(PART 1) SPEAK NOW (TAYLOR'S VERSION) ALBUM REACTION

The Song in which Taylor mentioned the list is Look What You Made Me Do the sixth song of her sixth studio album called reputation. And the line was: I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined

Maurice

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet, but based on how much you loved the little quips she threw in (like "next chapter" in her speaking voice or little laughs in places) I think you would really enjoy the song "I forgot that you existed" from her album Lover. Not only is it a really fun, positive spin on a break up song, but it also leans into that same quirky behavior in my opinion.

Becca

Your english is great! I understood everything. Thank you sooo much! I'm just still soo shocked that she wrote EVERYTHING at only 19! Thats just some prodigy stuff right there

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

It's amazing how much things change as we get older. A song can have a whole new deeper meaning. Sorry for your loss❤️

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

I was a young aunt when this Album came out and I saw never grow up as the eyes of someone who loved children. I definitely got the depth of the song. The re recorded version came out, and It sounds so much better and makes so much more sense in her mature voice. Also though, I'm now 37. I think I was like twenty five or twenty six when this first came out. That me had no clue that at 37 I would have no more parents. The re record destroyed me.

Meghan

What you need to know : -Back to december is a sorry letter she wrote to Taylor Lautner because she was the “bad gal” in the relationship so she wrote that song to say Sorry to him -Dear John is about John Mayer which she was in a toxic relationship with. (She was 19 and he was 32). Also the guitar sounds you hear in the background is an imitation of his style of music -The entirety of the album is self-written by her because she was shamed for doing only collabs writing in her precedent albums so she said fuck off and wrote this totally by herself at 19. - The 13 on her hand is because it is her lucky number so when she was doing shows she would always write a 13 on her hand so she would have good luck for her shows -Innocent is about the Kanye interrupting Taylor’s speech at the 2009 VMAS award show. She wrote that to him because he was being heavily bullied and she wanted to tell him that it was okay to make mistakes. “32 and still growing up now” is because Kanye was 32 when it all had happened -Better than Revenge lyrics in the original version was : She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think, she’s an actress and she’s better known for the things that she’s does on a mattress but she changed it to He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches because she said herself that since she has grown up. She now understands that there is no such thing as a girl stealing your man. The man has to want to go too so to escape the misogyny of that lyric she changed it. -Taylor’s versions are done because her six first albums were sold to Scooter Brauns which now own every penny of those albums. You have to know that before he bought her album, he was the person she hated the most in the music industry. When buying her masters Scooter contacted her telling her “I can give you the profit of your masters but you have to stop talking about me and sign an NDA” to make shut her mouth about everything happening. Since she didn’t want to be silenced, she decided to re-record each and every one of those songs to own them. -The songs from the vault are songs that she wrote for the album but didn’t make it into the first release but to draw attention to her re-recordings, she is putting those song out. Ps: sorry if my English is not the best, I’m French haha. Help that helped you understand a little more :)

Jo Perron

"Taylor recently asked fans to spread kindness and to not attack people online, whom they think might have wronged her. She was definitely referring to John Mayer" I love this! That just shows how much shes learned and moved on to become a wise woman

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

For your Better Than Revenge comment: it's like how a lot of people were mad that Hayley Williams said she won't perform Misery Business at concerts any more because of some of the lines, most notably the "once a whore you're nothing more" one. She was in her teens when she wrote it, almost 20 when she released it. She grew up and realized it wasn't great and didn't want to spread the message of it anymore

Jay Johnston

After scrolling through the comments here is what I'd like to add: The reason Taylor is re-recording these albums is because her label sold the masters of her first 6 albums to Scooter *jerk* Braun, who unfortunately is most known for being the manager of Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato. Taylor has re-recorded 3 albums so far: Fearless (Taylor's Version), Red (Taylor's Version) and Speak Now (Taylor's version). Mine is rumored to be about Cory Monteith, whom she was actually friends with and possibly dated (only rumours). Coincidentally the song was covered by Naya Rivera on Glee, when Santana broke up with Brittany in 4x04. Taylor actually wrote Sparks Fly when she was 16, before she released her self-titled debut album in 2006, and performed it live a few times (with some lyrical changes). Taylor wrote Mean after a critic trashed her for apparently singing off-key at the 2010 Grammy Awards. Taylor got the last laugh because 2 years later she performed Mean at the Grammy's, changing the first line of the final chorus to "Someday I'll be singing this at the Grammy's" and received a standing ovation. ICONIC. Mean was also covered on Glee, sung by Puck and Coach Beiste in 3x20. Like Dear John, The Story of Us is about John Mayer. The song references her awkward encounter with him at the CMT Awards. Taylor recently asked fans to spread kindness and to not attack people online, whom they think might have wronged her. She was definitely referring to John Mayer. Regarding the original lyrics in Better Than Revenge, she has said "I was 18 when I wrote that. That's the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one can take someone from you if they don't want to leave." I know some fans don't like the change but it's only cuz we're used to it in a certain way. Personally, this just makes me respect her even more. Times change and Taylor is not the heartbroken 18 year old girl anymore. Along with the number 13 she had her mum write different song lyrics and quotes on her arm for each show.

