'Lavender Scare,' for example, was coined to describe the moral panic about homosexuality that gripped the US during the Cold War, while the 'Lavender Menace' was a group of activists who fought for lesbian liberation in the '70s. Indeed, the color lavender is a well-known symbol of LGBTQ resistance and has been used throughout history to describe phenomena in the queer community.

The earliest use of the term 'Lavender Haze' that I could find was in the poem 'Sunday' by the Pulitzer Prize winner James Schuyler, published in his 1974 collection 'Hymn to Life.' There's also a dissertation by Nancy Elizabeth Cunningham called 'Behind the lavender haze: a sociological study of lesbianism,' which was published in 1976. The only citation easily found online is an Urban Dictionary entry that was written after the'Mad Men' episode aired. There's very little evidence that 'Lavender Haze' was a popular term in the mid-20th century, so it's possible that her claim was an Easter egg for the song's lyrical theme: 'No deal / The 1950s shit they want from me,' she sings in the chorus.Īccording to my amateur research, there aren't any academic references to the term as slang for infatuation. This line is a reference to the 'Madonna-Whore Dichotomy,' which describes the patriarchal idea that women can only be one of two stereotypes: a pure and chaste maternal figure or a promiscuous and untrustworthy sex object. 'All they keep asking me is if I'm gonna be your bride / The only kinda girl they see is a one-night or a wife,' Swift sings in verse two. In the song, Swift reveals that she was referring to the never-ending speculation that she and Alwyn are engaged, secretly married, or planning to have children. She added that during her six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn, they've had to ignore 'weird rumors, tabloid stuff' in order to 'protect the real stuff.' 'If the world finds out that you're in love with somebody, they're going to weigh in on it.' 'I think a lot of people have to deal with this now, not just 'public figures,' because we live in the era of social media,' Swift added. 'Theoretically, when you're in the lavender haze, you'll do anything to stay there.' 'That meant you were in that all-encompassing love glow,' she said. 'You're in the lavender haze,' replies his best friend Anna Draper, whom he was married to at the time to keep up appearances.įans will recognize this as a sneaky nod to 'Betty,' the 14th track on 'Folklore,' in which Swift serenades the titular character with a tender plea for forgiveness.Īccording to Swift, 'Lavender Haze' was a 'common phrase' used in the '50s to describe being in love. In the 14th episode of season two, titled 'The Mountain King,' Don Draper describes his newfound infatuation with the model Elizabeth, better known as Betty. She previously explained that she was inspired to use the term 'Lavender Haze' while watching 'Mad Men.'

'Lavender Haze' opens with the tagline that Swift had used to promote the album: 'Meet me at midnight.' Taylor Swift in the 'Lavender Haze' music video. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

I swear for you ill be there for you