Ivana Poku Taylor Swift might not be singing about motherhood, but somehow, her lyrics capture it all.
The rage. The wonder. The identity crisis. The guilt. The meltdowns (theirs and ours). The bittersweet ache of watching your babies grow right in front of you.
Whether you’re in the newborn trenches, deep in threenager negotiations, battling teen moods, or just hiding in the toilet for a moment of peace, these lyrics will feel like they were written just for you.
As a musician myself (I sing, play piano and guitar – and I’m finally getting back to writing songs!), I know how powerful music is for making sense of emotions we can’t always put into words. Sometimes, one lyric says what a thousand conversations can’t.
So I pulled together 60 Taylor Swift lyrics that hit painfully, beautifully close to home for mums like us.
Use them as reminders, as screen savers, as scribbles on your mirror. On the days you feel like you’re unraveling, or the ones where you feel unbreakable.
Grab your cold coffee, Swiftie soul, and let’s dive in.
The Exhaustion Era
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“I’m exhausted and nobody gets it.” – “This Is Me Trying”
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“I’ve been having a hard time adjusting.” – “New Year’s Day”
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“All I do is try, try, try.” – “Mirrorball”
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“I’m so sick of running as fast as I can.” – “The Man”
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“Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.” – “Blank Space”
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“I hide in my bed.” – “Forever Winter”
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“I got tired of waiting.” – “You Belong With Me”
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“My castle crumbled overnight.” – “Call It What You Want”
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“I’m only seventeen, I don’t know anything.” – “Betty” (Even if you’re 42.)
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“I don’t even know myself at all.” – “A Place in This World”
The Mental Load Is Real
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“I’m the one who makes you laugh when you know you’re about to cry.” – “Stay Stay Stay”
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“Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it.” – “All Too Well”
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“I lived in your chess game.” – “Dear John”
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“It’s hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound.” – “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
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“I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost.” – “The Archer”
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“I scream so loud but no one listens.” – “Nothing New”
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“I’m trying to be okay.” – “The Archer”
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“You keep my old scarf from that very first week.” – “All Too Well” (because: sentimental mum vibes)
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“You said if we had been closer in age, maybe it would’ve been fine.” – “All Too Well” (mum guilt line!)
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“I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me.” – “New Romantics”
The Chaos & Tantrum Era
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“You call me up again just to break me like a promise.” – “All Too Well”
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“Don’t blame me, love made me crazy.” – “Don’t Blame Me”
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“I had a marvelous time ruining everything.” – “The Last Great American Dynasty”
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“You’re the king, baby, I’m your queen.” – “…Ready For It?” (said sarcastically at toddler king)
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“You’re on your own, kid.” – “You’re On Your Own, Kid”
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“I’d like to be my old self again, but I’m still trying to find it.” – “All Too Well”
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“My tears ricochet.” – “My Tears Ricochet”
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“I know I’m gonna be with you, so I take my time.” – “Lover”
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“Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there’s no right answer.” – “Red”
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“We’re happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time.” – “22”
The Moments That Melt You
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“You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.” – “Mine”
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“I see sparks fly whenever you smile.” – “Sparks Fly”
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“I remember how we felt sitting by the water.” – “Mine”
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“You are the one I have been waiting for all my life.” – “Enchanted”
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“This night is sparkling, don’t you let it go.” – “Enchanted”
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“I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you.” – “Long Live”
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“I once believed love would be burning red, but it’s golden.” – “Daylight”
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“Darling, I will be loving you ‘til we’re 70.” – “Lover”
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“I stay out too late… but it’s just to watch you breathe.” – “Shake It Off” remix, basically
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“You were in college working part-time, waiting tables… Now you’re somebody’s mum.” – a twist on “Begin Again”
The Identity Crisis Era
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“They tell you while you’re young: ‘Girls, go out and have your fun.’” – “Nothing New”
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“I forgot that you existed.” — “I Forgot That You Existed” (re: your pre-kid self)
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“So casually cruel in the name of being honest.” – “All Too Well”
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“I don’t know who I am without you.” – “The Archer”
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“You took the time to memorize me: my fears, my hopes, and dreams.” – “Stay Stay Stay”
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“I’d be smart to walk away, but you’re quicksand.” – “Treacherous”
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“You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter.” – “Mine”
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“People throw rocks at things that shine.” – “Ours”
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“I know places we can hide.” – “I Know Places” (bathroom = sacred hiding place)
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“They say I did something bad—then why does it feel so good?” – “…Ready For It?”
The Hope & Resilience Era
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“I could show you incredible things.” – “Blank Space”
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“Rain came pouring down when I was drowning—that’s when I could finally breathe.” – “Clean”
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“You can plan for a change in the weather and time, but I never planned on you.” – “Last Kiss”
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“This is a state of grace.” – “State of Grace”
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“I see it now, I’ve got the eye of the tiger.” – (Okay that’s Katy Perry, but still…)
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“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” – “Anti-Hero” (for every mum moment you lose it)
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“You’re still an innocent.” – “Innocent”
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“We were both young when I first saw you.” 0 “Love Story” (re: your baby)
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“I think I’ve seen this film before, and I didn’t like the ending.” – “Exile” (nap-time battles)
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“Long story short, I survived.” – “Long Story Short”
60 Taylor Swift Lyrics That Describe Motherhood a Little Too Well
There you go! Taylor Swift about motherhood without talking about motherhood.
So the next time you’re crying or, smiling through the chaos, remember: you’re not alone.
Every season of motherhood is messy, magic, and gone before you know it.
And sometimes, all it takes is the right music at the right moment to hold you together.
So pick your favourite line. Play it on repeat. And keep going.
You’ve got this!
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