Taylor Swift Subtly Altered Another Lyric in Controversial ‘Better Than Revenge’ and No One Realized

Taylor Swift’s album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) broke the record of the most-streamed country album in a 24-hour period on Spotify. Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was released on July 7, and in the days preceding it, people speculated over whether or not Taylor Swift would change the Better Than Revenge lyrics, which have been condemned for being anti-feminist. As expected, the track came with a modern update that was instantly noticeable by Swifties.

It is clear that Swift changed the lyrics of Taylor’s version of Speak Now which was believed to target Camilla Belle who started dating Joe Jonas in 2008 after their breakup. The original lyrics were, “She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress,” which were rewritten to, “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”

In the week following the release of her records, a fan on TikTok, @tylrswf noticed another change in the lyric in the background vocals at the end of the track. The original line goes like this, “You know that she deserved this,” which was changed to, “You know that YOU deserved this.”

The comment section of the Tik Tok video was filled with fans who were confused about whether Swift had truly altered the words or was just pronouncing it differently. “I think she was saying “you” in the original, but she says “that-chyew” in a way that makes it sound like shh”, another user commented, “Pretty sure she says “you” both times she just had better diction in the rerecord.”

Since its release in 2010, this song has been widely criticized for its 'slut-shaming' lyrics. But it quickly gained a cultish admiration, becoming the kind of tune one scream-sings at karaoke while knowing full well what the lyrics mean. Back in 2014, after criticism, Swift explained to the Guardian, “I was 18 when I wrote that, That’s the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one takes someone from you if they don’t want to leave.” She apologized almost ten years ago for the original lyrics.

Swift wrote a long prologue for Speak Now (Taylor's Version), but she avoided directly addressing the Better Than Revenge rewrite. She wrote, “When I look back at the Speak Now album, I get a lump in my throat. I have a feeling it will always be this way, because this period of time is so violently aglow with the last light of the setting sun of my childhood. I made this album, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. I’ve spoken about how I feel like those ages are the most emotionally turbulent ones in a person’s life. Maybe when I say that, I’m really just talking about myself.”

In the end, she adds, “I try to speak my mind when I feel strongly, in the moment I feel it. I’m still idealistic and earnest about the music I make, but I’m less crushed when people mock me for it. I know now that one of the bravest things a person can do is create something with unblinking sincerity, and put it all on the line. I still sometimes wish I was a little kid again in a tiny bed, before I ever grew up.”