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Swift has been inspired by a vast range of subjects, from Harry Styles to her fourth grade crush.
By Allison Mcglone and Elizabeth Stern
Last updated on Oct 23, 2022
Taylor Swift released her highly-anticipated 10th studio LP, Midnights, at (you guessed it) midnight on October 21, 2022, after announcing the project during her acceptance speech for Best Music Video (for “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)”) at the MTV Awards on August 28, kicking off her latest era.
As a "special very chaotic surprise," she intimated on her TikTok account October 17, she released the Midnights (3am Edition) at 3:00 AM, which included seven additional songs tacked onto the 13 tracks that were initially released — “The story of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life,” as Swift described them.
Taking to Instagram, Swift shared that the album, which she mainly collaborated on with long-time friend and producer Jack Antonoff (remember 1989?) from concept to completion, "coalesced and flowed out of us when our partners (both actors) did a film together in Panama." (Swift is referring to her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn, and Antonoff's significant other, Margaret Qualley.)
Interestingly, the film is titled "Stars at Noon" and was released exactly a week earlier.
During the album rollout over the previous month or so, Swift posted a series of TikTok videos titled "Midnight Mayhem With Me," in which she used a Bingo metal raffle drum to select a ball with a number on it, which she used to announce the title of that track number.
This put Swifties in overdrive as theories grew exponentially about what each track would be about, who she might be collaborating with, and if she would address certain controversies, such as the much-discussed "Karma," which has been shrouded in conspiracy theories since she released "reputation" in 2017.
Even Swift couldn't resist a little schadenfreude when she cracked up in the video as she announced "Karma."
Now that Swifties have spent all night analyzing every last word of each track on Midnights, a consensus on some theories on every last reference and Easter egg is beginning to form, and we have all of them for you right here.
Who are Taylor Swift's songs about? Here's a complete list.
1. "Lavender Haze"
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
Swift came across the term, "lavender haze," while watching Mad Men (hence her reference to the 1950s in the lyrics). As she described it, "Like, if you were in the lavender haze, then that meant you were in that all-encompassing love glow. And I thought that was really beautiful."
Swift confirms that this track, co-written with friend Zoë Kravitz, who also does background vocals, is about her relationship with Alwyn, because she went on to say, "I guess, theoretically, when you're in the lavender haze, you'll do anything to stay there and not let people bring you down off that cloud."
Then, she spoke specifically about their relationship of six years. "We've had to dodge weird rumors, tabloid stuff and we just ignore it. And so this song is sort of about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff."
The lyrics "All they keep asking me is if I'm gonna be your bride, the only kinda girl they see, is a one-night or a wife," stand out.
Some speculate that this is an addition to Swift's ongoing commentary on how women are treated in the music industry and what celebrity is like for women in a larger sense.
Considering she is significantly more famous and has had a longer, achievement-studded career than Alwyn, interest continues to swirl around her love life and whether she and Alwyn have tied the knot yet. Swift has been vocal about wanting to be recognized for her music, not her personal and love life, over the last several years.
This is punctuated by the lyrics, "I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say, no deal, the 1950s sh*t they want from me."
2. "Maroon"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllanhaal or Harry Styles
One of Swift's most notable albums, Red, especially the acclaimed Red (Taylor's Version) which is up for Grammy Album Of The Year consideration this year, focused specifically on the feeling of red, as Swift characterized it.
First, it should be noted that the alternate meaning of the word, "maroon," is to "leave (someone) trapped and isolated in an inaccessible place, especially an island," according to the Oxford Languages. Swift is notorious for hidden meanings in her music, and this one shouldn't be missed.
Considering this week is the 10-year anniversary of the original release of her album Red, fans are wondering if this song is about Jake Gyllenhaal, a prolific figure on the album — notably, in the Swiftie anthem "All Too Well" (all versions). Swift has claimed that her original release of Red was her one "true breakup album," saying, "This was an album that I wrote specifically about pure, absolute, to the core, heartbreak."
Heartbreak often leaves one feeling lonely — perhaps even trapped and isolated.
All of the references to color and their relation to red are reminiscent of the way Swift used color as a device to describe her feelings about Gyllenhaal in the title track of Red: "The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed the wine onto me / And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was / The mark you saw on my collarbone, the rust that grew between telephones / The lips I used to call home, so scarlet, it was maroon."
Compared to the chorus of Red: "Losing him was blue, like I’d never known / Missing him was dark gray, all alone / Forgetting him was like trying to know / Somebody you never met / But loving him was red / Loving him was red."
Of course, it should be taken into consideration that One Direction, of which Harry Styles was a member, released a song titled "Olivia," with the following lyrics: "Just thinking how I went about it wrong / This isn't the stain of a red wine, I'm bleeding love."
3. "Anti-Hero"
Allegedly about: Herself
Prior to Midnights' release, Swift declared this was one of her favorite songs that she's written — ever — and that it delves deeper into her insecurities in a way she never has previously.
Poignantly, she sings in the chorus, "I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror, it must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero."
This is also the lead single of Midnights, for which she released a music video at 8:00 AM (ET) the same day of the album's release.
4. "Snow On The Beach" (feat. Lana Del Ray)
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
On this track, Lana Del Ray sings background vocals and Dylan O'Brien, who co-starred as the character "Him" in her short film, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)," is credited for playing the drums.
As Swift described it in an Instagram post on October 12, "The song, is about falling in love with someone at the same time they are falling in love with you." She added, "It's in this sort of cataclysmic, fated moment where you realize someone feels exactly the same way that you feel at the same moment."
It evokes many of the feelings "Delicate" did from her album "reputation," in which one feels as though they have a tenuous grasp on a new love, and the anxiety that accompanies this uncertainty.
She also name-checks Janet Jackson in her lyrics, “I’m all for you like Janet.”
5. "You're On Your Own, Kid"
Allegedly about: Herself
Track five on every one of Swift's album is notorious for where Swift weaves a tale with gut-wrenching lyrics, leaving herself more vulnerable than she does on any of the other tracks on the album.
This time around is no different. In the lyrics: "From sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes / I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body / Like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss."
Here, she references her eating disorder, which she discussed in her 2020 documentary, "Miss Americana."
Following this, she solemnly sings: "I looked around in a blood-soaked gown / And I saw something they can't take away / 'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned / Everything you lose is a step you take."
She repeats throughout the track, "You're on your own kid. You always have been," demonstrating Swift's self-aware journey of self-growth toward learning how to stand on her ground and fight for herself in an unforgiving industry and environment, though there was no shortage of difficult lessons along the way.
6. "Midnight Rain"
Allegedly about: Tom Hiddleston or a boyfriend from before Swift became famous
Swifties aren't quite sure where they stand on this one. Swift's voice, pitched down, begins the song, and describes being comfortable or seeking fame. Swift wanted to pursue her career, identity, and individuality, as she sings: "He wanted it comfortable/ I wanted that pain/ He wanted a bride/I was making my own name/Chasing that fame/He stayed the same/All of me changed/Like midnight."
Some theorize it was about it's about her relationship with Hiddleston during her "Bleachella" Era. He made explicit, public displays of his desire for her, though she eventually left him to figure out her next steps in her career, alongside someone (Joe Alwyn), who evidently didn't want to stand in her way.
7. "Question...?"
Allegedly about: Harry Styles
There's some unfinished business in this song. And fans have long felt that way about the affair that went down between Swift and Styles.
And they couldn't help but draw some parallels between the lyrics in this song and the one that has been widely believed to be about Harry Styles for several years, aptly titled, "Style," which both begin the punctuation of the lyric "I remember": "Good girl, sad boy / Big city, wrong choices / We had one thing going on / I swear that it was something."
While she sings, in "Style": "You got that long hair, slicked back, white T-shirt / And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt."
