What does "the 1" by Taylor Swift mean?
“the 1” Lyrics Meaning
“I found myself,” Taylor said of the “folklore” album on her Instagram, “Not only writing my own stories, but also writing about or from the perspective of people I’ve never met, people I’ve known, or those I wish I hadn’t.” Since Taylor is currently in a committed relationship, and has been for several years, this song is likely not her own, or at least probably not one that reflects her current life.
“But we were something, don’t you think so?”
Like many of the songs of ‘folklore,’ “the 1” looks back on a relationship that is already over. The narrator seems to be moved on in many ways from the pain of the loss, but still wonders how they could have come so close to a lifetime together and parted ways. As she’s speaking to her ex-lover, she wants to know if there’s anything that she could have done differently to keep them together.
Verse 1
I'm doing good, I'm on some new s**t
Been saying "yes" instead of "no"
I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn't though
I hit the ground running each night
I hit the Sunday matinée
You know the greatest films of all time were never made
The narrator tells her ex-lover that she’s doing well and learning to live her life to the fullest. She still thinks of him at times, and thought she saw him at the bus stop. The references to going out to the movies on a Sunday, or hitting ‘the ground running each night’ may be intended highlight that while she’s enjoying her life, she does notice that she’s not doing those things with him. She reflects on their history, and decides that just because it didn’t work out, doesn’t mean that their love wasn’t worth it.
Pre-Chorus
I guess you never know, never know
And if you wanted me, you really should've showed
And if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow
And it's alright now
She seems to have been surprised that they had to break up, but has come to terms with it and used the painful experience to grow even more as a person.
Chorus
But we were something, don't you think so?
Roaring twenties, tossing pennies in the pool
And if my wishes came true
It would've been you
In my defense, I have none
For never leaving well enough alone
But it would've been fun
If you would've been the one
She thinks fondly of their time together and muses that they “were something” special. If the wishes she had made when they were in love had come true, he would have been the one she spent her life with. It’s unclear if she still wants that. She admits that she wasn’t blameless, and should have left “well enough alone.” (This line may be linked to her song ‘ME!’ from her previous album where she sings “I know that I went psycho on the phone/ I never leave well enough alone.”) Whether she still wants to be with him or not, she thinks it would have been fun if he had been the one she settled down with, so their story together could go on for the rest of their lives.
Verse 2
I have this dream you're doing cool s**t
Having adventures on your own
You meet some woman on the internet and take her home
We never painted by the numbers, baby
But we were making it count
You know the greatest loves of all time are over now
The way the first line is worded, it sounds more like she hopes that he’s enjoying his life and moving on too, not like she’s having a literal recurring dream that he is (though that is also a valid interpretation.) She takes her reflection a step past saying that their relationship was worth it even though it ended, by deciding that their love was one of the greatest “of all time.”
Bridge
I, I, I persist and resist the temptation to ask you
If one thing had been different
Would everything be different today?
She doesn’t want to stir up the past, but it is difficult for her to “leave well enough alone” and leave her questions unanswered. Still, she resists the urge to ask if he thinks that they might still be together if things had happened only a little bit differently.
Chorus 2
We were something, don't you think so?
Rosé flowing with your chosen family
And it would've been sweet
If it could've been me
In my defense, I have none
For digging up the grave another time
But it would've been fun
If you would've been the one
She admits that she has “no defense” for “digging up the grave” of their love to talk with him, but she keeps thinking about how close they seemingly came to staying together permanently. The relationship was serious enough that she spent time with his loved ones, and she wants closure on things.
Deeper Meaning of “the 1” by Taylor Swift
Things often don’t go as we expect them to, and it can be difficult to release our hopes for the future as life goes in a different direction. “the 1” is a reminder that it is possible to grieve what almost was for a little while, even while we move forward to appreciate the beauty of the present. As time passes, the wound heals, and it becomes easier to recall the loss of what might have been without it bringing us back to wishing for it again.
