Feature: These Violent Delights – A Playlist

One of my favorite coping mechanisms after getting my heart ripped out after reading a book is making a playlist, and I usually make my friends suffer through it with me. This time was no different — after I finished Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights, I instantly thought of some Taylor Swift songs that fit Roma and Juliette, and started sending them to Caitlyn (check out Caitlyn’s review for it here). We figured we’d expand on the playlist to share the pain. As always, this post is spoiler free, so we won’t be elaborating on why we picked the songs we did, or why they’re in this order, but you can always ask us on Twitter! Without further ado, here’s some songs that remind us of Roma and Juliette — and you can listen to the entire playlist here.

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Side A: “Is this a lie or the truth?”

Sparks Fly

My mind forgets to remind me

You’re a bad idea

You touch me once and it’s really something

You find I’m even better than you imagined I would be

I’m on my guard for the rest of the world

But with you I know it’s no good

And I could wait patiently but I really wish you would

Love Story

So I sneak out to the garden to see you

We keep quiet, ’cause we’re dead if they knew

So close your eyes

Escape this town for a little while

cowboy like me

Never thought I’d meet you here

It could be love

We could be the way forward

And I know I’ll pay for it

I Know Places

Baby, I know places we won’t be found

And they’ll be chasing their tails trying to track us down

‘Cause I, I know places we can hide

I know places, I know places

Cruel Summer

I’m drunk in the back of the car

And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar (oh)

Said, “I’m fine”, but it wasn’t true

I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you

And I, snuck in through the garden gate

Every night that summer just to seal my fate (oh)

And I screamed, “For whatever it’s worth”

“I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”

King of My Heart

Late in the night, the city’s asleep

Your love is a secret I’m hoping, dreaming, dying to keep

Change my priorities

The taste of your lips is my idea of luxury

Salute to me, I’m your American queen

Wildest Dreams

I said, “No one has to know what we do”

His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room

And his voice is a familiar sound

Nothing lasts forever

But this is gettin’ good now

State of Grace

This is the worthwhile fight

Love is a ruthless game

Unless you play it good and right

These are the hands of fate

You’re my Achilles heel

This is the golden age of something good

And right and real

Dancing with Our Hands Tied

You said there was nothing in the world that could stop it

I had a bad feeling

And darling, you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis

People started talking, putting us through our paces

I knew there was no one in the world who could take it

I had a bad feeling

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Side B: “How could she bear to think that he had loved her and yet destroyed her anyway?”

Wonderland

So we went on our way

Too in love to think straight

All alone, or so it seemed

But there were strangers watching

And whispers turned to talking

And talking turned to screams

Breathe

Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt

Every little bump in the road, I tried to swerve

But people are people and sometimes it doesn’t work out

Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out

White Horse

Maybe I was naive, got lost in your eyes

And never really had a chance

My mistake, I didn’t know to be in love

You had to fight to have the upper hand

I had so many dreams about you and me

Happy endings, now I know

A Perfectly Good Heart

Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?

Why would you wanna take our love and tear it all apart, now?

Why would you wanna make the very first scar?

Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?

Haunted

You and I walk a fragile line

I have known it all this time

But I never thought I’d live to see it break

It’s getting dark and its all too quiet

And I can’t trust anything now

And its comin’ over you like its all a big mistake

closure

It’s been a long time

And seeing the shape of your name

Still spells out pain

It wasn’t right

The way it all went down

Looks like you know that now

You’re Not Sorry

Looking so innocent

I might believe you if I didn’t know

Could’ve loved you all my life

If you hadn’t left me waiting in the cold

And you got your share of secrets

And I’m tired of being last to know

And now you’re asking me to listen

Cause it’s worked each time before

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Side C: “Mine to deal with, mine to destroy.” 

Bad Blood

Did you think we’d be fine?

Still got scars in my back from your knives

So don’t think it’s in the past

These kinds of wounds they last and they last

Now, did you think it all through?

