Taylor Swift is often considered one of the greatest lyricists in the music industry today. Now you can argue her standing in your personal rankings all you want, but the fact stands that Taylor has a way of stringing together words in a manner that is not only musically and rhythmically brilliant but also that will make you stop and think. So on several occasions, she has written lyrics that I’ve taken to heart. Whether they’re works of poetry or just an impactful message, here are five Taylor Swift lyrical lessons that I remind myself of often.
“If you Fail to plan, you plan to fail” – Mastermind
To open with my all-time favorite Taylor Swift song, and as such my all-time favorite song period, Taylor has taught me to take my life into my own hands, not only through lyrics like this but also in the strategic way she manages her career. As such, I am the type of person to meticulously plan out all the details of my life days, months, even years in advance. I enter every situation prepared for whatever the world could throw at me.
“Sometimes giving up is the strong thing. Sometimes to run is the brave thing” – It’s time to go
On the other hand, Taylor has also taught me that it is not a weakness to step back and take a break. And while I may have always been the Mastermind type, this one is something I genuinely have to remind myself of regularly. So often we are told that “giving up” is failure, especially now, in college. The thing is, there will come a point for every single one of us where we get in over our heads and need to know that it is okay to take on less and to ask for help. For some of us, this comes easy and for others, we need a bonus track to remind us. I know that for me, this is one I’m still working on, and that’s okay.
“You gotta step into the daylight and let it go” – Daylight
Somewhere in the middle ground of “Mastermind” and “it’s time to go” lies “Daylight”. The moral of the story here is to control what you can and let go of what you can’t. Not everything is going to go the way we want it to and that’s where you have to step away. Perhaps it is here, in the things we can’t control, that we can first begin the learn how to walk away from the things that are too much for us.
“What’s a girl gonna do? A Diamond’s gotta shine” – Bejeweled
Moving on from the situation to the self, “Bejeweled” has quickly become one of my top hype songs. Lines like this remind me to stay confident and to never let anyone dull your sparkle because you can’t help but shine. Remember that you light up every single room you walk into and no one can ever take that away from you.
“Never be so kind, you forget to be clever. Never be so clever, you forget to be kind” – Marjorie
And of course, I’ve saved the best for last as lots of people in my life could tell you that this line is my favorite line Taylor Swift has ever written. Here lies your reminder that even when you are shining, there should always be balance. Be kind to those around you, but don’t dull yourself and let people walk all over you. And still, yet, don’t be so smart and strong that you hurt the people around you. The best people in this world balance strength and sincerity and I think this line encapsulates that perfectly.