With Taylor Swift’s upcoming album “Midnights” set to release Oct. 21, 2022, there’s been yet another spike in her popularity. Though the wildly successful artist has been in the spotlight a great deal recently, the confirmation of this new album has pushed fan interest to new heights. From rumors of artist features to what the notorious “track five” has in store, fans have plunged into a new spiral of easter eggs with anticipation of what’s in the works for Swift. With over 250 songs in the last eight years, Taylor Swift has proven herself to be one of the most significant artists and writers of this generation. 

Since her early start in 2008, Swift has proven herself to be quite the lyricist, whether it’s newer songs such as “Cardigan” to classics like “The Other Side of the Door.” Though she’s more often considered a symbol of fame or to be a red carpet essential, her brand boils down to her heartfelt songwriting. As an ode to Taylor Swift’s incredible writing, here’s a compilation of her best lyrics. 

1. “Persist and resist the temptation to ask you, if one thing has been different, would everything be different today?” (the 1)

Whether you relate to its message or not, this song is a knife to the heart. As the first song on “folklore,“ it’s an excellent opener for such a breathtaking album.

2.  “It’s hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound, It’s hard to be anywhere when all I want is you.” (this is me trying)

Though this lyric from “this is me trying” seems to be very love-oriented, the song itself is quite the opposite. It’s hard to explain how this song makes the listener feel—it’s just something one has to listen to for themselves.

3. “I’m still trying everything to get you laughing at me / And I’m still a believer, but I don’t why / I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try try.” (mirrorball)

As the sixth track on “folklore,“ this song is simply about human nature, mainly about a person that seems like a people pleaser when in reality is actually very fragile. Swift herself describes the song as a mirrorball being pretty to look at, yet it’s made up of hundreds of broken pieces.  

4. “I want to be defined by the things I love / not the things I hate / not the things I’m afraid of / not the things that haunt me in the middle of the night / I just think that you are what you love.” (Daylight)

This is the last song on Swift’s most listened-to album “Lover,“ although it is one of the most underrated tracks. This lyric is the closing line and something that everyone should take to heart, even if it’s difficult to accept. 

5. “Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere.” (New Year’s Day)

Although “New Year’s Day” is not a song you would expect from an album like “reputation,“ this lyric allows for an interesting take on the loss of love, specifically in Swift’s life. The repetition of this line makes this lyric stick with you long after the song is over.

6. “You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath.” (All Too Well (10-minute version))

The entirety of “All Too Well (10-minute version)” could be considered Swift’s best lyricism because of its beautiful writing. The added minutes to the song as well as the short film that followed it has helped “All Too Well” become a prominent piece of Swift’s discography. The short film, starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, has over 75 million views and rumors of it picking up an award at the 2022 Academy Awards are currently swirling around the internet. 

7. “I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey.” (The Archer)

Although this song is incredibly beautifully written, it never gets the credit it deserves. Swift describing that she’s broken herself down but has also been the only one to pick herself up is heart-wrenching. “The Archer” is one of the reasons that fans are continuously excited for track five of any new album. Iconic songs like “my tears ricochet,” “All Too Well” and “Delicate” are also track fives, to put things into perspective.

8. “I knew from the first note played / I’d be breaking all my rules to see you” (Superstar)

Although this may be a happier lyric compared to others on this list, it is still one of the best. “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” isn’t her most lyrically advanced album, but the fact that Swift wrote this album at the age of 18 makes it just that much better. 

9. “There’s an ache in you put there by the ache in me / But if it’s all the same to you / it’s the same to me.” (‘tis the damn season)

“‘Tis the damn season” is the perfect song for any cold and rainy day due to its reminiscent theme and tone. There are numerous incredible songs on “evermore,” but this one in particular encapsulates the feeling of nostalgia, which is a prominent theme throughout the album. 

10. “Just because you’re clean don’t mean you don’t miss it.” (Clean)

You wouldn’t expect “Clean” to be the last song on such a pop-centric album like “1989”. Although it does have a more pop feel than most songs on her country albums such as “Fearless,“ it still has a folk vibe, which could be a hint to her future albums. 

11. “They told me all of my cages were mental, so I got wasted like all my potential” (this is me trying)

Once again, “this is me trying” will forever be a scope of just how incredible and detailed Taylor Swift can write. It also shows that Swift has just as many struggles as the average person, even if we can’t see them as fans. 

12. “You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain / and I lived in your chess game, but you changed the rules every day.” (Dear John)

Swift knows just how to make love seem like a game, as it’s one of her classic themes. We can see a lot of these game-like songs on albums such as “1989” and “Speak Now”. 

13. “All we are is skin and bone, trained to get along / Forever going with the flow, but you’re friction.” (Treacherous) 

Once again, Swift poetically wears her heart on her sleeve. “Treacherous” talks about sadness and reminiscence but also regret. This song is also done in a piano version, which makes it even more heartbreaking.

Although there are infinitely more songs from Swift’s discography that could be put on this list, there isn’t enough time in the day. So many of her lyrics carry hidden meanings that create a story portraying her life struggles—which is why many can relate to it. Her large number of awards show the true dedication she has to her music and fans. She has over 450 in total, with some of the most notable being her 11 Grammys, 29 Billboard awards and being officially named the songwriter-artist of the decade by NSAI. No matter how many awards or nominations she receives, she always stays true to her music, which will forever be heard in her lyrics.