“Holy Ground” is the 11th track on Taylor Swift’s 4th studio album, Red. It’s the first of two of her songs that Jeff Bhasker has produced. Bhasker also produced “The Lucky One.” When she started writing the song, she knew she wanted Bhasker to produce the track. Taylor contacted him and he agreed to produce the song. As a result, “Holy Ground” sounds different from any of Taylor’s previous work.
In the song, Taylor is looking back at a whirl wind relationship from her past. She’s realizing just because the relationship didn’t work out, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good memory or that it was wasted time. The memories are still safe and sacred. Just because Taylor and the guy weren’t meant to be, doesn’t mean she can’t look back fondly at the time they spent together. Every mistake is a lesson learned.
The song’s hidden message is “When you came to the show in SD” which leads to assumption that this song was penned about Joe Jonas who was spotted at Taylor’s San Diego show during the Speak Now tour
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I was reminiscing just the other day
While having coffee all alone, and Lord, it took me away
Back to a first-glance feeling on New York time
Back when you fit my poems like a perfect rhyme
Took off faster than a green light, go
Hey, you skip the conversation when you already know
I left a note on the door with a joke we'd made
And that was the first day
[Chorus]
And darling, it was good
Never looking down
And right there where we stood
Was holy ground
[Verse 2]
Spinning like a girl in a brand new dress
We had this big wide city all to ourselves
We blocked the noise with the sound of, "I need you"
And for the first time, I had something to lose
And I guess we fell apart in the usual way
And the story's got dust on every page
But sometimes, I wonder how you think about it now
And I see your face in every crowd
[Chorus]
'Cause darling, it was good
Never looking down
And right there where we stood
Was holy ground
[Hook]
Tonight, I'm gonna dance
For all that we've been through
But I don't wanna dance
If I'm not dancing with you
Tonight, I'm gonna dance
Like you were in this room
But I don't wanna dance
If I'm not dancing with you
[Chorus]
It was good
Never looking down
And right there where we stood
Was holy ground
[Outro]
Tonight, I'm gonna dance
For all that we've been through
But I don't wanna dance
If I'm not dancing with you
Tonight, I'm gonna dance
Like you were in this room
But I don't wanna dance
If I'm not dancing with you