"The Very First Night" is the twenty ninth track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's second re-recorded studio album, Red (Taylor's Version), released on November 12, 2021, through Republic Records.
Background[]
Although Swift has so far not addressed any of the rumors, many believe it is about either Jake Gyllenhaal or her ex after, Harry Styles.[1] The evidence, according to Jason Pham of Style Caster for "Haylor" was "We were built to fall apart," which is echoed in "Out Of The Woods".[1] As noted by critics, it also is a prequel to 1989 with the catchy, poppy songs that Max Martin had made for it, where Styles is mentioned many times, most explicitly in "Style".[2] As noted before, it could also be about Jake Gyllenhaal, as most of the songs beside that on Red are based off him.[3] It draws parallels to "All Too Well" with the lyric "Dance in the kitchen, chase me down through the hallway", as she states in "All Too Well", "We're dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light."[4]
Lyrics[]
[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time
I'd write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night
[Verse 1]
And so it goes
Every weekend, this same party
I never go alone
And I don't seem broken-hearted
My friends all say they know
Everything I'm going through
I drive down different roads
But they all lead back to you
[Pre-Chorus 1]
'Cause they don't know about the night in the hotel
They weren't riding in the car when we both fell
Didn't read the note on the Polaroid picture
They don't know how much I miss you
[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time
I'd write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night
[Verse 2]
And so it was
We never saw it coming
Not trying to fall in love
But we did like children running
Back then, we didn't know
We were built to fall apart
We broke the status quo
Then we broke each other's hearts
[Pre-Chorus 2]
But don't forget about the night out in LA
Danced in the kitchen, chased me down through the hallway
No one knows about the words that we whispered
No one knows how much I miss you
[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time
I'd write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night
[Refrain]
Take me away, take me away
Take me away to you, to you
Take me away, take me away
Take me away to you, to you
[Verse 3]
I remember the night at the hotel
I was riding in the car when we both fell
I'm the one on the phone as you whisper
"Do you know how much I miss you?"
[Bridge]
I wish that we could go back in time
And I'd say to you
"I miss you like it was the very first night"
[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I'd pick you up and we'd go back in time
I'd write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night
[Refrain]
Take me away, take me away
Take me away to you, to you
Take me away, take me away
Take me away to you, to you
Critical reception[]
The Very First Night received generally upbeat and positive reviews, as mostly a passing mention with the likes of "All Too Well". Bobby Olivier of Spin called it along with "Message In A Bottle" bygone-era sugar bops".[5] This would be a repeated sentiment throughout reviews, with two songs being explicitly tied. This is shown in Paul Bridgewater of Line of Best Fit review, where he said "Message in Bottle” and “The First Night” are A-grade Swift and would fit easily on Red’s follow-up 1989".[6] A staff member of Clash reviewed it by simply saying " Equally poppy is ‘The Very First Night’".[7]
Live Performances[]
Swift performed the song live for the first time on November 9, 2023 at The Eras Tour. It was the acoustic surprise song for Buenos Aires Night 1.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Taylor Swift’s ‘The Very First Night Lyrics’ Could Be About Her 1st Date With Harry Styles—Here’s Why". StyleCaster. https://stylecaster.com/the-very-first-night-taylor-swift-lyrics. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ↑ "Who is each song on 1989 about?". Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2014/10/who-is-each-song-on-taylor-swifts-1989-about.html. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ↑ Willman, Chris (October 23, 2012). "Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’: An (Almost) Definitive Guide to Subjects of All 19 Songs". Rolling Stone (United States). https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swifts-red-an-almost-definitive-guide-to-subjects-of-all-19-songs-247227/.
- ↑ "The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault"]. Lyrics. https://lyricsunny.com/the-very-first-night-taylors-version-from-the-vault. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
- ↑ Olivier, Bobby (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift Remakes Heartbreak Odyssey With Red (Taylor’s Version)". Spin (United States). https://www.spin.com/2021/11/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-album-review/.
- ↑ Bridgewater, Paul (November 12, 2021). "Taylor Swift’s reworking of Red finds even more magic in her pop blueprint". Line of Best Fit (United States). https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-reworking-red-taylors-version-magic-pop-blueprint.
- ↑ "Taylor Swift - Red (Taylor's Version)". Clash (United States). November 12, 2021. https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version.
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| "State Of Grace" • "Red" • "Treacherous" • "I Knew You Were Trouble" • "All Too Well" • "22" • "I Almost Do" • "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" • "Stay Stay Stay" • "The Last Time" • "Holy Ground" • "Sad Beautiful Tragic" • "The Lucky One" • "Everything Has Changed" • "Starlight" • "Begin Again" | ||
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