"Painted all my nights / A color I have searched for since” in 'Question...?' could be a reference to the 'Out of the Woods' lyrics, “The rest of the world was black and white, but we were in screaming color."
To top that off, the lyrics: "Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room?" sparked added fuel to the fire for fans speculating that the track could be about Harry Styles due to this infamous New Year's Eve kiss:
8. "Vigilante Sh-t"
Allegedly about: Scooter Braun and his now ex-wife, Yael Cohen
Let it be known that Swift is all about being there for her fellow women — even if they're the enemy of her enemy, including Yael Cohen, now Scooter Braun's ex-wife. Braun bought Swift's master recordings to her first six studio albums without her knowledge, continuing a seemingly already-standing feud between the two, in 2019.
In the track, Swift sings: "She needed cold hard proof so I gave her some / She had the envelope, where you think she got it from? / Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride / Picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife."
It has been speculated that Yael Cohen was unhappy with how Braun handled the handling (or mishandling) of Swift's masters. In fact, this was first visited in Swift's "Mad Woman" on her eighth studio album, folklore, back in 2020.
Of course, fans couldn't help but notice that, not only was the release date for Midnights also the birthday of Kim Kardashian, but even her announcement of the album was on her thirteenth anniversary of when Kanye West stole the stage from her as she was accepting Best Female Video for "You Belong With Me." And, even if you have the most basic knowledge of Taylor Swift, you know she basically owns the number 13.
As if this weren't enough of a hint, Swift wore her "revenge dress" (as Swifties took to calling it), walking the red carpet draped in diamonds on the night she announced the upcoming release of Midnights. Importantly, the dress bared a glaring resemblance to a splash Swift made in a scene from her "Look What You Made Me Do" music video, which was the lead single from her sixth studio album, reputation.
"Look What You Made Me Do" was full of endless Easter eggs, hints, and jabs about Kimye, including the scene in question, in which she was literally bathed in over $10 million worth of diamonds from jewelers such as Neil Lane.
Where was the rub? This was only shortly after Kim Kardashian had been robbed at gunpoint in Paris of several million dollars worth her diamond jewelry, including her $4 million engagement ring from Kanye West.
As divorce rumors began to heat up between Kardashian and West, then look more and more concrete, it was rumored that the feud between Kardashian and Taylor was over.
In an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kim said (of Swift), in an interview, "I really like a lot of her songs. They’re all super cute and catchy." Maybe they aren't thick as thieves, but things have certainly come a long way, and the only bad blood left is between Swift and Cohen's and Kardashian's ex-husbands.
Last, but not least, Swift sings, "I don't dress for villains / Or for innocents," which could be a reference to the song, "Innocent," from her 2010 Speak Now album, which she wrote about Kanye West in the spirit of forgiveness and even performed at the MTV Awards one year after he stole the mic from her on the same stage.
9. "Bejeweled"
Allegedly about: Calvin Harris
In this track, we hear Swift feeling taken for granted — like she must have right around her Bleachella Era, co-hosting the Met Gala, where she spent all dancing with Tom Hiddleston in a shimmering dress, corresponding with the lyrics: "What's a girl gonna do? / A diamond's gotta shine / Best believe I'm still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer."
Not to mention that, at the time, she was credited as a co-writer and background vocalist, under the pseudonym 'Nils Sjöberg' on the party track Calvin Harris and "Shine Bright Like A Diamond" singer Rihanna put out, "This Is What You Came For."
We can't blame her for singing: "Baby love, I think I've been a little too kind / Didn't notice you walking all over my peace of mind / In the shoes I gave you as a present / Putting someone first only works when you're in their top five / And by the way / I'm going out tonight / Best believe I'm still bejeweled."
It was reported that Swift didn't feel supported by Harris and "felt like [Harris] wasn't there for her," with the source adding, "The relationship wasn't progressing the way she wanted it to."
