MusicNews

Taylor Swift Changed Controversial Lyric in ‘Better Than Revenge’ & Fans Are Livid

Taylor Swift changed lyrics for the Speak Now (Taylors Version) release of Better Than Revenge controversy

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) finally hit the airwaves today, but this remake of pop icon Taylor Swift’s 2010 heartbreak record isn’t quite the same as fans remember. The vast majority of the tracks featured on the remastered and expanded track list are untouched, lyrically, with most simply refined with boosted audio and more mature vocals. However, Taylor Swift has changed chorus lyrics on the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) release of “Better Than Revenge,” the record’s 10th track, to alter its tone.

Recommended Videos

The original chorus is as follows: “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.” It’s the line regarding the “mattress” that has been changed, surely in an effort to give an otherwise solid song a rework with less dated lyrics. The few words, which appear three times in the original recording, were already dredging up controversy before Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) released, so it isn’t a surprise to see Swift addressing the situation. The updated “Better Than Revenge” 2023 lyrics follow: “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think, she’s an actress. / He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”

Many fans are taking to the changed “Better Than Revenge” lyrics from Taylor Swift with open arms. As you might have expected, others haven’t been so welcoming.

Many fans theorized Taylor Swift would alter the lyrics in the lead-up to the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) for a few reasons. For more than a decade, “Better Than Revenge” has stirred conversation about lyrics, music, and art, in general, and its content doesn’t quite stand the test of time. Swift’s original mattress line has been looked back on as slut-shaming, sexist, and anti-feminist, with even the country-turned-pop artist herself saying that she isn’t so proud of some of her early work. In 2014, Swift told The Guardian that the then-four-year-old track wasn’t exactly her favorite song anymore.

“I was 18 when I wrote that,” she said at the time. “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.”

So, even Swift agrees with the criticisms and has likely been mulling over a change for quite a while. If, for some reason, you just can’t stand the updated “Better Than Revenge” lyrics, the original will always be there.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is the third in a series of re-recordings that has seen Swift reimagining her discography with remastered songs and, as we’ve learned, updated lyrics. The track lists for these refreshed records have also been expanded with previously unreleased songs, with some highlights from the latest outing including “Castles Crumbling,” which features Hayley Williams of Paramore, and “Electric Touch,” which features Fall Out Boy. These celebratory re-releases are expected to continue with records like Reputation, 1989, and her self-titled album. Each will surely prove to offer talking points for Swifties and non-Swifties alike, so stay tuned for updates.

About the author

Michael Cripe
Michael joined The Escapist team in 2019 but has been covering games, movies, TV, and music since 2015. When he’s not writing, Michael is probably playing Super Mario Sunshine, Dead Space, The Binding of Isaac, or Doom Eternal. You can follow his news coverage and reviews at The Escapist, but his work has appeared on other sites like OnlySP, Gameranx, and Kansas City’s The Pitch, too. If you’d like to connect and talk about the latest pop-culture news, you can follow Michael on Twitter (@MikeCripe), Instagram (mike_cripe), or LinkedIn if that’s your thing.
Michael Cripe
Michael joined The Escapist team in 2019 but has been covering games, movies, TV, and music since 2015. When he’s not writing, Michael is probably playing Super Mario Sunshine, Dead Space, The Binding of Isaac, or Doom Eternal. You can follow his news coverage and reviews at The Escapist, but his work has appeared on other sites like OnlySP, Gameranx, and Kansas City’s The Pitch, too. If you’d like to connect and talk about the latest pop-culture news, you can follow Michael on Twitter (@MikeCripe), Instagram (mike_cripe), or LinkedIn if that’s your thing.

John Wick 4 Had an Alternate Ending Where It Was Clear John Wick Lived

Previous article

How to Catch a Seahorse in Dave the Diver

Next article