Taylor Swift’s ‘Babylon’ Lyrics Have a Secret Emotional Meaning—Read Them Here
Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl era isn’t over quite yet. Nearly a year after her record-breaking album mesmerized Swifties, the singer has rewarded her loyal fanbase with a deluxe edition, subtitled The Encore.
Released on Friday, September 25, The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore features four new songs: “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding,” and “Babylon.” Swifties have already been busy analyzing and sharing their thoughts on the first three tracks, but now, attention has shifted to “Babylon.”
What are Taylor Swift’s “Babylon” lyrics about?
Throughout the song, Swift tells the story of a man, described as a “liberated libertine,” who ditches his “small town” in Virginia for something more. Despite the initial excitement, he longs for home and becomes nostalgic for the life he built there.
Swift even nods to the classic saying “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” in the chorus, singing, “And you hate this song / But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone / Then that melody is all you want / You never knew that it was Babylon / ‘Til it was gone.”
Ultimately, Swift suggests that the man becomes so consumed by wanting something else that he doesn’t realize he’s living in the good old days until they become the old days.
The man soon meets a girl who loves him, and it “stopped him cold.” However, he keeps her at a distance and never makes their relationship official. By the bridge, Swift reveals that this man eventually starts a family—but he’s so consumed by nostalgia for his past that he starts “missin’ all the best parts” of his current life.
“And they’re all at home / She’s hangin’ Christmas lights with your son,” Swift sings in the pre-chorus. “Sneak into the bathroom to call her mom / And say, ‘It’s not workin / It’s just not worth it if we’re not what he wants.’”
In the end, the man becomes determined not to let nostalgia take over his life.
“Babylon” full lyrics
The casino doesn’t like when you run the tables
And though the box is wrapped up nice, it’s just a cage to you
Those electric fences buzz
The stallion flees the stable
And that small town’s even smaller now in your rear view
You ran with all the wild things
A liberated libertine who then longed for home
‘Cause it’s where you’re from
Aunt Virginia with a church dress on
No elbows on the table
And the neighbor’s lawn always looked better
Your hand-me-down sweater should’ve been from the mall
And you hate this song
But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone
Then that melody is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
‘Til it was gone
Give the people what they want, then you keep it movin’
Make your plans and friends, a stranger’s makeup on your tie
Twenty watches in the safe ’cause your time is money
Love is ice upon the ladder that you need to climb
She captured your attention, so free of all pretension
It stopped you cold
Because she loved you so
Pretty as a picture that you didn’t post
Lookin’ at you like you’re made of solid gold
Never official
You mention you’re single to the girls at the bar
You hate this song
But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone
And then that melody is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
‘Til it was gone
You’re using nostalgia as a weapon to hurt yourself
But darling, you end up hurting everybody else
The self-harm of never being where you are
It’s bedtime, but you’re sitting in your car
You’re missin’ all the best parts
And they’re all at home
She’s hangin’ Christmas lights with your son
Sneak into the bathroom to call her mom
And say, “It’s not workin’
It’s just not worth it if we’re not what he wants”
But you love this song
You wake up on the train with your headphones gone
Then that melody is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
And now, it’s almost gone
Aunt Virginia with a church dress on
No elbows on the table and it’s almost gone (It’s almost gone)
And the neighbor’s lawn always looked better
Your hand-me-down sweater should’ve been from the mall
But you love this song
You wake up on the train and you’re all alone
Then that memory is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
‘Til it was gone
