Speak Now ~ Taylor Swift

So. Taylor Swift.

 It seems like everyone loves her... or hates her. 

I love a lot of her music and I appreciate that there is at least one super-popular female celebrity role model that does not act like a stripper. I definitely don't think she's all that wise in her personal life,
but she does seem to have standards.

Almost all of her lyrics are super clean, and I love her voice. There is a steady theme--teenage romance, obviously, which can get old, and just get your focus somewhere it doesn't need to be.

 So I don't listen to her a lot. 

Her third album Speak Now was released at the end of October, after a long, long wait. 

I bought it the day it came out and listened to it continuously for days. 

I think it's definitely her best album so far. 

She keeps getting better musically, and her songs are getting more mature.

(if you don't want to read my thoughts on each song, just skip to the end and tell me what you think!)

mine

I was actually sick of this song before the album came out... I like it, but I don't think it's amazing.

My favorite part is: 

"Do you remember all the city lights on the water? 

You saw me start to believe for the first time..."

sparks fly

Not my favorite, either. The instrumentals are slightly obnoxious and some of the lyrics are strange

back to december

I love, love, love this song. It has a unique story, and the lyrics are beautiful. She said herself that this is the first song where she is apologizing. 

"So this is me swallowing my pride

Standing in front of you saying I'm sorry for that night

And I go back to December all the time.

It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you

Wishing I realized what I had when you were mine

I go back to December, turn around and change my own mind

I go back to December all the time."

speak now

I didn't like this at first, but it grew on me. I think it's silly how at the end, he reconsiders and leaves the girl at the altar and runs away with the girl singing. Like that would happen.

"And you say

Let's run away now

I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door

Baby I didn't say my vows, so glad you were around

When they said speak now."

dear john

Beautiful, sad song about her relationship with John Mayer

"And I'll look back and regret

How I ignored when they said

Run as fast as you can."

Sheesh. Even I knew that she shouldn't have gotten involved with that creep.

mean

Lots of attitude. Pretty forgettable song, and I thought it was just a tad immature.

the story of us

I love the lyrics.

"And I'm standing alone

In a crowded room

And we're not speaking...

...And the story of us 

Look like a lot like a tragedy now."

never grow up

Bittersweet. So relatable. I feel like this every time I'm with my nieces.

"Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, 

Don't you ever grow up

It could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

No one will desert you

Just try to never grow up

Never grow up."

enchanted

I feel like I should love this song, but I just don't. Some of the lyrics don't really work for me. I like how it's about meeting someone and know that your relationship could go somewhere... but then it doesn't really.

"This night is sparkling, don't you let it go

I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home

I'll spend forever wondering if you knew...

I was enchanted to meet you."

better than revenge

It's bitter, angry, vengeful, and has some rather questionable lyrics. It gets stuck in my head like crazy.

innocent

A song forgiving Kanye West... she manages to make it work for other people, too. It does get pretty specific which I don't think was quite necessary.

"Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?

Always a bigger bed to crawl into

Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything?

And everybody believed in you?"

haunted

One of my favorites. The music is eerie and matches the lyrics perfectly. I listen to it over and over.

"Com one, come on, don't leave me like this

I thought I had you figured out

Something's gone terribly wrong, 

You're all I wanted."

last kiss

My other favorite. I love the music, and it is a tear-jerker. 

"I do remember 

The swing in your step

The life of the party, you're showing off again

And I roll my eyes and then you pull me in

I'm not much for dancing 

But for you I did."

long live

One of the few happy songs, but it has a bittersweet uncertainty at the end, too. 

It includes one of my favorite lines of all time. I am so going to say this to someone some day.

"I had the time of my life

Fighting dragons with you."

So, are you a Taylor Swift fan? 

What did you think of her new album? Do you have a favorite song?