Article by Caitlyn Plover '25
The name Taylor Swift needs no introduction. Say what you want about her, and believe me, there is a lot to say, but there is no doubt that she is one of the most influential artists of our time. With a career spanning over a decade and an extensive, ever-growing discography, I could talk about Taylor for hours. But what do I find the most fascinating about her work? Her lyrics!
One of my favorite songwriting techniques that Swift uses include the stories she tells through her music. Many of her songs are expository, which allows the listener to “see” the song through Taylor’s eyes. She fills her songs with little details and elements, whether that is describing the typical Tuesday night in “You Belong With Me”, or dancing in the kitchen in “Cornelia Street”, or Swift’s memories of her late grandmother in “Marjorie”, that make the listener feel as if they are really there in the song. One of my favorite examples of this storytelling is found in “The Last Great American Dynasty”, a song Swift wrote about the tales of Holiday House, her Rhode Island estate, and Rebekah Harkness, the artist who owned it. “They say she was seen on occasion/Pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea,” Swift sings of Harkness. “And in a feud with her neighbor/She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green/Fifty years is a long time/Holiday House sat quietly on that beach/Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits/And then it was bought by me.” Every time I listen to those lyrics in “The Last Great American Dynasty”, I can’t help but imagine a picture in my mind of Rebekah Harkness and the misadventures Holiday House held. Such is the magic of one Taylor Swift.
Oftentimes, Swift’s best lyrics come from the songs in which she is most vulnerable. On “Mirrorball”, a favorite track of mine from her album Folklore, Swift sings about the constant crushing pressures that come with performing, as well as the insecurities she carries. “I want you to know/I’m a mirrorball/I can change everything about me to fit in,” she sings. “You are not like the regulars/The masquerade revelers/Drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten.” By comparing herself to a reflective disco ball, Swift reveals, to the listener, a moment of intimate defenselessness. This matchup of good lyrics to sad songs has always been a prominent theme in Taylor’s music. Ever heard of the infamous “Track Five” pattern? Taylor’s fans have picked up on a common theme throughout her musical catalog: Every fifth track on each album has beautiful, albeit emotionally devastating, lyrics. From Midnights’ “You’re on Your Own, Kid”, a synth-pop ballad about unrequited love, fading friendship, and isolation, to Evermore’s “Tolerate It”, a chilly, folksy song, telling the tale of a tragic romance, there is no doubt that track fives are some of Swift’s most heart-wrenching pieces. But there is one track five that stands out among the rest: “All Too Well”, Red’s track five. In the song, Taylor writes about a painful breakup and the aftermath. “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest/I’m a crumpled-up piece of paper lying here,” she sings right before she dives into the bridge, reminiscing about how she misses her old self, before everything became so complicated.
Speaking of bridges, Swift’s bridges are often regarded as the best feature of her songwriting; Time Magazine has even crowned her the “Queen of Bridges,” and I would say that I definitely agree! I could go on about my favorite bridges of Taylor’s, but I will simply stick to two: the bridges from Folklore’s “Cardigan” and Speak Now’s “Sparks Fly”. “Cardigan’s” bridge has a poetic sound to it, which I love: “But I knew you’d linger like a tattoo kiss/I knew you’d haunt all of my what-ifs/The smell of smoke would hang around this long/’Cause I knew everything when I was young,” read the verses. It sounds even better when you listen to it, with soft piano chords in the background. The bridge in “Sparks Fly” has a totally different sound, however, but it is just as good. “I run my fingers through your hair/And watch the lights go wild/Just keep on keeping your eyes on me/It’s just wrong enough to make it feel right,” Swift belts.
All in all, lyrics are truly the best part of Taylor Swift’s songs. Whether you are in the mood for romance, heartbreak, or just simply a good story, there is always a Taylor Swift song for you!
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