The Sad Eras: Grief and Love Through Taylor Swift’s Eras

If there’s one person who has dominated the pop culture landscape in 2023, it’s undoubtedly Taylor Swift. And if there’s one artist in our modern music landscape who can capture the emotional complexity of love—and its loss—it’s undoubtedly Taylor Swift.

For this self-portrait series, I selected one lyric from one song off each of Taylor Swift’s 10 studio albums—or Eras, serving as an inspiration to retell a story of one of my own experiences with a love that was never meant to be mine.

Taylor Swift | Cold As You

You put up your walls and paint them all a shade of gray. And I stood there loving you and wished them all away.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) | Dear John

And I lived in your chess game, but you changed the rules every day.

Red (Taylor’s Version) | All Too Well

I’m a crumpled-up piece of paper lying here.

Folklore | Mirrorball

I’ll be standing on my tallest tiptoes, spinning in my highest heels, love, shining just for you.

Lover | Death by a Thousand Cuts

Saying goodbye is death by a thousand cuts.

Evermore | Champagne Problems

She would have made such a lovely bride.

Midnights | Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve

If clarity’s in death, then why won’t this die?

Reputation | Getaway Car

I knew it from the first Old Fashioned, we were cursed.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) | White Horse

Now it’s too late for you and your white horse to catch me now.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) | Clean

The rain came pouring down, when I was drowning that’s when I could finally breathe. And by morning, gone was any trace of you; I think I am finally clean.