Peter
Producers
Peter Lyrics
Forgive me, Peter
My lost fearless leader
In closets like cedar
Preserved from when we were just kids
Is it somethin' I did?
The goddess of timing
Once found us beguiling
She said she was trying
Peter, was she lying?
My ribs get the feeling she did
[Pre-Chorus]
And I didn't wanna come down
I thought it was just goodbye for now
[Chorus]
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Thеn you were gonna come find mе
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Words from the mouths of babes
Promises oceans-deep
But never to keep
Oh, never to keep
Are you still a mind reader?
A natural scene-stealer?
I've heard great things, Peter
But life was always easier on you
Than it was on me
And sometimes it gets me
When crossing your jet stream
We both did the best we could do
Underneath the same moon
In different galaxies
[Pre-Chorus]
And I didn't wanna hang around
We said it was just goodbye for now
[Chorus]
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Words from the mouths of babes
Promises oceans-deep
But never to keep
Never to keep
And I won't confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn
As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return
With your feet on the ground, tell me all that you'd learned
'Cause love's never lost when perspective is earned
And you said you'd come and get me, but you were twenty-five
And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired
Lost to the "Lost Boys" chapter of your life
Forgive me, Peter, please know that I tried
To hold on (Hold on) to the days (To the days)
When you were mine
But the woman who sits by the window
Has turned out the light
[Chorus]
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
You said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Said you were gonna grow up
Then you were gonna come find me
Words from the mouths of babes
Promises oceans-deep
But never to keep
About
In ‘Peter,’ Taylor Swift addresses a figure from her past, grappling with feelings of betrayal and longing for closure. She pleads for forgiveness, reminiscing about their shared history as childhood friends, singing, ‘Forgive me, Peter, my lost fearless leader.’ Despite their bond, she questions the sincerity of their promises, wondering, ‘Words from the mouths of babes, promises oceans deep, but never to keep.’ Swift reflects on the passage of time and the distance that has grown between them, acknowledging the discrepancy in their experiences, ‘Life was always easier on you than it was on me.’ She recounts waiting for Peter’s return, but as time passes, she realizes the futility of holding onto the past, singing, ‘But the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light.’ Ultimately, Swift confronts the painful truth that their shared dreams have faded, acknowledging, ‘Lost to the Lost Boys chapter of your life, forgive me, Peter, please know that I tried.’ Through poignant lyrics and heartfelt melodies, Swift captures the ache of unfulfilled promises and the acceptance of moving on.
This song could relate to Matty Healy and how he and Taylor almost dated in 2014 (when he was 25) and he was struggling with addiction. “You said you were going to grow up, then you were gonna come and find me”
PROPOSED SUGGESTION: In this song, Swift compares herself and an old relationship with Wendy and Peter from the story “Peter Pan”. Peter was the leader of the Lost Boys, a group of boys who never grew up and went on adventures all the time. Like in the story, Swift (who takes the role as Wendy in this song) was swept away by her lover’s magic and brought on his adventures, but eventually had to come back to the human world
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“Peter” debuted at #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week ending of May 4, 2024.
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