It's hard to find a heartbreak topic that Taylor Swift hasn't covered in her expansive catalog of songs from 2006 until the present. In fact, Swift has dozens of breakup songs that are totally relatable. Her splitsville jams span from fun bops, like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” to soul-crushing ballads, like “You're Losing Me” and “All Too Well.” If there's any artist you can laugh and cry along with in the wake of a relationship's end, it's Swift.
Not only do her impressive and impactful songwriting skills make her stand out, but each album represents a different era of her life that's thematic toward her age, love life, and personhood. There's a Swift tune to fit almost every mood or life trial (or triumph), but breakup songs are certainly one of her specialties. So, get those tissue boxes ready so we can rank all of Swift's best breakup ballads to create the ultimate post-breakup blues playlist.
- Video: YouTube
124 VOTESWho's Afraid Of Little Old Me
Album: The Tortured Poets Department
Represents What Breakup Stage? Swift is not here to empathize with anyone who's wronged her in “Who's Afraid of Little Old Me." No one gets to tell her how to feel. The frequent references to madness and asylums in the song are some of the darkest metaphors throughout her entire discography. Of course, many of the lyrics satirize the accusations that have been lobbed against her about her past breakups and how people think she weaponizes heartbreak, including lines like, “I'm fearsome and I'm wretched and I'm wrong, put narcotics into all of my songs.”
Swift's message in the powerful ballad seems to be along the lines of, "Come at me all you want. Accuse me all you want. Try to dictate my life and choices. I’m ready to fight back." As much as people can read the number as a romantic breakup song, it's also a critique of how people try to warp the narrative of public figures to control them. In a way, Swift is breaking up with the expectations her fans and the world at large put on her, and she's not going to let it control her life anymore. She's also divorcing the boundary-breaking fans who claim they aren't trying to hurt her, while continuing to evade the boundaries she's established and publicly debating aspects of her personal life.
Standout Lyric:
You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised me
So all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs
I'm always drunk on my own tears, isn't that what they all said?
That I'll sue you if you step on my lawn - Video: YouTube
247 VOTESAll Too Well (10-Minute Version)
Album: Red (Taylor's Version)
Represents What Breakup Stage? Few can listen to the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” without shedding a tear. Fans waited for almost a decade to hear the extended iteration of Swifties' favorite ballad. With Red (Taylor's Version), we finally got it. If that wasn't enough, Swift also dropped a short film set to the music starring Dylan O'Brien and Sadie Sink. And if that doesn't make you cry… no words.
On top of the already heartbreaking lyrics we've had since 2012, Swift saved the most gut-wrenchingly beautiful turns of phrases for the extended version. Between wordplay like “They say all's well that ends well, but I'm in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind” and “You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath,” it's one of Swift's strongest lyrical masterpieces to date. This song tells a complete story and we feel every. Single. Emotion. The joyous wonder of dancing around in the refrigerator light comes alive only to turn into images like “Never called it what it was 'til we were dead and gone and buried, check the pulse and come back swearin' it's the same after three months in the grave.” The highs and lows in the song are staggering - and that's not a mistake.
Swift wrote the song when she was 21, in a period of change for any adult, especially one navigating stardom as a young woman; this translates into a moving song about a powerful relationship and a devastating breakup. Even in the short film, because Dylan O'Brien is so inherently charming, viewers forget the trauma embedded in the tale. That's what's so compelling about this song: it captures a relationship that is magic when it's good, but tragic when it's bad.
Luckily, not all fans can relate to the severity of this relationship and the song itself, but you don't even need lived experience to get lost in the gut-wrenching heartbreak and loss of self Swift faces when she chases those good moments.
Standout Lyric:
And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes
"I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age"
From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones
I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight
And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue?
Just between us, did the love affair maim you, too? - Video: YouTube
339 VOTESIs It Over Now
Album: 1989 (Taylor's Version)
Represents What Breakup Stage? It's not always over even when it's over. There's often a post-breakup period after an intense relationship when you're still only thinking about your ex. A part of you might be holding out on the slim hope that something might change and you'll reconcile. You might even try to orchestrate scenarios that will prompt an ex to check in to see if you're okay.
