Lately, I’ve found myself on a bit of a Taylor Swift listening spree. As in, she’s pretty much the only artist I’ve been listening to. Somewhere over the last twelve years, I learned about the Track 5 theory–– the fifth song on every album is always deeply emotional–– and it checks out. These are some of her most vulnerable songs, and many of them are widely known and loved by fans. So, which one’s best? Here’s my personal ranking of the Track 5 songs.
- “Dear John” (Speak Now)
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One of my favorite things about her songs is that she writes so many incredible verses, and this song is probably one of the best examples of that. “Dear John” has the perfect blend of regret and anger, and I love how the lyrics slightly change each time the chorus comes around. If I had to choose only one song to hear live at a concert, this would definitely be the one I’d want to scream with thousands of strangers.
Best lyrics: “Maybe it’s you and your sick need to give love then take it away” and the entire bridge
- “All Too Well” (Red)
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The bridge. THE BRIDGE. This is one of her best songs throughout all nine albums and is widely regarded as a masterpiece. The lyrics! The vocals! The raw emotion and pain that comes across so clearly that you feel it even if you’ve never been in a relationship before! I missed out on the Red era (a combination of the internalized misogyny of not wanting to be like “other girls” and not being willing to shell out precious iTunes money on an entire album), so I didn’t actually know this song until two years ago. But in these past two years, it’s quickly become one of my favorite songs to scream alone in my car.
Best lyrics: “You call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest.” and “I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to.”
- “White Horse” (Fearless)
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Let me preface this by saying that Fearless was my first ever CD. My love for this album was forged by long car rides with my portable CD player. So it’s not an exaggeration when I say that this was my SONG growing up. Not because I specifically related to being let down when I was in love, but because the idea of life not being some perfect movie really resonated with me in middle school. I was growing up and realizing that some things are harder than I thought they would be, and that there are some things that can’t be fixed. The lyrics hit just as hard a few years later, when I was about to graduate high school and I was ready to get out of my hometown. Musically, the guitar/piano/cello combo is so good, and it continues to be one of my favorite songs.
Best lyric: “I’m gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well.”
- my tears ricochet (folklore)
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I specifically remember listening to folklore for the first time and thinking “Oh, this is going to destroy me.” I was right. When they call Taylor Swift a lyrical genius, this is what they mean. The changes in the chorus are the sadder counterpart of the chorus changes in “invisible string”. It’s one of my go-to sad songs (folklore is full of them), and is what cemented my love for the album before I had finished listening.
Best lyric: “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace / ‘Cause when I’d fight you used to tell me I was brave”
- “tolerate it” (evermore)
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This one is absolutely devastating. I love how it’s not specifically about a relationship–– the message can be interpreted as romantic, platonic, parental, or about someone you looked up to. If I were rating these by how much they can make me cry, this would be second (right after “my tears ricochet”).
Best lyric: “I know my love should be celebrated / But you tolerate it.”
- “The Archer” (Lover)
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I’ll be honest, I did not like this song when it was first released. I thought it was slow and annoying, and I didn’t really get the hype. Over time, I started hearing the way the music adds to itself over the course of the song: first the synth, then a beat, a harmony, and background vocals. It’s still not my favorite song, but I won’t skip it if it comes up during shuffle.
Best lyric: “’Cause all of my enemies started out friends / Help me hold onto you.”
- “All You Had To Do Was Stay” (1989)
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I love the energy in this one. Out of all of them, this is probably the least overtly emotional song, but the feeling of being vulnerable with someone only for them to reject you is something that I think most of us fear. All relationships are a two-way street, and the idea that someone could choose to damage that by rejecting you hurts. That’s reading into it a bit, but overall, it’s a super catchy song.
Best lyrics: “Why’d you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?”
- “All You Had To Do Was Stay” (1989)
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I love the energy in this one. Out of all of them, this is probably the least overtly emotional song, but the feeling of being vulnerable with someone only for them to reject you is something that I think most of us fear. All relationships are a two-way street, and the idea that someone could choose to damage that by rejecting you hurts. That’s reading into it a bit, but overall, it’s a super catchy song.
Best lyrics: “Why’d you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?”
- “Delicate” (Reputation)
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Does this song deserve to be higher on this list? Maybe. But it was so horribly overplayed when it was released that I can’t listen to it anymore. It’s a pretty good song and I like the overall vibe, but the lyrics don’t really stick out to me, and it’s not on any of my playlists.
Best lyric: “You must like me for me.”
- “Cold As You” (Taylor Swift)
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My first introduction to Taylor Swift was the Fearless album, so I have almost no personal or nostalgic connection to this song. Even so, she easily paints a story of a one-sided relationship that she’s realizing will never get better, and it’s a good song. Unfortunately, I have to put it last.
Best lyric: “Just walk away, no use defending words that you will never say.”
I love these songs for so many different reasons, and I reordered the list about six different times. It’s impossible to pick a true favorite because each one holds a different spot in my heart. There are so many points in my life that I associate with a Taylor Swift album or song, and I can’t wait to relive those moments with her re-recorded albums. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) coming up in April is going to send me back to 2008, sitting on the floor of my room with a CD player and discovering my favorite music for years to come, and I honestly can’t wait!