Home » Albums » 1989 » Songs on 1989 » Wonderland

Wonderland

Promotional Single | Bonus Track | 1989 (2014) | 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2023]

“Wonderland” is track fourteen on the deluxe edition of Taylor’s fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). The song uses the story of Alice In Wonderland as inspiration to describe the highs and lows of a past relationship. The re-recording of the song, “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version)”, will be released on October 27, 2023.

Background and Release

Inspired by pop music of the 1980s and its experimentation with synthesizers, drum pads, and overlapped vocals, Taylor decided to move away from the signature country styles of her previous releases and incorporate a straightforward pop production for 1989. The recording process began in mid-2013 concurrently with the start of Taylor’s “The RED Tour” in support of her fourth studio album, RED (2012). Taylor announced in February 2014 that she was again working with Max Martin and Shellback, with whom she had collaborated on three songs for RED. Martin also served as executive producer with Taylor on 1989.

“Wonderland” was released as the third promotional single on February 17, 2015, from the deluxe version of 1989.

Lyrical Theme

The song tells the story of a relationship that was too good to be true. Taylor and her boyfriend were in their own little dream world. She knew it would end badly, she was warned, but she jumped right in anyways. Eventually, everything started to go wrong. Everytime she tried to leave he reasured her that everything was fine because they were in Wonderland. Slowly though, they fell out of love, and she realizied that she had to go back to reality, that it was never going to work. And after that, she was never the same.

Live Performance

Even though it is a bonus track, Taylor performed “Wonderland” a few times acoustically on “The 1989 World Tour” (2015). She also sang it on the “repuation Stadium Tour” (2018), and again on “The Eras Tour” in Houston, on April 21, 2023. When introducing the song, Taylor said:

«I really wanna play this one tonight. I haven't played it in a very long time. I kinda based it off of a twisted Alice in Wonderland. I’m insane. Truly.»

Taylor Swift

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Flashing lights and we
Took a wrong turn and we
And we fell down a rabbit hole…
You held on tight to me
‘Cause nothing’s as it seems
Spinning out of control…

[Pre-chorus 1]
Didn’t they tell us, “Don’t rush into things”?
Didn’t you flash your green eyes at me?
Haven’t you heard what becomes of curious minds?…
Didn’t it all seem new and exciting?
I felt your arms twisting around me
I should have slept with one eye open at night…

[Chorus]
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and
We pretended it could last forever (Eh)
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and
Life was never worse but never better

[Post-Chorus]
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…

[Verse 2]
So we went on our way
Too in love to think straight
All alone, or so it seemed…
There were strangers watching
Whispers turned to talking
And talking turned to screams… (Oh)

[Pre-chorus 2]
Didn’t they tell us, “Don’t rush into things?”
Didn’t you flash your green eyes at me?
Didn’t you calm my fears with a Cheshire cat smile?… (Oh)
Didn’t it all seem new and exciting?
I felt your arms twisting around me
It’s all fun and games ’til somebody loses their mind…

[Chorus]
But darling
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and
We pretended it could last forever (Eh)
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and
Life was never worse but never better

[Post-Chorus]
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…
Eh eh eh eh eh
In wonderland…

[Bridge]
I reached for you but you were gone.
I knew I had to go back home.
You searched the world for something else
To make you feel like what we had.
And in the end in wonderland
We both went mad… (Oh)

[Chorus]
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and
We pretended it could last forever (Last forever, eh eh)
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and (Got lost in it)
Life was never worse but never better (Never better)

[Final Chorus]
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and (Wonderland)
We pretended it could last forever (In wonderland)
We found wonderland
You and I got lost in it and (Wonderland)
Life was never worse but never better
In wonderland…