The Lovely Lance

Anyone that knows me, knows that I’m a huge Swiftie. That’s right, I said it. I am not ashamed of my love for Taylor Swift’s music. I began listening to her music in 2006, when I was introduced during a project on alliteration in my 8^th grade ELA class. Keep in mind that I am currently 27, so I’ve followed her career almost 14 years!

    Whether you’re a casual fan, a hardcore Swiftie, or a skeptic, I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors that all she does is write about men, her relationships, and her heartbreaks. This is absolutely untrue; in addition to the fact that many singer-songwriters write the majority of their songs about love. That’s an article for another time…

     In honor of Folklore being released tonight (EEK! A surprise album!), I have created a list of 16 common themes from her music and provided a few songs and lyrics for each. I want to preface this with the fact that I left out the majority of radio singles, as many people have already heard these! I also tried to only use each song once per category, despite many of them having overlapping themes or concepts. Having an emotion? There’s a Taylor Swift song for that 😉    

Acceptance and moving on

Begin Again (Red)

“I’ve been spending the last 8 months thinking all lover ever does is break, burn, and end. But on a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again”

Daylight (Lover)

“Maybe I’ve stormed out of every single room in this town. Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it’s morning now, it’s brighter now”

I Forgot That You Existed (Lover)

“Your name on my lips, tongue tied. Free rent, livin’ in my mind, but then something happened one magical night. I forgot that you existed and I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t” “

Keeping a relationship a secret

I Know Places (1989)

“Love’s a fragile little flame, it could burn out. ‘Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes, and guns. They are the hunters, we are the foxes, and we run”

Dancing With Our Hands Tied (Reputation)

“I could’ve spent forever with your hands in my pockets, picture of your face in an invisible locket. You said there was nothing in the world that could stop it, I had a bad feeling”

Call It What You Want (Reputation)

“All my flowers grew back as thorns. Windows boarded up after the storm, he built a fire just to keep my warm. All the drama queens taking swings, all the jokers dressing up as kings, they fade to nothing when I look at him”

Handling anxiety

Out of the Woods (1989)

“Remember when we couldn’t take the heat. I walked out, I said ‘I’m setting you free’, but the monsters turned out to be just trees”

The Archer (Lover)

“I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible smoke and all of my heroes die all alone, help me hold onto you”

Support for eating disorders

Tied Together with a Smile (Self Titled)

“Seems the only one who doesn’t see your beauty is the face in the mirror looking back at you. You walk around here thinking you’re not pretty but that’s not true ‘cause I know you. Hold on; baby, you’re losing it. The water’s high, you’re jumping into it and letting go…and no one knows”

Overcoming heartbreak

Change (Fearless)

“It was the night things changed. Can you see it now? These walls that they put up to hold us back fell down. It’s a revolution, throw your hands up ‘cause we never gave in. We’ll sing hallelujah”

Clean (1989)

“Ten months sober, I must admit, just because you’re clean don’t mean you don’t miss it. Ten months older, I won’t give in, now that I’m clean I’m never gonna risk it. The drought was the very worst; when the flowers that we grew together died of thirst”

All You Had To Do Was Stay (1989)

“I’ve been picking up the pieces of the mess you made. People like you always want back the love they pushed aside, but people like me are gone forever, when you say goodbye”

Accepting blame and regret

All Too Well (Red)

“Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much. Maybe this thing was a masterpiece until you tore it all up, running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well”

Getaway Car (Reputation)

“We were jet-set, Bonnie and Clyde, until I switched to the other side, to the other side. It’s no surprise I turned you in, cause us traitors never win”

Afterglow (Lover)

“I lived like an island, punished you with silence. Went off like sirens, just cryin’. Why’d I have to break what I love so much? It’s on your face, don’t walk away, I need to say, ‘Hey, it’s all me, in my head, I’m the one who burned us down’”

Being cheated on

Should’ve Said No (Self Titled)

“You should’ve said no, you should’ve gone home. You should’ve thought twice before you let it all go. You should’ve known that word, bout what you did with her would get back to me”

