A reliable feature of a Taylor Swift concert is her surprise guests. Swift often invites guest superstars to cover their classic songs with her. These are songs that shaped Swift’s own writing; indeed, many of them paved the way for her confessional song lyrics and get-back-at-the-exes balladry. Below are Swift’s six best choices of cover songs she’s performed in concert.
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1. “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette joined Swift in 2015 for one of five Los Angeles shows on the 1989 Tour to perform the alt-grievance hit that launched her career. Morissette’s confessional songwriting greatly influenced Swift’s knack for scathing break-up songs.
‘Cause the love that you gave that we made
Wasn’t able to make it enough for you to be open wide, no
And every time you speak her name
Does she know how you told me
You’d hold me until you died
Till you died, but you’re still alive
2. “Dreams” by Beck
The inspired covers continued on the second night of Swift’s L.A. run in 2015 as she was joined on stage by Beck and St. Vincent to cover Beck’s funky dance song “Dreams.” A song built for the house party sounded right at home in the Staples Center.
Come on out of your dreams
And wake up from your reverie
Time is here, don’t go to sleep
Streets are running on the brink
They say that we’ve got nothing
But a dollar for a life of sin
‘Cause there’s trouble on the way
Oh there’s trouble on the way
Get a dog and pony for the judgement day
3. “Viva La Vida” by Coldplay
In 2011, Swift covered Coldplay on the BBC, translating the original orchestral vision of “Viva La Vida” into an intimate acoustic ballad. Coldplay’s Chris Martin is known for vulnerable vocal performances. Here, Swift strips the song back to acoustic form and lets the audience hear how it might sound in a bedroom with just voice and some guitar.
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead, long live the king
One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand
4. “Angels” by Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams joined Swift on stage at Wembley Stadium in 2018 to sing his hit “Angels.” Swift opens the song, solo, playing a grand piano. Then Williams rises up from underneath the stage to surprise the stadium full of British Swifties. “Angels” is Williams’ biggest hit. The duo are comfortable sharing the stadium stage as they express the song’s them of humility in loss—another perfect Swift selection.
And through it all, she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I’m right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won’t break me
When I come to call
She won’t forsake me
I’m loving angels instead
5. “Doubt” by Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige is one of the most powerful and emotional singers of her time. She joined Swift at Staples Center in Los Angeles in 2015 to perform “Doubt.” Swift often shares her own struggles with (believe it or not) self-doubt, and delivers a cathartic rendition here with Blige. With Swiftian hyperbole, she introduced Mary J. Blige as the greatest singer ever. It’s hard to argue when Blige sings with such feeling.
I made it to the end
I nearly paid the cost
I lost a lot of friends
I sacrificed a lot
I’d do it all again
‘Cause I made it to the top
But I can’t keep doubting myself anymore
No, no
I can’t keep doubting myself, no
6. “You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon
On the Red Tour, Taylor Swift invited one of her biggest heroes, Carly Simon, to perform “You’re So Vain.” If there’s a classic cover song that could have been written by Taylor Swift, this is it. At Gillette Stadium outside of Boston, Swift and Simon share sweet revenge on whomever the ‘ex’ each is singing to might be.
You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive
Well you said that we made such a pretty pair and that you would never leave
But you gave away the things you loved
And one of them was me
I had some dreams—they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee, and
You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you
You’re so vain, I bet you think this song is about you
Don’t you?
Don’t you?
Don’t you?
Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for TAS
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