real love shines golden like starlight and doesn't fade or spontaneously combust. maybe i'll write a whole album about that kind of love if i ever find it x

• delicate
  • "this ain't for the best, my reputation's never been worse, so, you must like me for me"

delicate starts giving us an introduction to what taylor's life was like back when the 2016 drama hit. in this moment, she is in between a break up with her boyfriend at the time (calvin harris) and a summer fling (tom hiddleston). she's already met joe during the events of this song during the 2016 met gala. the song bluntly says she is unwanted, not-popular and has hit her lowest in terms of reputation after the 2016 kimye phone scandal regarding the song 'famous' and her permission to be cited in it – never knowing she'd be painted as someone who owed a man sex for a scandal of his own making back in 2009.

when taylor says "you must like me for me", she is referring to not being a popular choice of a girlfriend/fling at the moment and joe being at the beginning of his acting career, might be seen as 'tainted' next to her. however, knowing her reputation is at a low point, taylor indirectly knows he wouldn't be using her for his own benefit.

• " dive bar on the east side, where you at"

this is the first mention of a dive bar in reputation. this is where she and joe first connected after the met gala. she is now recalling it and wanting to relive that moment.

we also see an insecure taylor, not knowing how to start this relationship with him during the chorus' outro, it is delicate, after all. she seems to be falling in love as the bridge rolls in

• "sometimes i wonder when you sleep, are you ever dreaming of me? sometimes when i look into your eyes, i pretend your mine all the damn time"

_

• dancing with our hands tied
  • "i loved you in secret, first sight yeah we love without reason"

joe is a secret to the world and taylor was having a summer fling at the time and even though she didn't cheat, she was already developing feelings for him. she met both men in the same night, same event. she danced with tom hiddleston during the met gala and allegedly, met joe alwyn at a dive bar at the end of the night, unplanned. however, she then started going out with tom but the intro lyrics to this song say she fell in love with joe at first sight. the secret could also be from taylor herself, not knowing what she was feeling then.

• "my love had been frozen, deep blue but you painted me golden "

this is the first time taylor mentions blue vs. gold analogy. her love had been frozen because she had been broken up with due to being more successful than calvin harris and he apparently "got out some popcorn as soon as my rep started going down" (i forgot that you existed)

• "i could've spent forever with your hands in my pockets, picture of your face in an invisible locket"

she didn't need her feelings for joe to be public, she didn't want every step to be scrutinized by the media. this is still to this day, her most private relationship.

during the chorus, we see a change of events. taylor had once danced with tom hiddleston, so this song could be his, right? well, "dancing with our hands tied" means there was not much joe and taylor could do to stop the growing feeling amongst them or keep it out of the public eye for long. they were living in the moment, but knowing the impending implications that could come with them being together, and more specifically, him being connected to her.

• "i loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us, so baby, can we dance through an avalanche?"

she knew her reputation was at its lowest, she knew how she was seen as a woman who goes through boyfriends fast and how that could impact his image after being in her spotlight. she was also in the midst of an 'avalanche', being attacked from front and back, but love was there anyway.

during the bridge, taylor states through metaphors that she would go to hell and back just for the opportunity to be with him

_

• don't blame me