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Writer's pictureAlessandra Midori

Taylor Swift Revises Controversial Lyric in "Better Than Revenge" on "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"

Taylor Swift has made a noteworthy revision to her song "Better Than Revenge" on her album "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)," a re-recording of her 2010 release, by removing a controversial lyric.



On July 7, the renowned singer unveiled "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)," which features several previously unreleased tracks from the vault. Among the attention-grabbing aspects of the album is a slightly modified rendition of the song "Better Than Revenge."

The original version of the song contained the lyrics, "She's not a saint and she's not what you think / She's an actress / She's better known for the things that she does / On the mattress." However, in the new version of "Better Than Revenge," the latter two lines, which had been criticized for their misogynistic undertones over the years, have been changed to "He was a moth to the flame / She was holding the matches."


Reflecting on the controversial original lyrics, the Grammy-winning artist herself acknowledged, "I was 18 when I wrote that." Swift, now 33, shared this sentiment in an interview with The Guardian back in 2014. She added, "That's the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one can take someone from you if they don't want to leave."



Since the initial release of the album, fans have speculated that "Better Than Revenge" was written about Camilla Belle and Joe Jonas, who dated for several months following Jonas' split from Swift in 2008. However, Swift has never officially confirmed the subject of the song.

"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" marks Swift's third re-recorded album as part of her endeavor to regain control of her first six albums' master recordings, following the sale of her catalog's master recordings by her former label, Big Machine, in 2019. The announcement of the album's release was made during the Nashville stop of her "The Eras" tour in early May.


Although "Better Than Revenge" has yet to be performed on the tour, there is still a possibility of it being included as a surprise song. Swift recently revealed additional tour dates, extending the tour through 2024.

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