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Taylor Swiftis known for her songwriting roots , and she ’s make some brawny music without the assistance of any co - writer . In the last decade , the Isaac M. Singer has pass a mess of time writing with other musicians . For example , Swift and Jack Antonoffhave work together on some of her most clap tonic songs . The " Love Story " vocalist , however , has also spend a lot of time writing on her own . As a tween , it was just Swift and her guitar on her bedroom level before encounter with co - writers like Liz Rose - but for her third studio album , Swift went solo again .
The daddy whiz was tired of critic suggesting she was n’t pulling any weight in her songwriting academic session . When she releasedSpeak Nowin 2010 , every birdcall on the tracklist was ego - write , proving the critic wrong . Once she raise her stage , she went back to collaborating , but has at least one self - written Sung on all her album , exceptReputation . fleet works with other artist not because she needs to , but because it helps her founder out of her quilt zone and grow as an creative person . This , however , does n’t take forth from how many great birdsong she ’s compose solo .
The following Song , write only by Swift , are ranked based on a miscellanea of factors . The lead factor , however , is the quality of the writing itself , in terms of storytelling , cleverness , rhyme , and more . From the beginning of Swift ’s life history to her most recent record album , here are her 10 good solo - written vocal , rate .
10Love Story
Fearless (2008)
When Taylor Swift resign " Love Story , " it became the first song to top both the country wireless charts and the tonic radio chart . It was alsothe first inkling that Swift might have her sights on more than just nation music . Swift spell a lot of her tricky pop songs with atomic number 27 - writers like Max Martin and Antonoff . With " Love Story , " however , the singer - songwriter was able to create an earworm completely on her own .
To this day , it stay one of her most wide bonk song , and has been perform on every single one of her term of enlistment . In recent years , Swift ’s poetic lyrics have regularly been compared to Shakespeare ’s composition . With theFearlesstrack ’s mention ofRomeo & Juliet , " Love Story " prefigure the lyrics Swift would go on to save .
9Our Song
Taylor Swift (2006)
" Our Song " was the third single from Taylor Swift ’s debut album , and it is also one of her most apt hit to date . Swift ab initio spell the strain for her high school natural endowment showand later on put it on her album because her schoolfellow liked it so much . In " Our Song , " Swift sings about a family relationship where they do n’t have a birdcall , so her boyfriend total up with a unique one .
Taylor Swift ’s upcoming rerecord of her debut album , Taylor Swift ( Taylor ’s Version ) , can accomplish what The Eras Tour could n’t - or refused to .
The sound of slamming screen room access , late - night earpiece calls , and laugh are all a part of the song that represent their love life for each other . " Our Song " made Taylor Swiftthe first female solo country artist to ever solo - write and execute a # 1 res publica birdcall . This is a bequest Swift would continue to post , and although she has written even better songs than this one , the fact it happened so early on in her career make it extremely notable .
8Long Live
Speak Now (2010)
Every song onSpeak Nowwas solo - written , but " Long Live " is one of Swift ’s most personal Sung dynasty on the album . It makes good sense that she would n’t involve any co - writers in this one , as only she would understand the experience of seeing her dream hail true . When she do " Long Live " on theSpeak NowTour , Swift tell apart the interview that she got the melody for the Song dynasty in her brain while waiting to go on microscope stage during her former headlining term of enlistment forFearless .
The song chronicle Swift ’s career journey from the days when she and her stria member were just " a dance band of thieves in rip - up jeans " until a hypothetical future where circumstances ended her career . Despite being about her and her band members,“Long Live " is also for the fans . When Swift would cover phrases in her lyrical booklets , the Sung dynasty ’s hidden message was " for you . " While"Long Live " was only on the Eras Tour setlistfor a special time , it will always represent the unbreakable connectedness between Swift and her fans .
7Lover
Lover (2019)
WithReputation , not only did Swift not solo - pen any songs , but the output was mostly very intemperate , leaning into trap influences . WithLover , Swift returned to her vocalist - songwriter roots , particularly with the record album ’s title track . " Lover " was the first fourth dimension one of Taylor Swift ’s albums had a rubric track sinceRed , and it was also the first acoustic guitar - fleshy song since that album . " Lover " is one of Swift ’s best - spell and most fair love songs . For old age , Taylor Swift wrote love song about the kind of relationship she dreamed of but was never in .
noblewoman and gentlemen , will you please stand
With every guitar string scar on my script
I take this charismatic force of a man to be my fan
My nub ’s been borrowed and yours has been puritanic
All ’s well that ends well to terminate up with you
Custom Image by Yeider Chacon
In " Lover , " she peach from the position of someone who has finally find that relationship . The nosepiece is arguably the best part of the strain , as Swift puts her own twist on wedding vows . She sings about the " guitar string " scars on her fingers from writing so many breakup songs . It ’s a metaphor for how her mate has vowed to take her bridge player in marriage , past relationship luggage and all . " Lover " is a defining song of the album and was a breath of fresh gentle wind for fans who missed her more acoustical phone from her early career twenty-four hours .
6Fifteen
From " 22 " to mentions of being seventeen and not knowing anything in " betty , " Swift has always loved numbers . Despite the popularity of " 22 , " her first time diagnose a call after an geezerhood was " Fifteen " off her sophomore albumFearless . The vocal is a retrospective take on being a teenager , navigate high school day , pop tiddler , and heartbreak . Swift advert her best protagonist , Abigail Anderson , doubly in " Fifteen . "
The first mention comes when she sings about befriend Anderson in class . The 2d is when she talk a vulnerable logical argument about Anderson giving " everything she had " to her boyfriend , who end up breaking up with her . Most of all , " Fifteen " is advice to any of Swift ’s youthful listeners and a reflection on how much she has originate since . This personal tinge that has such an honest message certainly makes it one of Swift ’s best solo - written song , behind only a few others .
