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no body, no crime

Single | Featuring HAIM | evermore (2020)

“no body, no crime” is the sixth track off of Taylor’s ninth studio, evermore (2020). In the song, Taylor teams up with longtime pals HAIM to avenge the murder of a woman named Este, who confronted her cheating husband and was killed for it.

Background

Aaron Dessner co-produced the song with Taylor. He told Rolling Stone in an interview after the album release in December 2020, how the song came together:

«Taylor wrote that one alone and sent me a voice memo of her playing guitar — she wrote it on this rubber-bridge guitar that I got for her. It’s the same kind I play on 'invisible string.' So she wrote 'no body, no crime' and sent me a voice memo of it, and then I started building on that. And then Taylor had specific ideas from the beginning about references and how she wanted it to feel, and that she wanted the HAIM sisters to sing on it. We had them record the song with Ariel Reichshaid, they sent that from L.A., and then we put it together when Taylor was here [at Long Pond]. They’re an incredible band, and it was another situation where we were like, 'Well, this happened.' It felt like this weird little rock & roll history anecdote.»

Aaron Dessner

Lyrical Theme

Taylor revealed to EW where the idea for “no body, no crime” came from, and how she got the group — which consists of sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim — involved:

«Working with the HAIM sisters on 'no body, no crime' was pretty hilarious because it came about after I wrote a pretty dark murder mystery song and had named the character Este, because she’s the friend I have who would be stoked to be in a song like that. I had finished the song and was nailing down some lyric details and texted her, 'You’re not going to understand this text for a few days but... which chain restaurant do you like best?' and I named a few. She chose Olive Garden and a few days later I sent her the song and asked if they would sing on it. It was an immediate 'YES.'»

Taylor Swift

Live Performances

Taylor first performed “no body, no crime” in Seattle on July 22, 2023, together with HAIM on “The Eras Tour” (2023). The song was added to the “evermore Act” for all the dates where HAIM opened for Taylor and replaced “’tis the damn season“.

The Four HAIM Sisters

Though they’d been friends for years and even toured together, Taylor and the HAIM sisters had never before collaborated on a song together. “We can’t figure out why we hadn’t collaborated sooner. We’ve toured together, played live together, choreographed dances like we’re at summer camp, but it took a song about avenging your friend’s murder to give us the idea to take this step,” Taylor explained, adding, “Long story short, I’m the 4th HAIM sister now, confirmed.” They have since collaborated a second time, on a remix of HAIM’s song “Gasoline“.

Commercial Performance

Despite not being a single upon release, “no body, no crime” debuted at No. 34 on the US making HAIM’s first entry and top-forty on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, marking Taylor’s second top 10 of 2020, following “betty“, and HAIM’s first appearance on the chart. “no body, no crime” was released to country radio on January 11, 2021 as the second single from the album.

Lyrics

[Intro: HAIM]
He did it
He did it

[Verse 1: Taylor Swift]
Este’s a friend of mine
We meet up every Tuesday night for dinner and a glass of wine
Este’s been losing sleep
Her husband’s acting different
And it smells like infidelity
She says, “That ain’t my merlot on his mouth”
“That ain’t my jewelry on our joint account”
No, there ain’t no doubt
I think I’m gonna call him out
She says

[Chorus: Taylor Swift]
I think he did it but I just can’t prove it
I think he did it but I just can’t prove it
I think he did it but I just can’t prove it
No, no body, no crime
But I ain’t letting up until the day I die

[Post-Chorus: HAIM]
No, no
I think he did it
No, no
He did it

[Verse 2: Taylor Swift]
Este wasn’t there
Tuesday night at Olive Garden
At her job or anywhere
He reports his missing wife
And I noticed when I passed his house his truck has got some brand new tires
And his mistress moved in
Sleeps in Este’s bed and everything
No, there ain’t no doubt
Somebody’s gotta catch him out
‘Cause

[Chorus: Taylor Swift & HAIM]
I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it (He did it)
I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it (He did it)
I think he did it, but I just can’t prove it
No, no body, no crime
But I ain’t letting up until the day I die

[Post-Chorus: HAIM & Taylor Swift]
No, no
I think he did it
No, no
He did it

[Verse 3: Taylor Swift & Danielle Haim]
Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license when I was 15
And I’ve cleaned enough houses to know how to cover up a scene
Good thing Este’s sister’s gonna swear she was with me (“She was with me, dude”)
Good thing his mistress took out a big life insurance policy

[Chorus: Taylor Swift]
They think she did it but they just can’t prove it
They think she did it but they just can’t prove it
She thinks I did it but she just can’t prove it

[Outro: Taylor Swift]
No, no body, no crime
I wasn’t letting up until the day he
No, no body, no crime
I wasn’t letting up until the day he
No, no body, no crime
I wasn’t letting up until the day he
Died