You’ve heard it said before and whether you’re a huge fan or a casual listener, you have to admit it: Taylor Swift gets you. Her lyrics perfectly explain everything you’ve ever gone through and will go through. Whether it be a bad breakup or a girl power moment, T Swift has got your back. Here is your go-to list for a Taylor Swift song that fits any mood.
1. For the worst breakup of all time: “Picture to Burn”
Starting off with a throwback to old-school country Taylor Swift, this song encompasses every emotion that comes with a rough, petty breakup. Backed with loud aggressive guitar and a steady drum beat, Taylor threatens whomever did her wrong by calling him out for being selfish, immature and an all-around terrible person. She speaks in a matter-of-fact tone and her dry sense of sarcasm mirror exact conversations that have probably occurred between two best friends discussing an ex that did them wrong.
Key lyric: “Watch me strike a match on all my wasted time. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another picture to burn.”
2. For a GNO: “22”
If there were ever a song that best embodies the spirit of a group of best friends on a night out, it would be “22.” This song has the perfect beat to dance to and lyrics that beg you to sing along. Besides the fun feeling it gives you, it also reveals serious truths about being a young girl. “22” teaches you that it’s OK to not know what you’re going to do with your life, but reassures you that as long as you have people around you to support you and help you with whatever you may need, you’re not so alone.
Key lyric: “Everything will be alright if you keep me next to you.”
3. For when things start to look up: “Begin Again,”
This song represents the moving-on stage after a breakup. In “Begin Again,” Taylor compares her new beau to a recent ex. Throughout the song, she mentions how this new guy values her and appreciates the quirks the ex failed to notice. Towards the end of the song, she almost brings the ex up, and is instead wrapped up in the new guy’s stories. This song illustrates the process of recovery, as Taylor picks herself up and realizes she deserves better than what she had. The song is soft and slow, and ends with a simple realization that it all was beginning again.
Key lyric: “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 cafe, I watched it begin again.”
4. For growing up: “Fifteen”
High-schoolers are famous for being hard to understand, but Taylor gets it. “Fifteen” explores the struggles of starting high school and being unsure of who you are. The song sheds light on multiple struggles of growing up and figuring our friendships and relationships in high schools.
Key lyric: “I’ve found time can heal almost anything and you just might find who you’re supposed to be.”
5. For when you make a mistake: “Innocent”
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2010 MTV Video Music Awards
After the incident at the 2011 VMA awards, everyone was anticipating how the two musicians would come back and respond at the following ceremony. Taylor chose to perform “Innocent,” a song that essentially forgave Kanye for what he did. Not only did this song absolve Kanye of his wrongdoings, it also shared a broad message of forgiveness to anyone who has ever screwed up. Taylor lets us know that growing up is tough, and in our attempts to mature we may often make mistakes, but who we are is not what we’ve done.
Key lyric: “Today is never too late to be brand new.”
6. For reminiscing: “Long Live”
If some important era in your life has ever come to an end, the best way to cope is to blast this song and sing along with all the people who were with you for that time. This song reminds you of the great times, and looks forward to the future with those memories in your pocket. “Long Live” addresses that the people who were with you for these moments may not be with you in the future, but reminds you that new memories will come, and those people will still be in your heart.
Key lyric: “Long live the walls we crashed through. I had the time of my life with you.”
7. For when you need to let go: “Shake It Off”
We’ve all had those days where it feels like the world is coming down on us. The stress adds up and we just want to scream. Taylor says, instead of giving up, just shake it off. This song is fun and danceable, and again has great lyrics to pump you up and reassure you that while the haters are always gonna hate and the fakers are always gonna fake, and you just gotta shake it off.
Key lyric: “Just think while you've been getting down and out about the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world, you could've been getting down to this sick beat.”
8. For you need to cry: “All too Well”
Arguably Swift’s greatest work of lyricism, “All Too Well” guides listeners through an entire relationship from start to finish. Her exact details of the romance make it all the more real and the end of what seems like a perfect couple rips your heart out. While this song may not be as relatable because of its specifics, the emotion behind it makes you feel like you’re the one living it.
Key lyrics: “I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it.”
