Taylor Swift’s re-recordings have all showcased her growth as a vocalist, but now one song is reflecting a different kind of growth altogether.
The release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) brings about a lyrical change in the song “Better Than Revenge,” which was originally released back in 2010, when Swift was 20 years old. Upon its initial release, the song referenced an actress “better known for the things that she does on the mattress.”
With the re-release, however, the song replaces that line with: “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”
The change doesn’t come as a big surprise. Swift never made any declaration that there would be a shift, but fans had been speculating it was possible for some time. Her public image has changed a lot since she wrote the song as an 18-year-old, and presumably, she has as well.
“That’s the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend,” she told The Guardian of the song back in 2014. “Then you grow up and realise no one [can] take someone from you if they don’t want to leave.”
The original version of “Better Than Revenge” was controversial, without a doubt, but the new version is as well. Some critics have denounced it as rewriting history, while others have praised Swift for declining to re-record a line she no longer agrees with.
And many Swifties have just enjoyed the chaos of it all.
Ultimately, all the re-recordings mean are that we now have two versions of all the old Taylor songs. So it’s up to every fan to decide which one to listen to themselves—or just throw both on a playlist and call it a win.
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