"The Best Day" is the twelfth track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's second studio album, Fearless, released on November 11, 2008, through Big Machine Records. It is also the twelfth track from her debut re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor's Version), released on April 9, 2021, through Republic Records.
Background[]
Swift wrote this song for her mom, Andrea Swift, as a Mother's Day present.
| “ | I think the time in my life that I will never be able to beat in terms of presents I’ve given my mom was, I secretly recorded a song on Fearless, and I didn’t, and this was harder then, to do, because I was, I think I was 16, 17 when I recorded Fearless, so secretly recording something, writing something, recording something away from your mom when you’re that age, and you’re me, was actually pretty difficult. So it was very sneaky and fun. And I wrote this song, just compiling these sort of core childhood memories of not just her as a mother, but her as my friend, you know? And she’s just been such a wonderful friend to me and so I wrote this song, and I recorded it for her, and I compiled all of this home movie footage, which ended up becoming sort of a music video for it that I put out on YouTube—you can like, watch it—I made that for her. I found all this footage and edited it on my laptop and set it to this song she hadn’t heard. And I played it for her, and like, played her the video with the song, and she’s watching it, and she’s like, ‘Oh, this is us! I love this footage!’ And I get to the end of the song and I’m like, ‘Did you like the song?’ And she goes, ‘It’s such a beautiful song! Where did you find that? It sounds exactly like the things that we went through. That sounds like our memories.’ I was like, ‘Mom, I wrote and recorded it secretly. It is our memories. That’s about us.’ And she just was like, ‘Oh!’ tears just immediately. It was the sweetest thing ever, because I just think she couldn’t have comprehended that I would write a song about the two of us, but I have done it. | ” |
—Swift on May 14, 2023, at The Eras Tour | ||
Hidden message[]
Hidden message: God bless Andrea Swift.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
I'm five years old, it's getting cold
I've got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up
Smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch
And the tractor rides
Look, now, the sky is gold
I hug your legs and fall asleep
On the way home
[Chorus]
I don't know why all the trees change in the fall
But I know you're not scared of anything at all
Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today
[Verse 2]
I'm thirteen now and don't know how
My friends could be so mean
I come home crying
And you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive
Until we find a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop
Till I'd forgotten all their names
[Chorus]
I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing
On the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today
[Bridge]
I have an excellent father
His strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother
Inside and out, he's better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house
And I've got space to run and hide
And I had the best days with you
[Verse 3]
There is a video I found
From back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen
And you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships
And the Seven Dwarfs
And Daddy's smart
And you're the prettiest lady in the whole, wide world
[Chorus]
And, now, I know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side
Even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
Staying back and watching me shine
And, I didn't know if you knew
So, I'm taking this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today
Audio[]
Live performances[]
Swift performed "The Best Day" as a surprise song on the Reputation Stadium Tour in Santa Clara, California, on May 12, 2018. The song was also performed as a surprise song on The Eras Tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 2023, and in Vancouver, Canada, on December 6th, 2024, as part of a mash up with "Never Grow Up".
Physical copies[]
References[]
| Fearless | ||
|---|---|---|
| "Fearless" • "Fifteen" • "Love Story" • "Hey Stephen" • "White Horse" • "You Belong With Me" • "Breathe" • "Tell Me Why" • "You're Not Sorry" • "The Way I Loved You" • "Forever & Always" • "The Best Day" • "Change" | ||
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