Didn't They
Taylor Swift Lyrics

She walks to school with her arms crossed
She walks to school with her arms crossed, a posture indicating that she may not be secure in her environment or is anxious about something.

It's just another day
The situation is not unusual and something she is accustomed to experiencing.

At 10 o'clock she hears the screaming
She hears screaming at the specific time of 10 am, which is indicative of the disturbing new experience and a departure from her normal routine.

Then finally she sees them
After hearing the screaming, she ultimately ends up seeing the source of the commotion.

It's scary how things change
Life can be unpredictable and quickly take a turn for the worse.

And I saw the story on the news
The singer is reflecting on the event and how it was widely covered in the news.

I saw the footage from the roof
The singer saw firsthand the images and video footage captured from the rooftop.

I sat down and cried
The situation was emotionally overwhelming, and the artist cried in response.

Didn't she call you
The artist is questioning whether the person they are addressing could have done something to prevent the traumatic event from taking place.

Didn't she need you bad enough?
The artist is questioning if the person they are addressing could have helped the victim if they were more attentive and aware of the situation.

Was there some reason, another way up?
The singer is considering whether there were other options or paths that could have been taken to avoid the traumatic event from occurring.

Did you not write it down?
The artist is questioning if the person they are addressing failed to document information that could have helped prevent the situation.

Just one more thing to do
The singer is highlighting that with an extra effort, the traumatic event could have been averted.

Where were you?
The singer is questioning the person they are addressing's whereabouts during the stressful event.

And didn't she pray too?
The singer is questioning whether the victim prayed and if prayers could have made a difference.

He kissed his wife goodbye
The artist is describing a man saying goodbye to his wife before embarking on a trip.

And took the earliest flight
The man took the first flight available to reach his destination early.

So he could be home that night
The man was motivated to arrive at his destination by evening so he could be with his family.

To put his kids to sleep
The man's goal was to be home early enough to read his children's bedtime stories and put them to sleep.

Down the aisle, three men walked and said
The artist is describing the moment when three men marched down the aisle.

"We're here to die for our God"
The three men announced their intention to die for their religious beliefs.

He stood up and said, "That's funny 'cause my God died for me"
The artist is describing a man who challenged the three men's statement by referring to his own deep-seated beliefs and how they impacted his life.

I put the magazine down
The singer disengaged from reading a magazine, becoming more invested in processing the events at hand.

I read his words out loud
The artist spoke the statement made by the man in the previous stanza in an effort to process it further.

I sat down and cried
The singer was overwhelmed with emotions, resulting in tears.

The taxis were full up
The taxis were in high demand, likely due to the traumatic event.

On the very day of, the rope 100 floors up, just to come back down
People were attempting to evacuate the building during the traumatic event, even to the extent of lowering themselves down an exterior rope to the ground.

They never thought they'd see the day, the tower'd be up in flames
Because of the location and scale of the towers, people were shocked to see them ablaze.

There was nothing left to say, when it all came down
Once the towers collapsed, there was only shock and no words to describe what had just happened.

And didn't they call you
The singer is questioning whether the person they are addressing could have done something to prevent the traumatic event from taking place.

Didn't they need you bad enough?
The singer is questioning if the people who were impacted by the traumatic event needed more support and help than they received.

Was there some reason, another way up?
The artist is considering whether there were other options or paths that could have been taken to avoid the traumatic event from occurring.

Did you not write it down?
The artist is questioning if the person they are addressing failed to document information that could have helped prevent the situation.

Just one more thing to do
The artist is highlighting that with an extra effort, the traumatic event could have been averted.

Where were you?
The singer is questioning the person they are addressing's whereabouts during the stressful event.

And didn't they pray, oh
The artist is questioning whether the trauma victims prayed and if their prayers could have made a difference.

I walk to school and I wear a cross
The singer is reflecting on their own life and how they wear a symbol showing their religious faith.

I'm counting every day
The singer is aware of the fragility of life and is thus living each day one day at a time.