Of course, moving on is a delicate process. It's always respectful to avoid flaunting the rebound stage (which is even harder to do when you're famous). Then again, if your ex is petty, they might throw new relationships (or hookups) in your face if they're still bitter. In “Is It Over Now?,” Swift narrates an ex parading their rebounds for the world to see while she takes a subtler approach. It's clear that she's still hurt, but even so, she questions whether or not it's really over with each moving-on milestone.
Standout Lyric:
If she's got blue eyes, I will surmise that you'll probably date her
You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor
You search in every model's bed for somethin' greater, baby - Video: YouTube
Album: Red
Represents What Breakup Stage? Not taking yourself too seriously is the name of the game when it comes to a breakup - especially when you can't quite grasp the concept of breaking up. We've all been in those relationships where you just can't quit the other person. Something about them keeps drawing you in even if you're toxic together. Patterns repeat and so does the heartbreak, but you keep coming back.
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is a cheeky, lighthearted song that pokes fun at on-and-off-again relationships, specifically the moment you finally decide that you're done (for now). It's peppy, punchy, relatable, and funny in a way that allows Swift to play into the obnoxious things everyone has said (and continues to say) about her dating life.
Swift explained in an interview with ABC News Nightline that a rumor she was getting back with an ex prompted the song. She noted, "And so I start telling them [Max Martin and Johan Shellback] the story of 'break up, get back together, break up, get back together,' just, ugh, the worst." Martin told her they needed to write the song, and it just flowed out of Swift right in that moment.
Standout Lyric:
I'm really gonna miss you picking fights
And me falling for it, screaming that I'm right
And you would hide away and find your peace of mind
With some indie record that's much cooler than mine - Video: YouTube
536 VOTESDeath By A Thousand Cuts
Album: Lover
Represents What Breakup Stage? Just because someone's physically out of your life, doesn't mean you can get away from them. In “Death By a Thousand Cuts,” Swift is still loitering in the hallway of the post-breakup denial stage. Her memories are like ghosts that hide in the barren, empty house of their love. Every reminder stings like a cut - but not even booze will help her forget. Movies are no help because they shared them, music is a no-go, and even her own body feels marked by his presence. There's a bit of desperation and longing in Swift's vocals, without losing the romantic, soothing vibes that define Lover as an album.
Standout Lyric:
My heart, my hips, my body, my love
Trying to find a part of me that you didn't touch
Gave up on me like I was a bad drug
Now I'm searching for signs in a haunted club
Our songs, our films, united we stand
Our country, guess it was a lawless land
Quiet my fears with the touch of your hand
Paper cut stings from our paper-thin plans - Video: YouTube
640 VOTESYou're Losing Me
Album: Midnights
Represents What Breakup Stage? Sometimes the pre-breakup wound cuts deeper than anything in the aftermath. There's always a moment before the official end, when someone realizes a relationship is heading toward splitsville and has to accept that things can't go on like this.
“You're Losing Me” is arguably one of Swift's rawest songs to date; the desperation in her voice is palpable as she begs her oblivious partner to do something to fight for her. She's still willing to fight, but you can't have a one-sided battle. Her “pathological people pleaser” line hits home for anyone who often stays silent in a relationship to avoid rocking the boat. At this point, Swift can't take it, and she needs her partner to accept that she's unhappy and do something to try to fix it.
Given that Swift released the song post-breakup with Joe Alwyn, many fans believe it's about Swift feeling like she needed to hide their relationship to honor his wishes of keeping their life private. It's understandable that Swift would want more privacy during her Reputation era, when she was bombarded by hostile headlines and forced into hiding. Yet it's clear from her whirlwind (and very public) relationship with Travis Kelce that she enjoys being able to express her love freely and not feel like she needs to hide.
Standout Lyric:
I gave you all my best me's, my endless empathy
And all I did was bleed as I tried to be the bravest soldier
Fighting in only your army, frontlines, don't you ignore me
I'm the best thing at this party (You're losin' me)
And I wouldn't marry me either
A pathological people pleaser
Who only wanted you to see her - Video: YouTube
746 VOTESchampagne problems
Album: evermore
Represents What Breakup Stage? In “champagne problems,” the narrator is the one doing the heartbreaking. Swift sings the slow, guilt-laden number, which tells the story of a guy's proposal going very wrong. This lovesick dude told all of his family ahead of time and has the champagne waiting to celebrate an engagement that won't happen. Though the narrator clearly feels bad about turning him down, she pokes fun at the first-world problem of wasting a grandiose proposal.