Heida

theres sooooo much Taylor content coming

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

ok cool!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

Welcome.😃Glad you’re here.✌🏼🎊

Koko

Yes,👌🏼me encanta.❤️

Koko

I also enjoyed her version of it as well

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

Finally! Hahaha! Where ya been?

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

This was the video that finally got me to join patreon.

Amy Lockwood

I prefer how Naya sang “Mine”. She has such a beautiful tone. It’s from the breakup episode when all the couples broke up xxx

Emma Daisy

Taylor Lautner recently said on his podcast with his wife (coincidentally also named Taylor) that it's one of his biggest regrets not stepping in and saying something while the Kanye thing at the VMAs happened. He thought it was planned, when she turned around and he saw her face, he realized it was not planned at all. Swift and Lautner are good friends now! He was in her music video she just released for the Vault Track, I Can See You. He's usually viewed as the Swiftie's "Favorite Ex".

If you want to know who the songs are about/speculated to be about, Ally Sheehan has a really good video on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dch5p9YLCsg

Tsukiakari1203

it's not about Cory, the song is about a fantasy relationship she wanted to have with someone. The liner notes secret message was Toby which is the name of the guy who co-starred in the music video of Mine with and she said she had a crush on which is why she cast him. I dunno where the Cory rumor came from but it's not true.

Tsukiakari1203

no Scott Borchetta didn't pick the title, he told Taylor to come up with something else and she picked Speak Now and honestly I think it's the better title. This album is loosely a concept album of things she wish she'd said in the moment to various people.

Tsukiakari1203

Love this album. And you discussing some vocal choices she made actually helped me understand why I prefer some of the re-recorded versions, and also, why I prefer some of the originals. And whoa - I didn't know you already recorded the folklore long pond session! Can't wait to see that! Folklore is my favorite album by her! (Red and Speak Now round out my top three)

I Am Not Chamari

I really enjoyed🤩this first☝🏼part of the reactions.😌I’ve heard and like most🤲🏼of the songs,🎶🤔no me gusta👎🏼2️⃣or 3️⃣, pero it’s still nice🙂to hear them. Thank you😌for reacting to these. Fab👌🏼watch party.👀🎉❤️

Koko

Yeah, they were dating at the time! He recently has said that he thought the whole thing was a skit until Taylor turned around and he saw her face!

Ashley Kinney

hahah!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

amazing!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

hes such a dick!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

ok that makes sense. I thought the recording companies had bought the rights

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

that makes sense why I know some of the words haha

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

Oh thats cool to know, Yea well see as I listen to her first album. This was her second correct?

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

powerful of her to change it

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

oops haha!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

aw thats a beautiful connection!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

"Joey and Presley starred in the MV for Mean back when they were kids. " is that what the picture in the video was from?

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

I could only imagine her work load that she would get sick often

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

I think Enchanted would have been a great title

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

In each posts theres directions to hep you find the password <3

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

wait whaaat!? CORY??

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

OMG this is amazing!! I love all this info!

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

Was she dating Taylor when he gave her the award?

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

does she love Koi fish?

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

Ok that makes sense witht he tub

Audrey McDonald ( Songs From A Suitcase)

Mean was written about this guy Bob Lefsetz who said she used autotune and was generally cruel to her after some bad live performances.

Tsukiakari1203

and she would also have it drawn on her hand by her mom before her shows from 2006-2011. She stopped doing it after the Speak Now Tour

Tsukiakari1203

he didnt trie to sue her, that's an unverified rumor. he was quite nasty to her about it though

Tsukiakari1203

i mean her petty era started back in Debut, remember Picture to Burn and Should've Said No?

Tsukiakari1203

The Back to December lyric video with the bathtub is a reference to the music video for it which featured a scene of Taylor crying in a bathtub. Some of the lyric videos for Taylor's Versions are inspired by their old music videos/tour performances. The koi fish in the Story of Us lyric video is a reference to her Speak Now Tour koi fish guitar. Also Speak Now Taylor's Version came out on July 7 which is National Koi Fish day.

