Change

Single | Fearless (2008) | Fearless (Taylor's Version) [2021]

“Change” is a song on Taylor’s second studio album, “Fearless” (2008). It was written about Taylor’s hopes and aspirations in regards to succeeding in the music industry, although being signed to the smallest record label in Nashville at the time. The re-recording of the song, “Change (Taylor’s Version)”, was released on April 9, 2021 on the album “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).”

At age sixteen, Taylor was signed to the emerging label Big Machine Records, which was the smallest record label in Nashville. There were only about a dozen employees, and she was the only artist. Despite the unpromising situation, she trusted that the label would eventually rise.

“At one point, I began to understand that it would be harder for me on a smaller record label to get to the places and accomplish the things that artists were accomplishing on bigger record labels. I realized that I wouldn’t get favors pulled for me because there weren’t any other artists on the label to pull favors from. It was going to be an uphill climb and all that I had to encourage me was the hope that someday things would change. That things would be different. After so many times of just saying that to myself over and over, I finally wrote it down in a song.” — Taylor Swift

After writing the beginning of the song, Taylor let the track rest for a while, waiting for a significant moment in her life that could conclude it. That moment came in 2007 when she won the “Horizon Award” at the CMAs. After looking out into the audience and seeing her family and her label head, Scott Borchetta crying, she felt like she could finally finish the song, and did so the following day.

“That’s when I finished it, because I knew I couldn’t finish it until something like that happened. It was absolutely the most amazing night of my life, getting to see the emotion of all the people who worked so hard for me.” — Taylor Swift

COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE
The song’s original title was “Champions Tonight” and was later changed to “Change”. It was released on August 8, 2008, as part of the compilation album “AT&T TEAM USA Soundtrack” with all proceeds being donated to the United States Olympic team. It was also featured as the background music to the daily TV montage of the Olympic highlights, shown at the end of the show.

“Change” debuted and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Taylor’s first song to reach the top ten on the chart.

MUSIC VIDEO
The music video for “Change” was directed by Shawn Robbins and features Taylor performing with a band in a ballroom. An alternate version of the video features footage of the United States Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
And it’s a sad picture, the final blow hits you
Somebody else gets what you wanted again and
You know it’s all the same, another time and place
Repeating history and you’re getting sick of it

But I believe in whatever you do
And I’ll do anything to see it through

[Chorus]
Because these things will change
Can you feel it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down
It’s a revolution, the time will come
For us to finally win
And we’ll sing hallelujah, we’ll sing hallelujah

[Verse 2]
So we’ve been outnumbered
Raided and now cornered
It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair
We’re getting stronger now
Find things they never found
They might be bigger
But we’re faster and never scared

You can walk away, say we don’t need this
But there’s something in your eyes that says
“We can beat this”

[Bridge]
Tonight we’ll stand, get off our knees
Fight for what we’ve worked for all these years
And the battle was long, it’s the fight of our lives
But we’ll stand up champions tonight

It was the night things changed
Can you see it now?
These walls that they put up to hold us back fell down

[Final Chorus]
It’s a revolution, throw your hands up
‘Cause we never gave in
And we’ll sing hallelujah, we sang hallelujah

Hallelujah