Taylor Swift Wiki

"London Boy" is the eleventh track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's seventh studio album, Lover, released on August 23, 2019, through Republic Records.

Background[]

The song is about Swift's ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.[1]

Lyrics[]

[Intro]
We can go driving in, on my scooter
Uh, you know, just riding in London
Alright, yeah

[Verse 1]
I love my hometown as much as Motown, I love SoCal
And you know I love Springsteen, faded blue jeans, Tennessee whiskey
But something happened, I heard him laughing
I saw the dimples first and then, I heard the accent
They say home is where the heart is
But that's not where mine lives

[Chorus]
You know I love a London boy
I enjoy walking Camden Market in the afternoon
He likes my American smile, like a child when our eyes meet
Darling, I fancy you
Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates
So, I guess all the rumors are true
You know I love a London boy
Boy, I fancy you (Ooh)

[Verse 2]
And now, I love high tea, stories from Uni and the West End
You can find me in the pub, we are watching rugby with his school friends
Show me a gray sky, a rainy cab ride
Babe, don't threaten me with a good time
They say home is where the heart is
But, God, I love the English

[Chorus]
You know I love a London boy, I enjoy nights in Brixton
Shoreditch in the afternoon
He likes my American smile, like a child when our eyes meet
Darling, I fancy you
Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates
So, I guess all the rumors are true
You know I love a London boy
Boy, I fancy you

[Bridge]
So, please show me Hackney
Doesn't have to be Louis V up on Bond Street
Just wanna be with you
Wanna be with you
Stick with me, I'm your queen
Like a Tennessee Stella McCartney, I'm the heat
Just wanna be with you (Wanna be with you)
Wanna be with you (Oh)

[Chorus]
You know I love a London boy, I enjoy walking SoHo
Drinking in the afternoon (Yeah)
He likes my American smile, like a child when our eyes meet
Darling, I fancy you (You)
Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates
So, I guess all the rumors are true (Yeah)
You know I love a London boy (Oh)
Boy (Oh), I fancy you (I fancy you, ooh)

[Outro]
So, please, show me Hackney
Doesn't have to be Louis V up on Bond Street
Just wanna be with you
I, I, I fancy you
Oh, whoa, oh, I
Stick with me, I'm your queen
Like a Tennessee Stella McCartney, I'm the heat
Just wanna be with you (Ooh)
Wanna be with you
I fancy you (Yeah), I fancy you
Oh, whoa, ah

Live Performances[]

Swift first performed this song live at the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge in 2019. She also performed the song at Capital City's 2019 Jingle Bell Ball. The song was performed as a surprise song at The Eras Tour on August 16, 2024 in Wembley, London.

Trivia[]

  • Swift’s Cats co-stars Idris Elba and James Corden can be heard at the beginning of the song, Idris says "we can go driving in on my scooter" while Corden simply exclaims "Oh!".
  • The fifth track on Swift's eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, "So Long, London", is likely a reference to this song.

References[]

Lover
"I Forgot That You Existed" • "Cruel Summer" • "Lover" • "The Man" • "The Archer" • "I Think He Knows" • "Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince" • "Paper Rings" • "Cornelia Street" • "Death By A Thousand Cuts" • "London Boy" • "Soon You'll Get Better" • "False God" • "You Need To Calm Down" • "Afterglow" • "ME!" • "It's Nice To Have A Friend" • "Daylight"
The More Lover Chapter
"All Of The Girls You Loved Before"