The Story of Us: A Theory

• This is a theory about why I think The Story of Us is about Liz Huett. Liz was Taylor’s backup singer during the Fearless and Speak Now tours.
• Although it’s interesting to make theories, it’s just a fun guessing game and I don’t know anything for sure.
• Liz is now a singer-songwriter who releases music independently, and you can check out her music here.

Liz was Taylor’s backup singer on the Fearless and Speak Now tours

Liz sings background vocals on The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version)

Liz sings background vocals on The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version)

• This is interesting because it is the only song where Liz has background vocals on the Taylor’s Version recording but not on the original album version.
• For three other songs on Speak Now and two songs on Red, Liz has vocals on both the original recording and the Taylor’s Version of the song. Taylor made the decision to add Liz to The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version) even though Liz did not have vocals on the version of the song recorded in 2010.

Liz has a role in The Story of Us music video

• Liz and other members of Taylor’s band appear in the music video for The Story of Us, which was filmed in 2011. Liz plays the role of the girl who “steals” and kisses Taylor’s love interest in the video (starting at 2:40).

Taylor finished writing The Story of Us on June 16, 2010

• According to a journal entry, Taylor finished writing The Story of Us on the way to the studio on June 16, 2010 after working on it “for a few days.” This suggests that she was writing the song on June 14, 15, and 16.
• She described the song as “sort of torn sounding… like this horrible stressed confusion that comes on when you know the person you’re pining away for is in the room, and for some reason, there are these invisible walls keeping things from being okay. So you’re not fine, and they’re not fine.” Taylor considered the muse of the song to be someone she was pining away for.
• Taylor said that The Story of Us is the last song she wrote for Speak Now, and after writing it, she knew that the album was done.

Taylor hosted a 13-hour meet and greet on June 13, 2010

• Just days before Taylor finished writing The Story of Us, she hosted a 13-hour meet and greet in Nashville during the CMA Music Festival on June 13, 2010. This was a week after the last night of the Fearless Tour.
• Taylor and her band performed a few songs during the event, including Our Song, Fearless, Love Story, and You Belong with Me.
• During the performance of Fearless, Taylor and Liz did not perform their usual choreography at the end of the song which involved singing side by side, but instead they kept their distance on stage. Another band member seemed confused that Liz was not performing the song as expected. To me, this suggests that something was “off” between Taylor and Liz that day.

Performing Fearless

• The Fearless Tour started on April 23, 2009, and the last US show was held on June 5, 2010.
• Every night of the tour for more than 100 shows, Taylor performed the end of the song Fearless with Caitlin and Liz as shown in these videos. There was a lot of eye contact and smiling.
• You can watch any video of this song from the Fearless Tour, and the choreography is basically the same.

Performing Fearless

• Taylor and Liz would sing side-by-side at the end of the song.

On June 13, 2010, Liz keeps her distance from Taylor on stage…

On June 13, 2010, Liz keeps her distance from Taylor on stage…

• Caitlin, a band member who is playing guitar on the left side of the video, tries several times to get Liz’s attention and gestures for Liz to move toward the front of the stage (starting at 4:35). She takes a couple steps toward Liz and gestures with her hand and a head nod (around 4:43), but Liz doesn’t move.
• Caitlin takes a step toward Taylor, expecting to share the microphone with her as usual during this part of the song, but she realizes that neither Taylor nor Liz is going to perform the choreography as expected. She glances back at Liz again. Caitlin seems confused, but she adjusts and stays at her own microphone.
• During the “echo” part of the song, Liz keeps her distance from Taylor and stays at her own mic stand rather than singing side by side with Taylor.

On June 13, 2010, Liz keeps her distance from Taylor on stage…

• Liz looked at Caitlin after the repeated attempts to get her attention, which shows she was aware that Caitlin was trying to communicate with her on stage. But still, Liz kept her distance and did not move away from her mic stand.

What does it mean?

• This performance on June 13, 2010 took place after the tour ended, so the band had already performed the song Fearless together more than 100 times with the same choreography each night. It’s surprising that Taylor, Caitlin, and Liz would not all be on the same page about what was going to happen on stage.
• To me, this suggests that things were not okay between Taylor and Liz that day. The "echo" part of the song usually involved standing close, making eye contact, and smiling at each other, and maybe they didn’t feel comfortable with that.
• It seems like Taylor and Liz were trying to avoid closely interacting, despite the requirement of performing together. This fits the dynamic described in The Story of Us, with lyrics like “you’re doing your best to avoid me.”

