On the night of August 8th, 2023, Swifties awaited a special announcement, either at her concert or on live streams. Taylor Swift performed her Speak Now, Folklore, and 1989 sets wearing light blue, which Swifties have deemed 1989’s signature color. At this point, everyone expects the announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), but they still fidget with anticipation, waiting for the reveal.
Swift re-recorded Fearless, Red, and Speak Now. She announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on August 8, 2023, and released it on Oct. 27, 2023.
In 2019, Swift’s old record company sold her album masters without her knowledge. Swift fought to get them back, but when she couldn’t, she decided to re-record the albums she didn’t own.
Swift’s re-recordings come with new songs left off the original albums. These songs are marked with “from the vault” after the song title. I’m cracking open the five 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault tracks and sharing my interpretations and opinions.
Vault Track 1: “Slut!”
When you first listen to “Slut!,” it seems like a love song with lyrics like “in a world of boys, he’s a gentleman” and “What if all I need is you?” These lyrics make the man Swift is talking about seem perfect. However, it’s intended to be taken as sarcastic. The song is about society slut-shaming Swift, but the reality is they were both reckless. Lyrics like “I’ll pay the price you won’t” and “I might as well be drunk in love” highlight these ideas. The first lyric demonstrates how the media portrays the speaker as the problem, which led her to endure hate that came once the relationship ended. The second lyric highlights the recklessness of the relationship and her feeling that she needs to dazed.
Though fans expected an upbeat and fast song, the instrumentals created a dreamy, indulgent quality. I especially loved the last part of the song, where she screams the words “slut” and “drunk.” My favorite lyric is “In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman” because it’s laced with sarcasm and alludes to the idea that she believes the man did nothing wrong, almost playing into how the media portrays him.
Vault Track 2: Say Don’t Go
“Say Don’t Go” describes the feeling of holding onto a relationship that is already over. Swift wants to let the person go, but they keep reeling her back in. The pre-chorus then expresses what she wishes her partner would say, which is “Say, ‘don’t go.’” The chorus highlights all the questions Swift wants to ask her partner. The bridge reveals more of the speaker’s questions but then ends with a statement that says, “I said, ‘I love you.’ You say nothing back,” demonstrating her partner’s commitment issues and how Swift is more devoted to the relationship than her partner. Overall, the song explains a one-sided relationship where the other person won’t let Swift go, even though they don’t want her in the same way.
Swift’s lower register in this song adds sentiment to the story she’s telling. To me, this song is the daughter of “Clean” and “You’re Losing Me” and the big sister to “Foolish One.” My favorite lyric from this song is, “You’re mine, but I’m not yours,” because it shows the reality of a one-sided relationship.
Vault Track 3: Now That We Don’t Talk
“Now That We Don’t Talk” is about reminiscing about a past relationship and seeing the little things that make a person unique that one misses when no longer in that relationship. The lyric “You grew your hair long; You got new icons; And from the outside; It looks like you’re tryin’ lives on; I miss the old ways; You didn’t have to change” illustrates the longing for the person the speaker knew during their relationship. She hates the fact that the person she loved feels this need to change everything about themselves. However, this song isn’t just about the remembrance of an old relationship. “Now That We Don’t Talk” disses the relationship. The bridge demonstrates this: “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock; Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht; With important men who think important thoughts; Guess maybe I am better off now that we don’t talk,” highlighting the parts of the relationship that the speaker always hated, but couldn’t admit to because they loved their partner. Overall, this song compares the longing and the hatred that comes after a relationship ends.
“Now That We Don’t Talk” is one of my favorite vault songs, and I love the alleged diss on Harry Styles. Even though I love him. I find it hilarious that everyone, including me, thought Swift and Styles were going to collaborate on a song, and instead, she released this. The only thing I dislike about the song is its length. I wish it were longer because my sister gets annoyed that I keep replaying it. My favorite lyric from this song is “Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht; With important men who think important thoughts” because I love the sarcasm laced around the word “important.” I love singing that song with air quotes around the lyrics about “important men.” In my opinion, the slight dig towards men is such a 1989 Taylor Swift thing to do.
Vault Track 4: Suburban Legends
“Suburban Legends” is about a doomed relationship, but the couple hopes to beat the odds and make it work. The first verse illustrates a hostile dynamic between the two people, but they both still feel a pull towards the other. The lyric found in the chorus, “And you kiss me in a way that’s going to screw me up forever,” indicates the impending doom Swift feels in her relationship. The second verse expresses the speaker’s hope for their future, but the next chorus displays the end of the relationship, yet intentions to get back together linger.
This wasn’t my favorite song. The lyrics are amazing, but the music wasn’t my cup of tea, as it didn’t feel like a 1989 song. This is 1989 (Taylor’s Version), not Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). My favorite lyric is, “I broke my own heart ‘cause you were too polite to do it.” After all, it fully encompasses the song in just one lyric, and I like that.
Vault Track 5: Is It Over Now?
“Is It Over Now?” is about an on-and-off relationship that will ultimately crash and burn, leaving both heartbroken. The first verse explores the aftermath of the relationship with the lyric, “I slept all alone; You still wouldn’t go.” This illustrates how the speaker can’t fully let go of this person, leading to them getting back together. The chorus explores the infidelity and betrayal from both sides of the relationship, before questioning when (and if) the relationship was truly over at the time. The second verse recounts the couple’s experiences before it accuses the other person of doing similar things with their “new girl.” The bridge divulges into the media’s role in their relationship, explaining how the other person in the relationship was public with their infidelity, while the speaker faced the brunt of bullying from the media. The common theme of the song is that the other person replaces Swift with another girl who looks just like her. Lyrics like “Your new girl is my clone” and “If she’s got blue eyes, I will surmise that you’ll probably date her” supports this idea.
This was my favorite vault song, and I thought it was a perfect way to end the album. I really liked the techno music at the beginning of the song. The first time I listened to it, my jaw dropped. When I heard the lyrics, I immediately started to speculate who it was about. My favorite lyric is, “You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor.” It is such a powerful lyric, and shows the shift in their relationship over time.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and thought the vault tracks were some of the best Swift has produced.
