On November 12, 2021, Taylor Swift released her re-recorded album ‘Red’ (Taylor’s Version) along with songs that did not make it to the original album’s final cut released in 2012. Through these tracks, which she labeled as “From the Vault”, Swift has once again uncovered and evoked the nostalgia of past relationships and their lingering heartbreaks.
Below lists the different kinds of heartbreak immortalized in Swift’s ‘Red: From The Vault’ tracks along with their most heartbreaking lyrics.
1. Heartbreak from a Harsh Realization - Better Man
Crafted through a fresh style of songwriting about failed romance, Swift emphasized the other party’s red flags and the act of running away from them instead of staying.
Better Man is a take on the alternative concept “Love is not blind,” highlighting that love is not enough for one to stay in a toxic relationship. Although the song rubs on jiffs of longingness and what-ifs, it lucidly expresses the harsh realization that the people we love may not be the same ones we had initially fallen for, so begins the heartbreak from choosing to leave.
"The people we love may not be the same ones we had initially fallen for, so begins the heartbreak from choosing to leave."
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“I know I'm probably better off all alone
Than needin' a man who could change his mind at any given minute
And it's always on your terms, I waited on every careless word
Hopin' they might turn sweet again, like it was in the beginning”
“We might still be in love if you were a better man,
You would've been the one if you were a better man”
2. Heartbreak caused by the Passage of Time - Nothing New ft. Phoebe Bridgers
Taylor’s heart-rending lyrics accompanied by Phoebe Bridgers’ melancholic voice is the perfect blend that we could ask for this kind of song. Touching the burns of growing up,
Nothing New is definitely the song teens transitioning to adulthood will cry to at the bathroom floor as they shower themselves with thoughts about the vibrant past long gone, questions on their present selves, and heartbreaks from stepping into the daunting world of adulthood.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“How can a person know everything
At eighteen, but nothing at twenty-two?”
3. Heartbreak caused by Infidelity - Babe
Short, sweet, and simple, Babe dramatizes broken promises, cancelled plans, and unending questions of hows and whys caused by a love affair. Strong expressions of disappointment are manifested in the lyrics, and throughout the song, Swift ingeniously played around the word ‘babe’ which successfully functioned as a metaphor for addressing, and later, dismissing the relationship.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“I keep picturing
Her lips on your neck, I can't unsee it.”
4. Heartbreak caused by Distance - Message in a Bottle
One of the unfavorable events that may befall in terms of romance is meeting someone you strikingly connect with, yet is separated by distance. This song encapsulates the yearning for a connection and hopes of flourishment, but is also tied with the anxiety caused by being stuck at a place far away from the person, preventing all of it from happening. Thoughts of endless possibilities are kept in a bottle, longing for it to be opened and received, and for it to prosper one day.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“Where are you while I'm wonderin' (wondering')
If I'll ever see you again?”
“Message in a bottle is all I can do
Standin' here, hopin' it gets to you”
5. Heartbreak caused by Differences - I Bet You Think About Me ft. Chris Stapleton
Although the trail of this song stirs a pot of regrets an ex-lover might have, it involves stanzas that talk about the heartbreaks from feeling out of place due to lifestyle and social status differences. The lyrics also manifest signs of age difference which plays a big factor and adds another layer of contrast to the values, beliefs, and habits between the parties involved. Failing to reach a compromise in a relationship may truly lead to heartbreak in the end.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“But reality crept in, you said we're too different
You laughed at my dreams, rolled your eyes at my jokes”
6. Heartbreak caused by Inevitable Conditions - Forever Winter
Forever Winter puts forward a situation about loving someone dealing with mental health issues. Aside from providing a clear picture of what it’s like to experience mental health problems, the track consequently reveals the toll it causes towards the other person who remains optimistic that everything will be fine as long as they are on each other’s side. It is a heartbreak that no one and nothing can be blamed for.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“I call just checkin' up on him
He's up, 5 AM wasted
Long gone, not even listening
My voice comes out screamin'”
7. Heartbreak from Disfavors - Run ft. Ed Sheeran
No one runs when there is no need to. In this duet track by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, tastes of disapproval from people around them results in desires of running away and longing for freedom from everyone else’s gaze. It is indeed a heartbreak for one’s romantic relationship to be tutted over especially by the people closest to you.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“I'll bring the car back around
We shouldn't be in this town
And my so-called friends, they don't know
I'd drive away before I let you go”
8. Heartbreak from the Present - The Very First Night
This track is a trip down memory lane, particularly of the relationship’s good early days when everything seemed thrilling and ecstatic. It looks back at what appeared to be simple and fun times, wishing that things stayed the same way it was then. Of course, there is no reminiscing if things are sailing smoothly in the present, right?
"Of course, there is no reminiscing if things are sailing smoothly in the present, right?"
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“Back then we didn't know we were built to fall apart
We broke the status quo, then we broke each other's hearts.”
9. Heartbreak caused by Age Difference - All Too Well 10- Minute Version
As the lyrics go I remember it all too well, the original track recounts the blissful memories and heartbreaks of a past relationship specifically emphasizing its vividness. The original version is skin-deep, allowing various interpretations to occur. However, in the 10-minute version, Swift narrates the details of the heartbreak’s cause, using metaphors and punchlines to express issues regarding their age gap, but more importantly, bravely divulges the flawed persona of the man she once loved.
Most heartbreaking lyrics:
“And there we are again when nobody had to know
You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath.”
“You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine
And that made me want to die
The idea you had of me, who was she?
A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel whose shine reflects on you
Not weeping in a party bathroom
Some actress asking me what happened, you
That's what happened, you”
“But then he watched me watch the front door all night, willing you to come
And he said, "It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one"
Taylor Swift’s “From the Vault” tracks uncovered from 2012 still resonate with many in 2021 — accompanying and comforting listeners through various types of heartbreaks. Truly, the songs are timeless and timely, and what can I say, that’s Taylor Swift for you!
Graphics by: Nicole Pacardo
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