What led up to this moment?

• Taylor and Liz had a close friendship in 2009 and 2010 during the Fearless Tour. I get the sense that their friendship had some romantic undertones, creating a dynamic that was emotionally intense and sometimes confusing.
• They may have existed in a gray area, with the exact nature of their relationship undefined while they were technically “just friends.” This seems especially likely during times when they were not dating other people, as they may have shared a greater level of closeness and affection with each other than with anyone else.
• However, when Liz started to date someone new in May 2010 and boundaries became more clear and defined, this may have triggered some confusing emotions for Taylor about her feelings for Liz and her place in Liz’s life.

Taylor and Liz had a close friendship…

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Taylor and Liz had a close friendship…

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Taylor’s MySpace post from Sept. 6, 2009

Taylor and Liz had a close friendship…

• In this video from Feb. 2010, Liz playfully touches Taylor’s toes with hers. This has a flirty vibe that suggests their friendship may have had romantic undertones.

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Taylor and Liz had a close friendship…

• Taylor’s playful teasing and the way she seemed to fixate on Liz’s little quirks (her sleepiness and love of naps) and find them endearing definitely has a “crush” vibe.

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Possible references to Liz in The Story of Us music video

• We have already seen that Liz appears in The Story of Us music video. It’s interesting to note that another actress is shown yawning and falling asleep, and she sleeps through the commotion at the end of the video. This feels like a possible reference to how Taylor used to tease Liz for being sleepy on tour. Taylor’s love interest is shown writing with his left hand. Liz is also left-handed. This might not mean anything because left-handedness isn’t rare, but I know Taylor pays attention to detail.

On April 26, 2010, Taylor posted a video blog with the song “She (For Liz)”

On April 26, 2010, Taylor posted a video blog with the song “She (For Liz)”

On April 26, 2010, Taylor posted a video blog with the song “She (For Liz)”

My vocal chords have been fighting

My mouth likes to spite me

It never says the words that come to mind

And I brought a stick to a gunfight

And I'm stuck with my tongue tied

I run, but I can't hide what's always there

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She, she is the words that I can't find

How can the only thing that's killing me

Make me feel so alive

And I couldn't speak

I couldn't breathe to save my life

All of my chances swim like sinking ships

This time it's it

I'll drown or make her mine

• The song describes being unable to find the right words or express your true feelings for someone, even though it feels like it’s killing you.
• The song is about someone named Liz who makes the songwriter feel so alive that he’s considering taking a chance and confessing his feelings for her, but it’s a difficult battle between staying silent and risking vulnerability.

On April 26, 2010, Taylor posted a video blog with the song “She (For Liz)”

• In the caption for the video, Taylor referred to the song by Parachute as “She”, even though the official name of the song is “She (For Liz).” Taylor would have known this, so her choice to not write the full name of the song is interesting.
• At this point in time, Liz was interested in a guy named Jason who happened to be close friends with the band Parachute. The theme of the song is interesting in this context, as though Taylor may have wondered if she should “speak now” and talk to Liz about her feelings before Liz officially started dating Jason, but she didn’t know how and perhaps felt torn between opening up and holding back.

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• On May 1, 2010, Taylor helped Liz make a birthday cake for a guy Liz was interested in, but who wasn’t officially her boyfriend yet. Liz later attended a birthday celebration for Jason and also posted a message for him.
• Taylor seemed supportive of Liz’s interest in Jason, or at least pretended to be. But there is something that feels emotionally charged about their interaction in this video.

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Liz starts dating a new boyfriend in May 2010

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• Liz and Jason tried to go to a concert on one of her days off from the tour, but tickets were sold out. It seems like they were officially dating at this point.
• Liz was busy traveling for the Fearless Tour in May 2010 and was probably not able to spend a lot of time with Jason yet. She would have been spending much more time with Taylor and the band.

