The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version) Lyrics
You should've been there
Should've burst through the door
With that "Baby, I'm right here" smile
And it would've felt like
A million little shining stars that just align
And I would've been so happy
Christmas lights glisten
I've got my eye on the door
Just waitin' for you to walk in
But the time is tickin'
People ask me how I've been
As I comb back through my memory
How you said you'd be here
You said you'd be here
[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick
With no one to impress
And they're all laughin'
As I'm lookin' around the room
But therе was one thing missin'
And that was the moment I knеw
And the hours pass by
Now I just wanna be alone
But your close friends always seem to know
When there's somethin' really wrong
So they follow me down the hall
And there in the bathroom
I try not to fall apart
And the sinking feelin' starts
As I say hopelessly
"He said he'd be here"
[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick
With no one to impress
And they're all laughin'
And asking me about you
But there was one thing missin'
And that was the moment I knew
[Bridge]
What do you say
When tears are streaming down your face
In front of everyone you know?
And what do you do
When the one who means the most to you
Is the one who didn't show?
You should've been here
And I would've been so happy
[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick
With no one to impress
And they're all standin' around me, singin'
"Happy birthday to you"
But there was one thing missin'
And that was the moment I knew
[Post-Chorus]
(Oh) Oh, I knew
(Oh)
[Outro]
You called me later
And said, "I'm sorry I didn't make it"
And I said, "I'm sorry too"
And that was the moment I knew
About
“The Moment I Knew” is the 17th track of the re-recorded album “Red” by Taylor Swift.
The song describes the feelings Swift felt when her boyfriend at the time, the actor Jake Gyllenhaal, did not arrive to her 21st birthday party.
In an interview with Swift by Yahoo Music she shared:
‘The Moment I Knew’ was a song about my 21st birthday party, which was the worst experience ever.
There are also some connection between this song to the 10 minute version of “All Too Well”, in which Swift expressed her feelings after her birthday party.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“The Moment I Knew” was a really difficult song for my friends and family to listen to, because it was about my 21st birthday party, and it was not a good party, as you can hear in the song. It was standing there, waiting for someone to show up who never did. It was a song that I felt was really important to put out for people to hear, because nobody likes that feeling of waiting for somebody who’s never gonna walk through the door.
— Swift via a Red (Track by Track) YouTube video.
Taylor told a little about the meaning of the song in an interview with Yahoo Music:
‘The Moment I Knew’ was a song about my 21st birthday party, which was the worst experience ever.
The song debuted at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the week ending November 26, 2021.
- 17.The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version)
