There's nothing Taylor Swift likes like revenge—but on "Speak Now (Taylor's Version ), it looks a little different ." One of Swift's most pressing questions ahead of the release of her latest "Taylor's Version" album was whether she would rewrite some of the controversial lyrics on her beloved deep cut "Better Than Revenge." When the remastered record was released on July 7, Swiftis discovered that she had indeed changed the lyrics in question.
In "Better Than Revenge," a teenage Swift accuses her ex's new girlfriend of "ruining things faster than you can say" and criticizes her snobbery and red carpet mannerisms with comments like "No more retro With tailoring lyrics like "dresses can't give you dignity," this is Swift's most poignant revenge song to date (even more than "Vigilante Sh*t"). The second line of the chorus, "She's better known for what she does on the mattress," has been called misogynistic by some critics. But as heard on "Taylor's Version," Swift now sings: "He's the moth to the flame, and she's holding the match."
Most fans believe the song was written about actress Camilla Belle, who began dating Swift's ex-boyfriend Joe Jonas in October 2008, virtually Shortly after they broke up over an infamous 27-second phone call. The most obvious clue is a reference to her career in the chorus, which begins with Swift singing: "She's not a saint, or what you think she is, she's an actress."
Swift has previously expressed regret for writing the lyrics, attributing it to her age. "I was 18 when I wrote this," she told The Guardian in 2014. "At this age, you think someone could really steal your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one is going to take you away if someone doesn't want to leave." The singer now has the chance to change the "Better Than Revenge (Taylor's Version)" to reflect her new mindset, but it's unclear whether she will actually rewrite lyrical history, and Swift is divided on whether she should.
Before "Better Than Revenge (Taylor's Version)", Swift had a history of modifying songs. The original version of her 2006 breakup song "Picture to Burn" contained the lyrics: "That's Fine; That's Fine; I'll tell you you're gay," but before it was released as a single, she changed it for “It’s okay; you won’t mind what I say. ” This lyric now appears on all versions of her self-titled debut album, and will likely stay that way when she re-records it for future “Taylor Versions.” Swift also completely transformed her The production of Red 's bonus track "Girl At Home" (Taylor's version) gives the country tune an electro-pop makeover.
