“exile” describes two ex-lovers seeing each other following a break-up. Justin Vernon describes feelings of confusion about how quickly a lover moved on, while Swift offers a perspective about repeated warning signs that the relationship was no longer working. It’s also worth noting the contrast between Vernon’s rougher voice and Swift’s smoother one, which mirrors the contrast between their views of the relationship.
The song prompted many comparisons to Swift’s 2012 track “The Last Time,” another song that discusses the downfall of a relationship. Much like “exile,” Swift and featured artist Gary Lightbody’s voices contrast in tone, highlighting their differences.
“exile” is one of many folklore songs to contain a movie motif — other songs to do so include “the 1,” “this is me trying,” and “hoax.” It’s also her first collaboration with Bon Iver, who she called one of her “musical heroes” in an Instagram post announcing folklore.
Swift spoke about the story behind the song in a clip she sent to radio stations in late August 2020:
""exile" is a song that was written about miscommunications in relationships, and in the case of this song, I imagined that the miscommunications ended the relationship. They led to the demise of this love affair, and now these two people are seeing each other out for the first time, and they keep miscommunicating with each other. They can’t quite get on the same page, they never were able to. And even in their end, even after they’ve broken up, they’re still not hearing each other. So we imagined the beginning would be his side of the story, the second verse her side of the story, and the end would be the story of them talking over each other and not hearing each other. We’re really stoked about how it turned out because it really does seem to be about the tragedy of two people, of two ships passing in the night."
Bon Iver tweeted about their involvement on the song:
"Very very honored to be a part of Taylor Swift’s album folklore. Shout out to Aaron Dessner for always being the great connector!"
In an interview with Pitchfork (2020), producer Aaron Dessner discussed how the collaboration came together:
"Taylor wrote that one with the singer-songwriter William Bowery. When Taylor sent it to me as a voice memo, she sang both the male and female parts—as much as she could fit in without losing her breath. We talked about who she was imagining joining her, and she loves Justin [Vernon]’s voice in Bon Iver and Big Red Machine. She was like, “Oh my god, I would die if he would do it. It would be so perfect.” I didn’t want to put pressure on Justin as his friend, so I said, “Well, it depends on if he’s inspired by the song but I know he thinks you’re rad.” Which he does. So I sent him the song and he was really into it. He tweaked some parts and added parts as well—the bridge where he says, “Step right out.” The end too, and his choral parts. It was fun because Justin and I work on a lot of stuff together, so it was very easy and natural. At some point I felt like a superfan, hearing two of my favorite singers. This was all being done remotely, but it was one of those moments where your head hits the back of the wall and you’re like, “Fuck. Okay.”"
“exile” debuted at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week of August 8, 2020.
The track is Bon Iver’s first Top 10 hit on the chart.
EXILE
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With his arms around your body
Laughin' but the joke's not funny at all
And it took you five whole minutes
To pack us up and leave me with it
Holdin' all this love out here in the hall
I think I've seen this film before
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defendin' now?
You were my town
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Hoo, hoo-ooh
I can see you starin', honey
Like he's just your understudy
Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me
Second, third, and hundredth chances
Balancin' on breaking branches
Those eyes add insult to injury
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
I'm not your problem anymore
So who am I offending now?
You were my crown
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leavin' out the side door
So step right out
There is no amount
Of cryin' I can do for you
All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time
I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
So many signs
So many signs (you didn't even see the signs)
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defending now?
You were my town
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leaving out the side door
So step right out
There is no amount
Of cryin' I can do for you
All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time
I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time (so many signs)
I never learned to read your mind (so many signs)
I couldn't turn things around (so many signs)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (never gave a warning sign)
"Exile" is a melancholic duet by Taylor Swift with Bon Iver, released in 2020. The lyrics are about a breakup, where two people who were once each other's everything now see each other's flaws and differences. In the first verse, Taylor describes seeing her lover with someone else and feeling the pain of the situation. She then feels like she's seen this situation before and doesn't want to go through it again. In the second verse, she mentions how the other person is looking at her now, like she's just a substitute, and she had always been ready to sacrifice herself for him. But now she realizes that she had put too much into a relationship that was not right for her.
In the chorus, Taylor reflects on how this person was once her home, her town, and her crown, but now she's in exile, left alone and abandoned. She's seen the same story unfold and doesn't want to relive it again. The bridge reinforces the idea that there is no longer anything to fight for in this relationship, and she's done trying to fix it. She had always put in the effort, but he never reciprocated or gave any indication that he was unhappy.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see you standin', honey
I'm aware that you're with him
With his arms around your body
He's holding you close
Laughin' but the joke's not funny at all
You're pretending to be happy, but it's not genuine
And it took you five whole minutes
You left me so quickly
To pack us up and leave me with it
You didn't even give me a chance to talk about it
Holdin' all this love out here in the hall
I'm left alone with all of this love that I still have for you
I think I've seen this film before
This feels familiar and I don't like it
And I didn't like the ending
This situation didn't end well before
You're not my homeland anymore
You used to be my safe place, but now you're not
So what am I defendin' now?
What's left for me to fight for?
You were my town
Everything I knew and loved was with you
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
Now I'm forced to watch you with someone else from afar
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Instrumental
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Instrumental
Hoo, hoo-ooh
Instrumental
I can see you starin', honey
You're looking at me as if I'm nothing special
Like he's just your understudy
He's trying to play my role, but he'll never be able to fill my shoes
Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me
You used to be willing to fight for me, but now you wouldn't even lift a finger
Second, third, and hundredth chances
I gave you so many opportunities to make things right
Balancin' on breaking branches
I was trying to keep us afloat, but it was a lost cause
Those eyes add insult to injury
The way you look at me hurts even more
So who am I offending now?
I'm not trying to hurt anyone, so why do I feel like I am?
You were my crown
You were my everything, my queen
Now I'm in exile seein' you out
Now I'm forced to watch you leave me behind
So I'm leavin' out the side door
I'm not going to say goodbye to you, I'll just leave quietly
There is no amount
No matter how much I want to, I can't fix this
Of cryin' I can do for you
You won't listen to me, no matter how much I beg
All this time
Through everything we've been through
We always walked a very thin line
Our relationship was always uncertain
You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out)
You never gave me a chance to speak my mind
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
I tried to tell you that things weren't working out, but you didn't listen
I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't tell what you were thinking or feeling
I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around)
I couldn't fix things between us on my own
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
You never let me know that you were unhappy until it was too late
So many signs
I tried so hard to let you know how I felt
So many signs (you didn't even see the signs)
But you never paid attention to them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Justin Deyarmond Edison Vernon, Taylor A. Swift, William Bowery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hoang Giang
Some songs don't need a billion of views to be called a masterpiece.
Shyambhavi⁷
Infact the real masterpieces never get more views... especially soft songs like this
✨zunaira EDITS ✨
Exactly
RubyJ
Yup
Han Han
youtube views don't guarantee the quality
Đức
Dạ 😍😍🥰
Batman
I'm not a Swiftie but this is seriously one of the best songs I've ever listened to. Just hits you in the soul.
Ty Nielsen
As a Swiftie, I’m glad we both appreciate this song. And you hit it right on the head, it hits right in the soul.
messer
Yeah same... Im not a swiftie but she was.... Song is also pretty much relatable hence just hits right at core
Leonardo
Today is one song, tomorrow 2, 4, 6, and soon youll be a swiftie
This happened to me