The Best Day

Today's Taylor Swift song is the meaning of "The Best Day" from her "Fearless" Album!

This is the sweetest song. I absolutely love it, and I hope my daughter feels this way about me some day. Usually Taylor does not reveal the person in her songs, but Taylor is not shy about this one. It is about her MOM!

Taylor and Andrea Swift

In the liner notes, GOD BLESS ANDREA SWIFT is in all caps.  

Taylor Swift loves her mother.  And her mother was so good to her growing up and still is. She can usually be seen in the background at most of Taylor's appearances   

Andrea Swift really stayed "back and [watched Taylor] shine".  She was there supporting her daughter from the very beginning. In an interview with dateline Taylor said, "My mom and my little brother all went to Nashville and-- drove up and down Music Row. My mom would stop in front of a record label.  And I'd run in and hand them my CD, to the receptionist.  And I'd be like, hi.  I'm Taylor.  I want a record deal.  Call me."

When she wasn't fitting in in Pennsylvania, Taylor's family moved to Nashville so Taylor could pursue her dreams. She helped Taylor take her mind off of not fitting in.  �She would just take me on these adventures and we would drive around and go to towns we�d never seen before.  Those adventures and those days of just running away from my problems � you�re not supposed to run away from your problems, but when you�re 13 and your friends won�t talk to you and they move when you sit down at the lunch table, and your mom lets you run from those problems, I think it�s a good thing � My mom was my escape in a lot of ways.� 

Taylor and Andrea Swift

��The Best Day� is a song that I wrote without telling my mom, I wrote it in the summertime, and I recorded it secretly, too. I had this idea that I wanted to play it for her for Christmas. So, when I got the track I synced up all of these home videos from when I was a little kid to go along with the song like a music video, and played it for her on Christmas Eve and she was crying her eyes out.�

Click here for the lyrics to the song: "The Best Day"

The video is so sweet, it is a montage of videos from Taylor's childhood with her mom.  

Click here for the official music video to the song, "The Best Day".

Red Intro and Lyrics

Taylor Swift previewed the title song for her album "Red" yesterday because it was the first day of October and her album is going to be released this month!  Today it has been released on iTunes.  It is such a fun song.  A good mix of country and pop.  In the song Taylor describes as loving a certain guy as "Red" and losing him is like "Blue".  It has a fun and catchy tune. In her Good Morning America introduction she said, �I wrote this song about the fact that some things in life are just hard to forget� because the emotions that are involved with them can be so intense�and to me, intense emotion is red.�  She does a really good job at capturing the intensity of emotion felt when loving someone and the isolation and longing after losing someone you have loved so much.

Red Lyrics (Red Album)

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street
Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly
Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall
Like the colors in autumn so bright just before they lose it all

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've never met
But loving him was red
Loving him was red

Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you
Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song
Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer
Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong

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, oh red, burning red

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes
Tell myself it's time now gotta let go
But moving on from him is impossible when I still see it all in my head�in burning red
Burning, it was 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've never met
Cause loving him was red, yeah yeah red, burning red

And that�s why he�s spinning around in my head
Comes back to me in burning red
Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street

Red Lyrics

Red Lyrics (Red Album)

Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street
Faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ending so suddenly
Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall
Like the colors in autumn so bright just before they lose it all

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've never met
But loving him was red
Loving him was red

Touching him was like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you
Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song
Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer
Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong

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, oh red, burning red

Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes
Tell myself it's time now gotta let go
But moving on from him is impossible when I still see it all in my head�in burning red
Burning, it was 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've never met
Cause loving him was red, yeah yeah red, burning red

And that�s why he�s spinning around in my head
Comes back to me in burning red
Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street

Love Story

Today's Taylor Swift song, the meaning of "Love Story" from her "Fearless" Album.

This song was probably the second song I heard of Taylor's.  I hadn't heard many of her songs before because they mostly played on country radio.  I love Romeo and Juliet, I used to watch the version with Claire Danes and Leonardo DeCaprio all the time. I loved how the story was told in this song.

In this song the main character is distraught because her dad tells her "Romeo" to " 'Stay away from Juliet' ".  But they get together anyway and in the end her "Romeo" says "Marry me Juliet" and has talked to her dad and tells her to "go pick out a white dress".  How sweet.

In an interview with Bridget Daly at the Cinderella Story DVD release Taylor says, "I love the theme of a fairytale and I love the hope that it can happen.  I think that every girl has a little bit of that hope and that want that you can met Prince Charming and he can swoop you off your feet and you can live happily ever after.  Romeo and Juliet is one of my favorite stories except for the ending and so in the song, I kind of made the ending how I would have wanted it. The song is about a love that's maybe difficult and there are a lot of obstacles, but it's worth it because it's real."