She also doesn't take herself too seriously, joking that a madhouse was made for her. It's clear that these two are on different pages, and it's not necessarily anyone's fault. Nevertheless, it's a hard breakup for both parties, because it doesn't sound like there was malice - just mismatched feelings and a lack of communication.
Standout Lyric:
"She would've made such a lovely bride
What a shame she's f*cked in the head," they said - Video: YouTube
818 VOTESthe 1
Album: folklore
Represents What Breakup Stage? It may take years, it may take decades, and for some, it may never happen for some, but it's a massive weight lifted when you can feel happily nostalgic about an ex without your musings about them turning into anything more than that. That's what we see in “the 1,” which manages to be as peppy as a folksy song can manage.
Sure, it would have been fun and sweet if they ended up together, but their parting hasn't stopped the narrator from living her life and being happy. She's aware that not everything good works out, and rather than mope, she chooses to celebrate the positive experiences she did have. It seems like it's from the perspective of an older woman reminiscing about her first love, but that's just one interpretation.
Standout Lyric:
We never painted by the numbers, baby
But we were making it count
You know the greatest loves of all time are over now - Video: YouTube
940 VOTESAlbum: Speak Now
Represents What Breakup Stage? It's easy to blame your ex after a rough breakup, but Swift knows how to take accountability for her own flaws - despite what people may say about her. In “Back to December,” the songstress morosely details her mistakes in a slow, angst-ridden ballad. The regret is palpable in every note of the song as she remembers she took her ex for granted and wishes she could fix it. There are also some hints of self-sabotaging behavior once Swift felt like the relationship was getting serious. She was still a teenager, after all.
Multiple clues in the song point to Swift having written it for Taylor Lautner - between the “tan skin” line and her lamenting, “And how you held me in your arms that September night, the first time you ever saw me cry.” Lautner was the one who presented Swift with her VMA award in September of 2009 when Kanye West crashed her speech and said that Beyoncé should have won.
Swift and Lautner teamed up for her “I Can See You” music video, so there doesn't seem to be any lasting bitterness between them. Though Swift has clearly moved on, it's easy to wonder “what if?” when it comes to the one who got away.
Standout Lyric:
Because the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind
You gave me roses and I left them there to die - Video: YouTube
1023 VOTESSo Long, London
Album: The Tortured Poets Department
Represents What Breakup Stage? “So Long, London” is the darker twisted sister sequel to “London Boy" from Lover. The latter song illustrates the joys of experiencing London with her “London Boy." Between sentiments like “They say home is where the heart is, but God, I love the English,” and “You know I love a London boy,” Swift's joy is palpable. Not anymore. In “So Long, London,” she says goodbye to London, but what she's really saying is goodbye to her London boy.
This song starts out with similar high notes to the earlier piece, but they're much more angelic and melodic. Then, it moves into a melody that sounds a lot like “Call It What You Want," which features lyrics like “My castle crumbled overnight" and “They took the crown but it's alright" (lots of imagery relating to England and royalty). That makes sense, given that “Call It What You Want” details a budding relationship with Swift's London Boy that helped her through her pre-Reputation era when she stepped away from the spotlight.
Other lines like, “I stopped CPR, after all, it's no use; the spirit was gone, we would never come to” seem to be the continuation of songs like, “You're Losing Me.” The damage is done; he's finally lost her. “So Long, London” is the end of the saga that likely represents Swift's relationship with Joe Alwyn, subtly infusing homages to multiple songs about him while she says goodbye and condemns him for giving him her youth for free. With darker melodies and overlapping vocals, this makes for a haunting goodbye ballad that sounds like it could be sung by ghosts in an abandoned castle.
Standout Lyric:
You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues?
I died on the altar waiting for the proof
You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days
And I'm just gettin' color back into my face
I'm just mad as hell 'cause I loved this place - Video: YouTube
1122 VOTESThe Black Dog
Album: The Tortured Poets Department
Represents What Breakup Stage? Swift's 11th album is undoubtedly her rawest and darkest to date. Nearly every song is breakup-adjacent, and the lyrics dive much deeper into the depression she hinted at in Midnights and the anger-sadness combo of Reputation, with lines like, “And remember how my rain-soaked body was shakin', do you hate me?,” “Old habits die screaming,” and “pierce new holes in my heart.”
