ivy
Taylor Swift Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

How's one to know?
I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
In a faith forgotten land
In from the snow
Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
Tarnished but so grand

And the old widow goes to the stone every day
But I don't, I just sit here and wait
Grieving for the living

Oh, goddamn
My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

I wish to know
The fatal flaw that makes you long to be
Magnificently cursed
He's in the room
Your opal eyes are all I wish to see
He wants what's only yours

Oh, goddamn
My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered

Clover blooms in the fields
Spring breaks loose, the time is near
What would he do if he found us out?
Crescent moon, coast is clear
Spring breaks loose, but so does fear
He's gonna burn this house to the ground

How's one to know?
I'd live and die for moments that we stole
On begged and borrowed time
So tell me to run
Or dare to sit and watch what we'll become
And drink my husband's wine

Oh, goddamn
My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you
And I'm covered in you

So yeah, it's a fire
It's a goddamn blaze in the dark
And you started it
You started it
So yeah, it's a war
It's the goddamn fight of my life
And you started it
You started it

Oh, I can't
Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered
In you
In you, you



Now I'm covered in you
In you

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of the song 'Ivy' by Taylor Swift highlights her confusion on how she was supposed to know that she would eventually meet the person she addresses in the song. It seems like an unexpected encounter. The second line, "I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones," is a little more cryptic, possibly alluding to a place where there is an intimate connection between someone's soul and body. She reveals a deep relationship with the person and the feelings running through her mind. She compares this spiritual connection to a "faith-forgotten land," a place somewhere that is no longer known or visited as it has been out of sight for too long.


The second verse is all about Swift's confusion regarding the intensity of her feeling for the person. Her "fatal flaw" reference could be that she is so in love with the person in question that she is prepared to go through intense 'curses' to be with them. She gets paranoid about anyone who might interfere in their relationship, with the line "He wants what's only yours." The end of the second verse shows that the person she loves might not be hers, but married to someone else.


Line by Line Meaning

How's one to know?
Uncertainty in a relationship.


I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones
Willingness to go beyond physical boundaries for love.


In a faith forgotten land
A place where love is harder to come by.


In from the snow
Finding refuge in someone's love.


Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow
Feeling an intense spark of passion.


Tarnished but so grand
Despite struggles in the relationship, it's still worth holding onto.


And the old widow goes to the stone every day
Comparing a widow's devotion to the singer's lack of devotion.


But I don't, I just sit here and wait
Highlighting that the artist is not actively seeking love, but rather waiting for it to come to her.


Grieving for the living
Feeling emotional pain for not being able to experience love like others.


My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand
Feeling hurt by the person's actions, yet still drawn to them.


Taking mine, but it's been promised to another
Feeling guilty for wanting someone who is unavailable.


Stop you putting roots in my dreamland
Trying to resist being consumed by the relationship.


My house of stone, your ivy grows
Comparing the relationship to ivy growing on a house, symbolizing how the person is slowly taking over the singer's life.


And now I'm covered in you
Feeling consumed by the relationship.


I wish to know
Desire to understand the person's motivations.


The fatal flaw that makes you long to be
Trying to understand why the person is drawn to a doomed relationship.


Magnificently cursed
Feeling that the relationship is both beautiful and doomed.


He's in the room
Feeling guilty for wanting someone else while in a relationship.


Your opal eyes are all I wish to see
Feeling drawn to the person's eyes.


He wants what's only yours
Feeling guilty for being wanted by someone else while in a relationship.


Clover blooms in the fields
Signifying the newness of the relationship.


Spring breaks loose, the time is near
Feeling the rush of emotions and new possibilities in the relationship.


What would he do if he found us out?
Feeling guilty for being in a relationship with someone else.


Crescent moon, coast is clear
Feeling that the situation is still safe for the time being.


Spring breaks loose, but so does fear
Ambivalent feelings about the future of the relationship.


He's gonna burn this house to the ground
Feeling that the relationship will eventually end badly.


I'd live and die for moments that we stole
Highlighting the excitement of being in a forbidden relationship.


On begged and borrowed time
Acknowledging that the relationship is temporary and borrowed.