Perhaps most damning are the lyrics exposing the lack of recognition she felt in their relationship and the natural contempt that must have followed: "Familiarity breeds contempt / Don't put me in the basement / When I want the penthouse of your heart."
This clearly showed on July 13, 2016, in a couple of since-deleted post-breakup tweets Harris posted (and soon after regretted), in which he said, "I figure if you're happy in your new relationship you should focus on that instead of trying to tear your ex bf down for something to do," and "I know you're off tour and you need someone new to try and bury like Katy ETC but I'm not that guy, sorry. I won't allow it."
10. "Labyrinth"
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
This is a tale of falling in love, but not at first — we're led to believe it's a jaded perspective on love, including the fear and anxiety that comes with it, especially after Swift's painful history regarding her love life.
It's understandable the singer, who already wrote such telling lyrics on her 2012 album Red a decade ago, in "Begin Again," "Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end."
Without seeming to refer specifically to any one relationship from her past, Swift sings about her expectations of any relationship moving forward: "I'll be getting over you my whole life / You know how scared I am of elevators / Never trust it if it rises fast / It can't last."
Then she ruminates on her history as a whole and how it has informed and impacted her habit of bracing herself for love: "You know how much I hate / That everybody just expects me to bounce back / Just like that."
But suddenly, the "you" she is singing to seems to be her current love, Joe Alwyn, as indicated by the lyrics sung throughout the track, where Swift expresses surprise and disbelief at the exception to the rule she's always known: "I thought the plane was going down / How'd you turn it right around?"
11. "Karma"
Allegedly about: Kanye West and/or Scooter Braun
When the title of this track was announced, Swifties nearly lost it, especially after years of theories and conspiracies swirling around the mention of karma in "Look What You Made Me Do" (which was clearly directed at Kanye West) off her 2017 reputation album, in the lyrics: "The world moves on, another day, another drama, drama / But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma / And then the world moves on, but one thing's for sure / Maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours."
As time passed, fans began positing that "Karma" was a lost or upcoming album on which Taylor and Kanye had collaborated with one another, among other rabbit hole conspiracies that were as intricate as they were simultaneously believable and outrageous.
But Swift herself said, in her 2016 interview with Vogue, "Karma is real."
"Karma" turned out to be a song of vindication for Swift, after years of rolling with the punches instead of outright attacking the people who've attacked her throughout her professional life — despite some of her attackers doing everything in their power and (arguable) creativity to get a rise out of and break Swift down.
She sings, potentially at a number of adversaries, such as Kanye West, Scooter Brain, Scott Borschetta, and/or others: "Spiderboy, king of thieves / Weave your little webs of opacity / My pennies made your crown / Trick me once / Trick me twice / Don't you know that cash ain't the only price? / It's coming back around / And I keep my side of the street clean / You wouldn't know what I mean."
The reference to a crown could be a reference to what many are certain are lyrics directed at Borschetta in Swift's ninth studio album, evermore, in the song "It's Time To Go": "Fifteen years, fifteen million tears / Begging 'til my knees bled / I gave it my all, he gave me nothing at all / Then wondered why I left / Now he sits on his throne in his palace of bones / Praying to his greed / He's got my past frozen behind glass / But I've got me."
Having spent 15 years with Big Machine Records, the record label owned by Scott Borschetta, Swift contended Borschetta knew how much it would hurt her if he sold her six (under BMR) masters to Scooter Braun.
12. "Sweet Nothing"
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
13. "Mastermind"
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
Plus these bonus tracks:
14. "High Infidelity"
Allegedly about: Calvin Harris
15. "Glitch"
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
16. "Would've Could've Should've"
Allegedly about: John Mayer
17. "Mr. Perfectly Fine"
Allegedly about: Joe Jonas
"Mr. Perfectly Fine" references a man moving on quickly after a breakup, and Jonas seemingly moved on with actress Camilla Belle shortly after his breakup with Swift.
Swift also calls him "Mr. Never Told You Why" and Mr. Never Had to See Me Cry" in the lyrics, seeming to reference the fact that Jonas reportedly broke up with Swift in a less-than-30-second phone call.