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Liz starts dating a new boyfriend in May 2010

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• As I said before, I think Taylor and Liz may have existed in a sort of gray area, sharing an emotionally intense friendship and vaguely romantic connection that they didn’t view as a formal relationship. The undefined nature of this relationship may have worked for them as long as Liz was not involved with someone else.
• When Liz started dating someone new, I think it brought some of Taylor’s true feelings to the surface and forced her to confront them. She may have felt confused, jealous, or displaced seeing Liz share the same closeness and affection with someone else that had once been reserved for her.
• For many reasons, including the risks involved if Taylor pursued a romantic relationship with Liz and Taylor’s own fear being vulnerable, she may have tried to downplay those feelings rather than be honest about them.

Liz starts dating a new boyfriend in May 2010

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• In an interview, Taylor said she wrote Back to December in New York City, and the only time Taylor was known to be in NYC in spring 2010 was May 3-5 and May 12-15.
• This means Taylor wrote the song almost immediately after Liz started dating Jason, suggesting this could have been the emotional catalyst for writing the song. I believe Back to December could be about Liz, specifically Taylor’s feelings of longing and regret when Liz fell in love with someone new. Taylor has said that the song is about “a lesson I learned too late.”
• I’m not going to fully go into the theory and the timeline here, though it’s important to note that a literal interpretation of the song does not make sense for Liz (such as the lyric “your birthday passed and I didn’t call”) because there was never a long period of time when Taylor and Liz didn’t see each other. I think Taylor sometimes blends truth and fiction in her songwriting or weaves together different stories, and she may have tried to write a song that seamlessly fit the narrative and timeline of her public relationship with Taylor Lautner while also telling a more private, emotionally vulnerable story about something that happened with Liz.

Taylor writes Back to December in May 2010

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• The gist of this theory is that Taylor and Liz may have first acted on their feelings for each other and started a romantic relationship around November 2009 after months of touring together. Taylor wrote Ours in late 2009, when she was about to turn 20, about a relationship she knew others wouldn’t approve of. She may have been caught up in the initial excitement of exploring these feelings and taken a defiant stance toward outside judgment, as reflected in the song Ours.
• In December, perhaps the reality of the potential consequences for her career set in and Taylor had second thoughts, deciding they should date other people instead of pursuing a serious relationship. Maybe she was scared of how complicated and risky it would be for them, given the reality of working together and the need to keep the relationship secret (“fear crept into my mind”). Maybe Taylor also wanted the freedom to explore other romantic opportunities, given that she was spending time with John Mayer and Julianne Hough at this point.
• Only after Liz started dating someone new did Taylor feel the full weight of regret for her decision in December (“it turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you.”)

Taylor writes Back to December in May 2010

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Taylor writes Back to December in May 2010

• Back to December was clearly a very personal and emotional song for Taylor, whomever it is about. In an interview, she said “It was inspired by a lesson I learned a little too late. That's a song that's a message to a specific person. The song is what this person deserves to hear. An apology. It's a song that is very personal, and I needed to write it.
• In a behind the scenes video, she said, “it’s like these two people are bonded even though they’re not together anymore and everything’s all messed up.”

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The clock in the Back to December music video is set ALMOST to Liz’s birthday

• The clock appears to be set to 5:26, and Liz’s birthday is May 27. It appears to be fixed at that time in different shots rather than ticking normally.

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• In this theory, I imagine that Liz basically went along with Taylor’s decision to not formally define or commit to their relationship, without showing that she was hurt on the surface. They continued to be very close in 2010. It makes sense that Liz would have wanted to preserve her friendship and working relationship with Taylor.
• Liz has spoken and written lyrics about her tendency to act tough and not show her real feelings. For example, she writes about “always keeping [her] armor up, always been a little too good at being tough” in That’s What You Get. She co-wrote a song with the lyrics “if you have to cry, don’t let it show, I always had to be the tough girl, never let ‘em in too much girl.”
• Recently, Liz said “somewhere along the way, I think I picked up this theory that you’ve got to be the tough girl, to never get your heart broken, and you have to keep your walls high and you’ve got to not care too much” while introducing a song.

Liz has “always been a little too good at being tough”

Liz has “always been a little too good at being tough”

• Liz introduces her song Your Guitar around the 56 minute mark in this video.

