Babylon - Taylor Swift: A breakdown and review

A little introduction

I am the type of person that has a high level of dedication to my music taste. I have a passion to learn the lyrics to every song I find bare-minimum good. I have a playlist that has approximately 950 songs that I know every word to and practice singing along perfectly. I listen to the playlist in order for practice and listen on shuffle for fun.

I listen to albums in full and lean heavily into the lyrics to understand the story being told. I find that there are various types of music listeners. One is like me; the music is about the lyrics. I focus on the meanings and the stories; the production is a secondary aspect. To me, it’s like a book, the lyrics are the story being told and the production is the visual details, like the cover or font size. Another type is people who focus on the production; metal fans are like that. They focus on the skill, the technique, and the overall effect.

I listen to songs focused on lyrics when I can sing-along or I can hear the words. I listen to songs focused on production when I am working. It’s something that metal, lo-fi hip-hop beats, and classical orchestra have in common – It’s music that helps me focus. Yet I am always able to identify the merit in any song I listen to; the meanings, the instruments; the lyrics; the humour; the technique; or anything else that might catch my attention.

The one is a lyric and song breakdown – I am looking at the overall meaning, I’m looking at the time it is being released, I’m looking at what I think the intended message is supposed to be, and I’m giving my take on the song itself.

Today I’m looking at Taylor Swift’s Babylon (2026). I am a huge Taylor Swift fan, mostly because of the storytelling. I think it’s impressive to be able to turn a full story into a catchy sing-along. When she released the songs, Babylon caught my attention immediately. I immediately was thinking about the mention of the Garden of Babylon in Cowboy like Me (2020), and I’m thrilled that it matched my expectations.

Song: Babylon

Album: The Life of a Showgirl – The Encore

Year: 2026

Artist: Taylor Swift

Genre: Synth-Pop; Indie Folk; Folk-pop

A quick disclaimer: I’m trying to avoid any form of paternity testing on this review. I have a firm belief that Swift stopped giving her real auto-biographical songs with reputation (2017). I don’t think that her songs are 100% fictional, but I do believe that she is telling the story of Taylor Swift™ not Taylor Allison Swift. Her character in the media is the story being told, we will never know who she is for real. Swift said it best in her reputation foreword: “We think we know someone, but the trust is that we only know the version of them they have chosen to show us.”

Babylon was released about one year after The Life of a Showgirl (2025) as a part of the deluxe track list for the same album. The album itself was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, and I believe that The Encore (2026) tracks were a response to the mixed reviews and Swift’s general public image at the time. There are three major meanings that I can easily pinpoint with the specific song that highlight various parts of Swift’s public and personal life, alongside broader life lessons. The first of the meanings is that everything is better with the filter of nostalgia. The second gives a warning to stay present in your life. The third meaning, the most interesting in my opinion, is that Swift’s work is always appreciated after the media cycle of the album has concluded.

Everything is better with the filter of nostalgia.

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

-          A quote about the younger generation

This is not a new life lesson; it is not a new idea created by Taylor Swift ™ but rather something that has been brought up throughout time. The quote above details the nostalgia for a generation that was before the current youth of today, and the quote comes from Socrates. There is a sentiment that the Before™ has always been better, that the people in the past had it more figured out, and that we shouldn’t be getting lost in what’s past, because it’s just that - the past.

An example that comes to mind for me in pop culture is in How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014), season 6-episode 20 “The Exploding Meatball Sub” there is a description of a trick the mind plays on yourself making something you dislike into something that you will miss when it is about to end. In the episode, they refer to the trick as “Graduation Goggles.” This goes well with what Neel Burton, Psychology Today, explains as “rosy retrospection”. The meaning given by Burton, “Nostalgia can lend us much-needed context, perspective, and direction, reminding and reassuring us that our life is not as banal as it may seem, that it is rooted in a narrative, and that there have been, and will once again be, meaningful moments and experiences. No surprise, then, that nostalgia is commoner at times of change or uncertainty.” It tells us that the past will always be remembered in positive ways.

With time we gain perspective, we gain the ability to understand those harder moments with more appreciation. No matter how we live now, we have the distance from the painful memories, and we will think of what was good about it – even if we hate it. In the lyrics of Babylon, “And you hate this song, But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone, Then that melody is all you want.”

The feeling of longing is touched on in Kate Bowler’s Joyful Anyway (2026). Bowler refers to that feeling of longing and aching for the what ifs in a lovely way,

And in those moments when we feel certain that we’ll die of longing, we don’t.

It is an absence that drills a bitter well. We drink and drink and drink, hoping we can run it dry but more bubbles up from the deep. And still we thirst. (Bowler 2026, 25)

In those same lyrics being repeated throughout the song, Swift tells the story of a young man leaving his small hometown where he felt his life was repressed to continue onto a life of being on the move and not settling. Swift details the man falling in love but still being drawn towards his ambitions and reluctance to settle. At the end of each stage of the man’s life however, he still aches for that very same thing he hated while he had it.

Even in a personal way, I relate to this character. I simply get lost in the past, I look at my current life, and I wonder – If I knew what I know now, would I have been better in those situations that hurt me now. I struggle with my own family, but I still crave their relations. I can acknowledge the way my ex-boyfriend has hurt me, and I still think if I just took out all the bad, the good was still good.

It’s easier to look back and understand the hurt, especially when you have the larger narrative to look at. With the earned perspective, we see our stories laid out as if it were a special story written just for ourselves. There’s a reason that slice-of-life movies are so common, there’s a reason that people are able to relate to unrealistic movie characters. Our memory tells our story, and nostalgia turns that story into something palpable for ourselves.

If we look back, and we have our rose-coloured glasses that tell us how great it was, of course we’re going to feel like the past had it right.

Warning: Danger in the Past – Stay Present in the Present

Swift is giving us a clear message here.

The warning comes in the bridge:

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 missing all the best parts

And they're all at home

She's hanging Christmas lights with your son

Sneak into the bathroom to call her mom

And say, "It's not working

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 (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

Swift is clear in this part. She gives the explanation that pain comes with the habit of being lost in the past, and the habit of glorifying the past once it’s gone. She is giving the listener the explanation that it is not just you that you are hurting, it’s your loved ones around you too. The hurt comes from the hurt and the neglect.

Swift’s narrative gives a snapshot into the person’s life. There’s a woman with your son, presumably the character’s wife, feeling neglected and knowing that there’s nothing she can do to fix the relationship. Swift then goes into the final two renditions of the chorus, she reminds the character that he does love her, and if he snaps out of this cycle of nostalgia, he might be able to fix the problem. Yet, by the end of the song, he’s alone, and he’s lost his enjoyment of the present to the past again.   

This is, yet again, not a new idea, but Swift does masterful storytelling that gives the warning about losing out on enjoying your life because of the what-ifs and the ache of longing. In the last episode of The Office, the character Andy Bernard says, “I wish there was a way to know you're in 'the good old days', before you've actually left them. Someone should write a song about that.”

This is something I have spent quite a while working on myself. I used to scoff at the idea of mindfulness, because I didn’t understand what the goal was. I understand now that the purpose was never to have no thoughts, but to just notice and appreciate what it in front of me. I changes how I sit with myself now. I can enjoy being without my phone, I can take the time to feel the massiveness of the world in comparison to me without feeling the overwhelming urge to distract myself from the smallness it brings.

Taylor Swift’s music is always appreciated later.

I have been a fan of Taylor Swift since she put out Debut. I wasn’t listening to her or following her as intently as I do now, but I always enjoyed her music. I remember listening to her on the floor of my friend Julia’s bedroom, and I remember I would sing the songs in the shower. I remember discussing with my brother whether she would take Taylor Launter’s last name and if they would both be Taylor Launter. I remember lecturing my older cousin, who I never wanted to disagree with, about how it wasn’t very feminist of her make negative comments about her dating history. Even now, when people say they dislike her music, I will say, “Okay, it’s not for everyone. I like it though.”

One thing I have noticed throughout Swift’s history is that there is always criticism about the album when it is released, then when the next album’s media cycle begins, the older albums are suddenly loved.

Her debut album, Taylor Swift (2006) was critiqued for forcing country; Fearless (2008) was critiqued for shaky vocals, a naïve worldview, and dependence on co-writers; Speak Now (2010) had backlash for being petty and trying too hard; RED (2012) was criticized for sonic inconsistency and too focused on relationships; 1989 (2014) was accused of losing her personality in the writing, going overboard on production, and conforming too much; reputation (2017) was too aggressive and didn’t match her public persona; Lover (2019) was too long and was too much of a shift after reputation; Folklore (2020) was too muted and too lyric-heavy; Evermore (2020) gave accusations of over-saturation on the market and giving the leftovers of Folklore; Midnights (2022) wasn’t upbeat enough for a moody synth-pop album and lacked the same energy of 1989 (which as a quick reminder – was a criticism of 1989); The Tortured Poets Department (2024) had criticism of being too long, too much, and too dense.

Now we’ve arrived at The Life of a Showgirl (2025), which somehow has received criticism for not being lyrically complex and doesn’t have enough emotional depth. What that really means is that it is not sad. There is a lovely story being told, we are getting to see art being made out of pure love and happiness. Swift could retire at any point, and she won’t until she is done – Thank god.

I don’t want music made by people who only want to chart and make money, I don’t want music from people who will change themselves and their expression to match to fold. I think something that has been demonstrated through Swift’s career is clear, you can’t win with everyone.

