Swift rose to mainstream prominence with her sophomore studio album, Fearless (2008), a country pop record with crossover appeal. Aided by the top-five singles “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me”, Fearless was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift's third studio album, Speak Now (2010), blended country pop with elements of rock and featured the top-ten singles “Mine” and “Back to December”.
Drawing inspiration from various pop, rock, and electronic genres, Swift's fourth studio album Red (2012) saw her transcending her country roots. She completely moved to pop with her synth-pop fifth studio album, 1989 (2014), and expanded the electropop sound on her next two studio albums, reputation (2017) and Lover (2019), which respectively embraced urban and retro styles. The four albums spawned a string of international top-five singles, including “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “Shake It Off”, “Blank Space”, “Bad Blood”, “Look What You Made Me Do”, “ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco)”, “You Need to Calm Down”, and “Lover”.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Swift experimented with folk and alternative rock on her eighth and ninth studio albums, folklore and evermore (both 2020), whose lead singles “cardigan” and “willow” topped charts around the world. She also released the critically acclaimed documentaries Miss Americana and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions that year. Swift's tenth studio album, Midnights (2022), marked her triumphant return to pop after two folk albums. The album set the record for biggest first day and first week ever on Spotify, spawned the hits Anti-Hero and Lavender Haze, and sold over 1.5 million copies in its first week becoming not only the biggest debut of the decade but also Swift's biggest debut ever. She would make history by becoming the first artist to occupy the entire top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 with tracks from Midnights.
Additionally, Swift began re-recording her back catalog in November 2020 as a result of a publicized dispute with talent manager Scooter Braun and her former label Big Machine, regarding the acquisition of the masters of her back catalog. In April 2021, Swift released a re-recorded issue of her 2008 album Fearless, titled Fearless (Taylor's Version). It debuted at number one in the US. Swift continued releasing re-recorded versions of her back catalog in November, 2021 with the release of Red (Taylor's Version), a 30 track re-issue of her 2012 critical smash. The album debuted at #1 in the US, spawned the #1 hit All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault), and broke the record at the time for biggest first day for a female album on Spotify. Red (Taylor's Version) was a critical and commercial hit, and proved that Swift's ambitious, yet ongoing plan to re-record her first 6 albums was well worth it.
Along with the release of Red (Taylor's Version) came All Too Well: The Short Film (2021), Swift's filmmaking debut. The 15 minute romantic drama was based on the lyrical content from Swift's 2012 fan favorite “All Too Well” starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. It had a limited theatrical release in major cities, and Swift held special screenings of the film throughout 2022 at various film festivals. In December, 2022 Taylor announced that she would be making her feature directorial debut with Oscar-winning studio Searchlight Pictures.
Following the release of Midnights, Swift would embark on her first tour in five years, The Eras Tour—a retrospective tour covering the entirety of her discography. During her ongoing tour, Swift would release her next two re-recorded albums, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) in July and 1989 (Taylor's Version) in October of 2023. The former of which would land Swift as the woman with the most number-one albums (12) in Billboard 200 history, surpassing Barbra Streisand. The latter was her sixth album to sell one million copies in a single week in the US, her largest album sales in a week span. “Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)”, the lead single for 1989 (Taylor's Version), would peak at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
At the 66th annual GRAMMY Awards, Taylor Swift surprised viewers by announcing her eleventh studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. On April 19, 2024, the album was released globally, breaking records: it became the first ever to amass 1 billion Spotify streams in a week and sold 2.6 million units in its first week in the US. Swift dominated the charts, monopolizing the top 14 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 and securing the top 10 positions on Australia’s ARIA Singles Chart. The lead single, Fortnight, featuring Post Malone, quickly soared to the number-one position on the Hot 100. Additionally, just two hours after the album’s release, Swift surprised fans with a reissue titled THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY, which included 15 extra songs.
Swift has released several songs for film soundtracks. She co-wrote two songs for the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack— “You'll Always Find Your Way Back Home” and “Crazier”, and contributed two songs to the Valentine's Day soundtrack, including the single “Today Was a Fairytale”, which was her first number one on the Canadian Hot 100, and peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. She also contributed two original songs to The Hunger Games soundtrack album: “Safe & Sound - from The Hunger Games Soundtrack”, co-written and recorded with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett, and “Eyes Open”. “Safe & Sound” won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. In 2013, Swift recorded “Sweeter than Fiction”, a song she wrote and produced with Jack Antonoff for the One Chance film soundtrack, which received a Best Original Song nomination at the 71st Golden Globe Awards. Swift and English singer Zayn Malik, mononymously known as Zayn, released a single together, “I Don't Wanna Live Forever”, for the soundtrack of the film Fifty Shades Darker (2017). She also recorded an original song called “Beautiful Ghosts”, which she wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber for the Cats's soundtrack (2019). In 2020, Swift's documentary Miss Americana featured the song “Only the Young” which was written after the 2018 United States elections. In 2022, she released an original song titled “Carolina” for Where The Crawdads Sing (2022) inspired by the novel written by Delia Owens.
