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Stay Beautiful

Taylor Swift (2006)

“Stay Beautiful” is track eight on Taylor’s debut studio album, Taylor Swift (2006). It is a cute, heartfelt song about a boy she had a crush on in high school. It epitomizes young relationships, acknowledging that things may not work out between the two, but still enjoying the present.

Background

Taylor wrote this song with her frequent co-writer Liz Rose. She has clarified that it is “about a guy (she) never dated”. Speaking on the inspiration of the song, she mentioned that she has often been asked how many people she has dated, since a lot of her songs seemed to be based on different relationships. On her website, Taylor wrote:

«After hearing my songs, a lot of people ask me, 'How many boyfriends have you HAD?' And I always tell them that more of my songs come more from observation than actual experience. In other words, you don’t have to date someone to write a song about them. This is a song I wrote about a guy I never dated! Wow, right? [Laughs] This song is about a guy I thought was cute, and never really talked to him much. But something about him inspired this song, just watching him.»

Taylor Swift

The meaning behind the song’s secret message, “Shake n bake,” remains unknown to this day.

Lyrical Theme

Taylor revealed in a Speak Now commercial that the song is about her crush named Corey Robinson. “So, I suppose it all started with my first crush in 4th grade. Cory Robertson. Yeah, he liked the cool girl. She had straight hair. Little did he know, I was writing songs about him after school. Dreaming of one day becoming a country singer. Or maybe a poet. Or a professional basketball player. Well, eventually I found my way.” Before playing the song at a concert in 2007, she said:

«People always ask me, 'What's the story behind this? Who was this guy? Who is Cory?' Well, I'll tell you. I'll explain to you the exact inspiration behind this song, exactly how I was inspired to write it. I was standing in the hallway at school and this guy walked past. And I was like, 'Wow, he's really hot.' And so I went home and I wrote a song about it.»

Taylor Swift

Cory later moved away, so Taylor never got to tell him that she liked him. Instead, she openly expressed her feelings she wrote in the song when she performed it at her school talent show.

Misheard Lyrics

Taylor clarified that the way the first lyrics of the song are supposed to be read is:

Cory’s eyes are like a jungle, he smiles
It’s like the radio, he whispers songs into my window
In words that nobody knows

The way that line sounds on the album led to lots of confusion among fans.

Live Performances

In total, Taylor has performed “Stay Beautiful” over 30 times. She often sang it in promotion of her debut album, when she was a tour opening act for many country music superstars from 2006 to 2008. Taylor sang “Stay Beautiful” for the first time in 15 years when she chose it as the first surprise song for her “The Eras Tour” concert in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on November 17, 2023. She performed it acoustically on guitar. When she introduced the song, she said:

«I wanted to play something to honor the fact that so many amazing Brazilian fans have been with me since day one—since the first album. And it’s totally cool whatever time you decided you wanted to listen to my music, it’s all good. If it was yesterday, that’s great, like, welcome. But for those of you who’ve been there since I was, you know, putting out my first album, I wrote that album when I was 14 and 15, so I wanted to play something from my first album. And I can’t remember how many years it’s been since I played this song, but it’s because you, this crowd, Rio, you are just so beautiful, and I hope you stay that way.»

Taylor Swift

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Cory’s eyes are like a jungle
He smiles, it’s like the radio
He whispers songs into my window
In words that nobody knows
These pretty girls on every corner
They watch him as he’s walking home
Saying, “Does he know?”
Will you ever know?

[Chorus]
You’re beautiful
Every little piece, love, don’t you know
You’re really gonna be someone, ask anyone
When you find everything you looked for
I hope your life leads you back to my door
Oh, but if it don’t, stay beautiful

[Verse 2]
Cory finds another way to be
The highlight of my day
I’m taking pictures in my mind
So I can save them for a rainy day
It’s hard to make conversation
When he’s taking my breath away
I should say, “Hey, by the way…”

[Bridge]
If you and I are a story
That never gets told
If what you are is a daydream
I’ll never get to hold, at least you’ll know

[Final Chorus]
You’re beautiful
Every little piece, love, don’t you know
You’re really gonna be someone, ask anyone
When you find everything you looked for
I hope your life leads you back to my door
Oh, but if it don’t

[Outro]
Will you stay beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh, but if it don’t stay, beautiful
Stay beautiful, na na na na na