Taylor Swift’s third album, Speak Now, is known for its fairy tale-like songs about love and happy endings. However, one song on the album, “Better Than Revenge,” took a different tone. It was an angry song filled with insults aimed at the new girlfriend of an ex, including references to her fashion sense, career choice, and sex life. This posed a dilemma for Swift as she embarked on her project to rerecord her work.
If she chose to remove the song entirely due to its sexist lyrics, she would fail to fully rerecord the album. On the other hand, if she chose to keep the song as is, acknowledging its troubling lyrics like Paramore did with “Misery Business,” she risked facing backlash. Ultimately, Swift gave “Better Than Revenge” a mini-makeover on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). She replaced the offensive lyrics about the ex’s sex life with a metaphor about their relationship, using imagery of being a moth drawn to a flame. The new lyrics are tamer and more poetic, showing Swift’s willingness to edit her previous songwriting.
However, this adjustment also diminishes the power of the original song. The unfiltered quality of the lyrics made the original version impactful, even if they were harsh and hurtful. In her rerecording efforts, Swift faces the challenge of capturing the same potency as the original albums had when they were released. Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in particular highlights this struggle, as Swift sounds like she is performing as her past self rather than truly connecting with it.
In contrast, Swift’s previous rerecordings successfully transported listeners to a different time through her vocal performances and alterations in inflection. For example, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) had a nostalgic quality, and Red (Taylor’s Version) transformed songs like “Girl at Home” into lighter dance tracks. Speak Now is different because it was solely written by Swift, addressing specific individuals in her life. The album showcases Swift’s pettier side, taking jabs at a music critic, a bridezilla, and even Kanye West.
At the same time, Speak Now features epic anthems like “Haunted,” “Last Kiss,” and “Long Live” that express a range of emotions with sentimentality. Rerecording this album more than a decade later highlights how time and perspective have softened the sharp edges of those turbulent years. Swift acknowledges the personal growth since writing “Better Than Revenge” at 18 and recognizing that no one can take someone from you if they don’t want to leave.
The defanged lyrics and mellower vocals in “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)” reflect the awkwardness of engaging with a younger self. Swift can’t fully recreate the bite of the original track, which provokes the discomfort that comes with revisiting a period memorialized by the music of Speak Now. However, maybe it’s worth embracing that discomfort. Speak Now, as a teenager, shocked me with its scathing thoughts that I wished I could express. Swift’s ability to convey devastating despair, all-encompassing awe, and tender yearning within the same album amazed me. Even the controversial “mattress” line in “Better Than Revenge” left me speechless.
While listening to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), I longed for that boldness. What if Swift didn’t just rewrite one lyric in the chorus but created an entirely new song? What if she changed the target of “Mean” to reflect her growth and accomplishments? What if she extended the length of “Last Kiss” like she did with “All Too Well”? Swift reflects on the bravery of creating something with unblinking sincerity in her liner notes for the new album. It would have been courageous to indulge the person who taught her that lesson in the first place.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
