The Swifties are back at it, decoding lyrics and naming names. With the release of Taylor Swift‘s hotly anticipated 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Friday, the singer has dropped five new never-before-heard “From the Vault” tracks and sparked a fresh firestorm of speculation surrounding their inspiration.
The one that appears to have the most clear-cut origin is “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” with fans largely in agreement that the lyrics seem to be in direct reference to aspects of Swift’s relationship with and split from Harry Styles. The One Direction alum is already said to have been the muse for a number of original 1989 songs, including “Style” and “Out of the Woods.”
“Let’s fast forward to three hundred takeout coffees later,” Swift sings in the pre-chorus. “I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters / You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor / You search in every maiden’s bed for something greater, baby.”
The chorus kicks in with, “Was it over when she laid down on your couch? / Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse? / ‘Come here’ I whispered in your ear / In your dream as you passed out, baby / Was it over then? / And is it over now?”
The on-again, off-again nature of this relationship in question also lines up with Swift’s 2012 Red hit, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which is also said to have been written about Styles.
But the most direct references to Styles come up in the second verse.
“When you lost control / Red blood, white snow,” Swift sings, seemingly addressing the same snowmobile accident she previously referenced in “Out of the Woods” and spoke about in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone. While she didn’t name Styles at the time, eagle-eyed fans noted that he had been photographed with a bandage on his chin just days after the accident had taken place.
“Blue dress on a boat,” she continues. The line is a clear reference to the unforgettable image of Swift sitting alone on a boat, clad in a blue dress, after she and Styles reportedly went through a breakup while vacationing in the Virgin Islands. “Your new girl is my clone.”
In the song’s bridge, Swift alludes to a famous beau followed by paparazzi with the lyric “And did you think I didn’t see you? / There were flashing lights.”
Listen to the full song below.
The new tune has prompted humorous reactions from several fans of both Swift and Styles on social media, as many had been clamoring for a cheeky collaboration between the artists on the revamped version of 1989. Styles appears to be one of the exes with which Swift has maintained an amicable relationship, as the two were seen chatting cordially at the GRAMMY Awards earlier this year.
“Is It Over Now?” is just one of five new tracks from Swift’s 1989 era, along with “‘Slut!’ (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” and “Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).”
Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) to the public back in August at her final Eras Tour show in Los Angeles, which completed the first leg of the record-breaking tour.
“To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done,” Swift previously said when announcing the album. “Because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind.”
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