She refers to being unlucky in love in the past, but when she meets her new partner, she only wants to focus on them and their happiness together.
Swift told Rolling Stone in August 2019 that she almost named the record after it:
"It almost was [the title track]. I thought it might be a little bit too sentimental. […] I was kind of in my head referring to the album as Daylight for a while. But Lover, to me, was a more interesting title, more of an accurate theme in my head, and more elastic as a concept."
During the week ending September 7, 2019, “Daylight” peaked at #89 on the Hot 100.
Daylight
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everyone looked worse in the light
There are so many lines that I've crossed, unforgiven
I'll tell you truth, but never, "Goodbye"
I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you
I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you
I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night
Luck of the draw only draws the unlucky
And so I became the butt of the joke
I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked
Clearin' the air, I breathed in the smoke
Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down
Maybe I've stormed out of every single room in this town
Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it's morning now
It's brighter now, now
I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you
(I can never look away)
I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you
(Things will never be the same)
I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night
(Now I'm wide awake)
And now I see daylight (daylight)
I only see daylight (daylight)
I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight
I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight
And I can still see it all (in my mind)
All of you, all of me (intertwined)
I once believed love would be (black and white)
But it's golden (golden)
And I can still see it all (in my head)
Back and forth from New York (sneakin' in your bed)
I once believed love would be (burnin' red)
But it's golden
Like daylight
Like daylight
Like daylight
Daylight
I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you
(I can never look away)
I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you
(Things will never be the same)
I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night
(Now I'm wide awake)
And now I see daylight (I see daylight)
I only see daylight (oh)
I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight
I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight
I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight (and I can still see it all)
(Back and forth from New York)
I only see daylight, daylight, daylight, daylight (I once believed love would be burnin' red)
Like daylight
It's golden
Like daylight
You gotta step into the daylight and let it go
Just let it go
Let it go
"I wanna be defined by the things that I love
Not the things I hate
Not the things I'm afraid of, I'm afraid of
The things that haunt me in the middle of the night, I
I just think that you are what you love"
In Taylor Swift's song Daylight, she reflects on her past relationships and how they have shaped her to become the person she is today. The opening verses describe how her previous love had been cruel as the cities she has lived in, and how she had crossed many lines, but had never said goodbye. Yet, upon meeting her current love interest, Swift is completely enchanted, and she claims that now she only sees daylight. This appears to be a metaphor, in which she sees a brighter outlook on life since meeting her current love interest.
The chorus is highly emotional, with Swift declaring that she does not want to look at, or think of anything else, other than what she has seen and thought of with this new person. She compares her previous dark, sleepless nights to a twenty-year dark night but now she can only see daylight. In other words, she has found a source of hope which has illuminated her life.
The subsequent verses detail how Swift has faced challenges, where luck seems to draw only the unlucky, and how she has hurt the good and trusted the wicked. However, now in the daylight, she can see things differently, and she has found a new sense of love that she describes as 'golden.' Taylor Swift describes how love is not just one color, but rather a multitudinous color that is different for everyone. She ends the song with the repeated line, "You gotta step into the daylight and let it go." Here, this is a call to action; to let go of the past and step forward into the present with a positive and hopeful outlook.
Line by Line Meaning
My love was as cruel as the cities I lived in
The people I loved didn't treat me well, and the places I lived were harsh and unkind.
Everyone looked worse in the light
Seeing things for what they truly are can reveal flaws and imperfections.
There are so many lines that I've crossed, unforgiven
I've made mistakes that I regret and haven't been able to forgive myself for them.
I'll tell you truth, but never, "Goodbye"
I'll be honest with you, but I'm not ready to say goodbye or let go just yet.
I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you
I'm captivated by you and don't want to focus on anything else right now.
I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you
You're constantly on my mind and I can't stop thinking about you.
I've been sleepin' so long in a twenty-year dark night
I've been in a metaphorical state of darkness and sadness for a long time.
And now I see daylight, I only see daylight
But now I'm finally seeing the light and things are starting to look brighter.
Luck of the draw only draws the unlucky
Life can be unfair and some people are unlucky in the cards they are dealt.
And so I became the butt of the joke
I was the one who was picked on or taken advantage of.
I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked
I hurt people who cared about me and trusted those who didn't have my best interests at heart.
Clearin' the air, I breathed in the smoke
I'm finally clearing the air and getting things out in the open, even though it's painful to do so.
Maybe you ran with the wolves and refused to settle down
You're adventurous and unafraid to take risks or be tied down to one place or person.
Maybe I've stormed out of every single room in this town
I've been known to be dramatic and leave situations or places abruptly and without warning.
Threw out our cloaks and our daggers because it's morning now
It's a new day, and I'm ready to let go of the past and start fresh.
And I can still see it all (in my mind)
I remember everything that happened and can't stop thinking about it.
All of you, all of me (intertwined)
We were connected and intertwined in each other's lives in a significant way.
I once believed love would be (black and white)
I used to think that love was simple and straightforward with clear-cut lines.
But it's golden (golden)
But now I realize that love is valuable and precious, like gold.
Back and forth from New York (sneakin' in your bed)
I can't help but come back to you, even when it's inconvenient or difficult.
I once believed love would be (burnin' red)
I used to associate love with intense passion and heat, like fire.
You gotta step into the daylight and let it go
You need to embrace the present moment and move on from the past.
Just let it go
Don't hold onto regrets or resentments, just let them go and move forward.
"I wanna be defined by the things that I love
I want to be known for the things that bring me joy and happiness.
Not the things I hate
Not for the things that upset or anger me.
Not the things I'm afraid of, I'm afraid of
Not for the things that scare me or hold me back.
The things that haunt me in the middle of the night, I
I don't want to be defined by the things that keep me up at night.
I just think that you are what you love"
What you love and care about is a true reflection of who you are as a person.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Taylor Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The anime fan
There is no Old Taylor
There is no New Taylor
There is only Taylor
😊😇
Jnthn
IKR. I make music too btw, and her evolution is inspirational. Give my music a chance if u want, I won't disappoint
David M
however they are words that just describe what she is each era they dont literally mean she is old or new
Joshua Fan
There's no daylight. There's no night light. There's only light.
nad
I love reading this 🥰
jay is far away
Amazing
Riptide
“I once believed love would be burning red but it's golden like daylight.” She’s a genius for this line
Riptide
listen to her song Red from her album Red for this to make sense
Zulica
she really is
Someone Wonderful
Fr ❤❤❤