Satisfying Satire: Taylor’s “I Did Something Bad” Meaning, Explained

I Did Something Bad is one of the most vivid songs on Taylor Swift’s reputation. It paints a dark portrait of betrayal, karma, and revenge, and explores the major themes of good vs evil.

But are there deeper meanings, too? Taylor lets this record speak for itself, so we’ll need to decode the lyrics to see what she’s trying to tell us. 

Here’s my full English teacher analysis of Taylor’s I Did Something Bad meaning, line by line. Let’s dive into the lyrics. 

Article cover image designed in the style of a newspaper with the title 'Daily Swift' set in a gothic font, accompanied by 'Breaking News' and 'Special Edition' notices. The prominent headline 'Analyzing I DID SOMETHING BAD' is in a stark serif typeface. A quote from the song is highlighted below: 'Then why's it feel so good?,' with 'Swiftly Sung Stories' credited in a relaxed script at the bottom.

I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift

  • Title: “I Did Something Bad” 
  • Track: 3, Reputation (2017) 
  • Written By: Taylor Swift, Shellback, Max Martin
  • Pen: Fountain, with a bit of satirical glitter gel pen
  • Lyrics from Genius 

I Did Something Bad Narrative Summary

  • Setting: Taylor’s satirical revenge fantasy. 
  • Characters: Narrator (Taylor), subjects (“a narcissist,” “a playboy”, and the wider world “they”).
  • Mood: Satirical, sarcastic, vengeful.
  • Conflict: The constant criticism and hate coming from the wider world.
  • Inciting Incident: “I did something bad”: her actions are misconstrued as malicious.
  • Quest: Explain, using satire, why the perception of her is wrong.  
  • Theme: Revenge & reputation.
  • Lesson: Don’t believe everything you hear.  

What is I Did Something Bad About? 

Track 3 from reputation narrates Taylor’s satirical revenge fantasy, and makes commentary on the world’s perception of her as a maneater, liar, and manipulator. 

Taylor said she was inspired by a Game of Thrones plot line while writing the song and the rest of the album, which likely contributed to the darker tone and imagery of the lyrics. 

Who is I Did Something Bad About? 

At first glance, I Did Something Bad claps back at Taylor’s haters, most likely Kanye West/Kim Kardashian, and her ex Calvin Harris. 

But moreover, this track comments on the world’s perception of Taylor post-Snakegate, a scandal in which she was falsely portrayed as a liar. 

I Did Something Bad Meaning: Line by Line Analysis

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The first verse lyrics read: "I never trust a narcissist, but they love me
So I play 'em like a violin
And I make it look, oh, so easy
'Cause for every lie I tell them, they tell me three
This is how the world works
Now all he thinks about is me"

Taylor establishes intimacy from the get go – she’s letting us in on a secret. It’s like she’s whispering to a girlfriend, revealing her darkest thoughts. She’s also authoritative and confident in what she’s speaking about: it’s from experience. 

“I never trust a narcissist, but they love me,” she says in the opening line. This is a wink and a nod to Swifties, who know exactly who this line is (probably) about: Kanye West. 

But it’s also a general nod to Taylor’s position in the patriarchal music industry, where she (likely) has to deal with a lot of narcissism. 

“So I play ‘em like a violin,” she says, turning their manipulative tactics against them. But this could also be a play on the sarcastic ‘world’s smallest violin’ saying. Don’t ever feel sorry for them, or ‘play the world’s smallest violin’ for them. They don’t deserve the attention or sympathy; they had it coming.  

“For every lie I tell them, they tell me three,” she says, playing their game of manipulation, and quietly keeping score. Whatever she does to them won’t be as bad as what they’re doing to her, and she’s about to turn the tables. 

“This is how the world works,” she satirically shrugs. What she really means is ‘this how my celebrity world works,’ or ‘this is how the patriarchy works.’ She survives this topsy-turvy existence by playing the game, instead of being defeated by it. 

“Now all he thinks about is me,” she smiles. This can be taken in two ways: either he obsesses over her to plot his own revenge, or he obsesses over her in a romantic way. 

But who is “he”? It could be Kanye, who certainly seemed to be thinking about (and targeting) Taylor non-stop in this era. But, as we’ll learn later on in the song, it could also be in the genre of love and relationships. 

In either arena – in her career or in love – she can spot the bullshit a mile away, and will no longer be deceived by the manipulation. As she told us in the album’s opening poem, Why She Disappeared: 

“When she finally rose, she rose slowly

Avoiding old haunts and sidestepping shiny pennies

Wary of phone calls and promises,

Charmers, dandies and get-love-quick-schemes.”

-Taylor Swift, Why She Disappeared, reputation Magazines 2017

This new Taylor – the one who has risen up from the dead – will “never trust a narcissist” ever again, and will always be “wary of phone calls and promises” both in love and in life. 

Pre-Chorus: “Crimson Red Paint on My Lips”

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The first pre-chorus lyrics read: "I can feel the flames on my skin
Crimson red paint on my lips
If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothin'
I don't regret it one bit 'cause he had it comin'"

“I can feel the flames on my skin,” she says, feeling the heat of the flames that can burn her down, creeping closer and closer. 

