Top 10 Taylor Swift Song Details You Only Notice After Many Listens
#10: The Birds
“exile” feat. Bon Iver (2020) & “evermore” feat. Bon Iver (2020)
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Stop paying attention for even a second and you’ll miss this one. “exile” and “evermore” might be on different (albeit sister) Taylor Swift albums, but they certainly have a lot in common. For one, they’re both piano ballads. Two, they’re both collaborations with Bon Iver. But there’s another, less noticeable, similarity that might surprise you. Right around the 25-26 second mark on both numbers, you can hear birds chirping quietly in the background. We’re not sure why this link exists, but if you listen closely, it’s definitely there. Is it something to do with “The Raven”? Is Taylor Swift on her Edgar Allan Poe game? Or is “Nevermore” and “evermore” just a coincidence?
#9: Transformed Obsession
“I Did Something Bad” (2017)
If anyone could curb narcissism, we guess it would be Taylor Swift. At first glance, “I Did Something Bad” seems like a pretty straightforward tune lyrically speaking. But right from the first lyric, Swift is engaging in some light wordplay. In the first line, she says she “never trust[s] a narcissist,” which is someone who only thinks about themselves. But by the end of that first verse, Swift has already turned said narcissist on his head. She wields her power, ensuring that “all he thinks about is” her. If that’s the case, Swift can play them all like a violin indeed.
#8: The VMAs Reference
“Back to December (Taylor’s Version)” (2023)
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It was September 13th 2009, the night of the MTV Video Music Awards that changed the trajectory of Kanye West, Taylor Swift – and, of course, Taylor Lautner’s – lives. Swift and Lautner were dating at the time of the horrible “I’mma let you finish” incident, and he was actually on stage when it happened. Now, he’s also confirmed that Swift’s “Back to December,” a deeply apologetic breakup song, was written about him. You might not notice this in the first couple listens, but in the ballad, she appears to reference that night at the VMAs. Indeed, she talks about how a former flame “held [her] in [his] arms that September night, the first time [he] ever saw [her] cry. Coincidence? We think not.
#7: “Jane Eyre” & “The Sun Also Rises”
“invisible string” (2020)
Taylor Swift has never shied away from a literary reference. The lyrics for “invisible string” might be some of the most packed we’ve ever seen. It’s a deeply love-filled song, so it makes sense that she would seemingly include some of the more romantic lines in literature. One connection comes from Charlotte Brontë’s “Jane Eyre,” when Mr. Rochester talks about a string binding him to the novel’s protagonist. The other relates to the line “isn’t it just so pretty to think,” which is very close to the “isn’t it pretty to think so” quote from Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises.” We’re not the first ones to notice these links, so it would appear Swift is a voracious reader, indeed!
#6: “Burton to This Taylor”
“...Ready for It?” (2017)
When you think of the most famous romantic duos in history, who do you think of? We don’t know if any of Taylor Swift’s boyfriends have really completed that power couple just yet. But in “...Ready For It?” she appears to let us know she’s looking to get to that level. In the second verse, she says that she wants her lover to be the “Burton to this Taylor.” This is a clever play on her name and an explicit reference to Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. The old Hollywood pair had one of the most storied, talked-about romances in the industry’s history.
#5: Same Drone
“peace” (2020) & “marjorie” (2020)
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If you don’t have an ear for music, this one might be difficult to catch. The songs “peace” and “marjorie” might be different thematically, one about how fame can affect a relationship and one about Swift’s grandmother. But they share one very important detail. If you listen closely to “marjorie”’s bridge, you can pick up on the very same drone that appears in “peace.” Apparently, the former’s track took shape first, and ultimately informed the latter tune, which shows up near the end of the “folklore” album. Though “marjorie” was released later, making its way onto “evermore,” it still has that sonic similarity to delight fans.
#4: “Clean” Callback
“Call It What You Want” (2017)
Scott Cook - Coming Clean (Official Music Video)
Most Swifties will agree that “Clean” is one of the most underrated tracks in Taylor’s discography. We wouldn’t be surprised if Swift thinks so too, considering there appears to be a lyrical call back to it in “reputation”’s “Call It What You Want.” The “1989” song’s lyrics mention flowers dying of thirst, and a perfect, terrible storm. In “Call It What You Want,” Swift changes up the game a bit. This time, she says that “all [her] flowers grew back as thorns”, and the “windows [were] boarded up after the storm,” before describing a love that helped her heal. The parallel between the tunes is certainly fitting, considering they’re both about being faced with immense pain and finding yourself through it.
#3: Mashup
“Cornelia Street” (2019) & “You’re Losing Me (From the Vault)” (2023)
If you pressed play on “You’re Losing Me” and thought, ‘where have I heard this before?’, you’re not alone. It might not click right away, but many Swifties have found similarities between the “Midnights” track and “Cornelia Street.” Of course, there are lyrical links, particularly with the “I hope I never lose you”/“I don’t wanna lose you” and “you’re losin’ me” lines. But the songs also feel similar musically, like they’re telling two parts of the same story. When you juxtapose them, the effect is gutting. If you look up “Cornelia Street” and “You’re Losing Me” mashups online, you’ll see exactly what we mean. We don’t know for sure if this was done on purpose, but few things are accidental in the Swiftverse!
#2: The Trio
“cardigan” (2020) & “betty” (2020) & “august” (2020)
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Taylor Swift often writes very personal songs. But that changed with “folklore,” as evidenced in this particular trio of tunes. Once you listen through “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty” a few times, you realize that together they make up what’s dubbed the “teenage love triangle”. Each song is from the point of view of one of the three people involved, with overlapping lyrics and themes linking them. For example, there’s “Remember when I pulled up and said ‘Get in the car’” in “august,” and “James, get in, let's drive” in “betty,” both at roughly the 2:47 mark. There’s also mentions in both “cardigan” and “betty” of James, who betrayed his love, showing up to ask for forgiveness. And yes, those timecodes also match up!
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“A Tale of Two Cities,” “Getaway Car” (2017)
Charles Dickens Would Be Proud of This Reference
Idris Elba’s Participation, “London Boy” (2019)
It Took Us Way Too Long to Recognize That Voice
Narrative Link, “‘tis the damn season” (2020), “dorothea” (2020)
Dorothea Sings One Song & Her Old Flame Sings the Other
“Bad Was the Blood”, “invisible string” (2020)
The Song in That Cab Is One We Know Well!
Little Black Dress References, “Tim McGraw” (2006) & “The Other Side of the Door (Taylor’s Version)” (2021)
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#1: Colors
Various
If you’ve been paying any attention to the Eras Tour, you’ve probably noticed that Taylor Swift is having plenty of fun with colors. Throughout her career more broadly, she and fans have assigned one to each era. But this isn’t the only way in which Swift infuses our lives with color. Indeed, her discography is full of references to various hues, used to describe everything from different kinds of love — like in “Red” or “Daylight” — to a partner’s eyes in endless tunes. Some, like blue, turn up time and again. Others, like gray, only show up once in a while. Regardless, it’s clear that T.Swift enjoys using colors to bolster the stories she tells, and we love hearing her do it.
Did we miss any of your favorite Taylor Swift lyrical easter eggs? Let us know in the comments below.
