller center book and handwritten receipts I believe grandma placed strategically in free library outside my old school Washington on Jefferson in Alexandria. Boy have I got a lot to tell you!!!!

[@SavageSoldiers-oe3rf]

Hard to erase a photographic memory....

[@Colorfulmind1]

Rebekah was a free spirited woman who live her life outside the traditional norms of society and was outcast because of it.

[@avokittypup]

I flew in here! ❤❤❤❤❤✌

[@Sofia-fp4mw]

Same 😂

[@avokittypup]

@@Sofia-fp4mw 👘

[@juliette.r1136]

are you posting it on patreon today ? I wanna watch the whole thing first

[@suffireax]

I am trying something a little different for this album and posting each song from the album individually here on YT. So the rest of this album will be coming out over the course of this week

[@juliette.r1136]

@@suffireax oh okay thanks for letting me know !

[@SavageSoldiers-oe3rf]

Damnit your good!!!

[@abdullahjaved0330]

I'm sorry but you wasted the opportunity by reading the genius description first. I still remember I was like "who tf is this about?" When I first listened to it and then she said "it was bought by me". I GASPEDDDD. blew me away

[@blackmilk1000]

Yeah, it's a shame he read the explanation before the song, instead of after. It ruined the surprise.

[@kellye.5678]

I still get chills when she sings that line everytime

[@missowl4981]

But sometimes they didn't catch that plot twist 😂 . So I think it's okay, he said that her writing about the history of the house is insane so his forgiven 😅

[@MrRorosuri]

Yes yes 🙌

[@SaMori]

For me, this song is the epitome of sarcastic Taylor and one of her most feminist songs, since it brings the example of this woman who supposely ruined everything at the time and conects with Taylor's narrative of a woman who supposely ruins everything. How women always been blamed for things that them can't control (like the doctor telling Rebekah's husband to settle down but is still Rebekah's fault he didn't) and although there are families who are like royalty and "old money" in America, is there really a dinasty? I think even the title "the last great american dinasty" leans into this sarcasm because from start America is against monarchies, so what exactly are women ruining? I think it is just a song about women having fun and living their own lives and people talking crazy sh*t (so absurd that the final rumour is Rebekah dying a neighbor's dog a crazy color)

[@MrsLuckystar98]

Are you going to put the full album reaction on to patreon?

[@jwkittles]

Go to the lyric right before you stopped to ask what happened. It says that she threw extravagant, loud parties when the doctor had told him he needed to rest and we quiet. So they did blame her for causing too much partying therefore causing his heart to “go out”. Also He wa th heir to the oil company. She was just the heir to his fortune I guess but not the company. She spent her money on things the townspeople didn’t approve of, especially more parties with her “bitch packs” friends. Taylor literally made the towns people mad as well when she has celebrity filled parties at the house now.

[@swiftedapple]

I had a marvoules time ruining everything will be my senior quote haha

[@Violet316]

She married the guy who was rich, the lavish lifestyle was too much for his heart.

[@zombiewarshadow9477]

can you please react to Declan McKenna and Lorde? They're both very great artists.

[@viola381]

hey you should listen to vicious by sabrina carpenter (by the way her album drops july 15 if you want to check it out)

[@mary_v2023]

The genius lyrics 'explanation' on sections of the lyrics. Not sure if it's necessarily facts or just someone's opinion. Who writes it? I'm just talking in general for all songs that have the highlighted grey words.

[@Starbuck-dr7yl]

Genius is inputted by fans/anyone.

[@Starbuck-dr7yl]

Watch out for the Genius lyrics. The meanings are not fact, but opinions, by people just like you and me who can change the text, just like Wikipedia. With that said, it is usually the “popular” opinion but don’t take it as fact. It’s just someone’s interpretation of her lyrics. Do I look up her lyrics on Genius? Of course. Just keep in mind it’s not always fact but opinion. The neighbors don’t like Taylor for several reasons, one is RI added a tax on vacation homes, and the parties, and the increase in tourists wanting to see her house, plus the beach now in front of her house is private (I think). So much like the locals hated Rebekah, she wasn’t one of them, she didn’t fit in, had all these parties with famous people, spent all this money (I think she died nearly bankrupt). The chorus calls her the maddest and the most shameless woman. At the end, she changes it to the loudest woman (herself) this town has ever seen. She’s carrying on the tradition of the outsider ostracized from the neighbors & community. They hate her,not personally they’ve probably never met her. But her owning the house has affected their lives & they don’t like that.

[@Matheusalvess10]

Please react Lana Del Rey- Brooklyn baby. Is the best her song

[@OMsBeliever]

Will you please do a reaction to the twenty one pilots Unplugged performance?

[@namayra299]

Are you planning on reacting to Conan Gray? If not highly recommend

[@jcguzik]

Please react to some of imagine dragons mercury act 2, specifically tied

[@heatherjayne6034]

REACT TO LEFT AND RIGHT BY CHARLIE PUTH!!!

[@sd-df1vs]

coldplay please.

[@violapesavento2008]

pls can you react to the One Direction Carpool Karaoke with James Corden?

[@kiimediiit]

React to Stray Kids please♥️♥️♥️

[@jonathaskaiky]

Please, drop the whole taylor swift reacts

[@saketbachhuka8612]

Bro react to Charlie pith left and right

[@itsljcabrera]

Not a fan of reading the "Genius" explanation first, it should be the last. It's always nice to see the reactions first of not knowing what the song's about.

[@leonardorivas4031]

We need Lana where is she? 😭

[@robertthompson7242]

Worth noting that Taylor has (had?) cousins in St. Louis (or did, when she was a teenager). She filmed a Thanksgiving visit that might still be on her channel. One of the major themes Taylor repeats is the impact of malicious gossip (see: Mean, Blank Space, Shake It Off, LWYMMD, IDSB, etc.) If the lyric says "they said" then Taylor is going to imply that they don't know what they are talking about. Watch Hill is a wealthy neighborhood. Old money, Ivy League backgrounds . . . . . The gossip wasn't suggesting she murdered her husband, but that her parties and the excitement was too much for a man with a known bad heart (they were actually married for some 7 years when Bill Harkness (her 4th husband) died). Point is, people make up stuff and twist it. And at the end of the song, they are saying crap about her, same as Rebekah. Harkness was born over a hundred years ago, now, a Depression era wild child from a well off family; philanthropist in the 1960's. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebekah_Harkness