With sales of over 200 million records worldwide, Swift is a best-selling music artist. Her accolades include 14 Grammy Awards, including four Album of the Year wins, which makes Swift the artist with the most awards for that category in history, two Brit Awards (including a Global Icon award), an Emmy Award, 28 Guinness World Records, 32 American Music Awards (the most wins by an artist), and 23 Billboard Music Awards (the most wins by a woman). She ranked eighth on Billboard's Greatest of All Time Artists Chart (2019) and was listed on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (2015). Swift has been included in various power rankings, such as Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world (2010, 2015 and 2019) and Forbes Celebrity 100 (placing first in 2016 and 2019). She was named Woman of the Decade (2010s) by Billboard, Artist of the Decade (2010s) by the American Music Awards, and Person of the Year (2023) by Time Magazine.
Didn't They
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just another day
At 10 o'clock she hears the screaming
Then finally she sees them
It's scary how things change
And I saw the story on the news
I saw the footage from the roof I sat down and cried
Didn't she call you
Didn't she need you bad enough?
Was there some reason
Another way up?
Did you not write it down
Just one more thing to do
Where were you
And didn't she pray too?
He kissed his wife goodbye
And took the earliest flight
So he could be home that night
To put his kids to sleep
Down the aisle
Three men walked and said
"We're here to die for our God"
He stood up and said, "That's funny
'Cause my God died for me"
I put the magazine down
I read his words out loud
I sat down and cried
Didn't he call you
Didn't he need you bad enough?
Was there some reason
Another way up?
Did you not write it down
Just one more thing to do
Where were you
And didn't he pray too?
The taxis were full up
On the very day of
The rope 100 floors up
Just to come back down
They never thought they'd see the day
The, the tower'd be up in flames
There was nothing left to say
When it all came down
And didn't they call you
Didn't they need you bad enough?
Was there some reason
Another way up?
Did you not write it down
Just one more thing to do
Where were you?
Where were you?
And didn't they pray, oh
I walk to school and I wear a cross
I'm counting every day
The song “Didn’t They” by Taylor Swift is a poignant commentary on various events in society that have left people saddened, confused, and alone. In the first verse, she describes a young girl walking to school, arms crossed, indicating an attitude of defensiveness. The girl hears screaming and finally witnesses some traumatic event or tragedy. Swift remarks on how easily and quickly things can change and gives the example of seeing a news story and footage that makes her cry. Swift is highlighting the importance of being present and responsive to those who need us, especially during times of crisis. She questions if the people involved in these events reached out to others and if they prayed.
The second verse shifts to the story of a man who took the earliest flight possible to be home with his family. This man was confronted with three other men who declared they were willing to die for their God. The man, understanding the gravity of the situation, stands up and points out that Jesus, his God, had already died for him. Swift highlights the power of faith in this case.
The third verse describes the events of 9/11 where taxis were full of people hoping to escape only to be met with a building in flames. Swift questions again if people reached out to others during that crisis and whether they prayed. The repetition of the question “Didn't they call you? Didn't they need you bad enough?” emphasizes the importance of showing up and being present for those in need.
Overall, the song is a call to action for all of us to be there for one another in times of crisis and for us to hold on to our faith.
Line by Line Meaning
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.
Contributed by Matthew G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ATWTMVTVFTVSGAVRALPS
Taylor was only 11 when she wrote this song...
The lyrical structure of this is really unique but also extremely saddening. I wonder if she'll ever release this as a rerecord
@blakestoner9679
12
@sierrawaters1583
Always listen to this on 9/11 and while I doubt she will, I wish she would release this
@xoxoalyyy
Idk it might be on bonus tracks for debut tv
@Streetw1s3r
Used to be a handful of these on YouTube but I can't find them now, did they get deleted? I listen to it every year at 9/11 time. Thanks for uploading!
@Paulina-gy8xv
Thanks for this!
@godsdice911
Background
“Didn’t They” is an acoustic song, written by Taylor when she was around 12 years old. That probably makes it one of her earliest songs. A final version of the song was never officially released, but a recording of “Didn’t They” eventually made its way online in 2013.
The September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks killed 2,996 people when planes crashed into the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Taylor would have been 11 years old on 9/11, so it tracks that she would have written this song soon after that day or just a few months after processing the events. She told an interviewer once how she rememberes 9/11:
«I was in fifth grade, and all I remember was, they had us all get together in the lunch room for an assembly, and they were explaining it to us, but I didn't understand what they were talking about until I walked down the hall, and I saw all the teachers looking up at their TVs in their classrooms, crying. People were getting their kids out of school, and I think it was my parents that really explained it to me in great detail, and it was just horrifying.»
Taylor Swift
@xoxoalyyy
Wow i can’t believe taylor wrote this when she was only 12… this song is really good!! I hope she puts it as a vault track for debut tv!