Clean
Taylor Swift琀 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
The lyrics to "Clean" by Taylor Swift tell the story of a toxic relationship that has finally come to an end. The "drought" refers to a time when the relationship was at its worst and the couple's love had dried up. The flowers they had planted together died from thirst, symbolizing the end of their love. The singer says that they had been going back and forth for months, but she is ready to move on. However, the memories of her partner are still strong and linger like a wine-stained dress that she can no longer wear. The sky turns black like a perfect storm, symbolizing the intensity of the emotions she is feeling.
The rain in the song symbolizes a cleansing of herself from her partner's influence. When she was drowning in the relationship, she couldn't breathe, but the rain came down and cleared the air, allowing her to finally find clarity. By morning, "gone was any trace of you," which can be interpreted as a metaphorical washing away of the memories and emotional baggage she carried from the relationship. The image of punching a hole in the roof and letting the flood carry away pictures of her partner shows a cathartic release of emotions.
In the final verse, Taylor Swift reveals that she has been sober for ten months and is clean from the toxic relationship. She acknowledges that even though she is clean, she still misses aspects of the relationship, but she won't risk going back into that unhealthy situation. The lyrics suggest that the singer has come out stronger and is ready to move forward into a healthier future.
Line by Line Meaning
The drought was the very worst, ah ah
The difficult period of our relationship was the most severe
When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst
Our relationship suffered greatly and everything we had built together fell apart
It was months, and months of back and forth, ah ah
We struggled with our problems for a prolonged period of time
You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore
Your presence and influence on me is still apparent and uncomfortable, like a stained item of clothing I can no longer wear
Hung my head, as I lost the war, and the sky turned black like a perfect storm
I felt defeated as our struggles brought everything crashing down, like a violent and dark storm
Rain came pouring down when I was drowning
As I struggled to stay afloat, life's difficulties began to pile up and became overwhelming
That's when I could finally breathe
But through the struggles, I found some relief and was able to finally take a breath
And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
As I finally overcame the struggles of our relationship, I was able to let go of you and move on, feeling free and refreshed
There was nothing left to do, ah ah
After everything fell apart, there was nothing I could do to salvage our relationship
When the butterflies turned to dust, they covered my whole room
As my hopes and dreams for our relationship withered away, the disappointment consumed me
So I punched a hole in the roof, ah ah
In my frustration and anger, I acted out by causing damage
Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you
I decided to let go of all the reminders of you and our relationship and start anew
The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing
As I let go and started over, the pain was still overwhelming and I felt alone in my struggles
Ten months sober, I must admit
After a long period of time, I can say that I have finally moved on from you and our relationship
Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it
Despite my progress, it’s still difficult to let go and move on from the past
Ten months older I won't give in
Even though time has passed, I refuse to give into the temptation to return to our past struggles
Now that I'm clean I'm never gonna risk it
After finally moving on and feeling free, I refuse to put myself in a position where I may be hurt again
Finally clean, think I'm finally clean, ah ah
After everything, I'm finally at peace and have moved on from our past struggles and relationship
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IMOGEN HEAP, TAYLOR SWIFT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind