Hi all!

Welcome to a new segment on my blog! Each month, I will rank Taylor Swift’s track #1’s, #2,’s, #3’s etc – finishing with track #12’s in December. However, once TS13 is released, I will do a dedicated post ranking her track #13’s and so on. A quick disclaimer, I am going to be including The Anthology, as it is a full album. I will not be including vault tracks. If you wish to see my vault rankings for Fearless, Speak Now, Red & 1989 TV, click here.

Today I will be tackling Taylor’s track #4’s. This one was easier than the last couple. It’s okay if you disagree. It’s just my opinion. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) ‘Tis The Damn Season

My absolute favourite track #4 is ‘Tis The Damn Season from Evermore. This song is from the perspective of Dorothea (Taylor’s fictional character), as she returns to her hometown for the holidays; yearning to rekindle with an old flame. It speaks of a relationship that picks up right where it left off, no matter how many years have passed. It’s warm, comfortable and cosy. This atmospheric number makes you want to curl up on the couch, as it snows outside. It has such a special place in my heart. I’m so lucky I got to see it performed twice at the Era’s Tour before it was taken off the setlist. 

Favourite lyric: “And the road not taken looks real good now.” 

2.) Hey Stephen

In second place, I have Hey Stephen from Fearless. I just love this song so much – both the original and the Taylor’s Version. Every single time I listen to it, I feel like I’m being wrapped up in a big hug. Taylor wrote this track about Stephen Barker Liles, who opened for her on tour. He was unaware of her unrequited feelings at the time. I love humming along to it. It makes me think of sunny afternoons and throwing caution to the wind. Her cute chuckle at the end of the breakdown fills me with pure joy. 

Favourite lyric: “Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving? I think you and I should stay the same.” 

3.) The Man

Coming in third is The Man from Lover. This may be surprising but I’ve always loved it. It’s a no skip song. Not only is it super upbeat, it has a great message all women can relate to. We have to work ten times harder than a man just to be taken seriously. There are so many standards set for females that just don’t seem to apply to males. I appreciate Taylor calling that out. Furthermore, it gave a lot of casual fans a new appreciation for the single after she performed it on the Era’s Tour. The choreography, staging and costuming brought this number to life. 

Favourite lyric: “When everyone believes ya. What’s that like?” 

4.) Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus

In fourth place, I have Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus from The Anthology. Taylor broke my cold, cold heart with this track. It’s so melancholic. I believe it’s about Matty Healy, as he is known to have dalliances with both males and females. He is also a drug user – which she references in her lyrics that he needed illicit substances more than her. There is a very interesting line in the song, where she uses the term “scarlet, maroon.” Could Maroon on Midnights have been about Matty all along? What do you think? Overall, it is just so hauntingly beautiful and well written. A real standout from The Tortured Poet’s Department Part #2. 

Favourite lyric: “If you want to break my cold, cold heart, just say I loved you, the way that you were.” 

5.) Out Of The Woods

In fifth place, I have Out Of The Woods from 1989. Similar to Hey Stephen, the Taylor’s Version is just as superior as the original. I love the instrumentals, the backing vocals from producer, Jack Antonoff, the repetitive anxious chorus and of course, the ranty bridge. In this song, Taylor reflects on a snowmobile accident she was in with Harry Styles, whom she was dating at the time. However, the underlying metaphor relates to her inner turmoil about the tumultuous relationship. The woods are thick, dense and obscure. Only when she is free from them, can she breathe again. It’s a fan favourite for a reason.

Favourite lyric: “The rest of the world was black and white. But we were in screaming colour.” 

6.) Down Bad

In sixth place, I have Down Bad from The Tortured Poet’s Department. This song has definitely grown on me over time. It’s such an earworm. Taylor uses an extra-terrestrial metaphor to describe how it feels to be with someone who essentially abducts you, experiments on you and then drops you back to your home planet without warning. You want them to return – not ready to leave their cosmic plane behind. I believe it’s about Matty because Joe never had ‘indecent exposures.’ He also did the leaving, not her. It has the catchiest hook. How she keeps coming up with new concepts like this, I’ll never understand. She’s such a mastermind. 

Favourite lyric: “Everything comes out teenage petulance.” 

