"The Moment I Knew" is the seventeenth track from the deluxe edition of American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's fourth studio album, Red, released on October 22, 2012, through Big Machine Records. It is also the seventeenth track from her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version), released on November 12, 2021, through Republic Records.
Background[]
The song is confirmed to be about Jake Gyllenhaal, Swift's ex-boyfriend, who didn't show up to her twenty first birthday party. In an interview with Yahoo! Music, Swift said of the song: "'The Moment I Knew' was a song about my twenty-first birthday party, which was the worst experience ever."[1]
The events of the song are referenced in All Too Well (10 Minute Version), in the line "and he said it's supposed to be fun / turning 21."[2]
Liz Huett, a former member of The Agency, is a background vocalist on the track.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
You should've been there
Should've burst through the door
With that "Baby, I'm right here" smile
And it would've felt like
A million little shining stars had just aligned
And I would've been so happy
Christmas lights glisten
I've got my eye on the door
Just waiting for you to walk in
But the time is ticking
People ask me how I've been
As I comb back through my memory
How you said you'd be here
You said you'd be here
[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick
With no one to impress
And they're all laughing
As I'm looking around the room
But there's one thing missing
And that was the moment I knew
[Verse 2]
And the hours pass by
Now I just wanna be alone
But your close friends always seem to know
When there's something really wrong
So, they follow me down the hall
And there, in the bathroom
I try not to fall apart
And the sinking feeling starts
As I say hopelessly
"He said he'd be here"
[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick
With no one to impress
And they're all laughing
And asking me about you
But there's one thing missing
And that was the moment I knew
[Bridge]
What do you say
When tears are streaming down your face
In front of everyone you know?
And what do you do when the one
Who means the most to you
Is the one who didn't show?
You should've been here
And I would've been so happy
[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick
With no one to impress
And they're all standing around me, singing
Happy birthday to you"
But there's one thing missing
And that was the moment I knew
Oh, I knew
[Outro]
You call me later
And said "I'm sorry I didn't make it"
And I said, "I'm sorry, too"
And that was the moment I knew
Live performance[]
Swift performed "The Moment I Knew" for the first time as the second surprise song in Chicago, Illinois, on June 4, 2023, on The Eras Tour.
References[]
| RED | ||
|---|---|---|
| "State Of Grace" ā¢ "Red" ā¢ "Treacherous" ā¢ "I Knew You Were Trouble" ā¢ "All Too Well" ā¢ "22" ā¢ "I Almost Do" ā¢ "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" ā¢ "Stay Stay Stay" ā¢ "The Last Time" ā¢ "Holy Ground" ā¢ "Sad Beautiful Tragic" ā¢ "The Lucky One" ā¢ "Everything Has Changed" ā¢ "Starlight" ā¢ "Begin Again" | ||
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