Taylor Swift: Best Lyrics
Once again, it’s time for me to talk about my favourite artist - Taylor Swift.
She’s been making waves recently. She’s currently making her way round the world on her record-breaking Eras Tour (yes, I do have tickets to go next year), she recently became one of only two artists to hit 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify (The Weeknd is the other one) AND she’s announced 1989 Taylor’s Version, which comes out October 27th. It was also announced earlier this week that she’s releasing The Eras Tour Concert Film, which comes out October 13th in America, with international release coming at an unspecified later date.
So basically, she’s doing the most. As much as I would love to talk about how amazing and successful Taylor Swift is (believe me, I could go on forever) what I’m actually going to look at today are what I consider to be her best lyrics. To be honest, they’re a mixture of my favourite lyrics and some that I think are just objectively really good. I’ll be going through, album by album, picking out my favourite lyrics and explaining a bit about why I like them, and anything interesting about the actual lyrics themselves. I’ll just be looking at my favourite/the best Taylor Swift lyrics here, but I plan to write a blog in a few months dedicated entirely to parallels between her lyrics. I touched on it in my Midnights Lyrical Analysis blog but it’ll be much more detailed. Let’s get started!
Taylor Swift (2006)
Known colloquially as Debut or Self-Titled, Taylor Swift is her first full length album. She’d released EPs previously, but this record was her true debut. All Taylor had was blonde curls, a fake country accent and a dream.
I don’t listen to a whole lot of country music, but this album is definitely what got me into what I do listen to. I feel this album is often overlooked, or underrated. It’s her first album, and with so many incredible albums and achievements following debut, people often forget about the album that started it all. Plus, there’s no debut set on the Eras Tour which is, quite frankly, a crime.
There are some fantastic lyrics on this album, so let’s get into it.
Cold As You
“You come away with a great little story/Of a mess of a dreamer, with the nerve to adore you.”
Honestly one of the best lyrics Taylor Swift has ever written, in my opinion. Like hello?? Baby Taylor absolutely scathing in her lyric choices. Cold As You is lyrically one of the best songs on this album. The entire song is hits hard, but this is just my personal favourite lyric. The song is about a doomed relationship and you can feel the bitterness seeping into every single line. Taylor has said that this is lyrically her favourite song on this album, and I have to say I agree.
Invisible
“But you can’t see me wanting you the way you want her/But you are everything to me”
I love anything that involves yearning. Song, book, TV show, it doesn’t matter. If there’s yearning I’m here for it. Invisible is just that. The song is from Taylor’s perspective of wanting someone who wants another girl. It’s got similar themes to You Belong With Me; of feeling like you don’t have a chance because the person you like doesn’t even see you because they’re so caught up on someone else.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (2008/2021)
Fearless was first released in 2008 but as Taylor is making her way through rereleasing her music, the updated record Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was released in 2021. It contained all the original tracks, plus six songs ‘From The Vault’. These were songs that Taylor wrote at the time, but didn’t include on the original album for whatever reason.
Fearless is what really catapulted Taylor into mainstream fame. It contains the timeless classics Love Story and You Belong With Me, which are two of her most recognisable and well-known songs. As much as I love them, I won’t be exploring those two songs as most of my favourite lyrics lie elsewhere.
Fearless
“But you’re just so cool, run your hands through your hair/Absentmindedly making me want you”
I have to include the title track of this album on this list. Fearless is in my top three songs on this album, and it’s mostly because of this lyric. Taylor has this ability to make even the most mundane things sound like the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard in your life.
In this single lyric she’s captured exactly what it feels like at the very beginning of a relationship where every little thing they do just makes you want them even more.
The Way I Loved You
“I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain/And it’s 2am and I’m cursing your name”
It may not depict the healthiest of relationships, but this song definitely talks about an interesting one. I love this song, and this lyric in particular, because it’s not just talking about all the good bits you miss in a relationship. In this song, Taylor compares her new relationship who is, by all accounts, boring and monotonous, to her previous relationship. She’s saying that she misses the previous relationship because “[she] never knew [she] could feel that much”.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (2010/2023)
Speak Now, Taylor’s third album and first entirely self-written. Only 19 years old and writing an entire album completely by herself - that’s talent. If you wanted to go through the struggle of finding out which of Taylor’s albums is the fan favourite, there’s a high possibility it’ll be this one. With songs like Better Than Revenge, Sparks Fly, and the number 1 fan song Long Live, who doesn’t love this album?