7.) Don’t Blame Me

Don’t Blame Me from Reputation is a serious vibe. I am falling more and more in love with this song on every listen. The Era’s Tour performance definitely contributed to my fathoming. I am obsessed with the transition of “don’t blame me, don’t blame me, don’t blame me for what you made me do.” That was an insane segue. The concept of viewing love as a drug isn’t particularly new but the way Taylor takes it to a soulful, almost gospel place, scratches an itch. Not to mention her long note after “using for the rest of my life.” Chills! 

Favourite lyric: “I once was poison ivy, but now I’m your daisy.” 

8.) Father Figure

Lower down my list, I have Father Figure from The Life of a Showgirl. It has been steadily growing for me. I think it will continue to climb the ranks, should we get a music video for it. This track interpolates George Michael’s song of the same name. Taylor describes it as a conversation between a mentor and protege, to which she has been both. If I had to speculate who it’s about, I would say her former manager, Scott Borchetta. In the beginning, he saw her as pure profit. She could rise, but never reign. By the end, the empire belongs to her. Now she’s one with the bigger ****! The whole song builds to a final, powerful chorus. It’s the part I’m most excited to reach. I love her take on power plays and mafioso references. 

Favourite lyric: “Your thoughtless ambition sparked the ignition. On foolish decisions, which led to misguided visions.” 

9.) I Knew You Were Trouble

I Knew You Were Trouble takes me back to a very specific time in my life. I was 22, dating a bad boy exactly like the one Taylor sang about. If you had asked me back then, I would’ve told you it’s the best song on Red. Obviously, that has since changed. It’s not a track I reach for often but when it comes on, I’m automatically transported back to that younger version of myself. I love how hard it went on The Era’s Tour. It verges on pop rock, which I would love to see Taylor explore further in the future. 

Favourite lyric: “And he’s long gone, when he’s next to me.” 

10.) Speak Now

It pains me putting Speak Now this low because I genuinely love it. It’s such a fun, upbeat song that I rarely skip. My main issue lies more with the branding, than the track itself. I don’t think it should’ve been the album title. Enchanted would’ve been far superior. The entire record revolves around honest, diaristic confessional songwriting but Speak Now is anything but. Taylor wrote it inspired by a friend whose childhood sweetheart was reportedly marrying a ‘mean girl.’ It isn’t about her life at all. You could argue Mine is similar but at least that wasn’t the name of her third album. Just my opinion! 

Favourite lyric: “She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen.” 

11.) Exile

When Folklore was first released, Exile was one of my favourite tracks. However, after the Eras’s Tour, I do think it was slighly overhyped. Surprisingly, it has dropped significantly in my ranking. I don’t like how new fans refer to it as some of her best writing because Bon Iver was featured on it. She has been writing incredible songs without other musicians for over a decade. If Exile is what it took to view Taylor seriously as an artist, I feel sorry for you. 

Favourite lyric: “You’re not my homeland anymore. So, what am I defending now?” 

12.) Snow On The Beach

In second last place, I have Snow On The Beach from Midnights. I’m sorry to say, I always skip this song. I was really excited when Taylor announced it would be a collab with Lana Del Rey. Unfortunately, Lana was barely featured. Taylor then released the more Lana version but removed the outro – my favourite part! I just can’t win with this track. With the perspective of The Tortured Poet’s Department, I would wager it’s about Matty Healy and their romantic timeline finally aligning. Maybe someday I’ll finally fathom it but at this stage, it’s not clicking. 

Favourite lyric: “Life is emotionally abusive and time can’t stop me quite like you did.” 

13.) A Place In This World

Coming in last, I have A Place In This World from Debut. I don’t dislike this song, I just never listen to it. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the Taylor’s Version a lot more when it’s released. Her mature vocals are going to sound amazing. It probably would’ve resonated with my teenage self, but as an adult, I simply can’t relate. I know who I am and I’m a lot more confident about my life. I think it was nice that she played it at the final show of the Era’s Tour. A very full circle moment.  

Favourite lyric: “Don’t know what’s down this road. I’m just walking.” 

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank Taylor’s Track #4’s?

Peace & Love xoxo