The fire starts to engulf her, with “Crimson red paint on my lips.” The red represents a scarlet letter, being branded as a “maneater” and a slut. But the red on her lips also calls attention to her words: words that she spoke, but were twisted like a game of telephone. 

Taylor speaks the truth, but because she’s been branded with a scarlet ‘A’ by the media and the public, the words coming from her red lips won’t be believed. 

“If a man talks shit, then I owe him nothin’,” she says, standing up for herself and her right to enforce her boundaries. If any man disparages her, she owes him not one moment of her time or attention. 

This likely points to the doctored phone call of the Snakegate era, where Kimye released an edited clip of her supposed agreement to Kanye’s lyrics. She did not, in fact, agree to his slanderous and disparaging use of her name in his song. 

But it could also point to her ex Calvin Harris’ twitter rant, where he “talked shit” about Taylor very publicly. 

“I don’t regret it one bit ’cause he had it comin’,” she says, getting ready to enact her revenge. It’s an eye for an eye, but instead of making the whole world blind, it will only blind her enemies. 

Taylor can see it all perfectly clearly, and she knows who her friends and enemies are.  

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Chorus: “Why’s it Feel So Good?”

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The first chorus lyrics read: "They say I did somethin' bad
Then why's it feel so good?
They say I did somethin' bad
But why's it feel so good?
Most fun I ever had
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could
It just felt so good, good"

“They say I did somethin’ bad,” she says in the first chorus, “Then why’s it feel so good?” 

Who is “they?” The public, the media, or her enemies, who shame her for her behavior. Taylor acknowledges this label, but doesn’t particularly care: it felt good to her. 

But what is the “something bad” that she did? It could be a myriad of things that Taylor was criticized for during this era. This constant public criticism culminated in Snakegate, which led to Taylor withdrawing from the spotlight altogether. 

The most important part of “they say I did something bad” is “they say.” She didn’t actually do something bad, they just thought she did. This is one of the central themes of reputation: reality vs. the perception of reality. 

“So why’s it feel so good” is acknowledging this misinformation gap: it felt good because it was normal behavior. But it’s also hinting that she has gotten revenge, or will get revenge, for the wrongs against her. 

“Most fun I ever had,” she says, satirically painting herself as the “narcissist.” We know she’s not, but just as she leaned into her “maneater” reputation in Blank Space, she leans into her reputation as a liar and manipulator here. 

“And I’d do it over and over and over again if I could,” she says slyly, “It just felt so good, good.” 

The downfall of her reputation did not, in fact, feel “so good.” 

But what does feel good? Rising up from the dead. Enacting revenge. Speaking the truth. Taking no prisoners. 

Verse 2: “Let Them Think They Saved Me”

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The second chorus lyrics read: "I never trust a playboy, but they love me
So I fly 'em all around the world
And I let them think they saved me
They never see it comin', what I do next
This is how the world works
You gotta leave before you get left"

The second verse continues the patriarchal commentary, where Taylor tells us (satirically) how she uses her sexuality to her advantage. 

“I never trust a playboy, but they love me,” she says of her romances, “So I fly ’em all around the world / And I let them think they saved me.” 

She pretends to be the damsel in distress who needs rescuing, teeing up her pretend knight in shining armor to rescue her. It’s all an act, she cheekily nods to her audience, leaning into hyperbole and satire. 

In reality, she’s “wary of…charmers, dandies and get-love-quick-schemes”, a.k.a. “playboys”. But since the media has portrayed her as a vicious maneater, she leans into the false narrative with sarcasm. 

Like in Blank Space, she’ll embark on a whirlwind romance, where she’ll show her boy toy “incredible things.” But in reality, Taylor doesn’t need to be saved, and they’ll soon find out she’s “a nightmare dressed like a daydream.” 

“They never see it comin’, what I do next,” she says, teeing up her perfect revenge, “This is how the world works / You gotta leave before you get left.”

She’ll love-bomb them, then ghost, adding their name to “a long list of ex-lovers who’ll tell you I’m insane.” 

This is all, of course, satire. But if you can’t beat them, join them. And join in the Taylor roast she does, with wry wit and cynicism. 

Pre-Chorus: “If He Spends My Change Then He Had it Coming”

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The second pre-chorus lyrics read: "I can feel the flames on my skin
He says, "Don't throw away a good thing"
But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothin'
And if he spends my change, then he had it comin'"

The flames come up again in the second pre-chorus. The pressure, the scrutiny, and rage is rising within Taylor. The fire that tries to burn her down is getting closer. 

“He says ‘don’t throw away a good thing’,” she says of her lover or ex-lover. But, as she told us in the second verse, it was never “a good thing.” It was all an act, designed to fail spectacularly. 

“But if he drops my name, then I owe him nothin,” she says emphatically. If he tries to use her reputation to boost his, then he’s toast. But this could also mean to drop her name in the mud, disparaging her reputation publicly. 