Dear John
“And I lived in your chess game/But you changed the rules every day”
Oof, this song is powerful from start to finish. This song is about a manipulative relationship (widely believed to be Taylor’s relationship with John Mayer due to the name of the song) and how the speaker finally got out of the relationship before it really was too late.
I like this lyric in particular because it really demonstrates just how manipulative the relationship actually was. Chess is difficult at the best of times (I know the basic rules but am by no means a good player) but changing the rules everyday would literally make it impossible. This is, of course, a metaphor for how the other person was controlling and inconsistent in their expectations, making it difficult to survive in the relationship.
I Can See You (From The Vault)
“And I could see you being my addiction/You can see me as a secret mission”
The first Vault track of this list! This song was only released this year, with the music video premiering at an Eras Tour show.
This song is about two people who have a mutual attraction, but haven’t acted on it yet. Based on the entire song, I would say it’s about Liz Huett (one of Taylor’s ex back up singers) but there’s argument to be made for various other people, too. I love this lyric because it speaks to the secretive nature of the non-relationship and how the two people are dancing around each other whilst trying to avoid being noticed by everyone around them.
Red (Taylor’s Version) (2012/2021)
Taylor’s official foray into the pop genre! This is admittedly, my favourite album of Taylor’s, but I’ve narrowed my choices down to two separate lyrics for the sake of brevity. This album was long to begin with, but with the added vault tracks there’s now a total of 30 tracks. You can understand why I had trouble whittling it down to only two lyrics.
Red
“Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes/Tell myself it’s time now, gotta let go”
I’m back at it again with the title track. This song is depicts the feelings you have looking back on a failed relationship and I feel this lyric specifically really captures that. After a relationship is over, it’s always the most random things that remind you of that person after, hence the “flashbacks and echoes”. But also, once you get to that point, it’s a good time to let go, because it no longer hurts as much.
All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (From The Vault)
“And there we are again when nobody had to know/You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath”
You know I had to do it. I couldn’t make this list without including a lyric from the infamous ten minute version of All Too Well. The implications of this lyric are so heartbreaking. It shocked me to the core the first time I heard this line and, to be fair, it’s still a complete gut punch. Like?? Jake Gyllenhaal I’m in your walls.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) (2014/2023)
1989, pop perfection. I know we actually have the cover art for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) but as the album isn’t out until October, I’ll wait til then to update it. It always makes me laugh that Taylor made the year she was born her entire brand, despite the fact, being born in December, she was only alive for about three weeks of that year. Anyway, god bless Dianna Agron for inspiring this sheer pop brilliance.
I genuinely couldn’t choose which one of the original 1989 songs to get rid of so I would still have two songs from each album so instead you get three for 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Also, I genuinely forgot I’d written this before 1989 (Taylor’s Version) came out, which is why I’m only updating it now, since I came here to add TTPD lyrics.
Blank Space
“Cause, darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream”
Absolute banger of a lyric, to be honest. No notes. The whole song is incredible, but something about this lyric specifically makes me go feral. Like what normal person thinks of writing something like that? I’m sorry butt Blank Space is THE pop song.
You Are In Love
“And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars/And why I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words”
I LOVE this song. You Are In Love is such a beautiful song, I cannot get enough of it. But this line specifically is just so chefs kiss. Like, trying to describe that kind of love can be hard, but somehow Taylor manages to do it effortlessly.
Suburban Legends (From The Vault)
“When you hold me, it holds me together/And you kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever”
This is my absolute favourite of the vault tracks and it still holds up after months, I actually don’t think I’ll ever get bored of this song, it’s so wistful and I love it. I’m also pretty certain I used this lyric in my 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Analysis, so I will attempt to say something different about it.
