 Genius Meanings
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Taylor Swift – the 1
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“the 1,” the second single from the album, centers around the nostalgic remembrance of myths and lost loves. Taylor contemplates an alternate life in which her old wishes had “come
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Taylor Swift – Last Kiss
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In this emotional ballad, Taylor describes her feelings surrounding her break up with Jonas Brothers member Joe Jonas. The secret message for this song is “forever and always
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Taylor Swift – Anti-Hero
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Described by Taylor herself as “one of my favorite songs that I have ever written”, “Anti-Hero” is the scintillating lead single from Midnights, her tenth studio album. Largely
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Taylor Swift – Cruel Summer
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“Cruel Summer” narrates the fragility and uncertainty at the beginning of Taylor’s relationship with Joe Alwyn. The two met officially at the Met Gala in May 2016, although she was
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Bon Iver) – evermore
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The titular closing track on the standard edition of evermore is a meditative piano ballad tracking the narrator’s journey from a seemingly unending period of deep depression and
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Taylor Swift – Death By A Thousand Cuts
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“Death By A Thousand Cuts” compares the possible break-up of a relationship to a slow, painful death. It was inspired by the Netflix film Someone Great, rather than an aspect of
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Fall Out Boy) – Electric Touch (Taylor's Version) [From The Vault]
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“Electric Touch” sees Swift and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy long for hope, vulnerability, and the uncertainty of new love while they also share their perspectives on the
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Taylor Swift – I Almost Do
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“I Almost Do,” is a song that describes the internal conflict that goes on when reminiscing about a romance. Taylor commented on the song saying—
“I Almost Do'” is a song I wrote
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Taylor Swift – cardigan
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Accompanied by the release of her project written and recorded during the lockdown due to COVID-19, “cardigan” is the lead single from Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album, folklore.
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Taylor Swift – Dear John (Taylor's Version)
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[Verse 1] / Long were the nights / When my days once revolved around you / Counting my footsteps / Prayin' the floor won't fall through again / And my mother accused me of losin
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Gary Lightbody) – The Last Time
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This song ties into the theme of what can happen throughout a relationship similar to one in songs like “I Almost Do” or “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”. The relationship
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Taylor Swift – How You Get The Girl
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Taylor Swift unveiled a little snippet of this song in her Diet Coke ad.
https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/522413036729298944
The song works as an advice to a guy who
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Taylor Swift – Hits Different
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“Hits Different” was a bonus track on the Target-exclusive Midnights: Lavender Edition. However, due to requests from fans, Taylor announced on May 24, 2023 that the track would be
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Taylor Swift – the lakes
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Per the unforeseen announcement of Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album “folklore” and the subsequent release of the album’s track list, “the lakes” is the featured bonus track on
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Taylor Swift – Stay Beautiful
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“Stay Beautiful” is a cute, heartfelt song about a boy Taylor had a crush on in high school. It epitomizes high school relationships, acknowledging that things may not work out
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Chris Stapleton) – I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version) [From the Vault]
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In “I Bet You Think About Me,” Taylor confronts her ex now that she was able to move on, knowing he still hasn’t. Using an angry and disappointed tone, Taylor puts the blame on her
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Taylor Swift – Ronan
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Swift wrote “Ronan” about a three-year-old boy named Ronan Thompson, who died of neuroblastoma after an eight-month battle in 2011. Ronan’s mother, Maya Thompson, who gets credit
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Tim McGraw (Ft. Keith Urban & Taylor Swift) – Highway Don't Care
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Three of country’s brightest stars team up for a song about both relationships and road safety. Tim McGraw tells a story in which a not-so-great driver is distracted, and turns on
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Taylor Swift – august
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“august” is another folklore track produced with Swift’s frequent collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff, who called the song one of his “favorite things [they’ve] done together.”
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Taylor Swift – my tears ricochet
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Swift shared via Instagram that “my tears ricochet” is about an “embittered tormentor showing up at the funeral of his fallen object of obsession.” She revealed in a YouTube
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Taylor Swift – Our Song
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Swift solely composed “Our Song” for the talent show of her freshman year in high school.. It’s about Taylor’s first boyfriend, Drew Dunlop. It was included on Taylor Swift due to
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The National (Ft. Taylor Swift) – The Alcott
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“The Alcott” is the final single from The National’s ninth studio album First Two Pages of Frankenstein .
