Didn't They
Taylor Swift Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She walks to school with her arms crossed
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

Overall Meaning

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.
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Comments from YouTube:

@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!

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