All these things will catch up to you

And time can heal, but this won’t

So if you’re coming my way

Just don’t

Oh, it’s so sad to

Think about the good times

You and I

I Wish You Would

You always knew how to push my buttons 

You gave me everything and nothing 

This mad, mad love makes you come rushing 

Stand back where you stood 

I wish you would, I wish you would 

We’re a crooked love

In a straight line down

Guess you wanna run and hide

But it made us turn right back around

All You Had To Do Was Stay

Here you are now, calling me up

But I don’t know what to say

I’ve been picking up the pieces

Of the mess you made

People like you always want back

The love they pushed aside

But people like me are gone forever

When you say goodbye

Sad Beautiful Tragic

you’ve got your demons

And darling, they all look like me

‘Cause we had a beautiful magic love there

What a sad, beautiful, tragic love affair

august 

‘Cause you were never mine

But do you remember?

Remember when I pulled up and said “Get in the car”

And then canceled my plans just in case you’d call?

Back when I was livin’ for the hope of it all

All Too Well

‘Cause there we are again when I loved you so

Back before you lost the one real thing you’ve ever known

It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well

Come in With the Rain

I’ve watched you so long, screamed your name

I don’t know what else I can say

But I’ll leave my window open

‘Cause I’m too tired at night for all these games

Just know I’m right here hoping

That you’ll come in with the rain

Back to December 

You gave me all your love, and all I gave you was goodbye

So this is me swallowing my pride

Standing in front of you, saying I’m sorry for that night

betty

I showed up at your party

Will you have me?

Will you love me?

Will you kiss me on the porch

In front of all your stupid friends?

If you kiss me

Will it be just like I dreamed it?

Will it patch your broken wings?

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Side D: “Would you choose me still?”

tis the damn season

There’s an ache in you, put there by the ache in me

But if it’s all the same to you

It’s the same to me

So we could call it even

You could call me “babe” for the weekend

​’Tis the damn season, write this down

I’m stayin’ at my parents’ house

And the road not taken looks real good now

And it always leads to you and my hometown

cardigan

Marked me like a bloodstain, 

I knew you

Tried to change the ending

Peter losing Wendy, 

I knew you

Leavin’ like a father

Running like water,

And when you are young, they assume you know nothing

But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss

I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs

The smell of smoke would hang around this long

‘Cause I knew everything when I was young

I knew I’d curse you for the longest time

the 1 

But we were something, don’t you think so?

Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool

And if my wishes came true

It would’ve been you

In my defense, I have none

For never leaving well enough alone

But it would’ve been fun

If you would’ve been the one

I, I, I persist and resist the temptation to ask you

If one thing had been different

Would everything be different today?

Treacherous 

I can’t decide if it’s a choice 

Getting swept away

I hear the sound of my own voice

Asking you to stay

I Almost Do

Oh, we made quite a mess, babe

It’s probably better off this way

And I confess, babe

In my dreams, you’re touching my face

And asking me if I want to try again with you

And I almost do

Dress

Our secret moments

In a crowded room

They got no idea

About me and you

There is an indentation

In the shape of you

Made your mark on me

A golden tattoo

All of this silence and patience, pining and anticipation

My hands are shaking from holding back from you (ah, ah, ah)

All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting

My hands are shaking from all this (ha, ha, ha, ha)

willow

Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneakin’ in

As if you were a mythical thing

Like you were a trophy or a champion ring

And there was one prize I’d cheat to win

The more that you say, the less I know

Wherever you stray, I follow

I’m begging for you to take my hand

Wreck my plans, that’s my man

You know that my train could take you home

Anywhere else is hollow

This Love

This love is good, this love is bad

This love is alive back from the dead

These hands had to let it go free, and

This love came back to me

This love left a permanent mark

ivy

My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand

Taking mine, but it’s been promised to another

Oh, I can’t

Stop you putting roots in my dreamland

My house of stone, your ivy grows

And now I’m covered

invisible string

A string that pulled me

Out of all the wrong arms, right into that dive bar

Something wrapped all of my past mistakes in barbed wire

Chains around my demons

Wool to brave the seasons

One single thread of gold

Tied me to you

peace

All these people think love’s for show

But I would die for you in secret

The devil’s in the details, but you got a friend in me

Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?

