Associating colors with feelings has been important for much of Swift’s discography—her album Red delved into all of the feelings the color encompasses, discussing it in the liner notes.
Swift refers to her dispirited feelings as “blue” on “Cruel Summer,”:
"It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got"
Additionally, “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” describes her relationship as such:
"We’re so sad, we paint the town blue"
By “Afterglow,” blue has truly become to represent a dark point in a relationship.
Imprisonment has often been a theme in Swift’s songs. In the music video for ‘Look What You Made Me Do’, she appeared to be held hostage in a golden cage, a lyric which also featured in her track ‘So It Goes’.
Her personal poem ‘If You’re Anything Like Me’ also explored the idea of a jail cell as punishment for mistakes;
"Each new enemy turns to steel
They become the bars that confine you,
In your own little golden prison cell…
But darling, there is where you meet yourself."
Swift notes that arguments with someone you don’t ever want to hurt is especially painful, and you have no protection from the knowledge that you don’t care for the person.
She has discussed arguments in warlike terms before, such as on the leaked unreleased track "Let’s Go (Battle)".
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Afterglow
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put you in jail for something you didn't do
I pinned your hands behind your back, oh
Thought I had reason to attack, but no
Fighting with a true love is boxing with no gloves
Chemistry 'til it blows up, 'til there's no us
Why'd I have to break what I love so much?
Hey
It's all me in my head
I'm the one who burned us down
But it's not what I meant
Sorry that I hurt you
I don't wanna do, I don't wanna do this to you
I don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose this with you
I need to say, hey
It's all me, just don't go
Meet me in the afterglow
It's so excruciating to see you low
Just wanna lift you up and not let you go
This ultraviolet morning light below
Tells me this love is worth the fight, oh
I lived like an island, punished you with silence
Went off like sirens, just crying
Why'd I have to break what I love so much?
It's on your face, don't walk away, I need to say
Hey
It's all me in my head
I'm the one who burned us down
But it's not what I meant
I'm sorry that I hurt you
I don't wanna do, I don't wanna do this to you
I don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose this with you
I need to say, hey
It's all me, just don't go
Meet me in the afterglow
Tell me that you're still mine
Tell me that we'll be just fine
Even when I lose my mind
I need to say
Tell me that it's not my fault
Tell me that I'm all you want
Even when I break your heart
I need to say, hey
It's all me in my head
I'm the one who burned us down
But it's not what I meant
Sorry that I hurt you
I don't wanna do, I don't wanna do this to you
I don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose this with you
I need to say, hey
It's all me, just don't go
Meet me in the afterglow
The lyrics of "Afterglow" discuss the aftermath of a fight in a relationship. The singer acknowledges that they blew things out of proportion and wrongly blamed their partner for something they didn't do, leading to a painful situation. The last verse of the song is the singer asking for forgiveness and wanting their partner to stay with them. Throughout the song, the metaphor of an explosion is employed, highlighting the moment of conflict between the two parties. The lyrics represent a moment of self-realization, as the singer understands that they are the cause of the problem and must take responsibility for their actions.
Furthermore, the song's lyrics highlight the confusion and difficulty of communication in a relationship. The line "I'm the one who burned us down / But it's not what I meant" demonstrates that sometimes the intention behind actions does not equate to the outcome, and misunderstandings can occur. The singer wants to make things right, pleading with their partner to stay with them and rebuild their love. Overall, the lyrics of "Afterglow" are about owning up to one's mistakes and trying to make amends in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
I blew things out of proportion, now you're blue
I made a small problem a big one and now you're upset
Put you in jail for something you didn't do
I wrongly accused you of something and punished you for it
I pinned your hands behind your back, oh
I physically restrained you, asserting dominance over you
Thought I had reason to attack, but no
I believed I had a valid reason to hurt you, but I was wrong
Fighting with a true love is boxing with no gloves
Arguing with someone you deeply love is painful and dangerous
Chemistry 'til it blows up, 'til there's no us
Our intense connection was explosive and ultimately destroyed our relationship
Why'd I have to break what I love so much?
I don't understand why I sabotaged something that meant so much to me
It's on your face, and I'm to blame, I need to say
I can see the hurt on your face, and I know it's my fault. I need to apologize
Hey
Addressing someone, getting their attention
It's all me in my head
I'm the one responsible for creating this problem in my own mind
I'm the one who burned us down
I caused the destruction of our relationship
But it's not what I meant
My actions had unintended consequences that I deeply regret
Sorry that I hurt you
I apologize for causing you pain
I don't wanna do, I don't wanna do this to you
I don't want to hurt you or treat you this way
I don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose this with you
I don't want to lose you or our relationship
I need to say, hey
I need to communicate with you, to talk about what's happened
Just don't go
Please don't leave, don't give up on us yet
Meet me in the afterglow
Let's come back together and repair what's been damaged, let's rekindle the love we once shared
It's so excruciating to see you low
It hurts me deeply to see you this upset
Just wanna lift you up and not let you go
I want to support you and lift you up, I don't want to lose you
This ultraviolet morning light below
The light of a new day brings a different perspective, it illuminates what's truly important
Tells me this love is worth the fight, oh
It reminds me that our love is worth fighting for, even when things get difficult
I lived like an island, punished you with silence
I isolated myself from you and used silence as a punishment
Went off like sirens, just crying
I became very emotional and reacted strongly
Tell me that you're still mine
I need reassurance that you still love me and are committed to our relationship
Tell me that we'll be just fine
I need hope for the future, that we can overcome this together
Even when I lose my mind
Even when I'm not thinking clearly, I need to know that you'll still be there for me
Tell me that it's not my fault
I need comfort and reassurance that I'm not solely responsible for what's happened
Tell me that I'm all you want
I need validation and affirmation that you still want me
Even when I break your heart
Even when I make mistakes or hurt you, I need to know that our love can still endure
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Adam King Feeney, Louis Bell, Matthew Tavares, Taylor Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aragaoetal
Tell me that you're still mine
Tell me that we'll be just fine
Even when I lose my mind
I need to say
Tell me that it's not my fault
Tell me that I'm all you want
Even when I break your heart
wow
@clowneriastreetswiftiesver890
Difference between "Sorry that I hurt you" and "if i hurt you":
Saying the words: I'm sorry THAT I hurt you means you're aware of the fact that you hurt someone and you're taking responsibility.
Sorry IF I hurt you: means you're not aware that you had hurt someone and just apologizing for the sake of the concept of the word "sorry."
**: She's truly a mastermind for using the word "excrutiating" as a sign of sadness, hurt. Instead of saying "it's so painful to seeing you down so bad," she says "it's so excrutiating to see you low," means she's beyond hurt and sad.
This woman never makes a bad song (2).
@MeetKevin
I’m a dude and I LOVE Taylor Swift!!! My inspiration!
@Noah-rq3xt
Meet Kevin what does being a guy have to do with liking taylor lmao
@saakshishetty7899
@@Noah-rq3xt there are a lot of straight guys who get bullied for stanning her.
@kashansr9956
Same here bro
She's crush😂
@rxzzo8899
You're not alonr bro xd
@glennjbvlog2809
She's my wife. 😁😁😁
@mazal5549
This woman never makes a bad song
@PJLove-py1ud
Me! just joined the chat.
@filipmarinkovic6281
@@PJLove-py1ud ME! is not bad?
@fatima-ob8bs
Filip Marinkovic it’s her worst song 😭