Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop-stars of this generation. From her mesmerizing vocals to her phenomenal songwriting, Swift’s music has won the hearts of hundreds of millions of music lovers across the globe.
In the last few years, Taylor Swift has given her fans, Swifties, much to be grateful for. Her re-recordings, music videos, vault songs, Easter eggs, and now the Eras tour: looks like Christmas hasn’t left for the last couple of years! Even Taylor’s Speak Now outfits have been a topic of much debate.
And now, we’re here to talk about yet another Swift event we’ve all been waiting for: Speak Now – Taylor’s Version! The third studio album written by Taylor Swift, Speak Now has a very dedicated fanbase among the Swifties. If you’re a new Swiftie or just a reluctant one, don’t worry; today, we will discuss all you need to know before streaming her newly re-recorded album.
Fun fact: Did you know that Taylor Swift wrote all of Speak Now on her own? She actually did!
Why is Taylor Swift re-recording her albums?
Before we move on to the main section, let us quickly shed some light on why she’s releasing Speak Now – Taylor’s Version. After all, don’t we already have these songs in the voice of 18-year-old Swift? Why is Taylor Swift remaking Speak Now?
The main tea is, Shamrock Holdings now own her music. Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Records, including Taylor’s Masters, and sold them to Shamrock Holdings for $300 million in 2019.
Now you might be wondering, “so what?” Well, so a lot of things.
First and foremost, this means that every time someone plays one of those songs, the profits go to Shamrock Holdings. Secondly, it’s also about art. It’s Taylor Swift who wrote and sang those deeply personal songs, so she should rightfully be the one to own them.
Moreover, Scooter Braun also bullied Taylor after he owned her music by trying to stop her from performing any songs from the six albums in her Netflix documentary and the AMAs. So, Swift decided to re-record the six albums that are currently not under her ownership. It’s not the easiest thing to do, but Taylor Swift is nothing if not hardworking.
What does From the Vault mean?
If you’re a new Swiftie, there’s a very good chance you have no idea what all these (From the Vault) songs are. Well, don’t worry because we’ve got a resident Swiftie in our midst who’s all too eager to help you with that!
On all the re-recorded albums as of now, you might’ve noticed some From the Vault songs. These are the songs that were released with the album the first time around but were written for the same purpose.
For example, Nothing New, The Very First Night, and even When Emma Falls in Love are all vault songs.
What is When Emma Falls In Love actually about?
Let’s start with the song we’ve all speculated about: When Emma Falls in Love.
Many fans claim that the lyrics point toward Emma Stone‘s relationship with Andrew Garfield. But, as some fans pointed out, the song was written in 2010 while Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield got together in 2011.
Instead, the song could be about Kieran Culkin, whom Emma was dating when Taylor wrote When Emma Falls in Love. However, Emma’s relationship is irrelevant here. The song focuses more on Emma’s optimistic and bright personality and how close Emma and Taylor are.
Well, she’s so New York when she’s in LA
She won’t lose herself in love the way that I did
‘Cause she’ll call you out, she’ll put you in your place
When Emma falls in love, I’m learning
Isn’t that so relatable to how best-friend duos generally are? One is wise, has had her experiences, and isn’t scared of standing up for herself. The other one is poles apart, with a fear of rejection and the ultimate people-pleasing complex. And they’re best friends!
What’s with the Better Than Revenge Lyrics change?
If there’s one song that’s hit-or-miss on Taylor’s discography, it’s Better Than Revenge. Although it’s a certified bop, it can admittedly be interpreted as “trying to bring other women down.”
It’s a completely valid piece of criticism, and Swift herself has admitted to that. In her defense, she did write that song at 18 years old when she didn’t know any better. And who among us hasn’t hated at least one person who, through no fault of their own, got what we wanted?
Anyhow, Taylor has officially changed one of the objectionable lyrics in Better Than Revenge – Taylor’s Version:
She’s better known for the things that she does
On the mattress, whoa
To:
He was a moth to the flame
She was holding the matches, woah
We agree with Taylor; although many fans have objected to this change, it sounds more tasteful now. Moreover, Taylor Swift is a world-famous singer-songwriter with billions of fans. So, she also needs to ensure that her music doesn’t negatively impact impressionable young women.
Every song on the album is a letter to a special someone!
Miss Swift has also said in an interview that every song on Speak Now – Taylor’s Version has an intended recipient! After many hours of sleuthing, we’ve brought you some of the most relevant information.
