Taylor Swift

She planted a seed of songwriting in my 12-year-old heart that has only grown.

I remember so vividly the time of life when a guitar was added to the routine. My dad started to play it fairly consistently at night, normally when we were going to bed. I have a journal entry from 2005 just complaining and complaining about dad plunking away on the guitar, and I just couldn’t sleep.

My older sister of 3 years picked up the guitar shortly after my dad. I remember being jealous and thinking it was so cool. My older sisters heavily influenced my love of music, with the CD’s they collected over the years. One core memory I have is sitting down in our soft carpeted basement, next to a giant bookshelf, and seeing and hearing Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” album for the first time.” Her flowy blonde locks twisted into perfect curls on the CD cover looked almost just like mine. My sister then taught me the secret message coding Taylor included in each CD packet.

Something special ignited in my soul, and I was in love.

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I picked up the guitar because I wanted to play and sing to Taylor Swift. Day by day, hidden away in my bedroom, I learned. Through her music, I learned to sing. I memorized chords and strum patterns. I analyzed the beat and rhythm and tried so desperately to go along with the song.

“I hope you think my favorite song

the one we danced to all along

the moon like a spotlight on the lake

When you think happiness

I hope you think my little black dress

and my head on your chest

and old faded blue jeans”

“Tim McGraw” quickly became my favorite, even still to this day. I think the story telling and visuals in this song are just brilliant. It still brings back such a warm cozy nostalgia.

I was 12 when “Speak Now” was released, and I genuinely thought it was the most incredible album at that time. It was the first Taylor Swift CD I owned. In hindsight, this feels extremely fitting given she wrote every single song on that album by herself. She planted a seed of songwriting in my 12-year-old heart that has only grown. “Enchanted” was the song of my summer, as I rode bikes around my home town and dreamed of having a love so magical. She perfectly described the butterfly feeling of meeting someone for the first time and feeling the sparks fly.

That this night is flawless, don’t you let it go

I’m wonderstruck, dancing around all alone

I’ll spend forever wondering if you knew

I was enchanted to meet you

I was age 14 when the iconic “Red” was released. I felt so deeply encompassed by her hurt as I sang/cried “All Too Well,” not yet truly understanding the pain of heartbreak. This song, to this day, is one of her best works of storytelling, with vivid imagery and emotions.

And you call me up again just to break me like a promise

So casually cruel in the name of being honest

I’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here

‘Cause I remember it all, all,

All too well

Over the years, I would print out the lyrics and chords and add them to my overfilled pink patterned binder. I got to a point where I had so many of her songs, I had to keep them separate, so I would have enough space in my binder for all the other artists I liked.

Her music encouraged me to start writing my own songs and feel free to express my own feelings and struggles through lyrics and songwriting. These early songs were heavily influenced by the theme of falling for boys and trying to understand love at a very young age.

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“1989” was released when I was 16. I was fully ready to move to NYC after high school. This is when my dream of living in a city came to life. I, too, chopped off my curly hair and committed to the straightened blonde bob. Her entire style during this time fully influenced what I wore and how I presented myself. I fulfilled the dream to see Taylor in concert for the 1989 tour. This album felt special in a whole new way. Her change to pop was iconic, and I welcomed it with open arms. This was one of the first albums I could blast and sing along to as I gained the freedom of driving alone.

Time after time, Taylor proved she could just get better and better, and that she did. The special addition Polaroids that came with the deluxe 1989 CD pack were stapled and taped to my walls for years. I loved everything about the creative direction and pop beats of the album.

“1989” is timeless. It reached far beyond the little girls like me and refused to be ignored by the masses.

I could go through each and every album, as many girls could do, and tell you where I personally was when that album was released. Album after album, I’ve given each and every lyric and note all my attention. She allowed a beginner, like me, to learn her songs, using beginner chords. She also had a beginner’s voice. She was 16 when she started, after all. She wasn’t making crazy vocal runs. She sang steady, thoughtfully, and iconically to her artful lyrics. She always knew what she had- great songwriting. And that is how she truly shines.

Taylor taught me that it’s cool to be a songwriter. It’s cool to care about words and lyrics and to talk about your feelings. She showed me it was cool to sit in my room for hours learning guitar. She is the American icon, living the dream, with her incredible family, friends, and cats beside her.

I’ll forever be a Swifty, and I’ll wear it as a badge of honor. She deserves all the praise and recognition. I am so deeply grateful I got to grow up with her and continue to learn as much as possible from the genius and legacy of Taylor Swift.