Throughout her 10 years of fame, we watched Taylor Swift grow into the beautiful woman she is today. Beginning her career at only 16 years old, we were able to cheer her on from the sidelines and witness her music career, explode into what it is now. We cried with her, we laughed with her and we celebrated with her. Whether you’re a fan of her or not, without a doubt there has been one of her songs that you can personally relate to.
While her music can be used to help us get through a breakup or blasted on the radio during a girls’ night, there have been many times when her songs mean so much more. We can not only learn important life lessons from her various acceptance speeches on stage but in her lyrics as well.
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Here are 23 times Taylor Swift’s lyrics have taught us life lessons:
1.“You’re beautiful every little piece love, and don’t ya know you’re really gonna be someone”- Stay Beautiful
This reminds us to love ourselves and be confident in our own skin, and despite having some of those bad days to keep your head up.
2.“In your life you'll do things greater than dating the boy on the football team”-Fifteen
This helps to remind us that the boy we loved in high school or the one you thought was the ‘one’ isn’t the greatest thing that will happen in our life. We are going to do greater things than dating the ‘hot football player’.
3. “Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine”-Fifteen
This is an important lesson for all the young girls out there listening to this song because when you’re young and in the moment you think that everything is permanent. That the guy you’re dating right now is going to be the one you end up with. Taylor reminds us that we are young and still have so much life ahead of us to live, more people to meet along the way, and bigger dreams to fill.
4. “Cause I'm not your princess, this ain't a fairytale, I'm gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well”-White Horse
In this song, Taylor reminds us that someday you will find someone who will treat you and love you the way you deserve to be and to never settle for anything less.
5."People are people and sometimes it doesn't work out"- Breathe
Because sometimes, despite how hard you try, some relationships just don’t work out and there is nothing you can do about that. Don’t waste your time living in the past, better things will come.
6. "I can't breathe without you, but I have to" -Breathe
Photo by Tim Goedhart on UnsplashSometimes you just have to move on, despite how bad it hurts.
7. “You don't have to call anymore, I won't pick up the phone. This is the last straw, don't wanna hurt anymore.”-You're Not Sorry
Sometimes you have to cut off all ties with someone who is toxic to you because they will never change. Sometimes you have to give up on someone you love not because you don’t care but because they don’t.
8.“You can walk away say 'we don't need this' but there's something in your eyes says 'we can beat this'”-Change
Taylor reminds us that when things in life get tough, to not just give up and walk away from it. You should work hard and never give up on the dreams or goals you have for your future.
9.“I said remember this feeling, I pass the pictures around of all the years that we stood there on the side-lines wishing for right now.”-Long Live
No matter what goal you have set for your future, Taylor reminds us that when we reach that goal or that special focal point in our life, to appreciate it in that moment. Work hard and one day when you accomplish your goal, looking back you will be so proud of how far you’ve come.
10.“Minds change like the weather, I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new”-Innocent
Kanye is not the only one who can learn a few things from Taylor. She reminds us that no matter what we’ve done in the past, it is never too late to make up for our mistakes.
11.“Who you are is not what you did”-Innocent
Our mistakes that we make in life don’t define who we truly are. People are not perfect, everyone makes mistakes.
12. “But sophistication isn't what you wear or who you know, or pushing people down to get you where you wanna go”-Better Than Revenge
You can’t get where you want to be in life by pushing other people down along the way. Having expensive clothes or popular friends doesn’t make you any better than other people around you. What makes you special and successful is being a good person and getting where you want to go in life through hard work and determination.
13. “You’re in the car on the way to the movies, and you’re mortified your moms dropping you off. At 14 there’s just so much you can’t do and you can’t wait to move out someday and call your own shots. But don’t make her drop you off around the block, remember that she’s getting older too.” –Never Grow Up
Taylor reminds us that although our parents can embarrass us sometimes and we wish that we could do some things on our own and are sometimes in a rush to grow up, we should never take our parents for granted. They will not be around forever.
14.“Someday I’ll be living in a big ole city, and all you’re ever gonna be is mean.”-Mean
Taylor tells us to not let those who are mean to us bring us down because, in the end, we will be the ones that make something of ourselves, and those who are mean, will always just be… mean.
15.“He said, "look at you, worrying too much about things you can’t change. You’ll spend your whole life singing the blues if you keep thinking that way.’” -Starlight
In this lyric, Taylor reminds us to not spend our time worrying about things that we have no control over because we’ll spend our whole life being disappointed.
16.“Words, how little they mean, when you’re a little too late.”-Sad, Beautiful, Tragic
Sometimes words won’t mean as much being said to someone if they are said too late or at the wrong time.
17.“I bet you think I either moved on or hate you, cause each time you reach out there’s no reply. I bet it never ever occurred to you that I can’t say “Hello” to you and risk another “Goodbye.”- I Almost Do
This lyric can be used as a lesson for those of you who hurt someone in the past. Maybe when you reach out, they don’t answer, but that doesn’t mean they hate you, it could mean that they are trying to protect themselves from getting hurt by you again.
18.“No apologies. He’ll never see you cry, pretends he doesn’t know that he’s the reason why.”-I Knew You Were Trouble.
Taylor basically warns us and tells us what is going to happen when we date someone who is ‘trouble’.
19.“Love is a ruthless game, unless you play it good and right.”-State of Grace
Taylor explains to us that in love people are going to get hurt, that’s just how it is.
20.“People like you always want back the love they pushed aside, but people like me are gone forever when you say goodbye.”- All You Had To Do Was Stay
Taylor reminds us to not waste our time on people who don’t care about losing us. When someone like that pushes us away, we shouldn’t take them back.
21.“Cause the players gonna play (x5) and the haters gonna hate (x5) baby I’m just gonna shake (x5) shake it off, shake it off. Heart breakers gonna break (x5) and the fakers gonna fake (x5) baby I’m just gonna shake (x5) shake it off, shake it off.”-Shake It Off
In this hit song, the chorus is a good lesson for all of us to learn. Taylor basically says that people are going to hate you, play you, break your heart, and be fake to you, but you can’t let them get to you. People are the way they are and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it.
22.“When you’re young you just run but you come back to what you need.”-This Love
Taylor tells us that when we are young we can make mistakes and drift away from things and people that mean the world to us, but eventually, we may find our way back to them.
23.“10 months sober, I must admit, just because you’re clean don’t mean you don’t miss it.”-Clean
In this song, Taylor is not referring to drugs or alcohol (obviously), but she is referring to being in love with someone who is like a drug to you and going through withdrawal when you lose them. She tells us that even though you can be over the person who was completely wrong for you, it is normal for you to miss them at times.
Who knew all this time that Taylor, maybe without even trying, was not only letting out her emotions and heartbreak into her songs, but she was also teaching us important lessons along the way? Thank you, Taylor, for not only making great music but for always saying the right things and for being a role model and inspiration for girls and women everywhere. We love you!
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