18. "Forever and Always"
Allegedly about: Joe Jonas
Judging by the timeline of the relationship, much of Swift’s 2008 album "Fearless" is likely based on her relationship with Jonas, and “Forever and Always” in particular infamously references Joe.
19. "You All Over Me"
Allegedly about: Joe Jonas
Swift wrote this one about her relationship with Jonas, referencing meeting him on a day in June while reports began circulating about Swift and Jonas' relationship in July 2008.
20. "Last Kiss"
Allegedly about: Joe Jonas
Swift's lyrics mention running off a plane into someone's arms on July 9th, 2008, the same day the Jonas Brothers had a concert in Dallas, suggesting she flew to the concert to see him.
21. "Better Than Revenge"
Allegedly about: Camilla Belle
Swift sings about an actress (Camilla Belle) stealing her man (Jonas). Belle herself referenced this song when she chimed in on Twitter about Swift's beef with other women.
22. "Holy Ground"
Allegedly about: Joe Jonas
Swift sings about realizing that there is a lot to learn from a failed relationship and moving on from it. She mentions the person in the song going to one of her shows in "SD," seemingly referencing when Jonas went to her concert in South Dakota.
23. "Back to December"
Allegedly about: Taylor Lautner
Swift dated Lautner for a brief period in 2009, and apparently regretted the way she ended things with him, as the song “Back to December” was apparently inspired by their rough breakup.
It was the timeline and the song’s reference to “tan skin” and a “sweet smile” that initially led to suspicion, and in 2016 Lautner confirmed that he was the subject of the song.
24. "Hey Stephen"
Allegedly about: Stephen Barker Liles of music duo Love and Theft
Swift wrote “Hey Stephen” after touring with the fellow musician in 2008, and apparently crushing on him.
Liles told Taste of Country in 2011 that Taylor’s song was “one of the nicest things anybody’s ever done for me.”
He returned the favor, releasing a song about Swift shortly afterward called “Try to Make It Anyway.”
25. "Mine"
Allegedly about: Cory Monteith
Swift and Monteith were briefly rumored to be dating in the spring of 2010.
Swift has said that the song “Mine” was written about a guy she barely dated but saw a future with, leading many to connect the song to Monteith.
26. "Our Song"
Allegedly about: Brandon Borello, one of Taylor's high school boyfriends
This early high school boyfriend of Swift’s is believed to be the subject of “Our Song” and “Tim McGraw,” which the singer said she wrote about a guy she was dating who moved away.
27. "Tim McGraw"
Allegedly about: Brandon Borello
Swift has explained that "Tim McGraw" is not actually about Tim McGraw, but about a relationship she was in with someone who went off to college. "I was thinking about all the things that I knew would remind him of me," she said.
28. "Fifteen"
Allegedly about: Brandon Borello and her best friend Abigail Anderson.
The song “Fifteen” is about Swift’s freshman year of high school, and the “Abigail” mentioned in the song is her real-life best friend, Abigail Anderson.
The two remain close to this day, and Taylor was even a bridesmaid at Abigail’s wedding in 2017.
29. "Red"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllenhaal
Swift is known for capitalizing certain letter in the lyrics books that come along with her albums, and in this song, the letters 'SAG' are capitalized. Fans theorize that this could be a reference to their Sagittarius zodiac signs, the fact that he's a member of the Screen Actors Guild, or a reference to "Swift And Gyllenhaal."
30. "We Are Never Getting Back Together"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllenhaal
Swift's lyrics take a dig at Gyllenhaal's love for indie music, writing, "And you would hide away and find your peace of mind / With some indie record that's much cooler than mine."
31. "State of Grace"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllenhaal
Swift references "twin fire signs" (she and Gyllenhaal are both Sagittarius fire signs) and "four blue eyes" (both Swift and Gyllenhaal have blue eyes).