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• The only indication that Liz may have felt more hurt than she let on around this time is that she posted these John Mayer lyrics on Jan. 2, 2010 with no explanation.
• The full lyric is “Drop his name, push it in and twist the knife again, watch my face as I pretend to feel no pain.” This seems to reflect Liz’s overall tendency to keep her armor up and not show her true emotions or vulnerability. The choice of a John Mayer lyric is interesting given that John and Taylor were seen spending time together in January 2010 and may have been romantically involved. I’m not sure if this was a subtle way of communicating that she was actually feeling hurt or jealous while “pretending to feel no pain”, but it seems possible.

Liz has “always been a little too good at being tough”

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Liz posts a link to another song on May 4, 2010 without a caption

• Around the time she started dating Jason, Liz posted a link to the song Poison and Wine with no explanation. This is the second time Liz posted a song or lyrics that may have subtly communicated her feelings at the time.
• The song’s chorus “I don’t love you, but I always will” reflects conflicted emotions and reminds me of a song Liz wrote years later called Don’t LV U Anymore that I think could be about Taylor.

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• If the theory that Back to December is about Liz has some truth, it adds some more context and depth to understanding what led up to The Story of Us. (However, I don’t think it’s essential to believe this theory to still think The Story of Us could be about Liz.)
• As Taylor watched Liz move on with Jason, she may have felt that she had no right to be anything but supportive after she had made the decision to date other people rather than commit to a relationship with Liz. Even if she started to regret that decision, Taylor may have felt that she should stay silent about her real feelings. When she finally realized how much she regretted what had happened between them and wished to be able to go back and change it, she felt that it was too late. The weight of these unspoken feelings could have created a great deal of tension.
• It’s understandable why Liz may have put up emotional walls or held onto her pride if she had felt hurt or rejected somehow by Taylor in the past, even if she hadn’t shown it at the time. She may have also felt some validation in realizing that Taylor was pining for her now after what had happened between them in the past, as though the roles had been reversed.

Back to December and The Story of Us

The last night of the tour was June 5, 2010, and Taylor was emotional…

The last night of the tour was June 5, 2010, and Taylor was emotional…

The last night of the tour was June 5, 2010, and Taylor was emotional…

• Taylor performed at Gillette Stadium near Boston on June 5, 2010. This was the last night of the Fearless Tour, and it was Taylor’s first time headlining an NFL stadium. She was emotional backstage before the show and said, “I’m gonna cry.” Liz gave her a hug and responded, “Don’t cry. I love you.”
• Although Liz said “I love you” as a friend, the way Taylor looked at her with an almost pained expression (and didn’t say it back) makes me think that Taylor had complicated, unresolved feelings for Liz that were not just platonic. As we know, Liz was dating Jason now and Taylor may have struggled with that reality.
• The ease with which Liz put her hands on Taylor’s face to comfort her shows the close, affectionate bond they had, even if they were “just friends.”

The Fearless Tour ends

• The tour was basically over after June 5, 2010 (except for one more show in the Bahamas on June 19) and Taylor wrote Long Live about her band.
• After a busy tour schedule in May and the first week of June, Liz had more time at home in Nashville and was likely able to spend more time with her boyfriend.
• The tour ending may have felt like a significant shift in Liz and Taylor’s relationship because they no longer had all of the built-in time together that they’d had since the beginning of the tour in early 2009.
• If Liz was starting to spend more time with her boyfriend and investing more of her emotional energy in that relationship, Taylor may have felt jealous or uncertain about her place in Liz’s life, like she no longer knew where they stood.

About a week later, Taylor writes The Story of Us

• I’m not sure exactly what happened with Liz and Taylor between June 5 (when they shared a warm, affectionate moment backstage) and June 13 (when they kept their distance on stage during the meet and greet). But I think something happened to make things tense because the stage dynamics that day and Caitlin’s confusion feel genuinely surprising. Maybe Liz and her boyfriend were spending more time together or getting more serious now that the tour had ended. Maybe Taylor was pining as she no longer felt like she was the most important person in Liz’s life.
• Knowing that Taylor wrote The Story of Us at this time (June 14, 15, and 16) leads me to believe the song is about Liz and whatever unresolved feelings they had for each other that led to an emotional standoff and both of them having defensive walls up. I think the lyrics make a lot of sense in this context.

Not long afterward, Taylor and Liz seem friendly again…

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• If The Story of Us is about Liz, it’s clear that they worked through the conflict pretty quickly. Taylor spent July 4, 2010 with Liz, Jason, and some other band members. Liz posted about receiving flowers from Jason.
• Maybe processing her emotions through songwriting made it easier for Taylor to put aside the tension with Liz, bring some of the walls down, and work things out. By July 4, Taylor may have reached a place of acceptance about Liz’s new relationship.

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Not long afterward, Taylor and Liz seem friendly again…

• I think there’s some catastrophic thinking in The Story of Us, where Taylor panics that her friendship with Liz is ending forever because of the conflict between them in that moment (“the story of us might be ending soon”). She probably wasn’t used to fighting with Liz, so this disconnect from the closeness they normally shared would have felt especially painful. The song has a dramatic intensity that reflects Taylor’s fear of losing someone she really valued.
• In reality, their bond was strong enough to withstand this conflict, and they were able to be friends again. I think Taylor continued to quietly pine, but she was able to put those feelings aside enough to repair their connection. Despite lingering feelings, Taylor and Liz may have reached a mutual understanding and accepted that dating other people was for the best, as they both would have been acutely aware of the challenges of their situation and the risks involved in pursuing a secret relationship while working together in a conservative industry. Liz’s relationship with Jason would have felt like a safer, more realistic option and one in which she could envision building a “traditional” future. Taylor may have tried to be supportive.

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Months later, Speak Now is released in October 2010

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Months later, Speak Now is released in October 2010

• This interaction between Taylor and Liz at the Speak Now album release party on October 25, 2010 feels especially charged. The way Liz was fidgeting as if nervous while approaching Taylor and the way they continued to touch each other after the hug like there was a magnet connecting them suggests there may have been complicated, lingering feelings for each other, even though Liz was now in a relationship with someone else.
• On October 27, Taylor performed a few songs at the JFK airport. When introducing Speak Now, Taylor said, “I’ve never interrupted a wedding before, per se, but if I was going to, this is how I would do it.” Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears, and Liz noticed. Liz giggled nervously for a second and then stared pensively at the floor. Liz smiled again when Taylor sang “you wish it was me, don’t you?” This makes me wonder if the themes of the song had some meaning for them given that Liz had a boyfriend and Taylor may have been pining. Liz was also not onstage when Taylor performed Back to December.

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Months later, Speak Now is released in October 2010

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Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• I used to think one day, we’d tell the story of us, how we met: The story of how Taylor and Liz first met is interesting. Liz waited in line for hours to talk to Taylor at a meet-and-greet when Taylor had just released her debut album in 2006, asking for advice on becoming a singer. Taylor encouraged her to move to Nashville, which Liz did a couple years later in 2008. She auditioned for Taylor’s band in early 2009.
• Taylor and Liz saw each other on a few more occasions in 2007 and 2008, including when Liz was a contestant on Dance War and Taylor performed on the show. Taylor wrote on MySpace, "it sounds strange, but there was always something different about her that stuck out in my mind" after she talked to Liz at her shows.
• They may have felt their story was special, given their early interactions and the serendipitous way that Liz ended up auditioning for Taylor’s band.

Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• …how we met and the sparks flew instantly: I don’t think Taylor and Liz probably saw their feelings for each other as romantic at the time, but I think they were instantly drawn to each other. Taylor may have looked back on their magnetic connection and recognized the “sparks” that were there from the beginning.
• In this video blog from March 2009 (screenshots below), Taylor and Liz already seem very close even though Liz only joined the band a few weeks earlier.

Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• I used to know my place was a spot next to you, now I’m searching the room for an empty seat ‘cause lately I don’t even know what page you’re on: Taylor used to feel that her connection with Liz was solid and secure, and she felt confident that she held a special place in Liz’s life. But now, Taylor feels disconnected from the closeness they once shared and uncertain about their friendship.
• Oh, a simple complication, miscommunications lead to fall out: Their struggle to communicate clearly about their feelings, especially in the context of Liz’s new relationship, has caused tension and misunderstandings.
• So many things that I wish you knew, so many walls up I can’t break through: Taylor acknowledges her unspoken feelings, and now she feels that both of them are putting up defensive walls that prevent them from being honest and vulnerable.

Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• Now I’m standing alone in a crowded room, and we’re not speaking, and I’m dying to know, is it killing you like it's killing me? Taylor feels alone as she struggles with the painful silence and distance between them, and she wonders if Liz feels the same way. The “crowded room” could refer to the busy meet and greet event in Nashville where thousands of fans gathered to meet Taylor on June 13.
• I don't know what to say since the twist of fate, when it all broke down, and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now: Taylor reflects on a significant moment when their relationship changed, which could be Liz meeting and falling in love with someone else. This reality brought Taylor’s complicated feelings for Liz to the surface and may have erased any hope she had for them to be together. The lack of clear communication has made things tense, and Taylor worries that their friendship is ending.

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Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• How'd we end up this way? See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy, and you're doing your best to avoid me: Taylor wonders how her close friendship with Liz has turned into this painful situation where they are anxious in each other’s presence and trying to avoiding each other. The dynamics on stage during the performance on June 13 suggest Taylor and Liz may have been avoiding interacting closely even when they had no choice but to perform together.
• I'm scared to see the ending, why are we pretending this is nothing? Taylor worries that her friendship with Liz is ending forever because of the tension between them in that moment. She wonders why they're both acting like their connection and the conflict between them is nothing, pretending not to care. Taylor fears she may be losing one of the most important people in her life.

Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• I’d tell you I miss you, but I don’t know how, I’ve never heard silence quite this loud: Taylor misses the closeness she used to share with Liz but doesn’t know how to talk to her about it. The complicated feelings between them and their history, in the context of Liz having a new boyfriend, make it hard for Taylor to express her true feelings.
• But you held your pride like you should have held me: Along with the lyric about having walls up, Liz may have been holding onto her pride in this moment due to feeling hurt somehow by Taylor in the past (the Back to December theory). Liz has acknowledged a tendency to act like she doesn’t care too much and to avoid showing vulnerability.
• This is looking like a contest of who can act like they care less: Both Taylor and Liz are putting up fronts and pretending not to care, creating more distance. Taylor believes Liz probably does care but can’t seem to break through the walls she’s put up.

Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

• But I liked it better when you were on my side, the battle's in your hands now, but I would lay my armor down if you'd say you'd rather love than fight: Taylor wishes to go back to a time when it felt like she and Liz understood and supported each other. Taylor is ready to stop pretending and be vulnerable if Liz is willing to do the same.
• So many things that you wish I knew, but the story of us might be ending soon: This mirrors a lyric earlier in the song when Taylor says “so many things that I wish you knew.” But now, Taylor is acknowledging that she is not the only one who has unspoken feelings. She realizes that Liz might also have complicated feelings or things she wishes Taylor understood that she is holding back from expressing. Taylor again expresses her fear that their friendship might be coming to an end.

Unpacking the lyrics of The Story of Us

Overall, I think The Story of Us describes a painful moment when Liz and Taylor’s friendship had been deeply strained, as Liz’s new relationship caused a shift in their dynamic. Taylor and Liz may have had unresolved romantic feelings for each other that caused their friendship to be especially intense and confusing even when they were technically “just friends.” The lack of clear communication about their feelings in the context of Liz dating someone new brought these feelings to the surface, and the tension between them led to an emotional standoff. They appeared to avoid interacting closely onstage at the meet and greet event that took place a week after the last night of the tour. Taylor went on to write The Story of Us in the days after this event in June 2010. Though Taylor and Liz were able to work through the conflict and stay close, their friendship likely continued to be complicated.

Songs about Liz on Speak Now

Here is a possible story arc for what I imagine could have happened with Taylor and Liz around this time in 2009 and 2010, as told through songs on Speak Now… but of course, it’s just a guess.

• I Can See You - Taylor imagines acting on her feelings for Liz that she has been trying to suppress, wondering how Liz would react and recognizing that they would need to keep the relationship secret.
• Ours - Taylor and Liz start a brief romantic relationship around November 2009. Taylor writes the song Ours as a sweet declaration of love, caught up in the initial excitement of finally exploring these feelings regardless of the risks and taking a defiant stance toward outside judgment or disapproval.
• Back to December - Taylor feels the weight of the possible consequences and complications creep in (“fear crept into my mind”) and decides to pull back from pursuing a relationship with Liz while staying friends, but later has regrets when Liz starts dating someone new and Taylor misses what they had.
• The Story of Us - Taylor and Liz’s friendship has been strained by their unresolved feelings for each other and lack of clear communication in the context of Liz’s new relationship, leading to a painful moment where both Taylor and Liz are putting up emotional walls and pretending not to care.

