Born in West Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift relocated to Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 to pursue a career in country music. She broke into the country music scene with her eponymous self-titled debut studio album, Taylor Swift in 2006, which included the singles "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "Our Song". Swift also released the holiday album, Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection, later titled as The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection in October 2007.
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 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.
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 12 Grammy Awards (including three Album of the Year wins), two Brit Awards (including a Global Icon award), an Emmy Award, 28 [https://guinnessworldrecords.com/]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 and Artist of the Decade (2010s) by the American Music Awards.
Foolish One
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chances are, tonight, you've already got plans
And chances are I will talk myself to sleep again
You give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high
Wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right
And I will block out these voices of reason in my head
And the voices say, "You are not the exception
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
You know how to keep me waitin'
I know how to act like I'm fine
Don't know what to call this situation
But I know I can't call you mine
And it's delicate, but I will do my best to seem bulletproof
'Cause when my head is on your shoulder
It starts thinkin' you'll come around
And maybe, someday, when we're older
This is something we'll laugh about
Over coffee every mornin' while you're watching the news
But then the voices say, "You are not the exception
You will never learn your lesson"
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin' out
Now I'm slidin' down the wall with my head in my hands
Sayin', "How could I not see the signs?"
Oh, you haven't written me or called
But goodbye screamin' in the silence
And the voices in my head are tellin' me why
'Cause you got her on your arm and me in the wings
I'll get your longing glances, but she'll get your ring
And you will say you had the best of intentions
And maybe I will finally learn my lesson
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin' out, oh-oh, oh, oh
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, oh
La-la-la-la-la
Ain't never gonna come
Ooh, you will learn the hard way now
Foolish one
Sittin' 'round waiting for confessions of love
They ain't never gonna come
And thinkin' he's the one, you should've been walkin' out
Foolish one
The day is gonna come for your confessions of love
When all is said and done, he just wasn't the one
No, he just wasn't the one
"Foolish One" is a song by Taylor Swift that reflects on the experience of being caught up in unrequited love and holding onto hope despite the signs indicating otherwise. The lyrics portray a sense of longing and naivety, as the singer continues to invest in a relationship that will never materialize into the love she desires.
The song begins with the singer acknowledging the discrepancy between her openness and vulnerability (cards on the table) and her love interest's guardedness (cards in his hand). It is clear that he already has other plans and is not reciprocating her feelings. However, she continues to hold onto hope and talks herself to sleep, clinging to the little attention he gives her.
The voices in her head serve as a chorus of reason, attempting to remind her that she is not the exception and that she will never learn her lesson when it comes to falling for someone who won't love her back. Despite these warnings, she convinces herself that maybe someday things will change and they will laugh about their situation over morning coffee.
As the song progresses, the singer realizes she has been fooling herself. She's been kept waiting while acting like she's fine. The situation is delicate because she still sees him as someone she can't call hers, but she tries to appear resilient and bulletproof. However, the voices in her head become louder, painting a clearer picture of reality. It becomes apparent that he has moved on, having someone else on his arm and potential plans for marriage. The singer is left questioning how she missed the signs and realizing that she needs to let go and learn her lesson.
Overall, "Foolish One" explores the internal struggle of holding onto hope in a one-sided love affair, the ways in which we deceive ourselves, and the eventual realization that it's time to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
My cards are on the table, yours are in your hand
I have been fully open and honest with you, while you hold all the power and control in this relationship.
Chances are, tonight, you've already got plans
It is highly likely that you already have other commitments or interests for tonight.
And chances are I will talk myself to sleep again
I tend to overthink and analyze our situation, which often keeps me up at night.
You give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high
You occasionally show me affection or attention, leading me to believe there might be something more between us.
Wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right
I often ignore the signs and convince myself that everything is fine, even when there are clear issues in our relationship.
And I will block out these voices of reason in my head
I actively choose to ignore the rational thoughts and warnings in my mind that tell me this relationship is not healthy.
And the voices say, "You are not the exception
The rational voices in my head remind me that I am not exempt from heartbreak or disappointment.
You will never learn your lesson"
They also tell me that I will continue to make the same mistakes and not learn from them.
Foolish one
I am the foolish one in this situation, making poor decisions and holding onto false hope.
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
I need to stop seeking declarations of love or affection from you through letters or messages.
That ain't never gonna come
Those confessions will never materialize and become a reality.
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
You will eventually realize the truth and face the consequences of our unhealthy relationship, but it will be a painful and difficult journey.
