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Taylor Swift: The Life of a Songstress

  • Writer: Max
    Max
  • Aug 19
  • 5 min read

The highly anticipated arrival of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, has made us reflect on her past work. With over 200 songs across multiple albums and soundtracks, Swift has become a cultural icon through her songs. 


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In this first in a new series, we’re analyzing some of our favorite Taylor Swift lyrics and why they resonated with us.


1. “Stay Beautiful” from Taylor Swift


You're beautiful

Every little piece, love, don't you know?

You're really gonna be someone

Ask anyone

And when you find everything you've looked for

I hope your love leads you back to my door

Oh, but if it don't, stay beautiful. 


Sometimes, the simplest words are the most affecting. In one of her earliest tracks, Swift talks about Corey and, through the song, lets him know how beautiful of a human being she thinks he is. She speaks of hoping that he returns to her life at some point. However, if he doesn’t, she’s content with him knowing what she thinks of him. Despite the song referencing a different person, it has become an anthem of self-love and acceptance.


2. “Out of the Woods” from 1989


Remember when you hit the brakes too soon?

Twenty stitches in the hospital room

When you started crying, baby, I did too

But when the sun came up, I was looking at you

Remember when we couldn't take the heat?

I walked out, I said, "I'm setting you free"

But the monsters turned out to be just trees

When the sun came up, you were looking at me


The lyrics of “Out of the Woods” speak of danger from the perspective of safety. From the beginning, Swift writes, “Looking at it now…I remember. The repetition of the chorus lines “Are we out of the woods yet? Are we in the clear yet?” evokes anxiety on the part of the persona. When we look at the verses, Swift seems to speak of a relationship that isn’t meant to last. She speaks of them being “in screaming color” while the “rest of the world was black and white.” She also speaks of the relationship being “built to fall apart then fall back together.” Everything comes to a head at the bridge, referencing a crash that Swift managed to walk away from unscathed. “Out of the Woods” reflects our own anxieties and the hope to overcome them.


3. “Getaway Car” from Reputation


I'm in a getaway car

I left you in a motel bar

Put the money in a bag and I stole the keys

That was the last time you ever saw me (oh!)


Taylor Swift portrays the characters as both culprits and survivors of the catastrophic relationship. At its core, this isn’t about literal theft or crime as portrayed with the Bonnie and Clyde lyrics on the other verse. It’s a metaphor for a relationship that ended in betrayal and flight. The speaker casts themselves as the antihero, dramatizing their departure as a high-stakes escape. The tone blends rebellion with remorse—thrilling in its imagery, but hollow underneath.


4. exile” from folklore


I think I've seen this film before

And I didn't like the ending

I'm not your problem anymore

So, who am I offending now?

You were my crown

Now I'm in exile, seeing you out

I think I've seen this film before

So, I'm leaving out the side door


These lyrics evoke such a beautiful scene of hesitation. It's a "film" you've seen before, but why are you still watching it? The lyrics possess deep imagery of a breakup that, instead of walking out the exit, it's a "side door" implying that, maybe, there are unresolved issues that can't rest, so they can't walk straight out of it. Maybe it implies reluctance? Walking out because before it could even begin, they already know the ending; hence, they couldn't take the exit door directly because it means seeing it to the end, so they had to cut a long story short. To break up, to be in exile, and see everyone out.


5. “willow” from evermore


Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark

Show me the places where the others gave you scars

Now this is an open-shut case

Guess I should've known from the look on your face

Every bait and switch was a work of art


“Willow” from the evermore album is a whimsical song that clouds to hide something dark. This verse presents love as a mix of risk, vulnerability, and inevitability. It blends secrecy (after dark), intimacy (scars), certainty (open-shut case), recognition (look on your face), and even admiration for the way the other person disarms her (work of art). It’s the pivot of the song where attraction deepens into surrender, acknowledging both the danger and the beauty of being pulled into someone’s orbit.


6. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” from Midnights


If clarity's in death, then why won't this die?

Years of tearing down our banners, you and I

Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts

Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first


And I damn sure never would've danced with the devil

At nineteen

And the God's honest truth is that the pain was heaven

And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts

Memories feel like weapons

And now that I know, I wish you'd left me wondering


The 19th track of Midnights is a visceral look at the past from the perspective of someone who experienced abuse in their youth from someone mature in age. In the chorus, she expresses regret over the decisions she’s made, calls her memories “weapons,” and places blame on the person she’s speaking to for taking advantage of her vulnerability. The bridge has even more visceral imagery, talking about imagining revenge when truly all she wants is to be able to recapture her youth, which had been taken from her. In a single word, “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” is cathartic.




Taylor Swift’s lyricism invites us to step into a world where love, loss, and self-discovery are refracted through vivid imagery and emotional candor. Her lyrics have inspired and touched the hearts of many and fueled the imaginations of writers. Storytelling is embedded within the conceptualization of her lyrics down to the last letter, and we cannot wait for what she has in store for us with her upcoming album.


Taylor’s lyrics show how imagery and rhythm can transform a line. Editing is where that transformation happens. Visit themanuscripteditor.com to start elevating the imagery and rhythm of your own work!

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