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 #10’s. This wasn’t easy! It’s okay if you disagree. It’s just my opinion. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) Ivy

In first place, I have Ivy from Evermore. I mean, what is there to say? Simply the best song Taylor has ever written. It follows a tortured narrator who is married, yet in love with someone else; terrified her husband will find out the truth. Sounds less fictional in hindsight hey? She knew the only way to work through her inner turmoil was to disguise the situation as make-believe. I love the upbeat production mixed with painful lyrics. It has the most infectious melody that builds into a cathartic bridge. There’s a reason this track is a fan-favourite. What a career highlight!

Favourite lyric: “It’s a war, it’s the goddamn fight of my life and you started it.” 

2.) Better Than Revenge

In second place, I have Better Than Revenge from Speak Now. This is one of my favourites from the album. We have to turn feminism off here because essentially, it’s a diss track directed at Taylor’s ex-boyfriend, Joe Jonas, and his then girlfriend, Camilla Belle. In 2009, the Jonas Brothers released a song titled Much Better about how Joe’s new flame was superior to Taylor. Naturally, she retaliated in turn. Did she say the nicest things about Camilla? No. Am I singing along anyway? Absolutely! In the re-recorded version, Taylor changed the lyric: “she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress” to “he was a moth to a flame, she was holding the matches.” Is it wrong of me to say I prefer the original? If you ever wanted our girl to do rock, look no further than this track. 

Favourite lyric: “She took him faster than you could say sabotage.” 

3.) Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me? 

In third place, I have Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me? from The Tortured Poet’s Department. When I tell you, this song got me through a very difficult time. I fully identified with the female rage being explored. In this self-written track, Taylor calls out the industry and her enemies. As her fame has evolved, so has her power. It’s so satisfying to see her claim it. Using a circus-themed metaphor, she captures how she started out a tame animal, trained by professionals in the business, until they wore her down. It’s so cathartic, raw and honest. The Era’s Tour performance elevated the message even further. 

Favourite lyric: “Who’s afraid of little old me? You should be.” 

4.) The Prophecy

In fourth place, I have The Prophecy from The Anthology. This song is so important in Taylor’s discography. Now that she’s happily married, we can finally say the curse was broken. Before meeting Travis, she begged the fates above to change an ill-fated prophecy; seeming to predict eternal loneliness for her. She was desperate for it, admitting she howled at the moon like a wolf for an everlasting partnership. It’s such an honest and heartbreaking track. I love when she taps into her witchy side. Luckily, her prayers were answered. I’m no longer sad when I listen to it – just happy. 

Favourite lyric: “I got cursed like Eve got bitten.” 

5.) How You Get The Girl 

In fifth place, I have How You Get The Girl from 1989. I have always loved this song. I got engaged not long after it was released. Safe to say, that’s how my husband got the girl. Corny, I know! The track itself may not be lyrically dense but it’s a universal feeling set to an upbeat pop melody. Taylor has written many versions of this scenario before – see: Love Story, The Way I Loved You, The Other Side Of The Door, Mine etc. She is fantasising about a man showing up at her place, declaring his undying love and promising to never leave. Upon reflection, How You Get The Girl is the dream. Say, Don’t Go is the reality.

Favourite lyric: “Pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks.” 

6.) King Of My Heart 

In sixth place, I have King Of My Heart from Reputation. This song used to be one of my favourites from the album but it has dropped in recent years. Unfortunately, the parasocial relationship Swifties have with Taylor can affect our relationship to the music. Knowing what we know now about Joe Alwyn, it’s hard to listen to this track and feel the same as before. Back when it was first released, we were cheering. Now, not so much. After all, he ended up being a ‘boy’, not a ‘king.’ Having said all that, the production is fantastic. It has a Game of Thrones touch, as was Taylor’s intention. It also almost had a music video. What a missed opportunity!

Favourite lyric: “And all at once, you are the one I have been waiting for.” 

