I Know Places
1989 (2014)
The song was written by Taylor and Ryan Tedder. On the deluxe edition of the album, she said she first wrote this track on piano. At a private GRAMMY Pro session in October of 2015, Taylor further explained her inspiration behind the song:
“I had this idea of like, you know, when you’re in love – along the lines of ‘Out of the Woods’ – it’s very precious, it’s fragile. As soon as the world gets ahold of it, whether it’s your friends or people around town hear about it … it’s kind of like the first thing people want to do when they hear that people are in love is just kind of try to ruin it […] I kind of was in a place where I was like, ‘No one is gonna sign up for this. There are just too many cameras pointed at me. There are too many ridiculous elaborations on my life. It’s just not ever gonna work.‘ But I decided to write a love song, just kind of like, ‘What would I say if I met someone really awesome and they were like, hey, I’m worried about all this attention you get?’ So I wrote this song called ‘I Know Places’ about, like, ‘Hey, I know places we can hide. We could outrun them.’ I’m so happy that it sounds like the urgency that it sings.” — Taylor Swift
She then went on to explain that when she met Ryan a few weeks later in a studio he was already working on the track. Taylor’s goal was to make the song sound like it could be in a spy movie — with a soaring chorus. Ryan also provides background vocals on the song, which he recorded on his tourbus when he was in Switzerland.
Lyrics
[Intro]
(I, I, I, I I, I, I, I I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I)
[Verse 1]
You stand with your hand on my waistline
It’s a scene and we’re out here in plain sight
I can hear them whisper as we pass by
It’s a bad sign, bad sign
Something happens when everybody finds out
See the vultures circling dark clouds
Love’s a fragile little flame, it could burn out
It could burn out
[Pre-chorus 1]
‘Cause they got the cages, they got the boxes
And guns
They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run
[Chorus]
Baby, I know places we won’t be found
And they’ll be chasing their tails tryin’ to track us down
‘Cause I, I know places we can hide
I know places, I know places
[Verse 2]
Lights flash and we’ll run for the fences
Let them say what they want, we won’t hear it
Loose lips sink ships all the damn time
Not this time
[Pre-chorus 2]
Just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it, my love
They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run
[Chorus]
Baby, I know places we won’t be found
And they’ll be chasing their tails tryin’ to track us down
‘Cause I, I know places we can hide
I know places
[Bridge]
They are the hunters, we are the foxes
And we run
Just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it
My love
[Chorus]
Baby, I know places we won’t be found
And they’ll be chasing their tails tryin’ to track us down
‘Cause I, I know places we can hide
I know places
[Outro]
They take their shots, but we’re bulletproof (I know places)
And you know for me, it’s always you (I know places)
In the dead of night, your eyes so green (I know places)
And I know for you, it’s always me (I know places)
(I, I, I, I I, I, I, I I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I)
