Taylor Swift Lyrics, Decoded

Cover image for Swiftly Sung Stories' song analysis page. A black chalkboard reads: "Songs: Analyzing Taylor Swift's lyrics, line by line" and lists a literary analysis checklist. On the desk in front of the chalkboard is an open book with a pocket watch about to hit midnight, next to an hourglass and a bust of Roman goddess.

I analyze Taylor Swift lyrics from an English teacher’s perspective, to help you better understand the larger themes and motifs of each album. Below are thorough dissections of (almost) every Taylor Swift song, album by album and line by line.

In each analysis, I study the lyrics like a narrative text, looking for setting, characters, mood & tone, conflict, inciting incidents, quests, symbols, imagery, metaphors, and the overall lesson.

Studying the lyrics like a book helps us understand Taylor’s overarching themes, which change and evolve through her songwriting journey.

Click through to each analysis below to find cultural and literary references, song connections, easter eggs, common themes, hidden meanings, and much more!

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📓The Tortured Poets Department 📓

🌌 Midnights 🌌

🍂evermore 🍂

🌲 folklore 🌲

🩷 Lover 🩷

🐍 Reputation 🐍

🏙️1989 (Taylor’s Version) 🏙️

❤️ Red (Taylor’s Version) ❤️

💒 Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) 💒

👑 Fearless (Taylor’s Version) 👑

🦋 Debut: Taylor Swift 🦋