You know how to keep me waitin'
You are aware of how to manipulate my emotions and keep me in a state of anticipation and longing.
I know how to act like I'm fine
I have learned to pretend that I am emotionally stable and unaffected, even when deep down, I am hurting.
Don't know what to call this situation
I am unsure how to label or define our complicated relationship.
But I know I can't call you mine
I understand that I do not have ownership or a secure place in your life.
And it's delicate, but I will do my best to seem bulletproof
Although the situation is fragile and sensitive, I will strive to appear strong and unaffected by it.
'Cause when my head is on your shoulder
When I am physically close to you, leaning on your shoulder, my thoughts start to believe that you will eventually come around and reciprocate my feelings.
It starts thinkin' you'll come around
My mind begins to imagine a future where you change your feelings and realize the depth of my love for you.
And maybe, someday, when we're older
Perhaps in the future, when we are more mature and experienced, our situation will be something we can laugh about and see as foolish.
This is something we'll laugh about
We will find amusement or humor in the way we acted or felt during this time.
Over coffee every mornin' while you're watching the news
We will reminisce about our past over morning coffees, possibly when you have settled down and become a more stable presence in my life.
Now I'm slidin' down the wall with my head in my hands
I am overwhelmed with disappointment and despair, sitting on the floor and holding my head in my hands.
Sayin', "How could I not see the signs?"
I am questioning myself and reflecting on how I failed to recognize the warning signals that our relationship was not meant to be.
Oh, you haven't written me or called
You have not reached out or contacted me, further emphasizing the truth that our connection lacks the depth I had hoped for.
But goodbye screamin' in the silence
Despite the absence of communication, the silence speaks volumes and signifies our inevitable farewell.
And the voices in my head are tellin' me why
The rational voices in my mind are offering explanations and reasons behind our failed relationship.
'Cause you got her on your arm and me in the wings
You have publicly chosen someone else to be with, while I am left waiting in the background, hoping for a chance.
I'll get your longing glances, but she'll get your ring
You may give me longing looks or flirty gestures, but ultimately, she will be the one you commit to and marry.
And you will say you had the best of intentions
You will try to justify your actions by claiming that you never meant to hurt me and had good intentions throughout.
And maybe I will finally learn my lesson
Perhaps this experience will be the catalyst for me to finally understand and grow from my mistakes.
Sittin' 'round waiting for confessions of love
I foolishly waste my time waiting for you to confess your love to me.
They ain't never gonna come
Those confessions will never materialize and become a reality.
And thinkin' he's the one, you should've been walkin' out
Believing you are the one for me, I should have been leaving this unhealthy relationship behind.
The day is gonna come for your confessions of love
There will come a day when the truth about your feelings for me will be revealed.
When all is said and done, he just wasn't the one
In the end, it will be clear that you were not the right person for me.
No, he just wasn't the one
You were not the one I was meant to be with, despite my hopes and irrational attachment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Taylor Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bryan Saclolo
LYRICS
[Verse 1]
My cards are on the table, yours are in your hand
Chances are, tonight, you've already got plans
And chances are I will talk myself to sleep again
You give me just enough attention to keep my hopes too high
Wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right
And I will block out these voices of reason in my head
[Pre-Chorus]
And the voices say, "You are not the exception
You will never learn your lesson"
[Chorus]
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
[Verse 2]
You know how to keep me waitin'
I know how to act like I'm fine
Don't know what to call this situation
But I know I can't call you mine
And it's delicate, but I will do my best to seem bulletproof
'Cause when my head is on your shoulder
It starts thinkin' you'll come around
And maybe, someday, when we're older
This is something we'll laugh about
Over coffee every mornin' while you're watching the news
[Pre-Chorus]
But then the voices say, "You are not the exception
You will never learn your lesson"
[Chorus]
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin' out
[Bridge]
Now I'm slidin' down the wall with my head in my hands
Sayin', "How could I not see the signs?"
Oh, you haven't written me or called
But goodbye screamin' in the silence
And the voices in my head are tellin' me why
'Cause you got her on your arm and me in the wings
I'll get your longing glances, but she'll get your ring
And you will say you had the best of intentions
And maybe I will finally learn my lesson
[Chorus]
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will take the long way, you will take the long way down
Foolish one
Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love
That ain't never gonna come
You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin' out, oh-oh, oh, oh
[Outro]
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la, oh
La-la-la-la-la
Ain't never gonna come
Ooh, you will learn the hard way now
Foolish one
Sittin' 'round waiting for confessions of love
They ain't never gonna come
And thinkin' he's the one, you should've been walkin' out
Foolish one
The day is gonna come for your confessions of love
When all is said and done, he just wasn't the one
No, he just wasn't the one
Ana Júlia Côrttes Deleprani
Cara, eu simplesmente nem sei como expressar o quanto essa musica descreve cada sentimento dentro da uma hopeless romantic que se apega a qualquer demonstração de afeto.
