What Is Taylor Swift's Suburban Legends About? Here's What We Think

With the recent drop of Taylor Swift's album "1989 (Taylor's Version)," Swifties' wildest dreams have come true. As it's been nine years since the original synth-pop album came out, fans are ecstatic about the latest additions. The "1989" re-release contains five new vault songs — "Now That We Don't Talk," "Say Don't Go," "Suburban Legends," "Is It Over Now?" and "Slut!" Evidently, the project is near and dear to the singer-songwriter's heart. In an August Instagram post, Swift revealed, "To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I've ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can't believe they were ever left behind."

True to form, Swift's latest tracks explore themes of romance, youth, and empowerment. "Suburban Legends," in particular, is an evocative song with a driving beat and poignant lyrics. The subject of time pulls the track together, with Swift reminiscing about the past and imagining a future. Lost love is the centerpiece here, with the star singing, "Tick-tock on the clock, I pace down your block / I broke my own heart 'cause you were too polite to do it / Waves crash on the shore, I dash to the door / You don't knock anymore and my whole life's ruined." Without further ado, let's take a deeper dive into the real meaning of this song.

In "Suburban Legends," Taylor Swift reflects on a powerful love that just wasn't meant to be. With lyrics like "You were so magnetic, it was almost obnoxious," the star was clearly drawn to this mystery man. Although Swift provides hints that the pair wasn't compatible, she dreams about how their love story could've unraveled. She sings, "I had the fantasy that maybe our mismatched star signs / Would surprise the whole school / When I ended up back at our class reunion / Walkin' in with you."

When any Swift song drops, fans are quick to dissect which ex-lover the star is singing about. But as we know, the "Shake It Off" singer isn't divulging her secrets so easily. She once told GQ in 2015, "The fact that I've never confirmed who those songs are about makes me feel like there is still one card I'm holding." That said, the process of elimination may be our best tool here. As Billboard suggests, Swift may be referring to Harry Styles in "Suburban Legends," who has a "mismatched" star sign, Aquarius, to Swift's Sagittarius. As this newly released track is packed with nostalgia, Swift may also be singing about a special someone from way back when.

While "Suburban Legends" focuses on a past lover of Taylor Swift's, the song also alludes to the singer's trajectory and path to success. "We were born to be suburban legends," Swift proudly sings in the chorus. The singer-songwriter spent her early years in Pennsylvania before moving to Nashville, Tennessee for her music career. "I was from a small town, and nobody really expects you to leave, especially before you graduate. That doesn't happen. I actually went back a couple months ago and played a sold-out show in my hometown, and it was amazing," she told Entertainment Weekly back in 2008. As the track title implies, Swift left the suburbs to chase her dreams. Indeed, many would call Swift a suburban legend, as the small town musician achieved big time stardom.

Of course, this isn't the first time that Swift has possibly referenced her small town in her music. Swifties, in fact, have created a Reddit thread called "Taylor songs mentioning her hometown." Users cited "London Boy," "Midnight Rain," and "Fearless" as just a few tracks that follow this pattern. One user remarked, "She seems to have a complicated relationship with the state of Pennsylvania, her true hometown, which... I understand. 'I didn't choose this town, I dream of getting out' from ['You're On Your Own, Kid'] is almost certainly about Reading, PA."