What Taylor has said about The Story of Us

• Taylor said that she wrote The Story of Us about running into an ex-boyfriend at an awards show. Many fans believe this is about seeing John Mayer at the CMT Awards on June 9, 2010, as the hidden message for the song was CMT Awards.
• It is certainly possible that Taylor wrote the song about John Mayer, but I believe it’s more likely about Liz. Taylor knows that fans examine every detail of her personal life and try to search for the muse of a song, so I think it’s reasonable that she sometimes gives fans a decoy narrative about what her songs are about for privacy. If Taylor wrote this song about Liz, it makes sense that she wouldn’t want fans to think so at the time, especially given that Liz was part of her band. I believe Taylor uses songwriting as a way to process and express her real feelings, but she sometimes chooses to give fans a certain narrative to get ahead of the speculation.

What Taylor has said about The Story of Us

• I also think it’s unlikely that Taylor would write a song like The Story of Us about John Mayer after she had already written Dear John, which fans believe is about him. Yet Taylor said The Story of Us was the very last song she wrote for the album.
• The lyrics of Dear John describe someone whom Taylor has decided very clearly she no longer wants in her life, and she's looking back on the hurt caused with a sense of "good riddance", realizing she should have listened to those who told her to "run as fast as you can." There is a strong theme of gaining clarity in hindsight ("I see it all now, it was wrong", outlining the ways she felt manipulated).
• The Story of Us is about pining away for someone and missing them, hoping the story's not ending and that they can still work things out if both people are willing to be vulnerable instead of having walls up. Taylor was scared of losing this person.

One more fun TayLiz connection…

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One more fun TayLiz connection…

• This isn’t really about The Story of Us, but it’s one of my favorite TayLiz connections. Liz wrote a song in 2012 after leaving Taylor’s band called Never Know. Some fans believe Taylor is the muse of this song in part because of the lyric in the final verse, “it’s crazy how life goes on, now and then I catch myself singing your old song”.

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• The lyric “I guess you never know, you never know” in Liz’s song is almost exactly the same as a lyric in Taylor’s song “the 1.” Liz had also written a song called The One years before about having to accept that maybe a relationship with someone is never going to work even though you still love them.
• When folklore was released in July 2020, Liz had an emotional reaction to “the 1.”

Liz is openly queer…

• Liz released a song called Katelyn From Last Night in 2023 with lyrics about having a crush on a woman.
• Her choice to promote the song with a video of herself in a suit just weeks after Speak Now TV came out (when she was likely aware of the internet buzz about whether she was the muse for I Can See You) suggests she didn’t mind the speculation.
• She also kissed a woman in her H8U music video from 2017.

Possible connections to STFU & Hold Me

• Liz’s song STFU & Hold Me describes going “all in” on an exciting, if reckless, new relationship that quickly runs into trouble due to the muse wanting to take a more cautious approach. This fits reasonably well with the idea of Taylor writing Ours in the hopeful, exciting early stages of a new relationship, not caring if others disapproved, which gave way to experiencing doubts and a more fearful mindset by December.
• “started with a bang, went all in, with a little reckless abandon…now we’re broken and crash landing”
• “sour candy and whiskey, on the first night you kissed me, that’s when falling was easy”
• “I’d give you all I got if you could trust me, I ain’t got the heart to feel lonely, telling me you want to take it slowly, STFU and hold me”
• Liz has possibly tried to signal that this song is about a queer relationship, using imagery of running through a lavender field with her lover in the music video, using rainbow emojis in her caption, and liking a tweet about the song being on a Pride month playlist. When asked about the inspiration for the lyric “sour candy and whiskey on the first night you kissed me” in an interview, Liz specifically mentioned her love of Sour Patch Watermelon candy. Taylor has said that Sour Patch Watermelon is her favorite candy.

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As the song goes… The End.

• Here’s a reminder that this is just fun speculation, and the reality of what actually happened and what inspired Taylor to write this song could be totally different.
• There is so much more that could be said about TayLiz, and this is not meant to be a complete timeline by any means as it really just focuses on one piece of the story.