“And I just want to be there tonight.” 

For the past three years when Christmas time comes around, I have been forced to recognize the fact that I do not have any family that resides in Michigan, and that I will therefore not see any of my family members over the holidays. 

In Wisconsin, I was fortunate enough to live within thirty-minutes of my dad’s entire side of the family. And in Illinois, the farthest family member only lived two hours away, so I had the opportunity to spend time with my mom’s entire side of the family more than I ever had before. 

Now, in order to contact various family members to wish them well during this merry season, I retreat to social media. It’s simply just not the same as it used to be when I was growing up.   

The homesickness and hidden loneliness that encroaches on the happiness that accompanies the holiday season is what Taylor Swift’s new single “Christmas Tree Farm” highlights at its beginning. Swift sings of imagining herself back at her childhood house in Pennsylvania that featured a Christmas tree farm on its property. Swift’s song is a beautiful homage to her childhood experiences in Pennsylvania.

She provides an upbeat melody behind her smooth voice that encourages listeners to join her in her journey back to Pennsylvania. When Swift describes bundled up people coming to her family’s farm to shop, drink cider, and dance, I envision a picture-perfect Hallmark movie scene of a slow, thick snow steadily falling onto a variety of families as they search up and down organized rows of evergreen trees for the perfect one. 

“And you would be there too.” 

When I reconsider the Christmases I experienced as a child, I recall scenes that consist of solely my five immediate family members. I can’t remember a Christmas Eve night when my mom prepared and presented a delectable, detailed dinner for more than six people or a Christmas Day when my siblings and I weren’t eager to scatter around the house to play with our new toys—by ourselves. 

When Swift sings these lyrics, she directs them to a love interest through a rising, lengthened note that emphasizes her desire for that person’s presence. She captures a flirty tone behind her lyrics while tying this person into the image depicted at the beginning of her song. During this verse, Swift transitions from nostalgic to loving as she appreciates what her interest’s love does for her. 

“And when I’m feeling alone, you remind me of home.” 

Through moving, I have learned that a house doesn’t instantly make a place “home.” The people that you end up incorporating into your life are what allow a place to finally feel like a home. The friendships I have made through school and dance that propel me through the successes and struggles of my life are what make Michigan feel like home.

Therefore, I completely understand the importance of the trait, and the extent of luckiness you feel when you discover it in a person, that Swift relays through these lyrics. The lyrics are featured during the bridge of the song, and listeners are able to catch an increased amount of sincerity from the slowed beat and incorporation of prominent yet gentle notes from a piano shortly after. 

Overall, Swift’s surprise holiday single “Christmas Tree Farms” provides a genuinely sweet and heartwarming story involving reminiscing childhood memories and reflecting on love during the holiday season. Swift is able to perfectly imply the beauty behind your roots and where and what you’re from. 

Her adorable song has instantly become one of my favorite holiday songs, and I’m glad that she chose to release a holiday single that features original lyrics rather than a rendition of a Christmas song that has already been sung by an uncountable amount of artists an uncountable amount of times.