Tsukiakari1203

I posted something in the discord which would help explaining the re-recorded content

Shani Gribben

The songs were actually sold to an organization run by Roy Disney's estate. Disney did not buy the songs.

Wayne Joy

-Innocent is about Kanye West after the VMAs incident. She wrote the song about forgiving him and then he just screwed her over again and again. -Back to December is about Taylor Lautner. The line about “the first time you ever saw me cry” was because they were dating during the Kanye VMAs incident and he had been on stage presenting her the award. -I don’t really feel like Better Than Revenge is as out of place on the album as you think because the OG version was a little more pop punk ish. She tends to mix genres even within an album. The Story of Us and Haunted also have a similar feel. Also, Better Than Revenge is about Joe Jonas. He broke up with her in a very quick phone call and then immediately started dating Camilla Bell.

Ashley Kinney

its ThongSong99

Patrick Rivera

Speak Now is definitely, next to folklore, my favorite Taylor Swift album. I always judge if an album is my favorite by how many songs I like and on this one, I really only dont like one that much, all the other songs I LOVE. People already mentioned it, so I'm just gonna recap on who the songs are about: 1. Mine - Rumored to be about Cory Monteith. (also, you heard the song already on Glee, Santana sang it to Brittany on 4x4 2. Sparks Fly - To be honest, I dont know if its about a person. But I gotta say, the rerecording made me love this song. it was always ok for me but now I reaaaally love it. 3. Back to December - Its about Taylor Lautner. One of her exes we are totally cool now with lol 4. Speak Now - About no one, but apparently Taylor dreamed about a scenario like this once and made it into a song. 5. Dear John - About John Mayer. He dated her when she was 19 and he was 32. Messed up and we do not like him 6. Mean - About her haters. Also kinda rumored to be about K*nye W*st but eh, idk about that. (and it was also on Glee, sung by Puck and Coach Beiste on season 3) 7. The Story of Us - I had to look that up, but apparently its also about John Mayer "This references her awkward encounter with her ex-boyfriend, John Mayer, whom she was seated by at the CMT Awards." Didnt knew that 8. Never Grow Up - I also think its about herself growing up. All I know is that I bawled like a baby when I listened to the rerecording, cause first of all shes all grown up now, and I'm grown up too. And I'm really sad about getting older so that song hurts a lot. 9. Enchanted - Its about the main singer from Owl City, Adam Young. 10. Better Than Revenge - Its about the ex of Joe Jonas, Camilla something. i dont know her last name. And yea as others mentioned already, Taylor changed a line from: "She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress" to "He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches". A lot of people are unhappy with this change. I was too at first (i just think the new line is too poetic for this song) but I got over it, I knew why Taylor changed it and I respect her decision. 11. Innocent - About K*nye W*st, and the incident at the VMA's when he interupted her on stage (which you saw in the Miss Americana doc). She wrote the line, "You'll have new septembers" because the VMA's happened in September of 2009. So basically, he'll have new, better Septembers and that one was just a bad one... idk if this makes sense lol

Patrick Rivera

Anyone know the password for some reason can’t find it

Alejandra Ruiz

Also she wanted to call the album Enchanted back in the day but the guy who ran the label(someone we don't like now)says she shouldn't name it with a fantasy kind of title bc she's 19/20 & it should be a kind of a more adult title so he suggested Speak Now. Enchanted was written about the singer songwriter Adam from Owl City they met at an event & she wrote this song. They never dated or anything but when he found out he wrote a song back with the music to enchanted which wasn't that great of a song tbh bht was fun to be online at that time 😂

Jackie Warner

My suggestions to compare newer versions to old versions. Last Kiss you can hear her breathing more & more emotional in the original compared to the Taylor versions. Better Than Revenge has a lyric change so I'd love to see what you think of change & if it goes with the vocals/music compared to the other lyrics. Also this was a song written back to Joe Jonas. Bc she wrote Forever & Always & Mr Perfectly Fine on Fearless album & Joe & his brothers wrote the song Much Better on their album about how his gf was better & then Taylor responded to Joe & his gf with Better Than Revenge. Not a fan of the lyrics on both songs but they are both top tier songs for me for both artists. Joe now sings different lyrics if they sing Much Better & him and Taylor are now friends. There's a performance of Back To December I love from the AMAs she was sick but still sounded alright & she does a mash up of Back to December, apologise by one republic & it's pretty good despite her being sick. She did it on tour as well but also mashed up her song You're Not Sorry with both as well.

