Taylor Swift was quickly dubbed “America’s Sweetheart” after her breakout success on the country music scene. Soon after her self-titled debut album, the acclaimed singer/songwriter showed the world that her talents would take her far beyond the boundaries of genre and industry norms.
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With an unparalleled knack for translating her emotions into lyrics, Swift has won 11 Grammy Awards, 25 Billboard Music Awards, 12 Country Music Association Awards, 32 American Music Awards, 49 Guinness World Records, and the artist shows no signs of slowing. Throughout her career, Swift has also crossed over through country, pop, and alternative genres with ease and relatability.
In honor of her recent re-recording projects surrounding a masters controversy, American Songwriter plucked some of our favorite Taylor Swift lyrics from all nine Taylor Swift albums. Read below for the snippets of the songwriting that Swift has built her legacy upon.
Taylor Swift (2006)
‘Cause he’s the reason for the teardrops on my guitar / The only one who’s got enough of me to break my heart — “Teardrops On My Guitar”
I hate that stupid old pickup truck you never let me drive / You’re a redneck heartbreak who’s really bad at lying / So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time / As far as I’m concerned, you’re just another picture to burn. —“Picture To Burn”
I’m only up when you’re not down / Don’t wanna fly if you’re still on the ground —“I’m Only Me When I’m With You”
Fearless (2008)
This ain’t Hollywood, this is a small town / I was a dreamer before you went and let me down / Now it’s too late for you and your white horse / To come around. —“White Horse”
And I don’t know why / But with you I’d dance in a storm / In my best dress / Fearless —“Fearless”
Speak Now (2010)
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter / You are the best thing, that’s ever been mine —“Mine”
The way you move is like a full on rainstorm / And I’m a house of cards / You’re the kind of reckless that should send me running / But I kinda know that I won’t get far —“Sparks Fly”
I am not the kind of girl / Who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion / But you are not the kind of boy / Who should be marrying the wrong girl —“Speak Now”
Red (2012)
Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street / Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly —“Red”
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 café, I watched it begin again —“Begin Again”
1989 (2014)
Say you’ll see me again / Even if it’s just in your wildest dreams —“Wildest Dreams”
But you’ll come back each time you leave / ‘Cause, darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream —“Blank Space”
You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye / And I got that red lip classic thing that you like / And when we go crashing down, we come back every time / ‘Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style —“Style”
Reputation (2017)
I don’t like your kingdom keys / They once belonged to me —“Look What You Made Me Do”
Whisky on ice, Sunset and Vine / You’ve ruined my life, by not being mine —“Gorgeous”
The ties were black, the lies were white / In shades of gray and candlelight / I wanted to leave him / I needed a reason —“Getaway Car”
Lover (2019)
I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I’d get there quicker / If I was a man —“The Man”
You are somebody that I don’t know / But you’re taking shots at me like it’s Patrón / And I’m just like “Damn, it’s 7 a.m.” / Say it in the street, that’s a knock-out / But you say it in a Tweet, that’s a cop-out / And I’m just like, “Hey, are you okay?” —“You Need To Calm Down”
folklore (2020)
And when I felt like I was an old cardigan / Under someone’s bed / You put me on and said I was your favorite —“cardigan”
Roaring 20s, tossing pennies in the pool / And if my wishes came true / It would’ve been you —“the 1”
And that’s the thing about illicit affairs / And clandestine meetings and longing stares / It’s born from just one single glance / But it dies, and it dies, and it dies / A million little times —“illicit affairs”
evermore (2020)
Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind / Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in —“willow”
Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license when I was fifteen / And I’ve cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene / Good thing Este’s sister’s gonna swear she was with me (“She was with me dude”) / Good thing his mistress took out a big life insurance policy —“no body, no crime”
