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Taylor Swift’s “right where you left me” is the Bonus Track our Hearts Needed

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.

From folklore to evermore, Taylor Swift has been on a roll with giving us the indie alternative songs of our dreams.

Taylor Swift wearing floral dress at 2021 Grammy Awards Red Carpet
Photo by Francis Specker / CBS
With her latest release of two bonus tracks on “evermore,” I found myself falling in love with “right where you left me.” The song follows the story of a girl who has felt left behind by her old lover and is seemingly stuck in the same spot that they left her in. This spot happens to be a restaurant, and this detail plays quite a large role in her not being able to leave. Not only has she been blindsided at the devastation of losing someone dear to her, but everything around her is moving at double speed while she is unable to cope. Swift’s ability to paint a picturesque scene within her words is undeniabl. You can quite literally envision an entire restaurant and what she describes as occurring vividly. As the song progresses, it is developed that this is where her past relationship came to an abrupt end and where her ex partner revealed they had moved on with someone new. The girl’s idea of what could have been flashes before her eyes and she realizes that they have lived their life while she has waited for them. This realization is almost futile, as she still wishes and hopes they will come back one day as she continues to wait for them in the same spot. Be still my aching heartas this is a heartbreaking tale of ‘what could have been.’ It’s also the additional punch of never getting a solid answer as to why a relationship ended. 

As you can probably tell, I have spent way too much time listening and analyzing this song; so much so that I know everything about it. Its chords truly strike home for its audience, and that is why I am proclaiming it the saddest anthem on her album. The versatility in how you listen to the song makes it all the more powerful and emblematic of reality. I’m not sure there is anything more gut-wrenching than wasting your time for someone who does not value you, which is why the lyrics provoke such a ‘let-me-cry-for-days response.’ We can all relate, in one way or another, to being left behind, forgotten about, or the second choice, and that is the power ingrained in “right where you left me.” As she sings “You told me that you met someone / Glass shattered on the white cloth / Everybody moved on” in the bridge, I swear I can feel the chills running down my back. Of course, Swift is known for her EPIC bridges as we have heard songs like “All Too Well’”and “Dear John.” Her melodic voice blankets you and drags you in, all while comforting you with the lyrics as if they are an old friend. It connects you to the entire story it writes, and allows you to feel as though you are right there in it. This is typical of Taylor Swift’s songs, and “right where you left me” is no exception. Although she takes on an entirely new genre with her “evermore” album, the lyrical and emotional masterpieces of albums such as “Speak Now” and “Red” are present in this song. 

 This song is a work of art truly, and dare I even say it ranks in my top three favorite Taylor Swift songs of all time.

Contributors from the University of Massachusetts Amherst