Jackie Warner

All of these songs are written solely by Taylor. She felt the need to prove to everyone that she was in fact writing her own songs because a lot of people were questioning if she was writing her songs and also questioning how involved she was in the songwriting process. I believe there have been cowriters and coproducers who have said that she doesn't need a cowriter and that if she knew how to use all the gadgets she wouldn't even need a coproducer either. Back to December- This song is about Taylor Lautner who she dated back in 2009. "that September night, the first time you ever saw me cry" is in reference to the night Kanye interrupted Taylor's acceptance speech. Taylor S is now good friends with Taylor Lautner and his wife, who is also a huge Swiftie, Taylor Lautner nee Dome. Taylor Lautner actually starts alongside Joey King and Presley Cash in Taylor's new MV for I Can See You. Joey and Presley starred in the MV for Mean back when they were kids. Dear John- This song is about John Mayer who when he was 32 dated a 19yo Taylor. There's another song about him on her Midnights album called Would've, Could've, Should've. The guitar riffs in this song are actually very much John Mayer's guitar playing style. John Mayer is known to be a very problematic player. I think he once compared his p*nis to a white supremacist.. I mean he's said a whole laundry list of misogynistic, slutshaming comments especially aimed towards all his exes including Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston. He called this song "cheap songwriting". Enchanted- She wrote this song about Owl City's Adam Young who, I believe, she had a crush on. She wrote this song after she met him in person for the first time. They never dated though. Better Than Revenge- This song is about Joe Jonas and Camilla Belle. Joe was still dating Taylor when he met Camilla on the set of a Jonas Brothers MV set. Joe started to have feelings for Camilla and decided to breakup with Taylor over the phone, Taylor hung up on him hence the 27 second phone call. Joe started dating Camilla and this was Taylor's response. There was a lyric change in this one the OG said "She's not a saint and she's not what you think, she's an actress woah. She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress" Taylor has written a handful of songs about Joe such as Forever and Always, Last Kiss, Holy Ground, Mr Perfectly Fine, and I think Don't You and You All Over Me are about him as well. The Jonas Brothers have a song called Much Better written about Camilla and Taylor, which is referenced in this song "Come on show me how much better you are". Taylor and Joe are good friends now and she even sent him and his wife, Sophie Turner who is also a huge Swiftie, a baby gift. Innocent- This is a song she wrote for Kanye West after he interrupted her acceptance speech at the 2009 VMAs. This was her way of forgiving him. But then obviously he and his wife kept on attacking her even after her forgiving him and trying to stay friendly. Long Live- This song is about her fans and band and crew most of whom have been with her since the beginning. Her band has been with her since 2006/7 while her backup singers have been with her since around 2012. When Emma Falls in Love- This song is very highly rumored to be about one of Taylor's best friends, Emma Stone. Taylor herself has said she wrote this song about one of her best friends and Emma Stone is the only Emma, that we know of, that she's that close with. Her and Emma have been best friends since 2006. Timeless- This song is about her grandparents. She has another song called marjorie which is also about her grandmother who was an opera singer. And she mentions her grandfather in a song that you've heard called epiphany where she mentions war because her grandfather fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal in WW2. Sorry about this long ass comment lol

SuBin Kim

Never Grow Up was to herself when she moved out of her parents home in Hendersonville, TN to her own apartment in downtown Nashville. I had done the same thing but from Columbus to Nashville a few years before her and this song still gets me choked up to this day. I think this is the song I relate to the most out of her entire discography. It’s just so specific to my life. The sound when my dad came home from work, my little brother’s favorite songs, my mom dropping me off at the movies, the nightlight in my cold, new apartment. I swear she tapped my brain for these lyrics.

Annie Willow

yes, the original album also said 32

Nicole M

most of the songs are not about the same guy so no need to try to connect those stories like that haha they're also not all about guys (romantically)

Nicole M

also, naya sang a slowed-down version of mine in glee in season 4 when she breaks up with brittany

Nicole M

For Better Than Revenge I had actually not really listened to the original version so when I was watching this reaction video when it got to that song and you were talking about the song I had to listen to the original to hear what the line was for the first recording and listening to it I am very glad she changed the lyric and respect her more for changing it since the lyric said something along the lines of "She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress" The new line is definitely a lot better. Also both Mine and Mean were on Glee. Also I actually really enjoy the song Speak Now I like the comedy of some of the lyrics. However Dear John is definitely my favorite song from this album. It always was. She wrote it about John Mayor as she had a relationship with him when they recorded a song together. Back to December is another song that I really like. She wrote that one about Taylor Launter. Innocent was actually written about Kanye West after he came up on stage and interrupted Taylor's thank you speech for winning an VMA's award. Kanye West went up on stage and took the mic from Taylor Swift and told everyone that Beyonce should have won the award. Taylor was then not able to complete her speech at that time. However then later on Beyonce won an award and gave the stage to Taylor so she could give her thank you speech. I also think Mean was written for critics to have nothing nice to say to or about Taylor Swift. I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with her dad as I am pretty sure she has a great relationship with everyone in her family though I am not 100% certain on that. I do love that song though!!!!

