A revisit to Taylor Swift's Speak Now

Speak Now is, objectively, Taylor Swift’s first big album. Right? Right. No competition. She wrote the whole thing herself as a teenager.

I recently went through the whole deluxe album once again – that’s right, the whole hour and a half album. Let’s revisit each track one by one, shall we?

TRACK #1 – MINE

Braced myself for the goodbye, ‘cause that’s all I’ve ever known

This upbeat song kicks off this album with a story about a young girl with a bad perception of what love really is, who meets a college student working at a diner. Things go south just as the bridge is about to hit and, boy, this is a perfect example of why Taylor Swift is known for her excellent storytelling and her gripping bridges. You can almost picture yourself there, watching the fight in the middle of the night that she is so expertly conveying. You feel like you can feel her surprise when their fight ends, and they end up happily ever after.

Rating: 4.5/5

TRACK #2 – SPARKS FLY

It’s just wrong enough to make it feel right

Another upbeat song, only this one is truly happy without any conflict in the storytelling. While people differ about what the song really means (yes, people think the song title and chorus is referencing an orgasm), but I think it’s about a girl meeting a bad boy and entering a fragile relationship that might not work, who knows, but it does work, to her shock. It’s just about a girl being so in love with a boy that she feels butterflies every time he smiles, or looks at her with his green eyes.

Rating: 4/5

TRACK #3 – BACK TO DECEMBER

So, if the chain is on your door, I understand

All good things have to end, right? Back to December is largely known for being written about Taylor Lautner, whom Swift had dumped. This song, lyrically, is about regret. She regrets breaking up with him, and wants a second chance, but doesn’t fault him for guarding his feelings and not wanting to take her back, or even forgive her. Once again, the storytelling makes it seem like you’re there, watching like a fly on the wall, right down to the way she references the seasons and how it goes along with the timeline of their relationship.

By far, one of her best songs to date.

Rating: 5/5

TRACK #4 – SPEAK NOW

Horrified looks from everyone in the room but I’m only lookin’ at you

The titular track! Oddly enough, this song is based on a dream Swift had while she was writing the record, and it wasn’t even the original title of the album. More on that later. This song is a colourful and vibrant story about a girl who is trying to get an ex (or, friend, possibly?) not to marry his mean bride-to-be on the day of his wedding. Showing a more fun side to Swift’s song writing and even production wise, this paints a picture of a doomed wedding day and the girl of the story stopping the ceremony before the man she loves marries the wrong girl. It’s a cute and fun song, a little weak in comparison to the rest of the album.

Rating: 3/5

TRACK #5 – DEAR JOHN

I’m shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town

This track is one of the few songs Swift has not sung live. It’s about, you guessed it, John Mayer, with whom she had a tumultuous relationship with many years ago. This song sheds light upon specific instances of toxic behaviour of John Mayer and a 19-year-old Swift. There is genuinely not much I can say about this song, it’s one of those tracks you need to listen to in order to feel the impact. It’s a song just full of emotion, both with the lyrics, the production, her vocals… it’s all something that should be experienced. This is one of her most lyrically advanced songs, and you can feel the rawness. This is why she won’t sing it live.

Rating: 5/5 (if I could give it higher than that, I would)

TRACK #6 – MEAN

Somebody made you cold, but the cycle ends right now

It’s not a Taylor Swift album without there being a song of her referencing bullies or her haters. This song goes a little harder on the yeehaw, here, showing her country roots full throttle. The message of the song, essentially, is that Taylor will make it big in the industry (she did) while her bullies and tormentors will be nothing (most likely true). This is a weaker song on the album, but it is a catchy song.

Rating: 3/5

TRACK #7 – THE STORY OF US

The story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.

The production of this track is the epitome of the 2000s. As the title suggests, this song is the story of them. And as the lyric above suggests, it is a tragedy. It’s a relationship that starts out good and ends up bad after communication is hindered and time is spent elsewhere, and she’s jus waiting for the next chapter, despite her confusion about how they got to this in their relationship. A fun, upbeat song with okay lyrics. It sounds like it was made for a Disney Channel original movie.

Rating: 4/5

TRACK #8 – NEVER GROW UP

I’d give you all I have, honey, if you could stay like that

One of her softer songs, just with guitar, her voice and some backing vocals. It’s a pretty little ballad. One of the underlying themes of this album is loss of innocence, and this song definitely fits this. Swift is singing to someone (possibly, her younger self), asking that she never grows up and never loses the innocence that keeps her young.

Rating: 3.5/5

TRACK #9 – ENCHANTED

Counter all your quick remarks like passing notes in secrecy

Full disclosure, this is my ultimate favourite Taylor Swift song. I will never grow tired of it. It still holds up, even now.

