Big Red Machine just premiered “Birch,” the second of their collaborations with Taylor Swift from their upcoming album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?.
The band, consisting of The National‘s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon, has collaborated with Taylor a few times already. They first started collaborating on Swift’s Folklore, which brought them a Grammy Award.
Then they released “Renegade,” the first song to feature Taylor Swift on their upcoming album, How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?.
The new song features Justin Vernon’s vocals more than Taylor’s. This has been a recurring joke, since “Renegade” seemed to be more of a Taylor song, as she is the main vocalist, with Vernon doing backing vocals.
Now Taylor joins in on chorus, and the second verse, sounding more like backing vocals.
My buddy @aaron_dessner got us all together to make “how long do you think it’s gonna last?” and it would be very smile-inducing for us if you checked it out. 😘 @BRMadjv https://t.co/HRJRqFAMPD pic.twitter.com/kzjgJ2bts7
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 27, 2021
The song seems to be with a man whose former partner accused him of all the wrong things happening in the relationship. His despair of “cannot stay” is a common idea in the entire song, and shows that, no matter what he does, his burden continues.
Check out the lyrics below:
[Verse 1: Justin Vernon]
The way I woke up was old
Was all fucking choke
And it ain’t easier after a week
Were on a long byway standing still
[Chorus: Justin Vernon & Taylor Swift]
Well, if you cannot tell I’ll tell you right away
If I’ll stay a spell, or if I cannot stay
I am less at ease, not the best at these
See the forest trees, call what’s these what’s these
[Post-Chorus: Justin Vernon]
What’s these (What’s these)
[Verse 2: Justin Vernon & Taylor Swift, & Justin Vernon]
Hey Madeline, thanks
For to case out the fog, for Jennifer
Seems she needed you badly
[Chorus: Justin Vernon & Taylor Swift]
So I beg on knees
Can we share IDs?
Will you always need?
We havе common needs
We can sure deplеte
We can be replete
Address table needs
It is swift your speed
[Verse 3: Justin Vernon, Justin Vernon & Taylor Swift]
The way I wake up now, is a brand new way
And no it ain’t that way, like it was before
[Chorus: Justin Vernon & Taylor Swift, & Justin Vernon]
So I cannot leave
Yes I must here stay
Cause I know what’s good
And I’ll die that way
No I cannot seem
To get a moment’s peace
If there’s a man like me
His birch ain’t my tree
[Outro: Justin Vernon, Justin Vernon & Taylor Swift]
The way I woke up now
Is a brand new way
It ain’t what it was before
Listen to the Big Red Machine ‘s “Birch” here:
