I'll change the world one day.

This song is about Kissgate - the scandal at the 1975 concert that Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift attended together. During the show they kissed, and it was caught on video - unleashing a PR nightmare for both of them. A few days after the concert Taylor tweeted “As my 25th birthday present from the media, I’d like for you to stop accusing all my friends of dating me. #thirsty”.

I, I loved you in secret

Unlike the highly publicized relationships that Taylor is regularly in with men, her relationship with Karlie is kept quiet in order to protect both of their images and manage their PR - or at least it was until Kissgate.

First sight, yeah, we love without reason

Karlie and Taylor had an instant connection when they met and we’re immediately attached at the hip. Karlie tweeted “We were both young when I first saw you” with a picture of Taylor after they met for the first time. (Also - wow - so gay).

Oh, twenty-five years old

Taylor was 25 when the fallout from Kissgate happened, in Dec 2014.

Oh, how were you to know, and My, my love had been frozen Deep blue, but you painted me golden

This line talks about how Taylor had been in a funk, but now has found something so good that it washes the negativity all away. Taylor describes her lover as golden several times on reputation (ex. Dress), a theme that continues on Lover. This color in a motif used for Karlie, and it is inspired by her blonde hair, her sunshine disposition, and that one time her and Taylor literally painted each other golden when they did golden flash tattoos at Drake’s birthday party. 

Oh, and you held me close Oh, how was I to know that

I could’ve spent forever with your hands in my pockets Picture of your face in an invisible locket

Even though Karlie and Taylor are in love, they still have to keep it a secret - hence the metaphor of an “invisible locket”. They can’t actually declare their love, but they still hold it close to their hearts. This could also be a reference to this image - where Taylor is wearing a necklace with a “K” on it. (Full disclosure - this image is very edited in order to see the letter, because it is a very faint engraving. The original image does not clearly show the “K”.)

You said there was nothing in the world that could stop it/I had a bad feeling

You said there was nothing in the world that could stop it/I had a bad feeling

Karlie “Sunshine” Kloss is optimistic about their relationship, and only seeing the amazing things that they can be together - but Taylor is worried and scared that something bad will happen.

And darling, you had turned my bed into a sacred oasis People started talking, putting us through our paces

After Kissgate there were endless rumors about Kaylor and they had to backpedal and scale back their public displays of friendship and affection - leading us to now, when they are never seen together and the general public seems to think they’re feuding.

I knew there was no one in the world who could take it I had a bad feeling

But we were dancing

Literally Karlie and Taylor are dancing together in the videos from Kissgate.

Dancing with our hands tied, hands tied

“Dancing with our hands tied” is a metaphor about being constrained while doing something joyful. Dance is an act of celebration. Like love, it is something good and happy and an expression of pure emotion. However, with your hands tied the expression is oppressed. You can’t really dance in the same joyful way if your hands are tied with someone else - but your shared bounds force you to stay together. This is a metaphor for Karlie & Taylor after Kissgate. They were suddenly muzzled - they could no longer show their affection for each other as freely as before, so though they were stuck in the situation together their love was constrained. The joyful act was suddenly turned on them and created their own prison.

Yeah, we were dancing Like it was the first time, first time This is an interesting reference to a “first dance”, like a couple would participate in at their wedding.

Yeah, we were dancing Dancing with our hands tied, hands tied Yeah, we were dancing And I had a bad feeling But we were dancing

I, I loved you in spite of Deep fears that the world would divide us

Taylor loves Karlie, even though she is worried that the world (PR, fans, the general public) will turn against them and tear them apart. [If this was about Toe, why would she be worried that the world would divide a heterosexual relationship??]

So, baby, can we dance Oh, through an avalanche?

She wants to know if they will be able to stay together, even when things get hard.

And say, say that we got it I’m a mess, but I’m the mess that you wanted Oh, ‘cause it’s gravity Oh, keeping you with me

Here Taylor is worried that even if they do get to stay together there will still be other problems. Her insecurity of being a “mess” creeps in.

PRE CHORUS

CHORUS

I’d kiss you as the lights went out Swaying as the room burned down

This is an interesting reference to John Mayer’s song Slow Dancing In A Burning Room. The metaphor is that you are in a catastrophic situation with the person you love, but you ignore the catastrophe and just keep holding each other close.

  I’d hold you as the water rushes in If I could dance with you again

Taylor is saying that she would stay with Karlie throughout anything. This also provides a little bit of hope - if water rushes in to a burning room then fire goes out…but then you have to deal with all the water. So it’s hopeful, but it’s also saying that there are many different obstacles that they will have to face together.

I’d kiss you as the lights went out Swaying as the room burned down I’d hold you as the water rushes in If I could dance with you again

CHORUS