Your resident Swiftie, Mariah Snow, is here to catch you up with all things Taylor Swift. On October 3rd, Swift came out with her twelfth album, The Life of a Showgirl. And needless to say, I loved this album so much, so I am here to break down some of the iconic/my favorite lyrics in each of the songs.
“The Fate of Ophelia”
The first track on the album did not disappoint at all! This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and the line that has been stuck in my head ever since the album came out is: Keep it one hundred on the land (Land), the sea (Sea), the sky (Sky).” This is such a catchy song, and I haven’t stopped dancing to the music video. For this lyric, Taylor is referencing Shakesphere and how she wants her lover to be honest with her. Also, Taylor’s lucky number is 13, and her fiancé’s jersey number is 87, which equals 100.
“Elizabeth Taylor”
The second track on this album has also been on repeat because Taylor has always compared her life to the actress Elizabeth Taylor. My favorite lines from this song are:
“Be my NY when Hollywood hates me
You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby
Been number one, but I never had two
And I can’t have fun if I can’t have (Uh) you”
UGH I LOVE THIS! I find myself humming these lyrics as I walk across campus because it is just that catchy. With these lines, Taylor is saying that she has been “number one,” meaning herself and her songs, but she wants to have someone else by her side, who she can go to when the noise gets too loud. And if that isn’t poetry, I don’t know what is.
“Opalite”
Before I can begin the third track on the album, let my reader self nerd out and say that this song is so Forth Wing coded (iykyk). Okay, with that out of the way, my favourite verse from this track is:
“And don’t we try to love love? (Love, love)
We give it all we got (Give it all we got)
You finally left the table (Uh, uh)
And what a simple thought
You’re starving ’til you’re not”
Evermore mention! This verse mentions Taylor’s 9th studio album, Evermore, with her last song on that album talking about being “left at the restaurant.” This song and verse honestly feel like Taylor finally let the table after trying to love and hold onto that love. And how you don’t really think about how “starving” you are for something until you find what it is you were starving for.
“Father Figure”
The iconic fourth track on the album is probably my second favorite on the whole album! I love this song so much that it is on constant repeat with me. There are just too many iconic lines to pick from, but I think my favorite is
“My dear boy
They don’t make loyalty like they used to”
I love how this line really encapsulates the whole song by Taylor, singing about how she looked up to someone whom she thought was a “father figure,” but ultimately ended up being disappointing, and she became her own “father figure.” And to me, this line really resonates that, and how some people in your life betray you, and how loyalty is not as it seems anymore.
“Eldest Daughter”
The emotional and honest fifth track on Swift’s albums is known for being her most brutal song. Personally, I am not an eldest daughter since I’m an only child, but like I kind of feel like I am? For this track, my favorite line is:
“I have been afflicted by a terminal uniqueness
I’ve been dying just from trying to seem cool.”
THIS LINE I FELT IN MY SOUL! People have been saying that this song is not her most emotional track, but to be honest, it is her most relatable one yet. Swift is talking about how she feels she has to be “cool” or “relatable” to seem ahead of her time and unattainable. But, in reality, she is just like the rest of us who are tired of trying to keep up with all of the trends, and instead, she just wants to be herself.
“Ruin The Friendship”
The next track on Swift’s twelve album is so beautiful and emotional that only one line had me absolutely shocked and in tears:
“But I whispered at the grave
“Should’ve kissed you anyway,” ooh”
When I first heard this line, I physically sat up in bed and immediately just cried because it is that emotional, and I was not prepared for this track or that lyric. The message Swift leaves in this song is an emotional one, but once again an honest one in saying it’s better to just kiss someone and regret it than never kiss them and always wonder what might have been.
“Actually Romantic”
The next track on the album is for all of the girls who have been brutally burned by friends in the past, and yet all they keep talking about is you. When Swift said this song is romantic, it may not have been what we thought of, but it is what we needed. My favorite lyric from this song is:
“It’s actually romantic
Really gotta hand it to you, to you
No man has ever loved me like you do.”
When I first heard these lyrics, my mouth was on the floor! It is the truth, no man has ever loved you more than someone who used to be your friend, and all they do is talk badly about you. They’re obsessed with you, just like everyone is obsessed with this song.
“Wi$h Li$t”
Now this next track is actually a romantic song, and it’s all about the goals and aspirations Swift is wishing for in her life. My personal favorite lyrics from this song are: “I made wishes on all of the stars
Please, God, bring me a best friend who I think is hot
I thought I had it right, once, twice (I did not)
But I did not, you caught me off my guard.”
If this isn’t relatable, then idk what is?! Like, don’t we all want a best friend who is hot, kind, and makes us laugh, because I know I do. We aren’t asking for a lot, okay.
“Wood”
I can’t help but laugh at the ninth track on Swift’s album, because I was so wrong about what I thought this song would be about, and iykyk. My favorite lyrics from this track are none other than:
“And baby, I’ll admit I’ve been a little superstitious (superstitious)
The curse on me was broken by your magic wand (ah)
Seems to me that you and me, we make our own luck
New Heights (New Heights) of manhood (manhood)
I ain’t gotta knock on wood.”
I love a New Heights mention, and Taylor is so real for this one! And I will be leaving this one here… hahaha
“CANCELLED!”
The tenth track on Swift’s recent studio album is one of my favorites on the album because it reminds me just like her other album, reputation. This track is about how Swift likes having her friends “cancelled,” meaning she likes it when her friends are too loud and in the media. My favorite lyrics from this song are:
“Can’t you see my infamy loves company?
Now they’ve broken you like they’ve broken me
But a shattered glass is a lot more sharp
And now you know exactly who your friends are.”
There is something in the melody near the end of this song, and the way that Swift says these last lines, it scratches a part of my brain.
“Honey”
This track is oh so sweet and just adorable. Travis is known to call Taylor “honey.” And in this song, Swift is singing about how when people called her that nickname, she used to hate it, but now, when Travis calls her “honey,” it brings warmth to her. My favorite lyrics from this song are:
“But you say it like you’re in awe of me
And you stay until the morning
Honey”
I just love this last part of the song, because it’s Taylor finally finding someone who looks at her and truly sees everything she has accomplished, and it’s beautiful.
“The Life of a Showgirl ft. Sabrina Carpenter”
The twelfth and last track on Swift’s album is not only the album title, but also a collab with her good friend, singer Sabrina Carpenter. As someone who is also a huge fan of Sabrina Carpenter, I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS COLLABORATION! Their voices go so well together, and my favorite lyrics from this track are:
“Thank you for an unforgettable night
We will see you next time
Give it up for the band
And the dancers
And of course, Sabrina
I love you, Taylor
That’s our show
We love you so much
Goodnight!”
These are the last lines that are spoken in the album, and to me this is what the album’s completes the album as a whole. And I love that Taylor decided to end it with her closing it on the last night of the Eras tour.