Clean
Taylor-Swift Lyrics
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When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst
It was months, and months of back and forth, ah ah
You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore
Hung my head, as I lost the war, and the sky turned black like a perfect storm
Rain came pouring down when I was drowning
That's when I could finally breathe
There was nothing left to do, ah ah
When the butterflies turned to dust, they covered my whole room
So I punched a hole in the roof, ah ah
Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you
The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing
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
I think I am finally clean, ah
Said, I think I am finally clean, ah
Ten months sober, I must admit
Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it
Ten months older I won't give in
Now that I'm clean I'm never gonna risk it
The drought was the very worst, ah ah
When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst
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
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
Finally clean, think I'm finally clean, ah ah
Think I'm finally clean
"Clean" is a song by Taylor Swift which has a very distinctive sound compared to her previous works. The song basically talks about the end of a relationship and the aftermath of trying to move on. The first verse starts with "The drought was the very worst, ah ah," which can be interpreted as the negative effects of the lack of love and affection in the relationship. The second line "When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst" emphasizes the idea of the potential that was once shared by two people but has now died out. The third line "It was months, and months of back and forth, ah ah" highlights the ambiguity and confusion of the situation which has dragged on for some time.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the realization of finally getting over someone. The lines "Rain came pouring down when I was drowning, That's when I could finally breathe" find the singer in the midst of self-destruction as she's drowning, but the rain helps her realize there's still a lot to live for. The next line "And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean" confirms the detachment from the memory of this individual, and the realization that her life can finally move forward. The second verse "There was nothing left to do, ah ah, when the butterflies turned to dust, they covered my whole room" shows the destruction of the relationship, and the singer feels the need to purge herself of everything that may remind her of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
The drought was the very worst, ah ah
The drought represents the worst time in my life.
When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst
Our relationship ended abruptly and it was painful for both of us.
It was months, and months of back and forth, ah ah
We went back and forth for months, trying to make things work.
You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore
Even though we're not together, your presence and memories still haunt me.
Hung my head, as I lost the war, and the sky turned black like a perfect storm
I was defeated and the situation was incredibly intense and emotionally devastating.
Rain came pouring down when I was drowning
At my lowest point, I was able to turn my life around.
That's when I could finally breathe
I was finally able to let go and move on, allowing myself to feel free.
And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
I woke up feeling relieved, as if the weight of the relationship was finally lifted off my shoulders.
There was nothing left to do, ah ah
I had nothing left to lose or gain from the situation.
When the butterflies turned to dust, they covered my whole room
Our once beautiful and loving relationship turned into something sad and hopeless.
So I punched a hole in the roof, ah ah
I needed a release and an escape from my pain and frustration.
Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you
I needed to let go of all of the memories and reminders of you.
The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing
I felt like I was suffocating and drowning, but nobody could hear my cries for help.
Ten months sober, I must admit
I've been sober from the pain and emotions of the relationship for ten months.
Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it
Even though I'm over the relationship, I still miss the good times we had together.
Ten months older I won't give in
I've grown from the experience and I won't let it bring me down again.
Now that I'm clean I'm never gonna risk it
I'm moving on and won't let myself get into a situation like that again.
Finally clean, think I'm finally clean, ah ah
I have finally let go of the relationship and all of the negative emotions that came with it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: IMOGEN HEAP, TAYLOR SWIFT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind