cardigan
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Verse 1
Vintage tee, brand new phoneHigh heels on cobblestonesWhen you are young, they assume you know nothingSequin smile, black lipstickSensual politicsWhen you are young, they assume you know nothingChorus
But I knew youDancin' in your Levi'sDrunk under a streetlight, II knew youHand under my sweatshirtBaby, kiss it better, IRefrain
And when I felt like I was an old cardiganUnder someone's bedYou put me on and said I was your favoriteVerse 2
A friend to all is a friend to noneChase two girls, lose the oneWhen you are young, they assume you know nothingChorus
But I knew youPlaying hide-and-seek andGiving me your weekends, II knew youYour heartbeat on the High LineOnce in twenty lifetimes, IRefrain
And when I felt like I was an old cardiganUnder someone's bedYou put me on and said I was your favoriteBridge
To kiss in cars and downtown barsWas all we neededYou drew stars around my scarsBut now I'm bleedin'Chorus
'Cause I knew youSteppin' on the last trainMarked me like a bloodstain, II knew youTried to change the endingPeter losing Wendy, II knew youLeavin' like a fatherRunning like water, IAnd when you are young, they assume you know nothingVerse 3
But I knew you'd linger like a tattoo kissI knew you'd haunt all of my what-ifsThe smell of smoke would hang around this long'Cause I knew everything when I was youngI knew I'd curse you for the longest timeChasin' shadows in the grocery lineI knew you'd miss me once the thrill expiredAnd you'd be standin' in my front porch lightAnd I knew you'd come back to meYou'd come back to meAnd you'd come back to meAnd you'd come backRefrain
And when I felt like I was an old cardiganUnder someone's bedYou put me on and said I was your favoriteWhat the song means
A reflection on a youthful romance where the narrator understood their partner deeply but felt discarded like an old cardigan. Despite heartbreak and being forgotten, the narrator knew they would haunt their ex-partner forever, predicting their eventual return. The song explores how young love can feel eternal even when it ends.
Learn a word
cardigan — a knitted sweater that buttons up the front
used metaphorically to represent something old, comfortable, and easily forgotten
Song info
- Release date
- 2020-07-24
- Album
- folklore
- Written by
- Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner
- Produced by
- Aaron Dessner
- Interpolates
- Taylor Swift – cardigan (songwriting voice memo)