Girl At Home (Red)

“I just wanna make sure you understand perfectly, you’re the kinda man who makes me sad. While she waits up, you chase down the newest thing and take for granted what you have”

Realizing a relationship is unhealthy

Cold As You (Self Titled)

“You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray and I stood there loving you and wished them all away. You come away with a great little story of a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you”

The Way I Loved You (Fearless)

“I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain, and it’s 2 am and I’m cursing your name. You’re so in love that you act insane, and that’s the way I loved you. Breaking down and coming undone, it’s a roller coaster kind of rush”

Haunted (Speak Now)

“You and I walk a fragile line, I have known it all this time. But I never thought I’d live to see it break. It’s getting dark and it’s all too quiet and I can’t trust anything now”

Dear John (Speak Now)

“You are an expert at sorry and keeping lines blurry; never impressed by me acing your tests. All the girls that you’ve run dry have dark lifeless eyes cause you burned them out” 

Having a crush

 Hey Stephen (Fearless)

“Of all the girls tossing rocks at your window, I’ll be the one waiting there even when it’s cold. Hey Stephen, you might have me believing I don’t always have to be alone”

Enchanted (Speak Now)

“This night is sparkling, don’t you let it go. I’m wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I’ll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you”

How You Get The Girl (1989)

“Remind me how it used to be, pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks, and say you want me. And then you say, ‘I want you for worse or for better. I would wait forever and ever’”

I Think He Knows (Lover)

“He got that boyish look that I like in a man, I am an architect, I’m drawing up the plans. It’s like I’m 17, nobody understands, no one understands. He got my heartbeat skipping down 16^th avenue”

Falling in love

Ours (Red)

“It’s not theirs to speculate if it’s wrong and, your hands are tough but they are where mine belong. I’ll fight their doubt and give you faith with this song for you. Cause I love the gap between your teeth, and I love the riddles that you speak”

State Of Grace (Red)

“This is a state of grace. This is the worthwhile fight. Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right. These are the hands of fate; you’re my Achilles heel. This is the golden age of something good and right and real”

You Are In Love (1989)

“You two are dancing in a snow globe round and round. He keeps a picture of you in his office downtown. 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”

King Of My Heart (Reputation)

“Is the end of all the endings? My broken bones are mending, with all this time we’re spending up on the roof with a school girl crush, drinking beer out of plastic cups, say you fancy me not fancy stuff. Baby, all at once this is enough. All at once, you are the one I have been waiting for”

Cornelia Street (Lover)

“I hope I never lose you, I hope it never ends. I’d never walk Cornelia Street again. That’s the kind of heartbreak time would never mend, I’d never walk Cornelia Street again. Baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name. And baby, I’m so terrified if you ever walk away” 

Feeling nostalgic

The Best Day (Fearless)

“I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger. God smiles on my little brother, inside and out he’s better than I am. I grew up in a pretty house, and I’ve got space to run and hide, and I had the best day with you today”

Never Grow Up (Speak Now)

“Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room. Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home. Remember the footsteps, remember the words said, and all your little brother’s favorite songs. I just realized all I have is someday going to be gone”

Long Live (Speak Now)

“Hold on to spinning around, confetti falls to the ground, may these memories break our fall. Can you take a moment, and promise me this? That you’ll stand by me forever, but if god forbid fate should step in and force us into a goodbye”

Holy Ground (Red)

“I was reminiscing just the other day, while having coffee all alone and lord it took me away, back to a first glance feeling on New York Time, before you fit my poems like a perfect rhyme…Darling it was good, never looking down. Right there where we stood was holy ground”

It’s Nice To Have A Friend (Lover)

“School bell rings, walk me home. Sidewalk chalk, covered in snow. Lost my gloves, you give me one, ‘wanna hang out?’, yeah, sounds like fun. Video games, you pass me a note, sleeping in tents, it’s nice to have a friend”

Handling anger

Picture To Burn (Self Titled)

