By Taylor Swift’s fourth album ‘Red,’ we saw the Country singer making a not-so-subtle transition into Pop music. In her Pop music catalog, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” holds a special place. Let’s find out why.
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” was released as the lead single off of Taylor Swift’s 2012 album ‘Red’ on August 13 of the same year. The Max Martin-produced bop earned Taylor Swift her first #1 charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also demonstrated Taylor’s versatility in shifting songwriting, singing, and personas.
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” charted at #1 in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and broke the top 5 in several other countries. The song is estimated to have sold over 7 million copies worldwide to date. Guinness World Records inducted the song into their records in 2012 for ‘Fastest-Selling Single in Digital History.’
Thematically, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is a song about Taylor Swift finally moving away from the memories of her ex-boyfriend. She is ecstatic about it and these emotions are reflected in the catchy lyrics and energetic performances. Taylor Swift explained the inspiration behind the song with USA Today;
It’s a definitive portrait of how I felt when I finally stopped caring what my ex thought of me. He made me feel like I wasn’t as good or as relevant as these hipster bands he listened to…So I made a song that I knew would absolutely drive him crazy when he heard it on the radio. Not only would it hopefully be played a lot, so that he’d have to hear it, but it’s the opposite of the kind of music that he was trying to make me feel inferior to.
Watch “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” Music Video by Taylor Swift
Who is “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” written about?
The song is about Taylor Swift’s then ex-boyfriend. The most widely accepted theory is that the song is about her then ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. He fits the profile when Taylor explained “He made me feel like I wasn’t as good or as relevant as these hipster bands he listened to…So I made a song that I knew would absolutely drive him crazy…”
Actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift dated for a brief three months in 2010. This is the same period when Taylor Swift began writing music for her fourth studio album ‘Red.’ As such, we can find a few tracks inspired by heartbreak and directed at Jake on the album. One of the most well-recognized songs on the album about Jake Gyllenhaal is “All Too Well.”
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Verse 1
In the first verse of the song, Taylor Swift sings about her back-and-forth relationship with her then ex-boyfriend. It drove Taylor crazy when he wanted ‘space’ and broke up with her. Then a few days later, he had the courage to call Taylor back and tell her that he misses her and they should get back together. He swears he is not going to change and maybe Taylor gives him another chance. But his swear changes in a day and he wants space again.
He even said the L-word and maybe Taylor was naive enough to believe him one more time!
Pre-chorus-1
But… they broke up again last night.
She saw it coming, we saw it coming, and he knew what he was doing.
Chorus
In the catchy chorus, Taylor Swift sings happily that she is never ever going to get back together with him.
However, this persistent guy goes around spreading the word that they are back together. Maybe his friends are blaming him for missing out on a good deal with Taylor. So he keeps telling them that they are good. But, this time, Taylor does not have time for his games. This time, she is done with him.
Verse 2
In the second verse of the song, we get a more personal insight into their relationship. And it’s not good. The first memory that pops into Taylor’s head is her picking fights with him. One frequent topic was regarding the style of music Taylor produced. It is rumored that Jake Gyllenhaal did not take Taylor’s music seriously, even though she was a multi-platinum selling artist even back then. He is believed to be a fan of indie-pop music and a self-appointed music critic.
Taylor Swift spoke about her ex-boyfriend who inspired her to produce this Pop anthem;
He made me feel like I wasn’t as good or as relevant as these hipster bands he listened to…So I made a song that I knew would absolutely drive him crazy when he heard it on the radio. Not only would it hopefully be played a lot, so that he’d have to hear it, but it’s the opposite of the kind of music that he was trying to make me feel inferior to.
Pre-chorus-2
This guy has no chill. He called Taylor again last night. But Taylor is resilient this time.
Bridge
Taylor Swift is really good at writing bridges. And in this specific song, she changes up the beat entirely to emphasize her point (if in case the listener i.e. her ex-boyfriend misses the message in the catchy tune in the rest of the song).
Taylor does confess that she hoped for a future with this guy. She imagined a ‘forever’ with this guy. But now it’s ‘never ever.’ Taylor just completely shut off that chapter of her life.
Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is easily one of our favorite tracks from her Pop catalog. Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.