The chorus is symbolic of the emotions that come with letting go of something that had been weighing down the person. The rain pouring down, which once threatened to drown them, brought a sense of relief and release. The morning brings with it clarity and freedom from the past. The post-chorus emphasizes the idea of moving on from the past and finding a sense of renewal.
The second verse portrays the aftermath of the breakup, with the person coping in their own way. They punch a hole in the roof and allow the flood to wash away their memories of their partner. The pre-chorus once again highlights the intensity of the emotional pain, and the difficulty of expressing it.
The bridge acknowledges the struggles that come with the process of healing, and the struggles of remaining committed to one's newfound peace and happiness. The breakdown repeats elements from the first verse, once again highlighting the themes of healing and renewal.
The chorus and outro further emphasize the sense of closure and renewal that comes with moving on. Overall, "Clean" is a powerful and poetic representation of the journey towards finding emotional well-being and shedding the weight of the past.
Clean
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
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
In Taylor Swift's song Clean, she explores the process of healing and letting go of a toxic relationship. The opening line "The drought was the very worst" sets the scene for the emotional distress that is yet to come; a painfully long period of time where both parties were trying to mend things but continued to fail. The metaphor of the flowers dying due to thirst emphasizes the lifelessness of their relationship. Swift then expresses the burden of memories that continue to haunt her, comparing them to a stained dress that can no longer be worn. The chorus begins with the metaphor of drowning in the rain, suggesting that the overwhelming burden of the relationship was suffocating her. Finally, the rain clears and she can breathe, with no trace of the past relationship left. She reassures herself that she is "finally clean," free from the weight of the past.
The second verse begins with despair and hopelessness, as she describes the butterflies (a symbol of love and lightness) turning to dust and taking over her life. However, she finds the strength to take control of her situation by punching a hole in the roof, allowing the memories to wash away in a flood. Even though the process was painful, with water filling her lungs and no one to turn to, she found a way to break free from the cycle of toxicity.
The final verse shows Swift accepting her new reality and reflecting on her journey. She acknowledges that even though she's clean, she still misses what was once there. However, the last line indicates that she will never go back to that place of negativity and let it consume her again.
In conclusion, Clean is a symbol of growth and liberation, as Swift lets go of the past and embraces a new beginning. Through her lyrics, she inspires others to break free from unhealthy relationships and empowers them to take control of their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
The drought was the very worst, ah ah
Our relationship was at its lowest point, like a drought that had completely dried up everything.
When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst
Our love couldn't survive through the tough times and eventually withered away just like the flowers we nurtured.
It was months, and months of back and forth, ah ah
We went through a long period of ups and downs, trying to make things work but constantly facing setbacks.
You're still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can't wear anymore
Despite our breakup, memories of our time together still linger and haunt me, making it hard to move on.
Hung my head, as I lost the war, and the sky turned black like a perfect storm
I felt defeated and hopeless as our relationship fell apart, just like the sky during a storm.
Rain came pouring down when I was drowning
In the midst of my emotional turmoil, I found solace in the metaphorical rain that washed away my pain and sadness.
That's when I could finally breathe
The rain was a turning point, giving me the chance to finally take a deep breath and start moving forward without feeling weighed down by our relationship.
And by morning, gone was any trace of you, I think I am finally clean
After the difficult journey of letting go, I woke up feeling a sense of cleansing and renewal, believing that I had finally rid myself of any lingering memories of you.
There was nothing left to do, ah ah
Once our love was gone, I felt like I had no choice but to let go and move on with my life.
When the butterflies turned to dust, they covered my whole room
The butterflies of romance we once shared had died and transformed into a symbol of decay and sadness.
So I punched a hole in the roof, ah ah
I needed an outlet for my feelings, so I turned to destructive behavior like punching a hole in the roof.
Let the flood carry away all my pictures of you
I realized I needed to rid myself of all physical reminders of our relationship in order to truly move on.
The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing
As I let go of our past, it was a painful and emotional process that felt overwhelming at times but no one was there to hear me or understand my pain.
Ten months sober, I must admit
After ten months of being without you in my life, I have regained control over my emotions and behavior, becoming sober in both body and spirit.
Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it
Even though I have moved on and am now 'clean', it doesn't mean that I don't still miss the good times we once had together.
Ten months older I won't give in
As I have grown older and more mature since our breakup, I have made a promise to myself to not fall back into old patterns or give in to the temptation of our past.
Now that I'm clean I'm never gonna risk it
Having gone through the hard work of overcoming the pain and sorrow of our past, I refuse to risk it by going back to the toxic relationship we once had.
Finally clean, think I'm finally clean, ah ah
Overall, after all the struggles and pain, I can say with confidence that I have finally cleaned myself of any attachments and memories I had of our relationship.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Imogen Heap, Taylor Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@heyoitsme2416
congrats on your achievement!!! If you're a new swiftie, there are a lot of other songs that you might be able to relate to. These songs just motivate me to not give up no matter what.
- One of my personal favourites is "this is me trying" from Folklore!
- The song "Innocent" was written to a specific person, but its about how no matter how old you are or what mistakes you've made, you are still innocent. You are not your mistakes.
- Then there's the song "Begin Again" from Red. It's about being in a new relationship, but I think about it as new beginnings in general.
- Finally, the song "long story short" from evermore. At the end, she says "pushed from the precipice, climbed right back up the cliff, long story short I survived", and I'm planning on getting a tattoo inspired by that lyric
Again, congratulations on your sobriety! You got this! I can't wait for you to discover the rest of her music
@simplyarandompotato3251
This song means the world to me. Hearing it while actually being 3 years clean is so incredible. This song helped me at my lowest low. I'm so glad I can hear it now that I'm out of the woods, if you will. This song will always have such a special place in my heart
@linzeyevans2086
Me too! 4 years clean. Congrats!! We needed her music to heal❤
@izamiarodriguez716
Me to Im 9 months clean Taylor is just amazing in everything and with out her it’s like nothing she literally saved me ❤❤
@PhysicsLK
Me toooo!!!!!!, I can remember those days too well, at lowers she helped me. without her I'm not here
@loveinthetimeofsocialism
So proud of you 🫶
@Missperfectlyfine13
Same! 2 years clean and this definitely helped me get here 🩵
@chinrae3377
I remember when I first heard this song, I was walking on a snow filled sidewalk, in a new country, no friends, no money, young, confused and missing family. Very nostalgic, looking back, I’m so glad I have survived those years. Thank you for the music Taylor!
@namantherockstar
Taylor inspires me.. My parents said if i get 70K followers They'd buy me a professional camera for recording..begging u guys , literally
Begging..
@defnot.milkaa
@@namantherockstar💀
@sketchios5158
I NEED to do this this season ✨