Gotta say I’m still obsessed with this lyric in particular. It just so 🤌🏻🤌🏻. I WISH someone would kiss me in a way that’s gonna affect me for the rest of my goddamn life. This lyric isn’t even negative. It reminds me of Letters to Juliet if any of you have seen that film. That’s what this lyric is. Vanessa Redgrave travels up and down Italy looking for the guy she spent a summer with 50 goddamn years ago because he affected her that much. They do, of course, reunite and get married at the end of the film. Feel like I need that in my life.
Reputation (2017)
Best comeback in music history. No competition, at all. This entire album SLAPS. There’s not one bad song on it. 17 tracks of pure perfection. Taylor really had one chance to burst back onto the music scene, and god did she succeed.
I Did Something Bad
“They’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one”
A banger of a song. The implications of this lyric specifically are interesting. Of course, everyone knows about Taylor’s ‘downfall’ after the 1989 era. If you don’t, let me know in the comments and I’ll consider writing a blog specifically about that. But anyway, this lyric speaks to the vilification Taylor, and many other women, have experienced in the press and on social media whether there’s a valid reason for it or not. (Spoiler alert: there almost never is). See also: The Man by Taylor Swift
Dress
“Carve your name into my bedpost/I don’t want you like a best friend”
Look, I’m gonna say it. This is queer. This is a queer lyric. No straight girl has every said ‘I don’t want you like a best friend’ to a man they’re romantically interested in. Besides, Taylor has only had one person she’s publicly, and consistently called her best friend, and that’s Karlie Kloss. Please enjoy this powerpoint (which I did not create) about how Reputation is about Karlie Kloss if you’d like to know more.
ANYWAY, besides the fact that this lyric is queer af, I like it for other reasons. Namely, I enjoy the imagery of something permanent, like carving someone’s name into your bedpost. It’s like, even if the relationship doesn’t last, you still have the reminder that it happened.
Lover (2019)
A marked change in both sound and aesthetic from Reputation. People seem to confuse aesthetic with emotion, which is particularly evident when they talk about Reputation and Lover. Despite the dark aesthetic and sound of Reputaton, if you listen to the lyrics, it’s actually a happier album than Lover. Just something to think about.
Cruel Summer
“And I scream for whatever it’s worth/“I love you” ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”
If I could, I would’ve included the entire bridge of this song. It’s just sheer brilliance, and perfect for screaming at the top of your lungs. I have nothing particularly deep and meaningful to say about this lyric, just that it slaps and I love it.
Death By A Thousand Cuts
“But if the story is over/Why am I still writing pages?”
What a hard hitting line, right? For a little wider context, Taylor has a song called The Story Of Us, on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) which includes the comparison of a relationship to a story; it’s something of a recurring theme. This lyric just hits hard because it takes you to the mindset of ‘yeah, we broke up, but what if…’ which I really like.
folklore (2020)
We’ve reached Taylor’s pandemic era. ‘Not a lot going on at the moment’ - this woman has never told the truth in her entire life. This album is lyrically Taylor’s best album, in my opinion. Which, unfortunately, made picking only two lyrics incredibly difficult. But, I managed.
cardigan
“I knew I’d curse you for the longest time/Chasing shadows in the grocery line”
I won’t lie, my actual favourite lyric of this song is part of the original lyrics, which did not make it to recording. But anyway, I’ll talk about this lyric. We’re back at it again with the tumultuous relationship. This song is part of three, which form a love triangle. This song is from Betty’s perspective, we have august, from an unnamed person’s POV (known within the fandom as August or Augustine) and then betty, which is from James’ perspective.