There are heavy implications of cheating in this song that toggles between soft and loud melodies in varying hues of dark tones. No matter what went down, the narrator is furious, unable to get how her ex doesn't seem hung up on her the way she clearly is on him. The breathy trail-off of her voice is also reminiscent of the shaky breath of “Last Kiss” from Speak Now.
Standout Lyric:
Six weeks of breathin' clean air
I still miss the smoke
Were you makin' fun of me
With some esoteric joke?
Now I wanna sell my house
And set fire to all my clothes
And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons
Even if I die screaming
And I hope you hear it - Video: YouTube
1224 VOTESAlbum: Speak Now
Represents What Breakup Stage? Swift is ready to share the ending of what seemed like a storybook romance but has turned into a battle, so it's best to shut up and listen. At least, that's the kind of intensity she sings with in “The Story of Us.” The metaphors in the song are pretty simple to follow: instead of being a knight in shining armor (not that she needs one) during their relationship, her almost-ex uses his armor as a shield to keep her at arm's length.
While she wants to fight for them, he'd rather bail. He's stoically silent when she wants to talk it out. This song is a pre-breakup anthem that raises the volume and desperation as it gets closer to the end that Swift doesn't want to face.
At this point, she knows it's over, but until that last chapter is written, she can live in denial. Swift is definitely not the only one who's stayed in a sinking relationship to preserve something that no longer exists and she won't be the last. But that's what “The Story of Us” is for. Belt. Move on. Rinse. Repeat.
Standout Lyric:
The battle's in your hands now
But I would lay my armor down
If you said you'd rather love than fight - Video: YouTube
1324 VOTESBetter Man
Album: Red (Taylor's Version)
Represents What Breakup Stage? You can be self-aware about the harm a relationship caused and still struggle with a breakup. Knowing in your head that you're better off and knowing it in your heart are two different things. Swift tackles that contradiction in her own 2021 recording of “Better Man," which was first recorded by country group Little Big Town in 2016 after Swift couldn't fit it on her original release of Red. In the lyrics, she acknowledges that her newly-ended relationship wasn't healthy, but the magical memories and the hellish ones feel like alternate realities. She can't quite reunite them just yet, but that's okay.
Just because you leave a toxic relationship doesn't mean you can't mourn its ending. Swift has to continually convince herself that she's doing the right thing by staying away, but after everything was on his terms for so long, it's time she takes things into her own hands. But at the end of the day? She just misses him and wishes he were a better man. It's a complicated yet relatable sentiment, and it's great to hear Swift finally get to release her own version of this song so many years after writing it.
Standout Lyric:
But your jealousy, oh, I can hear it now
Talking down to me like I'll always be around
Push my love away like it was some kind of loaded gun
Oh, you never thought I'd run - Video: YouTube
1413 VOTESAll You Had To Do Was Stay
Album: 1989
Represents What Breakup Stage? Everyone has that line in the sand that represents how much they can deal with before leaving a relationship in the rearview mirror. By the time 1989 released, Swift had already written quite a few songs about fighting for her relationships and remaining hopeful despite her partners' lack of effort. By the time “All You Had to Do Was Stay” came around, she was done with being that person.
The entire vibe of this bop seems to say, “Okay, you don't want to stay? Cool. Boy, bye.” Though she's getting hot and cold vibes from this particular ex, she's not giving him the time of day anymore - he had his chance. Getting out of these kinds of relationships is often a relief, and Swift seems to be on that level. And, hey, if she's a little smug about it, that's between Swift, her guitar, and the millions of Swifties who devour her music.
Standout Lyric:
People like you always want back
The love they gave away
And people like me wanna believe you
When you say you've changed
The more I think about it now
The less I know
All I know is that you drove us
Off the road - Video: YouTube
1519 VOTESClean
Album: 1989
Represents What Breakup Stage? Swift has explained the meaning behind this ethereal ballad herself - both in an interview and the liner note for 1989. The liner note reads: “She lost him but she found herself and somehow that was everything.”
It's so easy to lose yourself in the throes of passion, and no one throws their whole heart into love like Swift. Sometimes, we find ourselves changing for another person, even losing sight of what's important to us. It can be hard to quit certain habits developed within a relationship, even after the partner is long gone. After a breakup, many people feel “stuck” on their ex for a long time, but then there's a trilling release when the fixation goes away and they're finally clean.
