Exile
Taylor Swift feat. Bon Iver Lyrics
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With his arms around your body
Laughin' but the joke's not funny at all
And it took you five whole minutes
To pack us up and leave me with it
Holdin' all this love out here in the hall
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defendin' now?
You were my town
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Hoo, hoo-ooh
I can see you starin', honey
Like he's just your understudy
Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me
Second, third, and hundredth chances
Balancin' on breaking branches
Those eyes add insult to injury
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
I'm not your problem anymore
So who am I offending now?
You were my crown
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leavin' out the side door
So step right out
There is no amount
Of cryin' I can do for you
All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time
I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
So many signs
So many signs (you didn't even see the signs)
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defending now?
You were my town
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leaving out the side door
So step right out
There is no amount
Of cryin' I can do for you
All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time
I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time (so many signs)
I never learned to read your mind (so many signs)
I couldn't turn things around (so many signs)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (never gave a warning sign)
"Exile" is a melancholic duet by Taylor Swift with Bon Iver, released in 2020. The lyrics are about a breakup, where two people who were once each other's everything now see each other's flaws and differences. In the first verse, Taylor describes seeing her lover with someone else and feeling the pain of the situation. She then feels like she's seen this situation before and doesn't want to go through it again. In the second verse, she mentions how the other person is looking at her now, like she's just a substitute, and she had always been ready to sacrifice herself for him. But now she realizes that she had put too much into a relationship that was not right for her.
In the chorus, Taylor reflects on how this person was once her home, her town, and her crown, but now she's in exile, left alone and abandoned. She's seen the same story unfold and doesn't want to relive it again. The bridge reinforces the idea that there is no longer anything to fight for in this relationship, and she's done trying to fix it. She had always put in the effort, but he never reciprocated or gave any indication that he was unhappy.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see you standin', honey
I'm aware that you're with him
With his arms around your body
He's holding you close
Laughin' but the joke's not funny at all
You're pretending to be happy, but it's not genuine
And it took you five whole minutes
You left me so quickly
To pack us up and leave me with it
You didn't even give me a chance to talk about it
Holdin' all this love out here in the hall
I'm left alone with all of this love that I still have for you
I think I've seen this film before
This feels familiar and I don't like it
And I didn't like the ending
This situation didn't end well before
You're not my homeland anymore
You used to be my safe place, but now you're not
So what am I defendin' now?
What's left for me to fight for?
You were my town
Everything I knew and loved was with you
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
Now I'm forced to watch you with someone else from afar
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Instrumental
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Instrumental
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Instrumental
I can see you starin', honey
You're looking at me as if I'm nothing special
Like he's just your understudy
He's trying to play my role, but he'll never be able to fill my shoes
Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me
You used to be willing to fight for me, but now you wouldn't even lift a finger
Second, third, and hundredth chances
I gave you so many opportunities to make things right
Balancin' on breaking branches
I was trying to keep us afloat, but it was a lost cause
Those eyes add insult to injury
The way you look at me hurts even more
So who am I offending now?
I'm not trying to hurt anyone, so why do I feel like I am?
You were my crown
You were my everything, my queen
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
Now I'm forced to watch you leave me behind
So I'm leavin' out the side door
I'm not going to say goodbye to you, I'll just leave quietly
There is no amount
No matter how much I want to, I can't fix this
Of cryin' I can do for you
You won't listen to me, no matter how much I beg
All this time
Through everything we've been through
We always walked a very thin line
Our relationship was always uncertain
You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out)
You never gave me a chance to speak my mind
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
I tried to tell you that things weren't working out, but you didn't listen
I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't tell what you were thinking or feeling
I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around)
I couldn't fix things between us on my own
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
You never let me know that you were unhappy until it was too late
So many signs
I tried so hard to let you know how I felt
So many signs (you didn't even see the signs)
But you never paid attention to them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon, Taylor A. Swift, William Bowery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind