There’s glitter on the floor after the final Eras Tour show, and to honor that lasting legacy, Periscope editors Lyric, Sophie, and Laura have worked together to create a list of the best Taylor Swift songs beyond your wildest dreams. Compiled with the bittersweet ending of the tour, Swift’s birthday, and Evermore’s release anniversary, we will count down the top thirteen Taylor Swift songs as we make the delicate decision of which comes first. To make it onto the list, each author campaigned for their favorite songs and explained why they deserved to be there.
13. this is me trying
“I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere. Fell behind all my classmates, and I ended up here, pouring out my heart to a stranger, but I didn’t pour the whiskey.”
Sophie: I love this song because it shows that, as long as you are still here, you are trying your best, and that’s powerful. Swift talks about being ahead of the curve and it’s such a good line because it uses metaphors to talk about how, if someone succeeds in school, they can struggle once they’ve graduated without having a grade to strive for or receiving praise for their work.
12. Marjorie
“Should’ve kept every grocery store receipt, ‘cause every scrap of you would be taken from me”
Lyric: This song truly encapsulates the bitter feeling of grief. Both the production and the lyrics go so well together to make this song amazing. As someone who has lost a grandparent, Swift did an absolutely amazing job at explaining the feeling. This song is one of the most emotional ones in her discography and gets me every time.
11. You’re On Your Own, Kid
“So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it. You’ve got no reason to be afraid.”
Sophie: “You’re On Your Own, Kid” is so amazing because it talks about different things you can do to fit in and be loved. But at the end of the day, you should take the moment and taste it, not caring about what other people think. The bridge is lyrically the best part because it really encapsulates that theme.
10. Death by a Thousand Cuts
“You said it was a great love, one for the ages. But if the story’s over, why am I still writing pages?”
Sophie: “Death by a Thousand Cuts” is about looking back on a failed relationship, and the vocals combined with the musical aspect of it really makes the piece. The lyrics talk about all the things you’ve given to a romantic partner and how you lose those things once you lose that person. It’s really catchy because the bridge is almost in a list format that keeps repeating, contrasting a slightly slower, less repetitive chorus that flows well through its chord progressions.
9. Out of the Woods
“But the monsters turned out to be just trees.”
Laura: “Out of the Woods” is one of Taylor’s best songs because it is really catchy, repeating the same line, “Are we out of the woods yet.” The theme is what truly makes this song so fantastic to me. The song begins with a person stuck in the woods, in this dark place, trying so frantically to get out. The lyrics then continue to show that, although it can be so scary and feel bad, it’s okay when you get out of it. When she performs it live, it is one of her most powerful songs because she and her listeners have so many emotions behind it.
8. Call It What You Want
“I want to wear his initial on a chain ‘round my neck, chain ‘round my neck. Not because he owns me. But ‘cause he really knows me.’
Laura: “Call It What You Want,” while on “Reputation”, a seemingly dark album, is an adorable love song. Swift really encapsulates the feeling of when friends or society don’t agree with who you are with, whether that be romantically, platonically, or individually. Yet at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter, because your closest relationships will stand by you no matter what. I think that, while the bridge is one of her shorter ones, it has the best lyrics in the song including the one above and “You don’t need to save me, but would you run away with me.”
7. Better Man
“Push my love away like it was some kind of loaded gun.”
Lyric: This is one of Taylor’s best songs. It was originally written for the band Little Big Town, but Taylor does an amazing job of truly showing the post-breakup grief. While it was originally written about a breakup, its lyrics are so versatile that fans relate to it in a more familial way. It is an incredible song that so many people can resonate with.
6. Jump then Fall
“We’re on the phone and without a warning I realize your laugh is the best sound I have ever heard.”
Lyric: Not only is this song a staple in Taylor’s discography, it is the perfect song for falling in love. The upbeat production and the sweet lyrics give it the perfect vibe. The song is absolutely adorable and the lyrics are so great. It is such a fun song to listen to anytime.
5. exile
“You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs.)”
“I think I’ve seen this film before, so I’m leaving out the side door.”
Sophie: The reason why I love “Exile” is because it’s a really sad ballad in the format of a duet: two people saying how much they’ve tried, yet their relationship failed. The best part of the song is the bridge which is a call and response between Iver and Swift, in which they sing over each other in an argumentative way but with a quieter tone making the song eloquently haunting.
4. Hits Different
“I pictured you with other girls, in love. Then threw up on the street.”
“Bet I could still melt your world, argumentative, antithetical dream girl.”
Laura: “Hits Different” was leaked after “Midnights” was released, and Swift’s fans loved it. When Swift released the “‘till dawn” edition, it was featured and the crowds went wild. This is my favorite song on “Midnights” because it’s super catchy – it embodies the fun pop vibe in a very Sabrina Carpenter way. It’s also really relatable, especially to younger audiences, talking about when you feel like you might never find love until the right person finally comes along. When that ultimately doesn’t work out, in her really snappy bridge, she argues that who she truly is, in the above line, will someday make the right person happy.
3. Back to December
“I’d go back in time and change it, but I can’t. So if the chain is on your door, I understand.”
“And then the cold came, the dark days when fear crept into my mind. You gave me all your love and all I gave you was goodbye.”
Lyric: “Back to December” is a very unique song in Swift’s discography, but also in the pop world. Instead of blaming the breakup on her boyfriend and wallowing in that, Swift owns her decision to leave him first. Although it is a breakup song, there is something so sweet about the love that she talks about. It’s absolutely one of my favorite songs of all time.
2. You are in love
“One night he wakes, strange look on his face, Pauses, then says, ‘You’re my best friend.” And you knew what it was. He is in love.”
“And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars. And why I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words.”
Laura: This is one of Taylor’s only love songs that takes a third-person point of view. It’s my favorite love song; I want it to be my first dance song because it shows a really soft and sweet love. It’s not a big declaration, it’s just someone who is steady and always there for you. The bridge is amazing because Taylor takes herself out of the song to explain how it feels to only write about the love you want, a very relatable concept. The chorus is echoed except for the final chorus when all the background vocals and instruments drop out, leaving Taylor’s vocals that promote the lyrics.
1. Long Live
“‘Cause for a moment, a band of thieves in ripped-up jeans got to rule the world.”
“Long live all the mountains we moved, I had the time of my life-fighting dragons with you.”
Laura: “Long Live” is a fan favorite, and one of mine, too. It’s a song Taylor Swift wrote for her fans about how much they mean to her. Swift also uses really strong imagery in the song to show where everyone has come from, and how they are all connected now. For me, I love going to concerts, and it embodies the vibe and the connection you feel with all the people there for that night. Nothing else matters besides you, the music, and the other people there. “Long Live” captures that beautifully in just three minutes.
