It’s evident that Taylor Swift’s re-recorded version of “Speak Now” has caused quite a stir amongst her fans worldwide. The buzz on Twitter is exhilarating, with many expressing their excitement and emotions. However, some couldn’t help but notice that some fans were taken aback by the changes made to “Better Than Revenge,” a controversial track due to its lyrics.
It’s fascinating to learn that Swift wrote the song when she was only 18 years old, drawing inspiration from her teenage experiences. It’s reassuring to see that she has taken the initiative to revise the lyrics and make them more suitable for today’s audience.
What Lyric Did Taylor Change?
The singer dropped her album “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” on Friday and addressed something that hasn’t gone well with the fans. In the original version of her 2010 single “Better Than Revenge,” Swift sings, “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think / She’s an actress / She’s better known for the things that she does / On the mattress.”
In the 2023 version, Swift changed the line to “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think / She’s an actress / He was a moth to the flame / She was holding the matches.”
Taylor is well known for advocating for women and their rights, and her fans have been taking a jibe at her for weeks about whether she should change the original lyric, which many viewed as “slut shaming.” Although it’s not the first time Swift has changed the lyrics of her song, she previously tweaked the lyrics to “Picture to Burn” from her 2006 debut album.
In Picture to Burn, she originally said, “That’s fine, I’ll tell mine you’re gay,” but on the Spotify version, she says, “That’s fine, you won’t mind if I say.”
Why Did Taylor Change the Mattress Line?
Taylor was prompted to change the lyrics after fans found the original lyrics to be highly misogynistic, and hence it stirred controversy. Some have criticized the controversial “mattress” line as sexist, although Taylor Swift has not publicly addressed the alteration.
“Better Than Revenge” is believed to be about Camilla Belle, an actress who starred in the Jonas Brothers’ “Lovebug” music video and who dated Joe Jonas after his breakup with Taylor. The lyrics imply that a woman’s actions in the bedroom are more important to men than her behavior in public.
As improper and perhaps encouraging slut-shaming and the exploitation of women’s sexualities, the original lyrics drew criticism.
The prologue Taylor wrote for the release of her Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) CD is rather long, yet it makes no mention of the adjustments Taylor made for Better than Revenge. Some fans, however, advocated the original lyrics and mentioned how a 21-year-old Taylor wrote the lyrics and that the singer has, however, become increasingly outspoken in her opposition to slut-shaming and the process of putting women against one another over the years.
What Does from the Vault Mean?
Taylor Swift has a collection of unreleased songs that she calls “From the Vault.” These tracks were made during the album recording sessions but did not make the final cut due to reasons like time limitations, label choices, or personal preferences.
“Essentially, there are songs on this album that I’ve called ‘from the vault’ tracks because, in my mind, there’s a symbolic vault of songs that I love that I’ve written,” Taylor clarified on the show on Late Night With Seth Meyers
The other solo Vault songs on Speak Now are: “When Emma Falls in Love,” “I Can See You,” “Foolish One,” and “Timeless.”
When Did Speak Now Originally Come Out?
“Speak Now” was originally released on Oct. 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. It includes her hit songs “Back to December,” “Mean,” “Mine,” and “Enchanted.” In a post made to her Instagram account, Taylor Swift shares the album cover for “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” which will be released on July 7, 2023.
Speak Now was Swift’s third album. She has said: “I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20.”
The now 33-year-old mentioned that Speak Now would be her next re-release when performing in Tampa Bay in April. “I’ve been thinking a lot about one of my albums recently,” she told the crowd. “One of my albums has been on my mind a lot… lots going on in my brain about it.” In addition, she was spotted in Liverpool filming a video wearing her 2010-era costumes.
How Many Songs Does Speak Now Have?
The track listing is the original 14 songs plus eight bonus tracks — making up 22 songs and a staggering run time of 104 minutes.
The tracklisting is:
- Mine (Taylor’s Version)
- Sparks Fly (Taylor’s Version)
- Back To December (Taylor’s Version)
- Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
- Dear John (Taylor’s Version)
- Mean (Taylor’s Version)
- The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version)
- Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)
- Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)
- Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)
- Innocent (Taylor’s Version)
- Haunted (Taylor’s Version)
- Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)
- Long Live (Taylor’s Version)
- Ours (Taylor’s Version)’
- Superman (Taylor’s Version)
- Electric Touch (Ft. Fall Out Boy) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- When Emma Falls In Love (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Castles Crumbling (Ft. Hayley Williams) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Foolish One (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
Did you also find the lyrics controversial, or are you okay with taking it with a grain of salt? Do you think Taylor made the right decision in changing the lyrics of the song?
What other lyrics from the album are your favorite? Let us know below!