7.) The Way I Loved You 

A bit lower down I have The Way I Loved You from Fearless. I really do love this song but for some reason, I don’t listen to it often. I tend to forget it exists. Taylor was so insightful at such a young age. She knew which men were ‘good’ for her, yet wanted something more tumultuous because it was exciting. Screaming, fighting and kissing in the rain made her feel alive. Nice guys really do finish last sometimes. This track pops up frequently on fan-made reels. For example, if you apply it to the Jess vs. Dean love-triangle from the Gilmore Girls, it fits perfectly. You can’t help but root for the television bad-boy. Taylor tapped into that tried-and-true storyline seamlessly. 

Favourite lyric: “You’re so in love that you act insane.” 

8.) Death By A Thousand Cuts 

I refer to Death By A Thousand Cuts from Lover as my Champagne Problems. It’s a fan-favourite and very well written but I am not pressing play. I don’t dislike it, I just haven’t bought into the hype like everyone else. Obviously the bridge is magnificent and so fun to sing. I love the Tiny Desk performance even more than the actual recorded version. Maybe I just prefer it acoustic? Taylor has confessed the song was inspired by Netflix comedy, Someone Great. However, the lyrics appear to reflect her romantic situation at the time it was released. Her relationship with Joe Alwyn had a rocky start. It would make sense that she asked the traffic lights from time-to-time if things would be alright.

Favourite lyric: “Paper cut stings from our paper-thin plans.” 

9.) Mary’s Song

In ninth place, I have Mary’s Song from Debut. Taylor wrote it after spending an evening with her elderly neigbours in Nashville, who shared their love story with her from childhood to adulthood. It’s such a beautiful track, encapsulating what Taylor does best: storytelling. I am dying for the re-recorded version! It has even more meaning now with the “I’ll be eighty-seven, you’ll be eighty-nine” lyric. Travis’s number is 87 and of course, Taylor was born in 1989. You might say all along there was an invisible string, tying you to me…

Favourite lyric: “Take me back when our world was one block wide.” 

10.) Illicit Affairs

In tenth place, I have Illicit Affairs from Folklore. To be perfectly honest, the female rage moment from the Era’s Tour is the only thing I like about the song. It’s just not a track I have ever gravitated towards. As the title suggests, Taylor is singing about infidelity. More specifically, the temporary rush that comes from doing something secretive before the act begins to eat away at you. Now that we know this record wasn’t quite so fictional, we have to wonder if Taylor was drawing on a real-life experience of her own. No judgement, just an observation! 

Favourite lyric: “You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else.” 

11.) The Last Time (feat. Gary Lightbody)

Favourite lyric: “You break my heart in the blink of an eye.” 

12.) Labyrinth

In second last place, I have Labyrinth from Midnights. There isn’t enough ‘meat’ to this song. It’s far too slow and stripped back for my liking. The Labyrinth in question is her mind and she’s lost in it. Now that we have Guilty as Sin? from The Tortured Poet’s Department, it makes more sense. She was falling for a certain ‘rat.’ The lack of substance however, makes it difficult to write a detailed paragraph on.

Favourite lyric: “Lost in the labyrinth in my mind.” 

13.) CANCELLED!

In last place, I have CANCELLED! from The Life of a Showgirl. I think it’s one of Taylor’s worst written songs to date. I was really excited for it pre-release, as Travis had hyped it up on his podcast. Unfortunately, it’s a skip. It’s very Reputation coded in that she has covered this topic extensively before, but this time, she’s focusing on friends that have suffered similar scrutiny. In essence, she relates more to those associated with controversy. Now she’s the mentor for when things get bad. Some have said the track is ‘tone deaf’, others that it’s a ‘MAGA‘ anthem. I don’t buy into any of that but I do agree the songwriting is not up to her usual standard. It feels lazy and unsatisfying. I especially dislike the lyric: “they stood by me before my exoneration. They believed I was innocent, so I’m not here for judgement.” That line needed several more passes before the recording session. I was hoping it would grow on me but it’s been over a year now…

Favourite lyric: “Did you make a joke only a man could? Were you just too smug for your own good?” 

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank Taylor’s Track #10’s?

Peace & Love xoxo