On writing “Clean,” Swift told Elle, “Someone I used to date - it hit me that I’d been in the same city as him for two weeks and I hadn’t thought about it.” Swift didn't even notice the significance of this marker of moving on until it had already passed. She added, “When it did hit me, it was like, ‘Oh, I hope he’s doing well.’ And nothing else.”
Given the fact she was in London when the concept came to her during her 1989 era, many fans believe that her breakup with British musician Harry Styles inspired the song.
Standout Lyric:
Hung my head as I lost the war
And the sky turned black like a perfect storm - Video: YouTube
1626 VOTESHits Different
Album: Midnights
Represents What Breakup Stage? Everyone wants to “win” the breakup, so it's easy to put on a mask and pretend everything's okay when it's not. One of Swift's talents is contrasting the lyrics of songs with melodies and tempos of very different moods. Her use of this tactic works flawlessly in “Hits Different.” With lyrics like “Nothing has ever felt so wrong” and “It hits different 'cause it's you,” we see that this is the hardest breakup she's ever had to go through.
It's clear that the narrator usually brushes off breakups, but this time, that tactic's not working. So, she pretends she's fine (hinted by the peppy tempo), but she's not fooling her friends. Getting iced out by your crew because you're taking the end of a relationship too hard is rough (and maybe means it's time for a friend breakup). “Hits Different” is one of Swift's catchier breakup songs thanks to its relatability and driving tempo.
Standout Lyric:
Bet I could still melt your world
Argumentative, antithetical dream girl - Video: YouTube
1720 VOTESAlbum: Speak Now
Represents What Breakup Stage? Anyone who's had a significantly older partner when they were young can probably relate to Swift's song “Dear John.” Back in the days when Swift was more willing to name people in her songs, fans surmised that “Dear John” is a letter of sorts to her rumored ex, John Mayer - who was 32 when they first dated, while she was 19. Mayer all but confirmed the theory in 2012 when he told Rolling Stone that the song made him “feel terrible.” He added, "Because I didn’t deserve it. I’m pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do.” Well, all's fair in love and chess when you're a musician - Mayer should know that.
The vocals in “Dear John” musically illustrate the loss of innocence a young Swift was facing. Even if there isn't an age gap involved, it's easy to look back at the manipulation Swift depicts and question how someone wouldn't realize something is wrong sooner. But when for people in the throes of a volatile relationship, warnings from anyone else or even their own subconscious often fall by the wayside. It's so tempting to believe a partner's apologies, even if it becomes clear through patterns of behavior that they don't mean it.
“Dear John” is one of the more heartbreaking songs in Swift's catalog, because fans watched (and listened) to her grow up, witnessing as she shed some of that naïveté and trust and learned to guard her heart. We can all relate to that turning point in our own lives, but it's still kind of sad to watch.
Standout Lyric:
You are an expert at "Sorry" and keepin' lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you run dry have tired, lifeless eyes
'Cause you burned them out
But I took your matches before fire could catch me
So don't look now
I'm shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town - Video: YouTube
1820 VOTESAlbum: Fearless
Represents What Breakup Stage? Forever and always doesn't usually end up being the case when you're a teenager (sorry to all the first loves out there). “Forever & Always” is the perfect combination of energy, anger, and sadness that you might expect from a heartbroken teen. In this Fearless jam, Swift just wants to know what the hell happened. It seems like the couple in question went from hot to cold pretty quickly (a common high school experience) and he didn't bother to tell her why he wanted to end things (also a common high school experience).
Over the course of the song, Swift goes from calling him a “scared little boy” to anxiously wondering if she did something wrong. “Forever & Always” is the perfect piece - both musically and lyrically - to depict the fast-paced ups and downs of teenage romance.
Standout Lyric:
Was I out of line?
Did I say something way too honest, made you run and hide
Like a scared little boy
I looked into your eyes
Thought I knew you for a minute, now I'm not so sure - Video: YouTube
1917 VOTESright where you left me
Album: evermore
Represents What Breakup Stage? Not everyone moves on. Sometimes the post-breakup blues last forever(more). “right where you left me” paints a vivid picture of one of those situations. There are multiple ways to interpret the song, but it gives off the timeless feel of an old woman sitting in a diner booth as everything changes around her and she stands still, stuck in the moment of her breakup and unable to move on.
