Taylor Swift’s newest album is anything but simple. From the rollout of a secret double release to candid name-drops, Swift has once again given her fans numerous tracks to pour over and memorize. Here’s a glimpse into her lyrical web, where each song is a thread that connects thematic elements from the past and present.
“This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” & “thanK you aIMee”: Burned bridges stay scorched
“Reputation” is widely considered Swift’s magnum opus because of how it resurrected her public image. In “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” she hints at enemies far past the point of forgiveness.
“And here’s to you / ‘Cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do. / I can’t even say it with a straight face.”
In “thanK you aIMee,” with its conspicuous capitalization spelling out “K-I-M,” the lyrics read like a follow-through of the “reputation” jab.
“But I dreamed that, one day, I could say / All that time you were throwin’ punches, I was buildin’ somethin’ / And I can’t forgive the way you made me feel.”
Swift touches upon the theme of forgiveness again only to reject its possibility — but this time around, she’s on the seven-year upend after massively rebounding from the controversial events, rumors and gossip that fueled “reputation” in the first place.
“The Lucky One” & “Clara Bow”: Cost of celebrity, gut-wrenching glory
“Red” is largely characterized by its catchy, radio bops, but within the album is underrated gem The “Lucky One,” a mellow piece compared to its preceding tracks.
“And all the young things line up to take your place / Another name goes up in lights / Like diamonds in the sky / And they’ll tell you now, you’re the lucky one.”
Fast forward over 12 years later to “Clara Bow,” where Swift sings:
“They all want to say / This town is fake but you’re the real thing / Breath of fresh air through smoke rings / Take the glory, give everything / Promise to be dazzling.”
Both songs critique the entertainment industry’s exploitative attitude towards young female stars. Both songs use a second-person perspective as if calling you, and only you, to the limelight. Swift’s ambiguous third-party “they” encourages this acceptance of fame, framing it as a unique honor and testament to a rising name.
“They” see you as the shiny new thing, rinse and repeat.
However, “Clara Bow” takes the theme a step further. While “The Lucky One” remains vague and only alludes to aged-out celebrities, the TTPD track refers to Clara Bow herself, a heavily scrutinized “It Girl” from the early 20th century with publicized mental health struggles. Later, Swift cites herself as the model which people disparage to uplift the up-and-coming generation.
Thus, she alludes to this cyclic nature of fame and how it largely places an expiration date on stars.
“Clean,” “Daylight” & “The Black Dog”: Loving a flawed relationship
From three different eras, these three tracks hint at imperfections in a relationship that just don’t push the singer away.
“Clean”: “Rain came pouring / Down when I was drowning, and that’s when I could finally breathe.”
“Daylight”: “I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked / Clearing the air, I breathed in the smoke.”
“The Black Dog”: “Old habits die screaming / Six weeks of breathing clean air / I still miss the smoke.”
Swift’s natural imagery suggests that even with awareness of a troubling relationship, there is an enduring bond that transcends the struggle.
“right where you left me” & “I Look In People’s Windows”: Periods of stasis
In December 2022, Variety ranked the “evermore” bonus track “right where you left me” as Swift’s eighth-best song of all time. Overshadowed by the smash quarantine hit “folklore” and relegated to the “extras” section, “right where you left me” details a narrator who is stuck in time, unable to move forward in her life.
“Help, I’m still at the restaurant / Still sitting in a corner I haunt / Cross-legged in the dim light / They say, ‘What a sad sight.’”
“I Look in People’s Windows” adopts a similar perspective. The narrator is unable to abandon the throes of her past. The track follows her as she sees other people live their lives. Yet she remains transfixed and always the watcher.
“So I look in people’s windows / Like I’m some deranged weirdo / I attend Christmas parties from outside.”
“Speak Now,” “mirrorball,” “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”: Being seen and heard
Swift is no stranger to spectacle, especially embodying one. From the “Speak Now” era to the present day, she has broadened her scope of spectatorship.
“Speak Now” is a sharp-tongued articulation of interrupting a wedding to profess love to the groom. She only addresses him, even though her actions spark abhorrence from the wedding guests.
“I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me / Horrified looks from everyone in the room / But I’m only lookin’ at you.”
Swift evolves to more of a traditional, expected spectacle in “mirrorball.” She’s aware of her performance, yet the only person she cares about is the one individual.
“When they sent home the horses / And the rodeo clowns / I’m still on that tightrope / I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me.”
The singer continues the circus motif four years after “folklore,” the span of which has kept her in the spotlight after releasing the most amount of music ever before.
“Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream / Who’s afraid of little old me? / I was tame, I was gentle ‘til the circus life made me mean.”
However, she refuses to glamorize her role as a circus performer. Swift envisions herself as the unwelcome, uncomfortable party-crasher.
“cardigan” & “Peter”: No heroes here
“cardigan,” and its folklorian greater whole, came from the COVID lockdown, in which Swift imagined fictitious worlds, characters and places that never existed.
“I knew you / Tried to change the ending / Peter losing Wendy.”
In “cardigan,” Swift laments — albeit from the fictionalized perspective of high school Betty — of a lover who fell into the Peter Pan trope who chose eternal adolescence over anything else.
TTPD’s “Peter” is a direct response to the song. With the title, Swift compares her lover to Peter Pan of Neverland.
“Said you were gonna grow up / Then you were gonna come find me / Words from the mouths of babes / Promises oceans deep.”
Swift reiterates the theme of aging, but the “words of babes” are meaningless now.
“You Belong with Me” & “So High School”: Adolescent love
Arguably the most popular song in Swift’s discography is “You Belong With Me,” a wistful tune that takes listeners back to high school, where a crush is like no other. It’s amplified and narrowed at the same time. It’s embarrassing and heartstopping, altogether.
“She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers / Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find / That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.”
Well over 15 years have passed since the “Fearless” track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts. Now, Swift’s claim to being the next-door-girl is a little bit more difficult at this stage in her life. But there is something about high school and high school love that is magical and worth remembering forever.
“I’m trying to stifle my sighs / ‘Cause I feel so high school / Every time I look at you / But look at you.”