I love this lyric because it really captures what happens after you have a bad break/break up. You spend ages and ages basically hating the other person, but still looking for them everywhere.
this is me trying
“They told me all of my cages were mental/So I got wasted like all my potential”
Where are my depressed girlies at? Besides the fact that this song is extremely relatable, this lyric has particular significance. folklore is supposedly fictional, for the most part, but this song is just too real to be about something that hasn’t happened. “I got wasted like all my potential” is such a raw fucking line, I don’t know how Taylor does it.
evermore (2020)
Part 2 of Taylor Swift’s pandemic writing venture. And just as good as the first one. I personally prefer folklore as an entire album, but of the two of them my favourite songs are on evermore if that makes sense? Taylor really gave us two albums in the span of a year just because she had nothing else to do. And what did I do during lockdown? I watched all 15 seasons of Criminal Minds in three months.
‘tis the damn season
“And the road not taken looks real good now/And it always leads to you and my hometown”
This song is my top three favourite on this album. This lyric is fascinating to me. The entire song talks about getting together with someone you used to know, but only for the weekend. The road not taken, in this instance, being getting together with someone she used to have a mutual attraction with but never did anything about. The use of “always” here is interesting too. All this time later and you’re still holding a candle for one person from your hometown you didn’t even date?
long story short
“And we live in peace/But if someone comes at us/This time I’m ready”
LOVE this song. This lyric is so good. The song is all about learning from experience and realising that sometimes there are battles you just can’t win. But you can find fulfilment in other places. And this line specifically speaks to finding someone you care about so much that you’re willing to go to bat for them when something else happens.
Midnights (2022)
Decided to switch it up an use the ‘Til Dawn Edition, mostly because it gives me more songs to work with. This album is some of Taylor’s greatest work. Songs like You’re On Your Own, Kid, The Great War and Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve are just incomparable to anything else she’s ever done. Let’s get into the lyrics.
Mastermind
“And I swear/I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ‘cause I care”
She’s right, and she should say it. I know being Machiavellian is generally seen as a negative thing, but this is one of Taylor Swift’s best lyrics simply because it’s true. She spends a whole lot of her time scheming and planting easter eggs for us to find. It’s fun and I like it.
Hits Different
“Bet I could still melt your world/Argumentative, antithetical dream girl”
We’re being gay again. Swear I almost had a stroke the first time I heard this song. Taylor’s never so overtly sung about a woman in this way before. This song is post-breakup, but not quite enough time has passed for the speaker to move on, she’s still bitter and can’t stand the thought of them not being together. The “Argumentative, antithetical dream girl” is the opposite of the “main guy”, the speaker of the song. The phrase itself seems negative, but the argumentative and antithetical qualities of the girl seem to have challenged the speaker in just the right way for a romantic relationship to form
The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology (2024)
We’re doing the double version of this album lads, it gives me more songs to work with. This album came out just over a week ago and I’ve been listening to it exclusively since then. I’m going to make a controversial yet brave statement and say that this is Taylor’s best work to date. It’s her longest album so picking best lyrics was HARD for this, but I’ve given it my best shot.
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
“But you are what you did/And I’ll forget you , but I’ll never forgive”
I love this lyric because it echoes two previous songs by Taylor:
Innocent
“Who you are is not what you did”
Bad Blood
“You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go”
She’s twisted both of these lyrics to suggest the opposite in The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, and I think that shows personal growth. Because she’s no longer a teenager and easily talked over, she doesn’t have to forgive people any more and she certainly doesn’t have to excuse people’s behaviour anymore. It’s refreshing actually.
The Manuscript
“Now and then I reread the manuscript/But the story isn’t mine anymore”
This is the very last song on the album, and these are the very last lyrics in that song. I believe this lyric sums up the album and Taylor’s discography as a whole. If you think about it, you’ll understand just what this song is about.
To me, this lyric means that once Taylor has written about her experiences and put her records out, the story becomes all of ours as well. I’m sure there’s more pages missing from the manuscript than we know, but I consider it a great privilege to have been given as much as we have.
Final Thoughts
That’s all! I hope you enjoyed this journey through the Eras with me. It was very hard to whittle down over 200 fantastic songs into picking just two lyrics from each album. If you all like this kind of blog, perhaps I’ll do a part two at some point.
My next Taylor Swift blog won’t be for a couple of months, but I’ll be looking at theme and lyric parallels. So, if you have any favourites, let me know in the comments and I’ll try to include them.