I totally agree with Taylor that the ending of Romeo and Juliet was so sad.  I am glad she gave this song a different ending.

Who is this song about?

In an interview with Time magazine Taylor said, " 'Love Story' is actually about a guy that I almost dated. But when I introduced him to my family and my friends, they all said they didn't like him. All of them! For the first time, I could relate to that Romeo-and-Juliet situation where the only people who wanted them to be together were them. That's the most romantic song I've written, and it's not even about a person I really dated."

Click here for lyrics to the song: Love Story Lyrics

The video is also awesome!

Click here for the official music video to the song, "Love Story".

Mean

Today's Taylor Swift song, the meaning of "Mean" from her "Speak Now" album.

Mean Cover art, courtesy of taylorswift.com

Let me just say I love this song!  It is one of my favorites on the album. I really relate to Taylor Swift here.

In an interview with People magazine Taylor said, "Some days I'm fine and I can just brush it off and go about my day, but some days it absolutely levels me. All I can do is continue to try to work hard every single day and feel everything. I think it's important to feel things because I then write songs about that. The whole idea of being criticized and the fact that that entered my life made for a song that I'm very proud of on the record called 'Mean.'" 

I so relate to that comment, sometimes I can brush off criticism, sometimes it just stays and stays and stays with me.  I too like to get out emotions using the written word.  I have a poem journal and regular prose journals.  I especially think of one person when I hear this song that criticized me relentlessly.  It took me forever to get over the criticism, but I am finally free of it.  And this song just helped a little more.

What was the situation in Taylor's life that spawned this song?

His evil name was Bob Lefsetz.  I only include his review here because it is what spawned the song.  I do not agree with it or endorse his words in any way.  Don't read it if you don't want to get mad. It's in really small print too, because that's how I feel about his words.

 Grammy's....2/1/2010

Everybody could sing!  Could almost make you a Celine Dion fan.  Especially after experiencing Taylor Swift.

How awful was she?

Dreadful.

"Fearless" deserved to win Album of the Year.  I was glad it did.  Scuttlebutt was it was DMB�s year, but to say "GrooGrux" is good is to be a tie-dyed hippie hanging out in the parking lot before a show that features great playing but mediocre material.  "GrooGrux" sold to a small coterie, most people don�t care.  But Taylor Swift is as mainstream as you can get.  Triumphing in two formats.  Speaking her truth to her audience.  I love "Fearless".  You can play it from start to finish, again and again, it�s honest.  But last night�s performance�

Do you remember Billy Squier�s pink video?  Which killed his career overnight?  Take a peek: 
Billy Squier "Rock Me Tonite"
What was a hard rocker doing prancing around in a pink tank top?  What was a neophyte artist doing sharing a stage with a legend who made it before auto-tune, before studio tricks could make anybody a singer?

I don�t need to analyze the performance.  (H..., what I don�t get is how Taylor rearranged her own hit song.) But what I am interested in is the impact.  Because now, everybody knows that Taylor Swift can�t sing.  Is this what they�ll remember?

Now unlike Billy Squier�s pink video, there won�t be endless repetition on MTV.  And one can question how much of the target audience saw this performance.  But the cognoscenti did, and to what degree do they now want to distance themselves from Ms. Swift?

In other words, did Taylor Swift kill her career overnight?

I�ll argue she did.  Oh, I�m not fully convinced of that, but let�s start from this position.

She�ll be even further hated in Nashville (and what kind of fucked up world do we live in where the CMAs are better than the Grammys?)  I�d love to say whored out Top Forty radio stations will ignore her, but this is doubtful, still�

In one fell swoop, Taylor Swift consigned herself to the dustbin of teen phenoms.  Who we expect to burn brightly and then fade away.  From New Kids On The Block to Backstreet Boys to Miley Cyrus.  A wall is created, stating you can�t come any further.  Debbie Gibson can appear in shows on Broadway, but she can�t have a hit record, the powers-that-be won�t let it happen.

Taylor�s too young and dumb to understand the mistake she made.  And those surrounding her are addicted to cash and are afraid to tell her no.  But last night Taylor Swift SHOULD have auto-tuned.  To save her career.

They say it�s easy to fake it in the twenty first century.

But one thing we know is the truth will always come out.

It�s hard to be a singer if you can�t sing.