Kanye literally “dropped” her name in his lyrics, and Calvin Harris disparaged her in a series of scathing tweets, so both interpretations fit equally well. 

“And if he spends my change, then he had it comin” is similarly multifaceted: it could mean that he doesn’t give her back her “change” (her money, her hard work), or it could mean that he profits from her. 

If he takes what isn’t his to take – her “change”, or the fruits of her labor – then all bets are off. She’ll burn him just as he’s trying to burn her. 

Bridge: “They’re Burning All the Witches, Even if You Aren’t One”

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The bridge lyrics read: "They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one
They got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons
They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one
So light me up (Light me up), light me up (Light me up)
Light me up, go ahead and light me up (Light me up)
Light me up (Light me up), light me up (Light me up)
Light me up (Light me up), light me up"

In the bridge, she further expands on the fire imagery and metaphors. 

“They’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one,” she says, referring to historic witch hunts. Women were burned at the stake, suspected of witchcraft. But in reality, they were simply powerful women, and killed to maintain the patriarchy. 

Taylor is comparing the media and public perception of her to the witch trials, where her reputation will be “burned at the stake.” 

“They got their pitchforks and proof, their receipts and reasons,” she says of the metaphorical “villagers” who are coming for her. They have evidence, and they have weapons. 

But, as in witch trials throughout history, their “receipts” were nothing more than a feeling. Their “reasons” were that they didn’t like a woman having any sort of power. 

“They’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one,” she repeats, “So light me up (Light me up), light me up (Light me up).” 

‘I’m not a witch,’ Taylor proclaims, ‘but if you think I am, try to burn me down and watch what happens.’ 

In historic witch trials, this was often called “baptism by fire,” in which they tried to destroy the body of a “witch” so that the devil could no longer use it to enact his evil. Taylor isn’t afraid of the flames, and she invites them. If you try to burn her down, she’ll only rise up like a phoenix, over and over. 

This is her cheeky nod: ‘yes, I am devilish,’ she grins, ‘and I’m coming for you.’ 

“Light me up,” she repeats, over and over. This is the new Taylor, rising from the ashes. No matter who tries to burn her down, they won’t succeed. She’ll keep coming back “stronger than a 90s trend.” 

Post-Chorus & Outro: “So Good (Bad)”

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "I Did Something Bad" lyrics on a newsprint background. Red English teacher's pen translates each line, points out double meanings, and helps the reader understand the tone and message of the song.
The post-chorus and outro lyrics read: "Ra-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-da-da (Bad)
Ra-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-da-da
Oh, they say I did somethin' bad (They say I did somethin' bad)
Ra-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-di-da-da
Then why's it feel so good, good?

[Outro]
So good (Bad), why's it feel so good?
Why's it feel, why's it feel so good? (Bad)
It just felt so good, good"

“I did something bad, why’s it feel so good?” repeats in the final chorus, and by this point, we can see that it is a play on what’s “bad” and what’s “good.” 

She’s saying ‘I did this minor thing, which the media and haters interpret as bad, but it was just normal behavior.’ Within the gossip and media warware, Taylor was painted as the villain. It’s the age-old story of good vs. evil. 

“Why’s it feel so good,” she wonders, if everyone construes it as “bad”? Because it’s revenge, and revenge always tastes so sweet. 

“So good (bad)” in the outro places these two opposites right next to one another, and this is the central theme of the album, concentrated into three little words. It’s good battling evil, reality battling perception, and the media narrative battling Taylor’s first-person narrative. 

Who will prevail? We already know the answer to that question. But I Did Something Bad serves to lay out the karmic ideals that will thread through the album. As she said in Why She Disappeared, if it weren’t for the battle for her reputation:

“you could never have arrived-

so wondrously and brutally,

By design or some violent, exquisite happenstance

…here.”

-Taylor Swift, Why She Disappeared, reputation Magazines 2017

From her new viewpoint, once again standing on the mountaintop after a long, disastrous fall, she can see it all clearly. It wasn’t bad, and she wasn’t bad. It all had a purpose. But that doesn’t mean that some of the people who tore her down don’t deserve karmic retribution. 

She’ll serve up this revenge throughout this album, and throughout her career, and it all “felt so good” to claw her way back to the top, stepping on the hands of her enemies all the way to the summit.  

🐍🐍🐍 Are you ready for the reputation Lyrics Quiz? 🐍🐍🐍

I Did Something Bad Meaning: Final Thoughts 

This song is more deeply layered than it seems on first listen. Taylor is circling around the ideas of media, fame, reputation, lies vs. truth, and good vs. evil. 

The overarching theme – among many parallel ones – is ‘don’t believe everything you see’ or ‘don’t believe everything you hear.’ The “good” story might be a lie, and the “evil” story might be the truth. 

We need to take that to heart for this song to understand the true meaning, which is that we don’t know what’s real and what’s fake – we only know what Taylor tells us she wants us to know. 

As she said in the reputation Prologue, “We think we know someone, but the truth is that we only know the version of them they have chosen to show us.”

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