Mine
For example, the lead single of Speak Now, Mine, is about “… a situation where a guy that I just barely knew put his arm around me by the water, and I saw the entire relationship flash before my eyes, almost like a weird science-fiction movie,” she stated in a Rolling Stones interview.
Speak Now
The title track, Speak Now was a song Taylor wrote for one of her close friends, but not how you might think.
“One of my friends … the guy she had been in love with since childhood was marrying this other girl. And my first inclination was to say, ‘Well, are you gonna speak now?’ And then I started thinking about what I would do if I was still in love with someone who was marrying someone who they shouldn’t be marrying. And so I wrote this song about exactly what my game plan would be,” she told Yahoo! Music in a 2010 interview.
Never Grow Up
Doesn’t Never Grow Up make you miss home, and especially, your parents? Well, while that’s pretty much what the song’s about, it also runs a bit deeper for Taylor.
“Never Grow Up is a song about the fact that I don’t quite know how I feel about growing up. It’s tricky,” Swift wrote on her website. Can’t we all relate to that?
We could go on and on, but the best way to enjoy Taylor Swift’s music is to figure out the clues yourself, won’t you agree?
Not-so-honorable mention of John Mayer
While not all of us find it in ourselves to be able to talk about John Mayer in this context, he has undeniably had a huge impact on the making of this album.
Taylor Swift and John Mayer had a highly publicized romantic relationship in the past, and their relationship has been a subject of speculation and discussion. The most controversial aspect of their relationship is their age gap; when they were dating, Taylor was 19, and Mayer was 32.
But that’s the least concerning thing about the relationship if we go by how Taylor Swift has portrayed it in different songs over the year. This album’s most notable song written about John Mayer is Dear John.
Dear John, I see it all now that you’re gone
Don’t you think I was too young to be messed with?
The Story of Us is one of Taylor’s fan favorites, but did you know this song is also about John Mayer? It’s true! In an interview with USA Today, she mentioned that Dear John and The Story of Us are about the same person.
“The Story of Us is about running into someone I had been in a relationship with at an awards show, and we were seated a few seats away from each other. I just wanted to say to him, ‘Is this killing you? Because it’s killing me.’ But I didn’t. Because I couldn’t.”
Isn’t that so innocent yet so desperately sad?
We understand his actions were and continue to be nothing short of upsetting, especially his denial of doing anything wrong. Still, as Swift has already asked of us all, we must show kindness to the rumored subjects of her songs. Otherwise, we’re no better than them.
Taylor Lautner: the one that got away
We couldn’t let you go without telling you about one of the most important people in Taylor Swift’s dating life: Taylor Lautner. He’s the only person in Taylor Swift’s discography who got an apology letter instead of Swift ripping him a new one.
And that’s only because Taylor Lautner was one of the kindest people Taylor has reportedly dated, and she was the one to make a mistake in this relationship. Despite having parted ways in December 2010, Swift and Lautner have been amicable acquaintances; they’ve never publicly said anything bad about each other.
Moreover, Swift totally switched the narrative when she invited the Twilight heartthrob on stage to debut the music video for her song, I Can See You – Taylor’s Version (From the Vault).
And that’s not all! Lautner is also featured in the song’s music video, showing off his killer martial arts moves. For those who’ve been following Swift’s journey, they’ll remember that the moves in the MV resemble those in his SNL monologue following the Kanye-Swift debacle.
Taylor Lautner said he largely regrets not speaking up for Swift that day and wished he could’ve used all those skills on stage! He also complimented Taylor Swift, not only on her singing-songwriting skills but also for who she is as a person. Isn’t that so sweet?
Enjoy your unhinged girl summer with Speak Now – Taylor’s Version!
While one blog isn’t nearly enough to cover all the Easter eggs and fan theories, we’ve tried out best to let you in on some Swiftie facts and secrets.
The best way to learn everything about Taylor Swift’s Speak Now era is to live in it, in the moment. From the hair to the guitars, outfits, photoshoots, and everything – Taylor Swift’s Speak Now – Taylor’s Version is waiting for you on TikTok and Twitter!
If you want to know every small bit of the story that brings the whole story together, you’ll have to dig much deeper. However, as Taylor Swift has said herself, she only drops all these small hints for those who’ve formed a sort of unhealthy relationship with her songs.
So, for a causal listener or someone who cannot afford to be smitten by Taylor Swift’s unbeatable charm and ingenious songwriting, this is all you need to know. Let us know about any hints we might’ve missed out on about Speak Now – Taylor’s Version!
If you’re a fellow Swiftie, you must not forget to check out another blog that we’ve dedicated to some of her timeless hits. Let us know if you want us to write about her more in the comments below!