32. "The Moment I Knew"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllenhaal
This song is about Gyllenhaal not showing up to Swift's birthday party.
33. "I Bet You Think About Me"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllenhaal and/or Scooter Brain
Swift once again references Gyllenhaal's love for indie music, and also mentions that this particular love interest grew up in a "Silverspoon gated community. Glamorous, shiny, bright Beverly Hills." Gyllenhaal was born into a wealthy family, his father a Hollywood director.
Fans have also theorized that the song is about Scooter Braun, who owns Swift's original recordings.
34. "All Too Well"
Allegedly about: Jake Gyllenhaal
Swift and Gyllenhaal dated for several months between 2010 and 2011, and apparently, he didn’t have much time for her.
"All Too Well" most obviously refers to Jake, referencing a trip the couple took and a scarf Swift apparently left at the home of his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal.
35. "I Knew You Were Trouble"
Allegedly about: Harry Styles
The singer appeared to admit that “I Knew You Were Trouble” was about Styles in a 2013 interview, when she said of her Brit Awards performance, “It’s not hard to access that emotion when the person the song is directed at is standing by the side of the stage watching.” Styles was confirmed to be in this position at the time.
36. "Style"
Allegedly about: Harry Styles
The title of “Style” is believed to reference Styles’ name, and the music video features his look-alike.
37. "Out of the Woods"
Allegedly about: Harry Styles
“Out of the Woods” appears to mention a snowmobile accident that Styles and Swift were involved in during their relationship, and the paper airplane necklaces the two of them wore. The song also sparked a bizarre rumor that the former couple had committed vehicular manslaughter together.
38. "Message in a Bottle"
Allegedly about: Harry Styles
Swift references London, where Styles was living when Swift released this song.
39. "Begin Again"
Allegedly about: Conor Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Taylor’s single “Begin Again” is thought to be about her brief connection to Conor Kennedy in 2012.
The singer, then 22, was infatuated with then-18-year-old Kennedy around the same time the song was written.
40. "Innocent"
Allegedly about:Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
West is believed to have inspired the song “Innocent” when he interrupted Swift’s speech at the 2009 VMAs. The line “32 and still growin' up now” aligns with Kayne’s age at the time, and the song seems to simultaneously criticize and forgive his behavior.
41. "Look What You Made Me Do"
Allegedly about: Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
“Look What You Made Me Do” also contains several references to Swift’s renewed feud with West after the older musician took digs at her in some of his own songs and music videos.
42. "Getaway Car"
Allegedly about: Tom Hiddleston and/or Calvin Harris
In “Getaway Car,” Swift sings about a short-lived rebound relationship that ended badly. She dated Tom Hiddleston briefly in 2016, shortly after breaking up with Calvin Harris.
Because of the timing, people believe this song could be about either or both Harris and Hiddleston.
43. "Enchanted"
Allegedly about: Adam Young of music group Owl City
The Owl City frontman observed that Swift’s song “Enchanted” was inspired by communication that followed her first meeting with him.
“She made some comment that I used the word ‘enchanted’ and the word ‘wonderstruck’ in an email,” Young told US Weekly. “And she said how she had never heard anyone really use that word before. So when that word was in the song, I was like, ‘this song has to be about me.’”
44. "Teardrops on My Guitar"
Allegedly about: former crush Andrew Hardwick
Taylor drops Hardwick’s nickname, “Drew,” in each verse of “Teardrops On My Guitar.”
He was an unrequited crush of hers back in 2006, and the lyrics of the song are apparently true to life. Unfortunately, Hardwick has since been arrested for child abuse.
45. "Dear John"
Allegedly about: John Mayer
Taylor Swift wrote the song “Dear John,” from her 2010 album Speak Now, about the older singer, who she dated briefly in 2009 when Mayer was 32 and she was just 19.
The lyric “don’t you think I was too young to be messed with?” references their vast age gap.
Mayer responded to the song in a Rolling Stone interview, telling reporters that he was “humiliated” by the song, and “I never did anything to deserve that.” He also recently exchanged words with a Taylor Swift fan who wished him dead after the re-release of the song.
