Swift Notes: Red (A Guide to Taylor Swift's Songs)

"Treacherous"

3. "TREACHEROUS"

BEHIND THE MUSIC

In a session with Dan Wilson, Taylor said she wanted to write a song around the word “treacherous.” She suggested a melody, and the song exploded from there. Wilson told Billboard, “We thought we were done, and then we decided it needed a more rocking element, so we added [another] chorus after the chorus. It was almost an afterthought, but the new section wound up defining the song.”

BETWEEN THE LINES

“Treacherous” is a defiantly sensual song — from the physical descriptions in the lyrics to the sultry whisper of the verses. It revels in present pleasure, celebrating moments of unshakeable connection regardless of consequences. Taylor confessed to USA Today that song was about a relationship she knew “would end in fiery, burning wreckage.” But, she noted, “There’s something about that magnetic draw that doesn’t really let up. You walk toward it anyway."

FUN FACTS

Taylor called on Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson to help write this song. Wilson has had great success with other songwriting collaborations, such as Adele’s number-one superhit “Someone Like You.” Wilson praised Taylor: “An interesting quality, objectively speaking, was how on fire she was, the clarity she had. She was so open and excited about the things I would add. She works at a very high level of positivity, and that is rare."

DIARY DECODER

“Won’t stop til it’s over” echoes the song’s message that sometimes you have to hang on to something good as long as you can.

(exerpted from our book on Swifty, Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition, which is available everywhere books are sold!)

Thanks to @AnaJoyce for this cover!