Matt Berninger was inspired by his wife, Carin Besser, for the concept of
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Taylor Swift – Come Back... Be Here
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On “Come Back…Be Here”, Swift croons about a lover lost to time over a simple production reminiscent of her Speak Now days. On the deluxe version of Red, it appears as the 18th
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Ed Sheeran) – Everything Has Changed
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“Everything Has Changed” is a song about realizing your life has flipped upside down after falling for someone new. The track appears on Taylor’s fourth album, Red, and features
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Bon Iver) – exile
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“exile” describes two ex-lovers seeing each other following a break-up. Justin Vernon describes feelings of confusion about how quickly a lover moved on, while Swift offers a
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Taylor Swift – Clean
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In an interview with Elle magazine, Taylor said the following about “Clean”:
“Clean” I wrote as I was walking out of Liberty in London. Someone I used to date— it hit me that I’d
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Taylor Swift – Call It What You Want
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“Call It What You Want” was first announced on social media on November 2nd, 2017, which was coincidentally the 13th anniversary of Taylor meeting the man who signed her to Big
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Taylor Swift – invisible string
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“invisible string” references an east Asian folk myth about a red thread of fate tying two soulmates together. Like on Swift’s 2019 track “Lover,” she expresses gratitude for past
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Taylor Swift (Ft. Lana Del Rey) – Snow On The Beach
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In “Snow On the Beach”, Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey sing about the rare phenomenon of two lovers simultaneously falling in love with each other. The song’s heart-warming lyrics
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HAIM & Taylor Swift – Gasoline (Remix)
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[Verse 1: HAIM] / You took me back / But you shouldn't have / Now it's your fault if I mess around / I took a drag / But I shouldn't have / Now I'm coughin' up like I never smoked
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Taylor Swift – Mean (Taylor's Version)
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[Verse 1] / You, with your words like knives / And swords and weapons that you use against me / You have knocked me off my feet again / Got me feelin' like a nothing / You, with
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Taylor Swift – dorothea
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“dorothea” is the eighth song on evermore, as well as the first song that Taylor Swift wrote for this album.
Swift referred to the titular character as a “girl who left her small
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Taylor Swift – betty
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“betty” touches on the aftermath of “august,” which describes a summer love that was doomed from the start. Listeners learn that while the summer affair was going on, the speaker
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Taylor Swift – Maroon
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“Maroon” is the second song on Taylor Swift’s tenth album Midnights. It has similarities to “Red” and “Clean.”
While “Red” describes a love that was “burning red,” this track is a
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Taylor Swift – Labyrinth
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[Verse 1] / "It only hurts this much right now" / Was what I was thinkin' the whole time / Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out / I'll be gettin' over you my
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Taylor Swift – Tim McGraw
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“Tim McGraw,” which Taylor wrote in her freshman math class, was her debut single and first-ever published song. At the time, she was dating a senior named Drew Dunlap and believed
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Taylor Swift – Message In A Bottle (Taylor's Version) [From The Vault]
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“Message In A Bottle (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” is Swift’s admission of fascination and admiration for a new potential lover. Although frightening, this new infatuation
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Taylor Swift – Gorgeous
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“Gorgeous” describes a fully intoxicating infatuation in the form of seemingly unrequited love. The man in Taylor’s attention is so impossibly attractive, she feels compelled to be
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Taylor Swift (Ft. The Civil Wars) – Safe & Sound
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Inspired by the first Hunger Games movie, “Safe & Sound” is a lullaby sung by Katniss' character to her 12-year-old sister Prim. In the song, Katniss promises to protect her and
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Taylor Swift – Girl at Home
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“Girl at Home” is a song off the deluxe edition of Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album, Red.
Taylor describes a man who attempted to hit on her even though he already had a
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Taylor Swift – Delicate
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Much like “Gorgeous,” “Delicate” sees Taylor taking a more hesitant approach while pursuing a new man, likely Joe Alwyn, her boyfriend as of the song’s release. Sonically, the
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Taylor Swift – Afterglow
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In “Afterglow,” Taylor sings about self-sabotaging a relationship, overreacting about a misunderstanding. Taking blame for the fight, she asks for forgiveness from her partner in
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Taylor Swift – Cornelia Street
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“Cornelia Street” focuses on the central role the Manhattan street played in Taylor’s memories of an early relationship. Taylor really did rent an apartment on the street in 2016
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Taylor Swift – Enchanted
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“Enchanted” details Taylor’s infatuation with Owl City’s Adam Young, who Taylor corresponded with via email for quite some time. When she finally met him in New York City, she was
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Taylor Swift – Treacherous (Taylor's Version)
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[Verse 1] / Put your lips close to mine / As long as they don't touch / Out of focus, eye to eye / 'Til the gravity's too much / And I'll do anything you say / If you say it with
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Taylor Swift – Lover
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The title track of Lover was first unveiled in Swift’s September 2019 Vogue cover story, along with a pair of lyrics from its bridge. The interviewer described the song as a “
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