Honors College Art & Science of Emotions Fall 2017 (1:20 p.m.) Love Journal | Page 20

The final chorus is a little different from the first two. In the first two we see a young child growing up, but she isn’t fully
grown and there are still things she is not sure of and unaware of. The final chorus changes this and we see a grown adult; this little girl is
no longer a kid. Again, there are four parts to the chorus but it has changed. Instead of starting with “I don’t know” it starts with, “And
now I know why.” She has grown, she now understands life; she knows “why the trees change.” The second part starts again with, “I know”
followed by, “you were on my side even when I was wrong.” It is changing the “I know” from before where her mom was a comfort to a some-
thing she learned that young her might not have always felt. It shows a maturity change in her and we can tell she has grown up from this
recognition. The third part starts with, “And I love you for…” In this part of the song Swift is telling her mother what she loves from just
being her mother and “giving me your eyes,” to being what Swift recognizes and appreciates as her mother being a supportive parent and,
“staying back and watching me shine.” This is an example of philia ; these are part of the reason Swift feels this fondness and appreciation for
he mother. The final line of the chorus and the song is, “And I didn’t know if you knew so I’m taking this chance to say, I had the best day
with you today.” She ends the song with letting her mother know the appreciation she has for her, and all she has done. Swift knew the
impact her mother had on her life, but she wanted to make sure her mother knew how much she impacted her life. Swift wrote not just a
love song, but a love story of one of the purest types of love there is the love between a parent and a child.
Swift’s “The Best Day” made me think of all the wonderful memories I have with my parents, especially my father. I have all
these memories of being loved and having a great time with my father. I have a huge emotional connection to this song because my father
shaped me into the person I am today and I can’t thank him enough for that and I can only hope he knew how much I appreciated everything
he did for me. He showed me unconditional love, he raised me to be strong and independent. He supported me in everything I did and taught me
to be confident in my-self. He was there for me at the hardest points in my life and always knew what to do to comfort me. I could go on
and on about all the things my father did for me and how much I appreciate every single one of them. To me this is a reflection on the time I
got to spend with my father; the time I would not trade for anything in the world. It is a love letter to him thanking him for everything he
did for me.
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