So tell me to run
Asking for someone to tell the artist to leave the relationship.


Or dare to sit and watch what we'll become
Deciding whether to stay in the relationship and see where it leads.


And drink my husband's wine
Feeling guilty for wanting to be with someone else while married.


So yeah, it's a fire
Acknowledging the intensity and passion in the relationship.


It's a goddamn blaze in the dark
Emphasizing the extreme nature of the relationship.


And you started it
Feeling drawn to the person who initiated the relationship.


It's the goddamn fight of my life
Feeling that the relationship is a battle.


Now I'm covered in you
Feeling consumed and overwhelmed by the relationship.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aaron Brooking Dessner, Jack Michael Antonoff, Taylor A. Swift

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Radnerb

LETRA EN ESPAÑOL (SPANISH TRANSLATION)
0:01
¿Cómo iba a saber?
Te conocería donde el espíritu y los huesos se encuentran
En una tierra olvidada de fe
0:12
Al entrar de la nieve
Tu toque provocó un resplandor incandescente
Empañado pero grandioso
0:22
Y la viuda vieja va a la lápida cada día
Pero yo no, yo solo me siento aquí y espero
De luto por los vivos
0:33
O, maldición
Mi dolor cabe en la palma de tu mano congelada
Tomando la mía, pero ha sido prometida a otro
O, no puedo
Evitar que pongas raíces en la tierra de mis sueños
Mi casa de piedra, crece tu hiedra
Y ahora estoy cubierta en ti
1:06
Deseo saber
La falla fatal que te hace anhelar ser
Magníficamente maldito
Él está en la habitación
Tus ojos de ópalo son todo lo que deseo ver
Él quiere lo que sólo es tuyo
1:27
O, maldición
Mi dolor cabe en la palma de tu mano congelada
Tomando la mía, pero ha sido prometida a otro
O, no puedo
Evitar que pongas raíces en la tierra de mis sueños
Mi casa de piedra, crece tu hiedra
Y ahora estoy cubierta
El trébol florece en los campos
La primavera se suelta, la hora se acerca
¿Qué haría él si nos descubriera?
Luna creciente, la costa está clara
La primavera se suelta, pero el temor también
Él va a quemar esta casa hasta el suelo
2:10
¿Cómo iba a saber?
Que viviría y moriría por momentos que robamos
En tiempo rogado y prestado
Entonces dime que corra
O atrévete a sentarte a ver en qué nos convertiremos
Y bebe el vino de mi esposo
2:32
O maldición
Mi dolor cabe en la palma de tu mano congelada
Tomando la mía, pero ha sido prometida a otro
O, no puedo
Evitar que pongas raíces en la tierra de mis sueños
Mi casa de piedra, crece tu hiedra
Y ahora estoy cubierta en ti
Y estoy cubierta en ti
3:04
Pues sí, es un fuego
Es una maldito incendio en la obscuridad
Y tú lo empezaste
Tú lo empezaste
Pues sí, es una guerra
Es la maldita pelea de mi vida
Y tú la empezaste
Tú la empezaste
3:26
O, no puedo
Evitar que pongas raíces en la tierra de mis sueños
Mi casa de piedra, crece tu hiedra
Y ahora estoy cubierta en ti
En ti
Ahora estoy cubierta en ti



All comments from YouTube:

TheNraveles

The most underrated song on the album.

“My house of stone, your Ivy grows, and now I’m covered in you” is one of the most beautiful lines ever.

Emily

I know right! I for sure know that it is my fav song in her album.

Mythical Swiftie

Especially after learning that ivy is actually destroying the house it grows into

Beatrice Angelica

What album is this from?

Shamel López

Evermore

ssp

oh no, i think most fans think Ivy is one of her best songs ever.

8 More Replies...

byeeee

“Your touch brought forth an incandescent glow. Tarnished but so grand” is such a beautiful lyric, i can’t say it enough.

Tuấn Bé

What does it meant?

Joshua

@Tuấn Bé It means their touch brought warm light (in contrast to the snow) and "tarnished but so grand" means the cottage was a bit run down but still looked amazing.

WhizBang Records

Isn't your touch brought forth a incandescent glow means blushing

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