Taylor Swift fans are connecting 'Is It Over Now?' lyrics to Harry Styles
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Taylor Swift dropped her version of "1989" Oct. 27 with five new vault tracks, including “Is It Over Now?”
Fans were quick to speculate about the inspiration for the song, and a dominant theory has emerged: "Is It Over Now?" may be about the pop star’s 2012 beau, Harry Styles.
Vault tracks are mostly new songs to fans, but they aren't new to Swift. When the singer announced her first re-recording, "Fearless (Taylor's Version)," she shared that "from the vault" tracks are songs that were written while she was making the album but were left off the final record.
Swift's "1989" era is associated with late nights in New York, her internet-breaking relationship with singer Harry Styles and the emergence of her signature girl squad, embodied by the star-studded music video for "Bad Blood."
"Is It Over Now?" specifically is dedicated to the difficulties of letting go of a previous love — themes that are also explored on the album through songs like "Out of the Woods" and "I Wish You Would."
Eagle-eyed fans have also been finding lyrical connections between the new vault track and other songs from "1989" that have long been considered to be about Styles.
Here are some of the lyrics leading fans to think the new vault track might be about the former One Direction singer.
TODAY.com has reached out to reps for Swift and Styles for comment.
Blue dress theory
The introduction of "Is It Over Now?" sounds like the beginning of “Out of the Woods,” which is thought to be about Styles.
One of the lyrics in the second verse, in particular, has Swifties raising their eyebrows.
"Blue dress on a boat" seems to reference a viral pic from January 2013 which sees Swift sitting alone on a boat wearing a blue dress, sunglasses and a glum look. The pic was allegedly taken after her breakup with Styles during a trip to the Virgin Islands. Fans think she later wore the same blue dress in the music video for "Out of the Woods."
Fans were also quick to point out that the lyric video for “Is It Over Now?” features blue fabric in the background, another potential reference to her post-breakup blue dress on a boat.
The snowmobile accident
In "Out of the Woods," Swift famously sang about a crash with the lyrics, “Remember when you hit the brakes too soon / Twenty stitches in a hospital room."
She later confirmed that the crash was literal rather than metaphorical, telling Rolling Stone that the lyric was inspired by a snowmobile excursion with a former boyfriend.
In “Is it Over Now?” the lyric, “When you lost control / Red blood, white snow,” sounds like another reference to the snowmobile accident.
Styles has never commented on the snowmobile accident mentioned by Swift.
The "1989" singer herself has said the inclusion of the line was a reminder that some parts of her life stay private.
"People think they know the whole narrative of my life," she told Rolling Stone for the cover story. "I think maybe that line is there to remind people that there are really big things they don’t know about."
'A lying traitor'
"Is It Over Now?" continues with this lyric, “You search in every model’s bed for something greater.” She also calls the subject of the song a “lying traitor."
Infidelity is a theme in "Style," too, when she sings, “I heard, oh / That you’ve been out and about with some other girl.” The lyrics continue, "He says, ‘What you heard is true, but I can’t stop thinkin’ ‘bout you’ and I / I said, ‘I’ve been there too a few times.’”
During a 2014 interview on “On Air with Ryan Seacrest,” she unpacked this bit of the song.
“It’s one of those relationships that’s always a bit off … it’s never quite synced up right. The two people are trying to forget each other. They’ve both been out with other people and try to forget the other. It’s like, ‘I heard you went off with her and you came back. Well, I’ve done that too.’ That’s what that line means,” Swift said.
"Style" is often considered to be about Styles due to the song's title — though she has never said who the song is about. When asked why she named the song “Style” during the same interview, Swift said, “‘Cause the hook is ‘we never go out of style.’ And I thought ‘We Never Go Out of Style’ was a long title.”
Read the lyrics to 'Is It Over Now?'
Once the flight had flown (Uh-huh)
With the wilt of the rose (Uh-huh)
I slept all alone (Uh-huh)
You still wouldn’t go
Let’s fast forward to three hundred takeout coffees later
I see your profile and your smile on unsuspecting waiters
You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor
You search in every maiden’s bed for somethin’ greater, baby
Was it over when she laid down on your couch?
Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse?
“Come here,” I whispered in your ear
In your dream as you passеd out, baby
Was it over then?
And is it over now?
(Is it? Is it? Is it?)
Whеn you lost control (Uh-huh)
Red blood, white snow (Uh-huh)
Blue dress on a boat (Uh-huh)
Your new girl is my clone
And did you think I didn’t see you?
There were flashin’ lights
At least I had the decency
To keep my nights out of sight
Only rumors ‘bout my hips and thighs
And my whispered sighs
Oh Lord, I think about jumpin’
Off of very tall somethings
Just to see you come runnin’
And say the one thing I’ve been wanting, but no
Let’s fast forward to three hundred awkward blind dates later (Oh)
If she’s got blue eyes, I will surmise that you’ll probably date her (Oh, no)
You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor (Oh)
You search in every model’s bed for somethin’ greater, baby
Was it over when she laid down on your couch?
Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse?
“Come here,” I whispered in your ear
In your dream as you passed out, baby
Was it over then?
And is it over now?
Uh-huh
(Is it? Is it?)
Uh-huh
Think I didn’t see you?
There were flashin’ lights
At least I had the decency
To keep my nights out of sight
Only rumors ‘bout my hips and thighs
And my whispered sighs
Oh, Lord, I think about jumpin’
Off of very tall somethings
Just to see you come runnin’ (Runnin’)
And say the one thing I’ve been wanting, but no
Flashin’ lights, oh, Lord (Oh)
Let’s fast forward to three hundred takeout coffees later (Oh)
(Flashin’ lights) I was hoping you’d be there
And say the one thing (Oh, Lord)
I’ve been wanting (Oh, Lord)
But no
This article was originally published on TODAY.com