5My Tears Ricochet
folklore (2020)
Another call Swift could have only written alone is " my tears ricochet . " It is one ofSwift ’s strongest track 5 songsand one of her most heartbreaking ever . When Swift wrotefolklore , most of the songs were fancied tales based on movies and books she consumed during the COVID-19 lockdown . “my tears ricochet " has fictional elements , too , as Swift sings about an opprobrious married man attending his wife ’s funeral .
With all 3 songs being featured in The Eras Tour Movie ( Taylor ’s Version ) , there ’s no expert time to recap Taylor Swift ’s " folklore " erotic love trigon .
The song , however , is also about the falling out between Swift and her former disc recording label president , Scott Borchetta , who sold her music out from under her . This is made absolved through the lyric , " When you ca n’t slumber at night / You ’ll hear my steal lullaby . " While Swift ’s co - author might know her better than anyone , only she could fully infer the pain sensation of losing her animation ’s work to someone she thought would always have her back . It was the ultimate treachery , and Swift was able-bodied to put it into password brilliantly , bringing her pain to life .
4Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?
The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
While Swift wrote a lot ofThe Tortured Poets Departmentwith frequent collaborators Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner , she wrote a few song alone , too . " Who ’s Afraid of Little Old Me ? " was one of the record album ’s solo - written tracks . Swift describe the song as being something she wrote after feeling very frustrated about growing up in the medicine diligence . The bridge , whenshe consult to the industry as " the asylum where they grow me,“showcases her frustration well .
When Swift coined the phrase " Female madness : The Musical " to describeThe Tortured Poets Departmentset on The Eras Tour , " Who ’s Afraid of Little Old Me ? " assist as a centrepiece , which offers a perfect summary of the song itself .
She also seems to address the vocalizer coming up in the industry now who have disesteem her with lyrics like " Butmy bare hand paved their path / You do n’t get to tell me about distressing . " However , the chorus of " Who ’s Afraid of Little Old Me ? " is one of the strain ’s strong points . Swift let out a pedigree - clot scream while spill the beans the lyrics andlater compares her calling to " the carnival life . “It is one of the most knock-down racetrack on the record album , with vigorous lyrics that Swift needed no assistance writing , and surely one of her most memorable ever pen .
3Cornelia Street
Another self - write lay off ofLoveris " Cornelia Street . " On1989 , Swift wrote about moving to New York City in her 20s . At the clip , she ’d just bought a penthouse in Tribeca , Manhattan , which she still owns today . During a period when it was under construction , however , Swift was renting an apartment on Cornelia Street , a low block not far from Washington Square Park .
During theReputationera , when Swift was stick around mostly out of the public center , she spend a lot of prison term at this apartment with her married person . In " Cornelia Street , " she sings about the confidential involvement , mostly focusing on howshe would never be able to walk down that street again if her partner left herbecause the retention would stalk her . " Cornelia Street " is quite haunting itself , but it ’s also a beautiful ballad about the sometimes delicateness of relationship , and its status as such a fan - favorite makes it one of her well written .
2Nothing New
Red (Taylor’s Version) (2021)
On the originalRed , Taylor Swift had solo - written eight of the cart track . However , when sherereleased it asRed ( Taylor ’s Version ) , she included a few more solo - spell song , including " Nothing New . " Returning to her captivation with age , Swift babble out about have it away " everything at 18 but nothing at 22.“The vocal connects to both " Fifteen , " which she released at 18 when she felt much wise , and " 22 , " where she bring up feel " confused and lonely . " The song also touch base to a line from " The Lucky One , " about new singers coming to replace Swift , as " Nothing New " is centered on this topic .
I had too much to drink tonight
And I hump it ’s sad , but this is what I consider about
And I wake up in the middle of the dark
It ’s like I can feel time moving
How can a person love everything at 18 but nothing at 22 ?
And will you still want me when I ’m nothing unexampled ?
Swift seems to feel as though she is old intelligence , and shortly , everyone will get bored of her . She saw herself in her early life history as a sparkly unexampled toy everyone was trance with , but on her fourth disk , she felt go out and assume a new " ingénue " would steal everyone ’s attention . “Nothing New " is quite anxiety - inducing , even if , at 35 , Swift is still one of the biggest stars on the major planet . It ’s incredibly vulnerable , and Swift rooter are lucky the Isaac Merrit Singer decided to free the song from the vault . Only one other manages to upright this masterpiece .
1Dear John
At only 19 years former , Swift was a prolific songster , and her solo - written track " Dear John " is one of many model . It ’s a heartbreaking ballad about dating an older Isle of Man and then being bequeath out in the coldness . Like many Taylor Swift Sung , it has a powerful bridge with cagy rhymes and symbolic lyric . fleet sings about ignoring warning of her partner ’s toxicity , how she overlook his obvious use , and how she should have have sex he was sorry news from the starting line .
The song is a mention to Dear John letters , which woman typically institutionalise to men in the military to call off wild-eyed relationships . fleet smartly utilise this as a agency to let her former partner roll in the hay the relationship is over , and she has seen so much pellucidity since cease things . If any of the songsTaylor Swifthas written alone were to prove just how lyrically gifted she is , " Dear John " is the one .