Your integrity makes me seem small

You paint dreamscapes on the wall

I talk shit with my friends, it’s like I’m wasting your honor

And you know that I’d swing with you for the fences

Sit with you in the trenches

Give you my wild, give you a child

Give you the silence that only comes when two people understand each other

Family that I chose, now that I see your brother as my brother

Is it enough?

But there’s robbers to the east, clowns to the west

I’d give you my sunshine, give you my best

But the rain is always gonna come if you’re standin’ with me

False God

We were crazy to think

Crazy to think that this could work

Remember how I said I’d die for you?

We were stupid to jump

In the ocean separating us

Remember how I’d fly to you?

evermore

Can’t not think of all the cost

And the things that will be lost

Oh, can we just get a pause?

To be certain, we’ll be tall again

Whether weather be the frost

Or the violence of the dog days

I’m on waves, out being tossed

Is there a line that I could just go cross?

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Side E: “Must you ask? I loved you.”

hoax

My twisted knife
My sleepless night
My win-less fight
This has frozen my ground

Stood on the cliffside
Screaming, “Give me a reason”
Your faithless love’s the only hoax
I believe in

coney island

Break my soul in two looking for you

But you’re right here

If I can’t relate to you anymore

Then who am I related to?

And if this is the long haul

How’d we get here so soon?

Did I close my fist around something delicate?

Did I shatter you?

illicit affairs

You showed me colors you know I can’t see with anyone else

Don’t call me “kid,” don’t call me “baby”

Look at this idiotic fool that you made me

You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else

And you know damn well

For you, I would ruin myself

A million little times

happiness

Past the blood and bruise

Past the curses and cries

Beyond the terror in the nightfall

Haunted by the look in my eyes

That would’ve loved you for a lifetime

Leave it all behind

And there is happiness

Tell me, when did your winning smile

Begin to look like a smirk?

When did all our lessons start to look like weapons

Pointed at my deepest hurt?

Afterglow

Fighting with a true love is boxing with no gloves

Chemistry ’til it blows up, ’til there’s no us

Why’d I have to break what I love so much?

It’s on your face, and I’m to blame. 

Cold As You

You never did give a damn thing, honey

But I cried, cried for you

And I know you wouldn’t have told nobody if I died, died for you

Died for you

The Story Of Us

This is looking like a contest

Of who can act like they care less

But I liked it better when you were on my side

The battle’s in your hands now

But I would lay my armor down

If you’d say you’d rather love than fight

So many things that you wish I knew

But the story of us might be ending soon

Don’t Blame Me

For you, I would cross the line

I would waste my time

I would lose my mind

They say, “She’s gone too far this time”

Come Back…Be Here

This is falling in love in the cruelest way

This is falling for you and you are worlds away

my tears ricochet

And I can go anywhere I want

Anywhere I want

Just not home

And you can aim for my heart, go for blood

But you would still miss me in your bones

And I still talk to you

When I’m screaming at the sky

And when you can’t sleep at night

You hear my stolen lullabies

exile

I think I’ve seen this film before

And I didn’t like the ending

You’re not my homeland anymore

So what am I defending now?

You were my town, now I’m in exile, seein’ you out

I think I’ve seen this film before

So I’m leavin’ out the side door.

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Bonus Track: 

Okay, so Let’s Go (Battle) technically is unreleased (and in Cossette’s opinion, one of Taylor’s best unreleased songs), but we couldn’t help but put it on our list — We didn’t add it to the Spotify playlist, but you can listen to it here. Preferably after The Story of Us and before Don’t Blame Me, in Side E.

And I used to be on your side

Now it’s looking like we’re going to battle

And why you’re taking shots at me like

Somebody’s gonna give you a medal?

And I never wanna hurt you

But I’m tired of taking all these blows

And so I’d rather be on your side

But if you wanna fight

Baby let’s go, oh, oh

Let’s go, oh, oh.

Links for These Violent Delights: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | Indie Bound 

If you liked this playlist, or if you want to cry over These Violent Delights with Caitlyn and Cossette, let us know in the comments below, or on Twitter!