In her mind, she's still sitting in a restaurant “when I was still the one you want,” lamenting what her life could have been had she moved on like her ex did. The soft, longing vibes of the vocals sting with regret, chronicling missed moments. In this way, the song can be read as a cautionary tale expressing the importance of living in the moment instead of wishing for the past.
Standout Lyric:
Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen?
Time went on for everybody else, she won't know it
She's still twenty-three inside her fantasy
How it was supposed to be
Did you hear about the girl who lives in delusion?
Breakups happen every day, you don't have to lose it
She's still twenty-three inside her fantasy
And you're sitting in front of me - Video: YouTube
2034 VOTEStolerate it
Album: evermore
Represents What Breakup Stage? Relationships are ever-evolving - and not always for the better. As people learn and grow, they often drift apart. If you don't do anything to nurture what you have with someone, it will wilt and die. “tolerate it” is a soft wistful ballad about the narrator's paramour retreating into his writing and fantasy worlds while ignoring the real world - and her.
Her love is shimmering gold while she does everything to impress him and rekindle their spark while he can barely tolerate her efforts. Maybe his love for her was under a pen name, but their relationship is dead in the water, and she's just starting to realize it.
Standout Lyric:
I made you my temple, my mural, my sky
Now I'm beggin' for footnotes in the story of your life
Drawin' hearts in the byline
Always takin' up too much space or time - Video: YouTube
2132 VOTESAlbum: Speak Now
Represents What Breakup Stage? The hurt and longing in Swift's vocals in “Last Kiss” are enough to get even the most hardened people to reach for the tissues. The song's heartwarming simplicity comes from the fact that it's not vindictive or angry. It's just sad and wistful. Swift mourns a relationship she never thought would end and toggles between fond memories and the hardships of moving on without him. She thinks about their last kiss - and how you never know which kiss will be the last.
Yet as gutted as she is, she wants her ex to be happy (though she's low-key hoping he realizes leaving was a mistake). She asks his friends how he is in what seems like a sweet way, rather than a jealous or controlling way. Though she's having a hard time with the breakup and feels like he's forgetting her, there's still no malice - and it's a really lovely premise that differs from the stereotypical idea of a rage-filled breakup ballad.
Standout Lyric:
And I hope the sun shines and it's a beautiful day
And something reminds you, you wish you had stayed
You can plan for a change in the weather and time
But I never planned on you changing your mind - Video: YouTube
2215 VOTESclosure
Album: evermore
Represents What Breakup Stage?: Though Swift wrote evermore to play out like a woven story, the subtly punchy ballad can almost read as a callback to her earlier song “Dear John.” This time, the narrator is the one receiving an apology letter (though it appears to be far less sincere than Swift's), and she's not impressed. This is like the old-timey version of an ex you haven't talked to in three years sliding into your DMs with a message that just says “Hey" - hard pass.
Here, the narrator shades her ex for their rough breakup, calling out his transparent attempt to assuage his guilt for how poorly he treated her. We love a petty queen, and the narrator is more than happy to remain spiteful. Of course he's reaching out after she's done the work to be okay. At this point, she neither needs nor wants the self-serving closure he's offering.
Standout Lyric:
Don't treat me like some situation that needs to be handled
I'm fine with my spite
And my tears and my beers and my candles
I can feel you smoothing me over - Video: YouTube
2313 VOTESAlbum: Taylor Swift
Represents What Breakup Stage? Watching your ex move on is never fun - especially when you're a teenager. Swift is most definitely in the angry stage of her breakup in “Picture to Burn.” The song comes from her first album, which debuted when she was only 16. The lyrics explain how her ex has moved on after what seems like a pretty bad breakup, possibly involving cheating. Despite the vitriol she expresses towards him, there's a charming innocence about it, and it's hard not to root for the singer.
She's been spurned and she wants to get back at the guy any way she can, like dating his friends or burning his photos. Though Swift has since lost her twang, it's fun to go back to those early years to see how much she's matured vocally (and as a person).
No matter one's age, the desire to burn everything associated with an ex is relatable. This song is about purging both emotional and physical ties to move on, which we see Swift do in the music video. Once she gets that anger out of her system and burns their pictures, she says she's over it. So, bust out those speakers if you're feeling scorned, belt it out, rip up those pictures, and be done with that jerk.
Standout Lyric:
So watch me strike a match on all my wasted time
As far as I'm concerned, you're just another picture to burnAnd if you're missing me, you'd better keep it to yourself
'Cause coming back around here would be bad for your health