It feels like every single story as a child has taught a similar moral – Be Yourself. Don’t Change for anyone. March to the beat of your own drum.

That’s what Taylor Swift does, and the backlash is insane. Luckily, Swift has had a few interviews where she comments on this very topic. Swift explains the industry itself is terrible to aging artists, especially women. She wrote Nothing New (2021) when she was 22 years old with the fear that she was too old and would be kicked out. In an interview earlier this year, Swift explained,

When it gets a little bit weird for me is when people act like it’s a paternity test — “this song’s about that person.” Because I’m like, “That dude didn’t write the song, I did.” But that’s part of it. You have to hold tight to your perception of your art and your relationship with it, and then you just have to, like: “There it goes. Hope you like it. If you don’t now, hope you do in five years. And if you never do, then I was doing it for me anyway.”

Yeah, criticism has been a huge fuel for me. It’s been a huge jumping-off point, like a creative-writing prompt or something. There are so many songs in my career that would not exist — “Blank Space” would not exist if I hadn’t had people being like, “Here’s a slideshow of all her boyfriends.” And then “Anti-Hero” is a song that I’m so proud of, still. That song doesn’t exist if I don’t get criticized for every aspect of my personality that people have a problem with. (Swift 2026)

It strikes me as a clear reference, the meaning of Babylon is not just about mindfulness and nostalgia, but also about how she is appreciated with that same nostalgia. Swift’s career has been consistently criticized THEN appreciated. She is not blind to that fact. I think that she is also saying, you lose your headphones (the popularity of the older albums and the introduction of her new sound) and now that melody is all they want.  

In Conclusion:

I really loved the song, I loved writing this review, and I think I might do an album review next. We’ll see!

While Taylor Swift has written a few songs about nostalgia, the ache of longing, and being caught up in the past, and so have many other great musicians. Here’s my non-exhaustive list from songs on my playlist (the order is me scrolling from top to bottom): * The marked songs are songs where it is this same feeling but with happiness or hopefulness added on

“1985” – Bowling for Soup

“Christmas Tree Farm” – Taylor Swift

“the arrival” – Yan Qing

“Houses” – Masie Peters

“Such A Funny Way” – Sabrina Carpenter

“I knew it, I knew you” – Taylor Swift

“I Can’t” – Goldie Boutilier

“Better Song” – Eliza McLamb

“Eldest Daughter” – Taylor Swift

“Ruin The Friendship” – Taylor Swift*

“The Longest Time” – Billy Joel*

“God take me out of LA” – Eliza McLamb

“The Black Dog” – Taylor Swift

“I Hate It Here” – Taylor Swift

“Coffee” – Chappell Roan

“Picture You” – Chappell Roan

“Before” – Eliza McLamb

“Crybaby” – Eliza McLamb

“stranger” – Olivia Rodrigo*

“COOL!” – Leanna Firestone*

“There it goes” – Masie Peters*

“Two Weeks Ago” – Masie Peters

“Stick Season” – Noah Kahan

“Style” – Taylor Swift

“I wish you would” – Taylor Swift

“Clean” – Taylor Swift*

“making the bed” – Olivia Rodrigo

“the grudge” – Olivia Rodrigo

“Watch” – Masie Peters

“In the Kitchen” – Renee Rapp

“Never Grow Up” – Taylor Swift*

“Loser at Best” – Wallice

“Best Friend” – Wallice

“Reincarnation” – Leanna Firestone*

“Midnight Rain” – Taylor Swift

“Those Nights” – Melina KB

“Coming Soon” – Annie DiRusso

“All Too Well (10 minute version)” – Taylor Swift

“happier” – Olivia Rodrigo

“Getting Old Sucks (But Everybody’s Doing It)” – Bowling For Soup*

“right where you left me” – Taylor Swift

“April” – Beach Bunny

“According To You” – Orianthi

“Death by a thousand cuts” – Taylor Swift

“Family Portrait” – P!nk

“Don’t Wanna Think” – Julia Michaels

“When you’re gone” – Avril Lavigne

“Live Like You Were Dying” – Tim McGraw*

“Almost” – Bowling For Soup

Decoding of the Lyrics (From Me + Genius Lyrics)

The casino doesn't like when you run the tables

[ A person in charge does not want to see a change in the power dynamics]And though the box is wrapped up nice, it's just a cage to you

[The relationship may appear perfect from an outside perspective, but can be harmful inside of it]Those electric fences buzzThe stallion flees the stable

[Despite the risks that come with the escape, you do it anyways]And that small town's even smaller now in your rear view

[With a larger worldview, you realize that you’ve grown too]You ran with all the wild things

[You took advantage of your freedom]A liberated libertine who then longed for home

