Despite her hardships, she maintains hope, pleading, ‘Please, I’ve been on my knees, change the prophecy.’ Swift’s vulnerability shines through as she dreams of companionship, singing, ‘Don’t want money, just someone who wants company.’ She acknowledges her fear and uncertainty, feeling like ‘a paperweight in shades of greige.’ Yet, amidst her turmoil, she refuses to lose faith, asking, ‘Who do I have to speak to, to change the prophecy?’ The song captures a sense of yearning for a different destiny and the resilience to hope for a better outcome.
The Prophecy
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hand on the throttle
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle
Oh, but it's gone again
And it was written
I got cursed like Eve got bitten
Oh, was it punishment?Pad around when I get home
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A greater woman wouldn't beg
But I looked to the sky and said
Please, I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo the prophecy?
Cards on the table
Mine play out like fools in a fable
Oh, it was sinking in (sinking in, oh)
Slow is the quicksand
Poison blood from the wound of the pricked hand
Oh, still I dream of him
Please, I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
And I sound like an infant
Feeling like the very last drops of an ink pen
A greater woman stays cool
But I howl like a wolf at the moon
And I look unstable
Gathered with a coven 'round a sorceress' table
A greater woman has faith
But even statues crumble if they're made to wait
I'm so afraid I sealed my fate
No sign of soulmates
I'm just a paperweight in shades of greige
Spending my last coin so someone will tell me it'll be okay
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Ooh
Please, I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo the prophecy?
Who do I have to speak to
To change the prophecy?
Hand on the throttle
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle
Oh, but it's gone again
Pad around when I get home
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A greater woman wouldn't beg (please)
But I looked to the sky and said
In the lyrics of Taylor Swift's song "The Prophecy," the singer delves into themes of longing, desperation, and resilience in the face of challenges. The opening lines, "Hand on the throttle, Thought I caught lightning in a bottle, Oh, but it's gone again," set the stage for a journey of fleeting moments of hope and disappointment. The reference to catching lightning in a bottle symbolizes capturing something rare and powerful, only for it to slip away.
The mention of being cursed like Eve got bitten alludes to the biblical story of Adam and Eve and the consequences of their actions. This comparison suggests a sense of burden and punishment that the singer feels she must endure. Despite facing trials and setbacks, she expresses a determination to persevere, refusing to lose hope like a lesser woman would and not willing to beg like a greater woman might.
The plea to change the prophecy reflects a desire for a different outcome, one that deviates from the predicted course of events. The singer seeks a connection with someone who values her company over material wealth, emphasizing the importance of companionship and genuine human connection. The repeated questioning of who can redo the prophecy conveys a sense of helplessness and yearning for a transformative change in her circumstances.
As the song progresses, the imagery of cards on the table and sinking into quicksand further accentuates the feelings of being trapped and overwhelmed by life's challenges. The singer acknowledges her vulnerability and struggles, likening herself to an infant and expressing her fears of sealing her fate. Despite her doubts and insecurities, she refuses to completely give in to despair, finding solace in expressing her emotions and seeking reassurance that everything will eventually be okay.
In the end, the repeated pleas and reflections on the greater woman's stoicism contrast with the singer's raw emotions and uncertainties. The song captures a sense of emotional turmoil, with the singer grappling with her faith, fears, and the uncertainty of her future. Overall, "The Prophecy" delves into the complexities of human emotions and the longing for a different path, resonating with anyone who has faced challenges and sought to rewrite their destiny.
Line by Line Meaning
Hand on the throttle
I had control and power in my hands
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle
I thought I had something extraordinary and rare
Oh, but it's gone again
But it slipped away from me once more
And it was written
It was already destined to happen
I got cursed like Eve got bitten
I faced consequences like Eve in the Bible
Oh, was it punishment?
Was it a form of retribution?
Pad around when I get home
I walk around in my own space
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A weaker person may have given up
A greater woman wouldn't beg
A stronger person wouldn't plead
But I looked to the sky and said
But I still had hope and prayed for change
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aaron Dessner, Taylor Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edgardoroldan108
Hand on the throttle
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle
Oh, but it's gone again
And it was written
I got cursed like Eve got bitten
Oh, was it punishment?
Pad around when I get home
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A greater woman wouldn't beg
But I looked to the sky and said
Please
I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo
The prophecy?
Cards on the table
Mine play out like fools in a fable, oh
It was sinking in
Slow is the quicksand
Poison blood from the wound of the pricked hand
Oh, still I dream of him
Please
I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo
The prophecy?
And I sound like an infant
Feeling like the very last drops of an ink pen
A greater woman stays cool
But I howl like a wolf at the moon
And I look unstable
Gathered with a coven round a sorceress' table
A greater woman has faith
But even statues crumble if they're made to wait
I'm so afraid I sealed my fate
No sign of soulmates
I'm just a paperweight
In shades of greige
Spending my last coin so someone will tell me
It'll be ok
Please
I've been on my knees
Change the prophecy
Don't want money
Just someone who wants my company
Let it once be me
Who do I have to speak to
About if they can redo
The prophecy?
Who do I have to speak to
To change the prophecy?
Hand on the throttle
Thought I caught lightning in a bottle, oh
But it's gone again
Pad around when I get home
I guess a lesser woman would've lost hope
A greater woman wouldn't beg
But I looked to the sky and said
Please
0:24
@saakshipuribhatia5182
This song hits so close to home. Anyone who is a hopeless romantic but never had a long lasting romance has looked up at the sky and asked "When will I get the love I've always dreamt of". You hold onto the faith and hope but you are scared that it might never happen to you. This song has so many emotions wrapped up that it's impossible to not cry everytime you hear it.
@skylight_gameuse
my life for a decade now, once again she perfectly described those feelings
@Kayleighjenkins-ph1fx
fr idk how no one coudnt cry when they here it
@ACE2-ex1nz
just start approaching people.
@kujhawkrulz
Bargaining with a higher power and grieving a relationship that hasn’t even happened!
@altonfodor6307
This is the perfect song ❤ beautiful sad happy❤ truly
@emerzz2003
As a 29 year old woman who has never had a relationship but desperately wants a family of her own, a song has never hit me hard, like she wrote it for me. I truly feel like I was cursed somewhere along the way, like I did something horribly wrong to never have known what it feels like to be loved.
@DianeLake-sw3ym
In my teens I did not have a real boyfriend. Dated a couple times and that was it. In my very early twenties I got married for about 4 years. The rest of my twenties was the same as my teens. No real boyfriend and maybe went out a handful of times. Spent most of it alone.
In my early thirties I met the love of my life. My best friend. My support. We married after dating just shy of a year. Many years later We are still in love, best friends and support for each other.
I personally felt this song years before Taylor wrote it.
Do not lose hope. It happens when you least expect it and are not really looking at that time. Suddenly it happens.
@greentearain
Same😢
@kittyplayz1480
Don’t worry, you’re young, you have time