46. "Stay Beautiful"
Allegedly about: her fourth-grade crush, Cory Robertson
The “Cory” referenced in “Stay Beautiful” was Swift’s fourth-grade crush, as she revealed in a 2010 Target commercial.
“He liked the cool girl,” Taylor said of the young Robertson. “Little did he know I was writing songs about him after school, dreaming one day of becoming a country singer.”
47. "Should've Said No"
Allegedly about: high school boyfriend, Sam Armstrong
The lyrics to Taylor’s song “Should’ve Said No” contain a hidden message in their repeated capitalization of the letters “SAM,” apparently in reference to her high school boyfriend, Sam Armstrong, who allegedly cheated on her.
48. "Picture to Burn"
Allegedly about: high school boyfriend, Jordan Alford
Alford was another of Swift’s high school boyfriends, and she reportedly wrote the angry ballad “Picture to Burn” about him after he left her for his current wife, Chelsea.
About finding out about the song’s inspiration, Chelsea said, “We just thought it was funny. [Jordan] was like, ‘I'm not a redneck! She makes me look like some redneck!’ but other than that we just thought it was kind of funny.”
49. "Betty"
Allegedly about: Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' youngest daughter Betty Reynolds
Taylor Swift confirmed rumors that her song "Betty" revealed the name of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' youngest daughter.
Taylor is close with the couple, and her song also names their two older children, James and Inez.
50. "Call It What You Want"
Allegedly about: her current boyfriend, Joe Alwyn
It is widely suspected that the song “Call It What You Want,” from Swift’s 2017 album Reputation, was written about her current boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, as well as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.
Swift characterizes the “lover” figure in the song as her single refuge from a tumultuous world, and it was published while she and Alwyn were already together.
51. “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)”
Allegedly about: a neighboring couple
“Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” was apparently inspired by the relationship of a married couple who once lived next door to Swift.
“They’d been married forever and they came over one night for dinner and were just so cute,” the singer said. “They were talking about how they fell in love and got married and how they met when they were just little kids... it was really comforting to know that all I had to do was go home and look next door to see a perfect example of forever.”
52. "Tied Together With A Smile"
Allegedly about: a friend from high school
Taylor Swift told Entertainment Weekly in 2007 that her song “Tied Together With A Smile” was written about “one of my friends… a gorgeous, popular girl in high school.”
Swift also revealed that she “wrote that song the day I found out she had an eating disorder.”
53. "The Best Day"
Allegedly about: her mother, Andrea Swift
The lyrics to “The Best Day” make it perfectly clear who inspired this sweet song: Taylor’s mother, Andrea Swift. Her father and brother also make a cameo.
The song recalls Taylor’s childhood, and with lines like “I know you were on my side even when I was wrong / And I love you,” the singer celebrates the strong bond she shares with her mom.
54. "Ronan"
Allegedly about: Ronan Thompson, a 4-year-old boy who died from cancer.
Swift originally wrote this song as a single for charity organization Stand Up to Cancer and it's based on a blog that Ronan's mother Maya kept about her son's battle with cancer.
55. "Bad Blood"
Allegedly about: Katy Perry
Swift doesn't just look to romantic relationships for inspiration. She's also referenced friendships, with Bad Blood specifically thought to be about her friendship with Katy Perry. Swift accused Perry of stealing her backup dancers.
56. "Lover"
Allegedly about: Joe Alwyn
In an appearance on NPR's Tiny Desk concert series, Swift explains that "Lover" is special to her because she's "spent quite a bit of time writing break-up songs," and this song is a departure from that, celebrating true love instead.
She loved the sentiment of the song so much that she made it the title song of her album "Lover."
Allie McGlone is a writer who covers a variety of topics for YourTango, including pop culture and entertainment.
Elizabeth Stern has been a medical publishing expert for 13 years, including roles at the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Society of Hematology, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.