Song
the 1
Folklore · 2020 · Track 1
Fountain Pen · Sole author
Written byTaylor Swift, Aaron Dessner
Produced byAaron Dessner
Mash-ups & Live Pairings
- the 1 / Wonderland — Milan, Night 1
Themes
What Might Have Been
Relationships
The defining counterfactual song in Taylor's catalogue — the entire structure is built on 'if only'. The speaker explicitly imagines the alternate timeline where the relationship succeeded: 'If my wishes came true / it would've been you.' The mood is retrospective and wistful rather than bitter; the 'what might have been' is held tenderly rather than with resentment.
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