Lydia Shepard

Yes! The matches/moth/flame lyric is new! The original was a little "slut shaming." ;-)

Jen

The reason she has been doing the Taylor's Versions is because her label sold her masters (the original recordings) and music videos to Scooter Braun (an all around jerkoff) for $330 mil. Taylor tried to purchase her masters, but the record label would only sell them with "unfavorable" conditions. They also released unreleased music by her (which she didn't want released) and refused to let her use her own music in Miss Americana. I believe one of the unfavorable conditions was that she would need to give them an album for each old album she wanted the masters of. A year later, Braun sold her catalog to Disney for $405 million under the condition that he must get some profits from the music. Before he sold them, he offered her the chance to buy the masters if she signed an agreement where she would only talk positively about him when asked. Taylor is able to rerecord her songs as Taylor's Version because she wrote almost all (if not all) of her songs (either by herself or with another person) Basically read these two pages: https://www.vox.com/culture/22278732/taylor-swift-re-recording-speak-now-enchanted-mine-master-rights-scooter-braun https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift_masters_controversy

Cody M

I feel like this album version has a lot less "country twang" to it than the original. Some of her early songs always sounded to me like she was kind of putting on a bit of a country accent. Will be interested in hearing what you think when you do your comparison.

Jen

You’ve definitely heard “Mine” before. Santana sang it to Brittany and then broke up with her. And you also compared Taylor’s og version to Naya’s.

Annie Willow

yes that is what the vault is, you should definitely read the prologue to the rerecorded album

Nicole M

Innocent is about Kanye West. He was 32 at the time she wrote it. This was her forgiving him for what he did at the VMAs in 2009

Elizabeth

So the reason Taylor can re-record all of her albums is since she wrote all the songs she has the copyright to the lyrics.

Junior

Back to December is about Taylor Lautner. That night in September is about the VMAs

Mia

From my remembering from this era, Back To December was about Cory Monteith and Enchanted is *definitely* about Owl City, who actually recorded the song as well as a "reply".

SweetSummit

Innocent is written about Kanye West after he interrupted her speech at the VMAs. “Life is a tough crowd, 32 and still growing up now” “Time turns flames to embers, you’ll have new Septembers”. There’s a backing vocal in the bridge that makes a “ha, ha, ha, ha-a” sound and she sampled this and included in the bridge of Look What You Made Me Do which was a song from Reputation about Kanye writing about her in a song and releasing an illegally recorded and edited call which made her look like she gave permission even though he didn’t tell her the whole lyric

Liam Mcfarlane

13 is Taylor’s lucky number. She was born on December 13 and the number has just always been an important number to her.

Jessica Lyme

She was 18/19/20 when she wrote this album, she wrote it entirely solo to prove a point (when she won album of the year for her previous album, critics were saying there's no way she pulled her weight in writing sessions so she did this one on her own), Dear John is about John Mayer. They dated when she was 19 and he was 32. He tried to sue her for defamation but the judge threw out the case saying there wasn't enough to tie the song directly to him, when the case got thrown out she was on tour for her Red album and invited Carly Simon on stage with her to sing You're So Vain 😂

Liam Mcfarlane

Speak Now is where her petty era (not in a bad way) begins. Better Than Revenge is about Joe Jonas basically leaving her for Camilla Belle. He dumped her in like a 20 second phone call. She has another song on FearlessTV called Mr. Perfectly Fine about the break-up. Dear John has a sequel in Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve off of Midnights 3am edition. It’s about John Mayer.

Mia

I like it too! This was the album that made me a Swiftie and I’m proud of her growth.

Jessica Lyme

Yes, this is a self written album .. Taylor was between 18-20 when she wrote all of theses songs

Rafael Gunji

There is a lyric change in “Better Than Revenge” I actually like the new lyrics and understand why it was changed.

Karlee Liner

Well now I know what I am watching later tonight.

Cody M

WHAT!!!!! Was not expecting this, can't wait to see your reaction when i wake up tomorrow😍

Patrick Rivera