Mas eu preciso externalizar o quanto e COMO essa letra me atinge.
"You know how to keep me waitin'
I know how to act like I'm fine"
- Vem do fato da pessoa nunca te entregar o suficiente, mas vocês são "amigos", então por um bem maior você se mantem ""bem"", age naturalmente, porque parece que o pior que pode acontecer é você ser a causadora da distancia. Até porque você não tem o suficiente pra agir, seja se afastando ou se aproximando da pessoa.
"Don't know what to call this situation
But I know
I CAN'T CALL YOU MINE"
- Vocês sao amigos, mas também nao sao só isso. Vocês tem o que perder, mas nao sabe se é necessariamente um ao outro. Tudo que você sabe é que não tem nada sólido. Ela não é sua. E querendo ou nao, vc vive esquecendo isso, ent essa linha vem como um lembrete, algo deveria se tornar um mantra quando o coração aperta. "Ela nn é sua. ELA nao é sua. ela NÃO é sua. Ela não é SUA."
"And it's delicate, "
- E aqui eu insiro Delicate da Taylor pra explicar:
"Sometimes, when I look into your eyes
I pretend you're mine, all the damn time"
É delicado, ninguém é de ninguem, apesar de querer. No final do dia não passa de ilusão.
"but I will do my best to seem bulletproof"
- Mas novamente, um passo errado destruiria tudo isso, mesmo que nao seja muito, pelo menos não é nada, soa vagamente promissor. É melhor se manter firme.
"'Cause when my head is on your shoulder
It starts thinkin' you'll come around"
- Toda vez que existe a aproximação você espera que seja só dali pra frente. Que não tenha mais o que voltar atras. A esperança é de que ela chegue pra ficar.
"And maybe, someday, when we're older
This is something we'll laugh about"
- Você começa a escutar essa frase e imagina que venha um "superei", "superamos", no a gente nunca foi nada, vamos fixar nessa amizade aqui. Vai ter sido só um delirio. É como se fosse a proposta que o lado racional dela oferece.
"Over coffee every mornin' while you're watching the news"
-Mas, aqui, ela entrega as reais expectativas dela. "Que no futuro, na nossa rotina, quando estivermos na nossa casa, realizando a nossa estabilidade e desfrutando dos beneficios de um relacionamento, essa fase de medo seja só um traço comico da nossa história de romance, sobre o quanto toda essa insegurança era bobeira e no final tudo que a gente queria era um ao outro."
"But then the voices say, "You are not the exception
You will never learn your lesson"
- E aqui é como se ela balançasse o sentimento. A voz da razão chega. "Você nao é a exceção. Você nao é a personagem principal. Voce nunca vai entender que NÃO É SOBRE VOCÊ?"
cindy rizkyy
Mine so far after listening ❤
1. Timeless
2.Castless crumbling
3. When Emma falls in love
4.Foolish one
5.Electric Touch
6. I can see you
Ps at the end i love all her songs , still questioning these why she hide all of these masterpieces all the time🥺🥺🥺💜💜💜
Zafirah Ripin
Taylor is like a sister giving advices to her younger sister to stop hoping and start moving on. I love you Taylor Swift!
Louise Walter Winnard
Never had a sibling but at least I have Taylor 😭❤️
TankG
listen dear reader lol
Chaichan Srichana
+1
Della duck
@DJILMarioBrosyour so creepy stop doing this!
Eternalspring 237
@Louise Walter WinnardSAME SHES AN ONLY CHILD TOOO 😭
Emily King
I swear Taylor has the magical ability to put into words every single female experience. This song feels like it was literally written FOR ME, line buy line it's scarily accurate to what i've experienced. And that's magic of Taylor, her music feels like it was written just for you, there is not one person that can't relate to at least one of her songs
Chinmay
I'm a guy and even I relate to her like pls ofc there's a reason she is called the music industry
Jorge P
I’m a guy and this song has captured many of my past experiences
tayluv
@Jorge Pthanks for breaking gender discrimination! All the ladies here think that Taylor ONLY WRITE for females or that men can't feel the pain.
Even though I'm a girl, my brother also loves Taylor! We both listen to her.