Hi all!
Today I am ranking the vault tracks from Fearless Taylor’s Version. I have also done this for Red, 1989 and Speak Now. If you wish to check out my honorary Swiftie menu, please click here.
A Brief Note on Fearless
Fearless used to be quite high in my ranking, until it became overshadowed by Taylor’s other works. I love it, but I wish the roll-out had been a bigger deal. I understand it was her first and she was unsure how it would be received. However, compared to Red, we weren’t given much. No music videos, live performances, short-films or talk-show appearances. However, we did get Mr. Perfectly Fine and for that, I thank her! Fearless has a very cohesive theme. It’s all about fairy tales, handsome princes, white horses, castles and romance. When the naysayers were telling Taylor teenagers wouldn’t be into country music, she hit back with Love Story, Fearless (the title track) and You Belong with Me. She made the genre accessible and relatable to everybody. It’s a nostalgic period of innocence; getting swept away and dancing in a storm with our best dresses.
Taylor blessed us big time with these truly remarkable bonus songs. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
1.) Mr. Perfectly Fine
In first place, we have Mr. Perfectly Fine. This is one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs of all time. It was written about her ex-boyfriend, Joe Jonas, in response to their breakup. It’s such a relatable concept – reflecting on how much it hurts to see your former flame doing so well, in the wake of your relationship ending. Not only is it full of sass, there’s also a lot of character progression. She starts by singing “Hello Mr. Perfectly Fine” and ends with “Goodbye Mr. Perfectly Fine”, indicating she has now moved on. Furthermore, Taylor uses the phrase ‘casually cruel’, which comes up again in All Too Well. It’s undeniably the best vault track on Fearless.
2.) That’s When (ft. Keith Urban)
In second place, we have That’s When, featuring Keith Urban. I loved this vault track on first listen. It has such a simple premise, with a beautiful arrangement. In this song, Taylor is commenting on what it’s like to need space in a relationship. Her love interest is understanding and patient, assuring her he will open his heart and doors to her, once she’s ready to return. I love that Keith got his own verse. I also like the way their voices blend together.
3.) Bye Bye Baby
This may be strange, but I’m a huge Bye Bye Baby fan. It’s so relatable – realising you’ll never drive to your ex’s house again. I would guess it’s also about Joe Jonas. I believe the reason it was left off the original tracklist, was because of Forever & Always. Variations of the lyrics later appeared in Last Kiss on Speak Now. For example: “feels like I’m becoming part of your past” reminds me of “and I feel you forget me, like I used to feel you breathe.” The melodies are what make it such a winner for me.
4.) You All Over Me (ft. Maren Morris)
In fourth place, we have You All Over Me, featuring Maren Morris. Inspired by Taylor, Maren also shifted musical genres, experimenting with pop after originally establishing herself as a country artist. I would liken You All Over Me to Clean. She literally sings: “no amount of freedom gets you clean.” In this vault track however, she’s still tainted by the relationship. Once again, this song is about Joe Jonas. We can discern this by the “hands in your pockets” lyric, also mentioned in Last Kiss. Additionally, there is a reference to meeting her love interest in June, lining up with the pair beginning their relationship in the summer of 2008. I don’t love it as much as the others, but it’s still an integral part of the Fearless journey.
5.) Don’t You
In second last place, we have Don’t You. This track is a little too slow and one note for me. It’s also quite simple lyrically. There isn’t anything super profound to unpack. Having said that, it’s very relatable to run into an ex, feeling confused by their words. It’s cruel to hear them say they miss you or still show an interest. This particular event Taylor is referencing, really did a number on her. I’m going to say it’s Joe Jonas coded. Most of the vault tracks are.
6.) We Were Happy
In last place, we have We Were Happy. I typically skip it. Sorry! Similar to Don’t You, the melodies don’t resonate with me. I always cringe at the line: “talking about your daddy’s farm.” I feel it’s the least relatable vault on Fearless. However, I love the lyric: “nobody could touch the way we laughed in the dark.” Just beautiful! This song appears to be about a former flame, pre-dating Joe. It gives more Debut vibes. In the nicest way possible, I can see why it didn’t make the original tracklist.
Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank the vault tracks?
Peace & Love xoxo