Taylor Swift is one of the most revered songwriters of her generation - but no artist is always working at the top of their game.
The Life of a Showgirl is a testament to that. While some Swift lyrics are poetic and beautiful, others needed another draft or ten, or to be erased from the face of the earth forever. Fans and critics alike agree that The Life of a Showgirl is a low point in the "Love Story" singer’s career.
Of course, The Life of a Showgirl wasn’t her first record to feature bad songs. Some of her catalogue can get pretty rough. But even her worst work tends to be interesting - the same way it can be difficult to look away from a car wreck.
Five times Taylor Swift's lyrical talent fell short
Swift’s lyrical disasters are notable because they’re often so strange. While she's the biggest pop star on the planet, Swift’s lyrical choices can be as oddball as Kurt Cobain's - if not nearly as sophisticated. Here’s a look at some of Swift’s writing that we’ll never be able to forget - whether we want to or not.
5. "Father Figure"
“Father Figure” feels like a retelling of The Godfather. Swift takes on the Don Corleone role with Olivia Rodrigo as her protege. Swift tells the Disney star, “You'll be sleeping with the fishes before you know you're drowning!” Should pop stars really go around fantasizing about murdering other people?
4. "Look What You Made Me Do"
In the bridge, Swift exclaims, “I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now / Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead.” In the right frame of mind, if you enjoy campy humor, this lyric is hilariously tacky. The problem was that it was supposed to be menacing.
3. "Tortured Poets' Department"
Swift recalls telling an ex-boyfriend, "You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith / This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots.” Charitably interpreted, this line could be understood as Swift being brutally honest and admitting she’ll never have the prowess of other songwriters. This admission gave her detractors a lot of ammunition.
2. "Wood"
“Wood” is most known for the lyric “Redwood tree, it ain't hard to see / His love was the key that opened my thighs.” What am I even supposed to say about that? I’d prefer this article to remain family-friendly. Swift has certainly evolved from the days when she performed alongside Hannah Montana.
1. "Me!"
“Hey, kids! / Spelling is fun!” This lyric is so off-putting and juvenile that even many Swifties mock it. The main issue with the line isn’t that it’s strange or even that it doesn’t land as a joke. The reason why it’s awful is that it shows Swift talking down to her audience like she’s their kindergarten teacher.