With the recent release of yet another masterpiece of an album, I think it’s time I reflect on my favorite lyrics. It is no secret that Taylor Swift is a lyrical genius who has captured every emotion through her words. In my eyes, everything that Taylor Swift has written deserves to be framed in a museum, so this may be a little biased. It was with great difficulty that I narrowed it down to eight lyrics and I apologize for every great lyric that I wasn’t able to mention.
- “They tell you while you’re young ‘girls go out and have your fun,’ then they hunt and slay the ones who actually do it.” -“Nothing New”
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Once again, Taylor has effortlessly explained another female dilemma. The girls who stay in are told they are wasting their best years. That this is their time to go out, have fun and make memories. Well, it doesn’t end there; the girls who do go out to have fun are shamed. Whether it’s slut shaming for the way they dress or judging their character for the nights they spend out, these girls are are considered irresponsible. She captures the essence that no matter the situation, society will always try to make women the issue.
- “ Told me all of my cages were mental so I got wasted like all my potential.” – “this is me trying”
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Republic To be simply said, society told Taylor all her issues were in her head and she was the problem. This disregard of what she was facing forced her to turn to alcohol as an escape. She gave into alcohol and lost her drive. In this song as a whole, she’s explaining that she is putting in effort regardless of what it may seem. This is a cry for those who don’t realize that sometimes even giving a little bit is a challenge and may be a hundred percent of what they have.
- “Past me I wanna tell you not to get lost in these petty things your nemeses will defeat themselves before you get the chance to swing.” -“long story short”
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When we were younger, any conflict seems like the end of the world. Any disagreement seems like a personal attack. But most importantly, we want to hurt the people who hurt us. We fixate on these people and get caught up in what they did to us. In the end, this doesn’t harm them; we just keep hurting ourselves more. Let go of these people because you don’t need your revenge. Honestly, life will get them all on its own before you can even plan your payback.
- “But I’m still on my tallest tiptoes spinnin’ in my highest heels, love,ˆ shinin just for you.” “mirrorball”
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Even when the night has ended, she continues to play a persona so that no one will leave her. This one is for all the people pleasers. All the people who will do anything to hold onto the friendships they have. Will do anything for one more laugh just to reassure themselves that they are likeable. She keeps spinning because it keeps the attention on her. She keeps shining so people won’t look away. Everything she is doing is for the attention of people and to keep people interested because she’s afraid that eventually everyone will leave.
- “So here I am in my new apartment In a big city, they just dropped me off.” -“Never Grow Up”
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After going through the phases of life, this specific lyric sets in how hard it is to grow up. As kids, we always dream of finally being on our own. Finally being able to make all of our own decisions. Once you get there, it might not be everything you dreamed. It’s a lot lonelier than you would’ve expected and more responsibility than you could ever imagine.
- “I wounded the good and trusted the wicked clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke.” -“Daylight”
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Taylor drove out the people who genuinely cared about her and was left with those who were trying to use her. The clean air is representative of the people who loved her and wanted the best for her. However, those that she chose to be her “friends” hurt her like smoke hurts the lungs. This “smoke” initially gave her some sort of high. In the moment, the fun was worth it; however, the damage they caused would be everlasting.
- “X marks the spot where we fell apart he poisoned the well, I was lying’ to myself.” -“Getaway Car”
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With this lyric, Taylor manages to paint a strong image. She remembers where the relationship went sour as well as the clear downfall. She’s also not willing to take the blame as she reasons he may have ruined the relationship before it even began. She states from the beginning he had “poisoned the well,” which means he had already created issues in the relationship. However, she does take the blame for ignoring the signs as she accepts that throughout the relationship she was lying to herself.
- “So make the friendship bracelets take the moment and taste it you’ve got no reason to be afraid.” -“You’re On Your Own, Kid”
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Photo by Francis Specker / CBS In all honesty, I think this lyric speaks for itself. Live in the moment because you can’t always protect yourself from the future. What’s bound to happen will happen, so all you can do is enjoy the moments you have now. At the end of the day, if the only person you have is yourself that will be more than enough.
I can honestly say that Taylor’s music has spoken to me more than any book, movie or show. The way she effortlessly presents complex emotions allows listeners to relate and finally feel heard. Even though some of her lyrics may be more difficult to interpret than others, we all know that Taylor always gives us the most meaningful music. So can we please have Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) soon?