Taylor Swift Song Meanings [ON HOLD]

Back to december

I'm so glad you made time to see me.
How's life? Tell me how's your family?
I haven't seen them in a while.
You've been good, busier than ever,
We small talk, work and the weather,
Your guard is up and I know why.
Because the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind.
You gave me roses and I left them there to die.

So this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night,"
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you.
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I go back to December all the time.

These days I haven't been sleeping,
Staying up, playing back myself leavin'.
When your birthday passed and I didn't call.
And I think about summer, all the beautiful times,
I watched you laughing from the passenger side.
Realized I loved you in the fall.

And then the cold came, the dark days when fear crept into my mind
You gave me all your love and all I gave you was "Goodbye".

So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night."
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind
I go back to December all the time.

I miss your tanned skin, your sweet smile,
So good to me, so right
And how you held me in your arms that September night
The first time you ever saw me cry.

Maybe this is wishful thinking,
Probably mindless dreaming,
But if we loved again, I swear I'd love you right.

I'd go back in time and change it but I can't.
So if the chain is on your door I understand.

But this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night."
And I go back to December...
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine.
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right.
I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind

I go back to December all the time.
All the time.

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Taylor's point of view:

Today's Taylor Swift song, the meaning of "Back to December", released in her "Speak Now" album.

This song was a turning point for Taylor Swift as it was an apology rather than a song about an ex boyfriend. It was a song about how she was wrong. I like to compare this song to "Dear John". Taylor Swift admits that she was in the wrong and acted like some of the people that she writes songs about, "You gave me roses and I left them there to die".

Taylor says, "'Back to December' is a song that addresses a first for me, in that I've never apologized to someone in a song before. This is about a person who was incredible to me, just perfect to me in a relationship, and I was really careless with him. So this is a song full of words that I would say to him."

Documentary:

In the lyric booklet the word TAY is in caps. It is about Taylor Lautner. They met when they filmed Valentine's Day in October 2009. They broke up right before New Year's, hence the "Back to December" time frame. Taylor Lautner's birthday is February 11, 1992, which would have been after they dated, "When your birthday passed and I didn't call." Did they get back together?

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Song meanings:

This song is about her relationship with Taylor Lautner. She says in the song that all through the summer they were close friends and enjoyed some good times together and when it came to fall she realised she was in love with him. However in the winter she starts to have doubts and when he comes and gives his love to her she simply rejects him. She's looking back on it now and regretting her decision. She is talking to him and trying to ask for his forgiveness and also wondering whether they could ever be together again. She says she goes "back to december all the time" meaning she constantly goes back to her memories of the night she rejected him and wishes she could change her own mind.