“Lover” by Taylor Swift is the fourth track to be released leading up to her seventh studio album, which is named after this track. The single was released on midnight, August 16, to the great joy of the Swiftie universe. The album contains 18 tracks in total, and will be released on August 23.
The song Lover is undoubtedly a love song, as the title implies. In a recent Vogue article, Swift said of the song, “This has one of my favorite bridges. I love a bridge, and I was really able to go to Bridge City.” Vogue interviewer Abby Aguirre described the song as “a romantic, haunting, waltzy, singer-songwritery nugget: classic Swift.”
Swift also said that Lover as an album “might be” the best album she’s ever made. “There are so many ways in which this album feels like a new beginning,” she said. “This album is really a love letter to love, in all of its maddening, passionate, exciting, enchanting, horrific, tragic, wonderful glory.”
Here are the lyrics to Lover:
We could leave the Christmas lights up til January
And this is our place
We make the rules
And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you dear
Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years?
[Chorus]
Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
And ah, take me out, and take me home
You’re my, my, my, my
Lover
We could let our friends crash in the living room
This is our place, we make the call
And I’m highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you
I’ve loved you three summers baby, but I want them all
[Chorus]
Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
And ah, take me out, and take me home
You’re my, my, my, my
Lover
Ladies and gentleman will you please stand?
With every guitar string scar on my hand
I take this magnetic force of a man to be mine
Lover
My hearts been borrowed and yours has been blue
All’s well that end’s well to end up with you
Swear to be over-dramatic and true
To my lover
And you’ll save all your dirtiest jokes for me
At every table, I’ll save you a seat
Lover
Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
And ah, take me out, and take me home
You’re my, my, my, my
Lover
Here’s what you need to know:
The Hidden Meaning of the Song Lover
Lover is, on its surface, a pretty straight-forward love song. Within the song, Swift sings about being with the person that she wants to be with for the rest of her life with a “magnetic man”, one who she’s been with for the past three summers.
Swift deploys a sense of longing and contentment throughout the song, where she feels both confident in the longevity of the relationship and still feels the need to ask her lover if she can go wherever he goes.
Of course, one of the most hidden meanings of the song might have to do with Swift’s marital status. Fans immediately set to speculating over whether the song’s true meaning comes in the form of an announcement of sorts: over her potential engagement or even secret marriage.
Fans were eager to interpret the meaning for themselves as soon as the song came out. “It’s a Joe song for sure,” one user tweeted.
Easter Eggs & Fan Theories Within Lover
One of the Easter eggs within Lover is the lyric about Christmas:
We could leave the Christmas lights up til January
In ME!, Swift stands next to a Christmas tree at one point, which has led many fans to speculate about the involvement of the holiday in this song. What’s more, the verified account Taylor Nation tweeted a series of emojis including a Christmas tree emoji in the tweet leading up to this song.
Another Easter Egg seems to be in her reference to herself, where she talks about the “guitar string scars” on her hand. Swift is known for having an autobiographical flair within her songwriting, and Lover appears to be no different.
Many fans wondered if this song is Swift’s way of saying she’s engaged. After all, she includes the lyrics:
“Ladies and gentleman will you please stand?
With every guitar string scar on my hand
I take this magnetic force of a man to be mine”
It’s also worth noting that the heart in the lyric video for the song is set to the theme of the Union Jack, the national flag of England.
READ NEXT: Is Taylor Swift Engaged or Married? Fans Speculate After Release of ‘Lover’