[Yet you still miss home]

'Cause it's where you're from

[Because it is your past and it a part of who you are]Aunt Virginia with a church dress onNo elbows on the table

[Memories of the restrictive manners and traditions]And the neighbor's lawn always looked betterYour hand-me-down sweater should've been from the mall

[Memories of the constant feeling of comparison] And you hate this song

[You never liked it, you wanted to leave for a reason]But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone

[You’ve realized that you no longer have the option to go back]Then that melody is all you want

[You have grown to understand the importance of those small comforts]You never knew that it was Babylon'Til it was gone

[You would never have realized that you wanted those small comforts until you have no choice]

Give the people what they want, then you keep it movin'Make your plans and friends, a stranger's makeup on your tie

[Create connections, build your network, don’t commit or settle]Twenty watches in the safe 'cause your time is money

[You feel like wealth and monetary success is more important] Love is ice upon the ladder that you need to climb

[You believe love will stop your climb to success]She captured your attention, so free of all pretensionIt stopped you cold

[Her personality was genuine and the shared love stopped your climb]Because she loved you soPretty as a picture that you didn't post

[You got to keep her love a secret and enjoy the love she gave]Looking at you like you're made of solid gold

[She had you on a pedestal and saw the best in you]Never officialYou mention you're single to the girls at the bar

[You never confirmed the relationship, and you seek out other girls]And you hate this song

[You never wanted the relationship; you hated being tied down]But you wake up on the train with your headphones goneAnd then that melody is all you want

[Now that the relationship has ended, you want her back]You never knew that it was Babylon'Til it was gone[You never would have appreciated her unless you couldn’t have her anymore]

You're using nostalgia as a weapon to hurt yourselfBut darling, you end up hurting everybody else

[You think you are only punishing yourself by not being present, but it causes others to feel neglected] The self-harm of never being where you areIt's bedtime, but you're sitting in your carYou're missing all the best parts

[By spending all your time reflecting on the nostalgia of the past, you miss out on the enjoyment of the present] And they're all at homeShe's hanging Christmas lights with your sonSneak into the bathroom to call her momAnd say, "It's not workingIt's just not worth it if we're not what he wants"

[This gives a snapshot of a situation that exemplifies the bridge. You are missing the best parts of being a parent, you are missing out on the relationship you have, you are going to lose everything] But you love this song

[This is a lyric change, saying that you want this]You wake up on the train with your headphones goneThen that melody is all you wantYou never knew that it was BabylonAnd now, it's almost gone

[this is the warning – You love this, and if you don’t stop reflecting on the past, you will lose this too]Aunt Virginia with a church dress onNo elbows on the table (It's almost gone)And the neighbor's lawn always looked betterYour hand-me-down sweater should've been from the mall

[A reminder of the first thing that made you have these reflections]But you love this song, you wake up on the train and you're all aloneThen that memory is all you wantYou never knew that it was Babylon'Til it was gone

[You lost it, you are alone, and you will be stuck in this loop until you realize the pain not staying present causes]

Sources used to write this

Bowler, Kate. 2026. Joyful, Anyway. Toronto: Doubleday Canada.

Burt, Stephanie. 2025. "How We've Misunderstood Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl received mixed reviews from fans and critics. But it may be her most honest work yet." The Yale Review. October 20. https://yalereview.org/article/stephanie-burt-taylor-swift.

Burton, Neel. 2026. The Meaning of Nosalgia: The psychology and philosophy of nostalgia. March 7. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/hide-and-seek/201411/the-meaning-of-nostalgia.

Chapple, Emma. 2016. "A Completely Subjective Ranking of Taylor Swift's Albums." Medium. August 23. https://emma-chapple.medium.com/my-completely-subjective-ranking-of-taylor-swifts-albums-87a810659dc4.

Forrester, Brent. 2013. Season 9, Episode 23 - A. A. R. M. TV Series Episode. Directed by David Rogers. Produced by NBC. Performed by Ed Helms.

Fry, Stephen. 2011. Season 6, Episode 20 - The Exploding Meatball Sub. TV Series Episode. Directed by Pamela Fryman. Produced by CBS.

Keefe, Jonathan. 2008. "Review: Taylor Swift, Fearless." Slant Magazine. November 16. https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/taylor-swift-fearless/.

Matousek, Mark. 2014. "Album Review: '1989' by Taylor Swift." Student Life. October 30. https://www.studlife.com/cadenza/music/2014/10/30/album-review-1989-by-taylor-swift.

ML Genius Holdings, LLC. 2026. Taylor Swift - Babylon Lyrics. September 25. https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-babylon-lyrics.

Swift, Taylor, interview by Joe Coscarelli. 2026. The Taylor Swift Interview The New York Times Magazine, (April 28).