“There’s no time for tears, I’m just sitting here planning my revenge. There’s nothing stopping me from going out with all of your best friends”

You’re Not Sorry (Fearless)

“All this time I was wasting hoping you would come around. I’ve been giving out chances every time and all you do is let me down. It’s taken me this long baby but I’ve figured you out. You’re thinking we’ll be fine again but not this time around”

Mean (Speak Now)

“I bet you got pushed around. Somebody made you cold, but the cycle ends right now ‘cause you can’t lead me down that road”

I Did Something Bad (Reputation)

“I can feel the flames on my skin, crimson red paint on my lips. If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothing. I don’t regret it one bit ‘cause he had it coming”

Dealing with an unexpected break up

Last Kiss (Speak Now)

“So I’ll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep. I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe. I’ll keep up with our old friends just to ask them how you are, hope it’s nice where you are. I hope the sun shines and it’s a beautiful day, and something reminds you, you wished you had stayed. You can plan for change in weather and time, but I never planned on your changing your mind”

I Almost Do (Red)

“We made quite a mess, babe. It’s probably better off this way. I confess, babe, that in my dreams you’re touching my face and asking me if I wanna try again with you, and I almost do”

Sad Beautiful Tragic (Red)

“In dreams, I meet you in warm conversation. We both wake in lonely beds in different cities. And time is taking its sweet time erasing you. And you’ve got your demons and darling they all look like me. We had a beautiful magic love there. What a sad, beautiful, tragic love affair”

Death By A Thousand Cuts (Lover)

“My heart, my hips, my body, my love. Trying to find a part of me that you didn’t touch, gave up on me like I was a bad drug, now I’m searching for signs in a haunted club. Our songs, our films, united we stand, our country, guess it was a lawless land. Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand, paper cut stings from my paper thin plans. My time, my wine, my spirit, my trust. Trying to find a part of me you didn’t take up. Gave you so much but it wasn’t enough”

Losing a friend or loved one

Breathe (Fearless)

“We know it’s never simple, never easy, never a clean break, no one here to save me. You’re the only thing I know like the back of my hand, and I can’t breathe without you but I have to”

Come Back…Be Here (Red)

“Taxi cabs and busy streets, they never bring you back to me. I can’t help but wish you took me with you. This is when the feeling sinks in, I don’t wanna miss you like this. Come back, be here”

This Love (1989)

“Clear blue water, high tide came and brought you in. And I could go on and on. And I will, skies grow darker, currents swept you out again and you were just gone, and gone, and gone. In silent screams, in wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this”

Soon You’ll Get Better (Lover)

“In doctors-office-lighting, I didn’t tell you I was scared, that was the first time we were there. Holy orange bottles, each night I pray to you. Desperate people find faith, so now I pray to Jesus too”

Feeling left out

The Outside (Self Titled)

“How can I ever try to be better? Nobody ever lets me in and I can still see you; this ain’t the best view, on the outside lookin’ in. I’ve been a lot of lonely places, I’ve never been on the outside”

A Place In This World (Self Titled)

“I’m alone, on my own, and that’s all I know. I’ll be strong, I’ll be wrong, oh, but life goes on. I’m just a girl, trying to find a place in this world” w

Attraction

So It Goes… (Reputation)

“You know I’m not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you. So it goes, come here, dressed in black now. So, so, so it goes, scratches down your back now, so, so, so it goes. You did a number on me, but honestly, baby, who’s counting?”

Dress (Reputation)

“All of this silence and patience, pining in anticipation. My hands are shaking from holding back from you. All of this silence and patience, pining and desperately waiting. My hands are shaking from holding back from all this. Say my name and everything just stops; I don’t want you like a best friend. Only bought this dress so you could take it off”

False God (Lover)

“Religion’s in your lips, even if it’s a false god. We’d still worship, we might just get away with it. The altar is my hips, even if it’s a false god. We’d still worship this love”

There it is, folks. Were there any songs you’d never heard before or any songs you’d wish had my list? Leave a comment below and let’s discuss!