I have been a Taylor Swift fan pretty much since I was in elementary school. I’ve been to three of her concerts, I own my fair share of merchandise, and I know all the lyrics to her songs. My roommate is also a huge Taylor Swift fan, and we have spent a lot of our time listening to her songs and analyzing the lyrics over and over again. I know not everyone is a fan of Taylor Swift, but even if you are not, there are a few of her songs that apply to so many situations and everyone should hear.
1. Innocent- This song is from Swift’s third album, Speak Now, and it is ultimately all about forgiveness. A lot of the song she is singing about how it is okay to make mistakes and not be perfect. She beautifully writes about how it is never too late to change who you are and be who you want to be. Even if you’re not a Taylor Swift fan, this is the one song everyone should absolutely listen to.
The most notable lyric: “Time turns flames to embers, you’ll have new Septembers. Everyone of us has messed up too.”
2. Clean- This song is the last track on her fifth album, 1989. At her tour, Swift gave a speech about how making mistakes, going through difficult things, and having hard days does not make us damaged, it makes us stronger and wiser. This is ultimately what this song is about. The song is about how we can be free and clean from the mistakes and the things we have gone through.
Most notable lyric: “Rain came pouring down, when I was drowning that’s when I could finally breathe.”
3. New Year’s Day- This song is also the last track on her most recent album, Reputation. This song is so simple and beautifully written. It is about the person who you can have fun with and be crazy with, but who you will still be there for during difficult times. It is about the person who stays when things are hard, and being there for someone no matter the situation.
Most notable lyric: “I want your midnights, but I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day.”
4. You are in Love- This song is from the deluxe version of 1989, but it is so underrated and deserves so much credit. Swift described this song as literally what it sounds like to be in love. It is so delicate, pure, and simple. The lyrics just describe all the feelings and things that happen when you are in love. It makes you want to believe that true love is real.
Most notable lyric: “You can hear it in the silence, you can feel it on the way home, you can see it with the lights out, you are in love.”
5. Begin Again- This song is from Swift’s fourth album Red. It is about going through a bad breakup and not believing in the good in people, until you finally meet someone again. The song tells the story of a first date, where Swift is surprised that the guy is genuine and nice, cause it’s hard to believe that people are good anymore. It gives you hope that there are good people out there.
Most notable lyric: “I’ve been spending the last eight months, thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end. But on a Wednesday, in a cafe I watched it begin again.”