As far as I know, this was written by Taylor after meeting Adam Young (Owl City) at a party one night. And in a cute turn of events, although he has a girlfriend, he did cover the song and even include Taylor’s name in it.

(Fun fact: this was supposed to be the title of the album.)

Okay, enough about all the background. Let’s get into the song itself. This track is on the longer side and it paints a story of a magical, night full of lights and banter and banter. She meets a boy who, well, enchants her. Who she thinks about all night. Who she hopes isn’t in love with someone else. Who, hopefully, was enchanted by her, too. This track is by far one of her most wholesome and pure songs, from the lyrics to the production. There’s just something transcendent about it, magical.

Rating: 5/5 (if I could give it a higher rating than 5, I would)

TRACK #10 – BETTER THAN REVENGE

No amount of vintage dresses gives you dignity

Taylor’s pre-Reputation era song. This song is supposedly about actress and model Camilla Belle after she and Swift’s ex, Joe Jonas, were spotted together just after he dumped Swift over the phone. As a whole, I’m not into the whole message of the song and it doesn’t really hold up in 2020, with Swift herself even regretting it. It’s catchy, it’s well-written, and it sounds like a pop-punk song from the early 2000s.

Rating: 3/5

TRACK #11 – INNOCENT

Who you are is not what you did

This track was allegedly written about Kanye West after the infamous 2009 MTV Video/Music Awards debacle. Following the theme of losing one’s innocence, this song once again follows Swift’s storytelling of her telling someone (her younger self) not to lose their innocence, that no matter what happens to her, she will continue to be an innocent, even if she doesn’t feel like one. Very well-written, you can tell she was trying to paint a particular story for the listener to visualize and you definitely can.

Rating: 4.5/5

TRACK #12 – HAUNTED

But I still mean every word I said to you

There’s always a song about abandonment and yearning. This is it. It’s a little more on the rock side, which fits the story that Swift was trying to tell. There’s even a short little guitar solo substituting for a bridge. This is another song that’s hard to describe, you have to listen and feel.

Rating: 4/5

TRACK #13 – LAST KISS

You told me you love me, so why did you go?

Much like Haunted, this also has the story of someone leaving. Only this time, it’s much more intimate and personal. You can feel the pain in a different way. Where Haunted was loud and confused, Last Kiss is soft and about remembrance. She didn’t ever think she’d be left, that they’d have a last kiss, that everything that happened would be something she has to remember but never see for herself again.

Rating: 4/5

TRACK #14 – LONG LIVE

We will be remembered

This song is written by Taylor for her team, a platonic love song, if you will. It’s an anthem, with powerful instrumentals and lyrics, and even her vocals. It seems almost anthemic. It’s uplifting and loud, and emotional in a way that can’t be explained, in a different way than some of the sadder songs on the record. It’s almost like…a photo album in music form, which I’m sure is what she was aiming for when she wrote this.

Rating: 5/5

TRACK #15 – OURS

People throw rocks at things that shine

There’s always one weak song on every album, usually mid-to-end, and this is it. It’s cute, but there’s not really much to say about it. It almost sounds like it belongs in a Hallmark commercial.

Rating: 2.5/5

TRACK #16 – IF THIS WAS A MOVIE

But if this was a movie, you’d be here by now

You can definitely see Swift’s age in this song. It’s got a palpable innocence to it. This has a child-like charm to it, from the airy instrumentals to her voice to the simplicity of the lyrics. This sounds like a young teenager who is confused over her break-up, who knows that if this were a Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan rom-com, he’d be on her porch with flowers to get her back. Cute but not really substantial. I still sing along, though. This also is a good song to listen to before Exile, as they have similar lyrical themes.

Rating: 3/5

TRACK #17 – SUPERMAN

I’ll be right here, on the ground, when you come back down

Ah, the last original track on the album. This is an upbeat finish, which is fitting since the album started off upbeat. I guess to some people, the strength of the person they’re in love with makes it feel like they’re dating a superhero. This song is wholesome and full of light, and one of Taylor’s cuter songs. Lyrically, it follows her pattern of telling a story by giving you a picture of how the boy she’s singing about looks, how he acts – and once again, he’s a bad boy but with a good heart. Sensing a pattern.

Rating: 3.5/5

I won’t be making any comments about the next three songs since they’re all just remixes. I will be rating them, though.

TRACK #18 – BACK TO DECEMBER (acoustic)

Rating: 5/5

TRACK #19 – HAUNTED (acoustic)

Rating: 5/5

TRACK #20 – MINE (pop remix)

Rating: 3/5

This album has a very dear place in my heart. I turn to it when I’m feeling a myriad of emotions – I can literally listen to it no matter how I’m feeling. And despite Folklore rising in my ranks, Speak Now will always remain my favourite. Or, at least tied with Folklore.

So, what do you think, does it hold up ten years later?