Issue 141 – November 2024
A look at the lyrical language of Taylor Swift
“We're singing in the car, getting lost upstate / Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place” – Taylor Swift in All Too Well
Taylor Swift left town days ago, but Toronto will be sweeping up the sparkles and sequins for months.
I wasn’t at any of her six sold-out concerts here, but my friend Sheila’s daughter and granddaughter were. My house was the home base, and all four of us went to “Taylgate” the day of the concert. This was basically a place to gather with other Swifties, admire all the glittery outfits and make and trade friendship bracelets before each concert.
Taylor Swift songs, of course, made up the soundtrack of the fun.
You can’t hear about Taylor Swift without hearing about her skills as a songwriter and a storyteller. She writes from the heart about love, romance, heartbreak, bitter breakups and betrayal. Listeners speculate on which song is about which ex – does “All I know is that you drove us off the road” refer to a snowmobile accident with Harry Styles? Is Dear John really about John Mayer?
She’s especially adept with analogies. Here are some examples:
- "And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest” – All Too Well
- “I can read you like a magazine” – Blank Space, one of her most streamed songs on Spotify
- “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan / Under someone’s bed / You put me on and said I was your favorite” - Cardigan
- "You held your pride like you should have held me" – The Story of Us
- “We’re singing in the car, getting lost upstate / Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place” – All Too Well
- “I touch my phone as if it’s your face” – You’re On Your Own, Kid
Taylor also plays with words, tells stories, compares and contrasts:
- “All of my enemies started out friends” – The Archer
- “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes” – Cruel Summer
- “I once was poison ivy, but now I’m your daisy” – Don’t Blame Me
- “'Cause we’re young, and we’re reckless / We'll take this way too far / It’ll leave you breathless, mm / Or with a nasty scar” – Blank Space
- “I go on too many dates / But I can’t make ’em stay / At least that’s what people say, mm-mm / That’s what people say, mm-mm” - Shake It Off
While looking through lyrics, I also found her most famous “mondegreen.” That’s a mishearing of a popular phrase or song.
Instead of “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane” (from Blank Space), some fans think she sings, “Got a lot of Starbucks lovers” or “All the lonely Starbucks lovers.” That’s how I ended up with a friendship bracelet that says “Starbucks lovers.” (I gave it to a Starbucks lover.)
Does Taylor’s writing inspire you? What lyrics speak to you?
Related reading:
Five ways songwriters touch hearts
Let songwriters inspire your storytelling
In the Red Jacket Diaries:
Even more writing tips you might have missed
Fun gifts for writers and readers, 2024 edition
© Copyright 2024 Get It Write. All rights reserved. She/her. Find me online at GetItWrite.ca, connect with me on LinkedIn or follow me on X (I’m still there; are you?). And why not subscribe to Wordnerdery?