Parsing Taylor Swift's lyrics for clues about the musician's love life is a required course at Swift University. However, long-time fans know that not every song is purely autobiographical.
Sometimes Swift excludes herself to write stories about other people, real or imagined: from teenage love triangles to murderous Olive Garden lovers. One of Swift's most beautiful love songs isn't about her at all, but about another celebrity pair with whom she's close.
To commemorate the highly anticipated release of "1989" (Taylor's version) on October 27, It’s time to revisit “You’re in Love.”
Hidden gem among gems
The sheer scale of Swift's musical output makes it almost silly to describe any of her songs as a "hidden gem" or "underrated." As the audience's reaction to "You Are In Love" as a secret song from the Eras Tour proved, this song is not for the fans!
But looking at the numbers alone, "You Are In Love" is a less popular Taylor Swift song. According to the deluxe album's Spotify page, compared to other tracks from 1989 , it's only better than "This Love" and "I Know Places" in terms of total plays.
Of course, that's no surprise - this is a bonus track that, unlike "The New Romantics," never got the single treatment. But all this to say is that it’s okay if “You’re In Love” hasn’t been on your radar by now!
Swift's "Friends to Lovers"
While Swift doesn't often share the content of her songs (even if they seem pretty obvious), she's been open about the inspiration behind "You Are In Love" from the beginning. As she told Jimmy Kimmel in 2014, the song was "loosely based" on Jack Antonoff and Lena Dunham's relationship.
Antonoff sent Swift an instrumental track he had been working on, and Swift took it from there. "I wrote it as a commentary on their relationship," she recalls. "So, it's me actually watching and walking around: This thing happens, then that happens, then that happens, and that's you know, you're in love. "
The song's brief verses documenting everyday life ("In the morning, his place / Burnt toast, Sunday") remind listeners that love doesn't have to be a grand, sweeping fairy tale to be special. "I've never had this," Swift said of the quote in an interview with Elle , "that you're my best friend." So she's not writing from experience, but Dunham's Write.
"That's basically what she told me," Swift continued. "I think that relationship - gosh, it sounds so beautiful - can be difficult. It can also be mundane sometimes."
The team continues to survive
ICYMI Dunham at the time was part of Swift's large circle of friends and was frequently seen with Swift throughout 1989 , even appearing in the star-studded music video for "Bad Blood" Belt.
Antonoff, meanwhile, was at the beginning of a fruitful creative partnership with Swift: one that still thrives today. As a result, "You Are In Love" isn't just a gorgeous song, it's a convenient time capsule of Swift's personal and professional life in 2014.
Sadly, Dunham and Antonoff ended their five-year relationship in late 2017, according to E! However, Swift remains close to both of them and attended their respective weddings to different people.
Jack Antonoff love life type
It turns out "You Are In Love" isn't the only song about Jack Antonoff's relationship. Just this year, another one of Antonoff's musical collaborators, Lana Del Rey, revealed in The Interview that she worked for Antonoff and his now-wife Margaret Qualley (Margaret Qualley) wrote "Margaret."