Ultimately, we want our stars to be genuine.  Without this credibility, your time atop the charts is brief.

Taylor Swift shortened her career last night.  And since she says she calls all her own shots, she has to shoulder the blame.  Yes, her dream came true, she made it, she�s a star, but the real test is longevity.  Elton John can play with GaGa decades later.  Will Taylor Swift be duetting with the stars of the 2030s?  Doubtful.

Okay it's the end of the letter you can look again.  I have a couple of things to say to Bob.  You are going to sitting in a "bar, talking over a football game with that same big loud opinion but nobody's listening....Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing." Taylor is still going to be famous and she can sing.  Look at how well "Speak Now" has done and how just the first two songs of her new album "Red" have done.  Everything she touches is gold.

Last of all here are some more words from Taylor about the song,   �There�s constructive criticism, there�s professional criticism, and then there�s just being mean. And there�s a line that you cross when you just start to attack everything about a person� This happens no matter what you do, no matter how old you are, no matter what your job is, no matter what your place is in life, there�s always gonna be someone who�s just mean to you. And dealing with that is all that you can control, how you handle it. This song is about how I handle it.�

Ditto Taylor!  There is definitely a difference between constructive criticism and just being mean!  Thanks for giving everyone a way to deal with all the mean people.

Click here for the lyrics, "Mean".

I absolutely love the feel of this video.

Click here for the official music video for the song, "Mean".

Begin Again Intro & Lyrics

I am so excited for Taylor Swift's new album "Red". She released "Begin Again" September 25, 2012.  I thought I would share what she said about the song and the lyrics. As soon as I know the whole meaning of the song I will be sure to let you know and update this post.

Here is what Taylor said on Good Morning America about the song: �It�s actually a song about when you've gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible break-up, and the vulnerability that goes along with all of that.�

Begin Again Lyrics

Took a deep breath in the mirror
He didn't like it when I wore high heels, but I do
Turned the lock and put my headphones on
He always said he didn't get this song but I do, I do

Walked in expecting you'd be late
But you got here early
And you stand and wait
And I walk to you
You pulled my chair out and helped me in
And you don't know how nice that is
But I do

And you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did
I've been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again

You said you never met one girl
Who has as many James Taylor records as you
But I do
We tell stories and you don't know why I'm coming off a little shy
But I do

But you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did
I've been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again

And we walk down the block to my car
And I almost brought him up
But you start to talk about the movies
That your family watches every single Christmas
And I won't talk about that
For the first time, what's passed is past

'Cause you throw your head back laughing like a little kid
I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did
I've been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does
Is break and burn and end
Then on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again
Then on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again

Teardrops On My Guitar

Today's Taylor Swift song, the meaning of "Teardrops On My Guitar" from her debut album, "Taylor Swift".

photo courtesy of http://www.myspace.com/taylorswift

This is the first song that turned me into a Taylor Swift fan. I would hear it on the radio and say to myself, "I like that song." I didn't know who she was at first and didn't really start following her music for a couple of years, but I loved the song when I heard it. This song is a little bit like "You Belong To Me", but is less confident than "You Belong To Me." It is your 'friend' talking to you about the girl he likes and him not realizing that you like him. It just devastates you and you cry when he is not around. How many girls has this happened to? I think every girl I know! It is so heartbreaking and you just want the guy to read your mind and like you too and stop talking about that girl.

Who is this song about? She explicitly says his name in the song, Drew.

Drew Hardwick was a boy she was friends with in high school.  They had a science class together and he would always talk to Taylor about his girlfriend.  Ugh. Two years after the song was released Drew showed up at Taylor's house, but maybe not with the best intentions.

photo courtesy of http://www.myspace.com/taylorswift

�He showed up at my house when I was leaving to go to a hockey game with Kellie and Carrie [Underwood]. This car pulls up and two guys get out, and one of them is Drew. I hadn't talked to him in two-and-a-half years. He was like: Hey, how's it going?' And I'm like: 'Wow, you're late? Good to see you?' But we were civilized. I have theories about what he was doing. He had his friend with him, so maybe he was trying to prove to people that the song really is about him or whatever. Or maybe he was really trying to be friends. Or maybe he thought I was still pining away from him. Whatever!" (Taylor Swift)

A little extra trivia:  The message in the liner notes says, "HE WILL NEVER KNOW".  He did find out, but it was too late!

Click here for the lyrics, "Teardrops On My Guitar".

Click here for the official music video for the song, "Teardrops On My Guitar".