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Question...?

Promotional Single | Midnights (2022)

“Question…?” is the seventh track on Taylor’s tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). It was released on October 21, 2022, through Republic Records. Written and produced by Taylor and Jack Antonoff, the song is reflecting on a past relationship in which both parties made wrong choices.

Background and Release

On August 28, 2022, Taylor announced her tenth studio album, Midnights, set for release on October 21, 2022. One month later, she began unveiling the track-list in a randomized order through a video series on TikTok, called Midnights Mayhem With Me. It consisted of 13 episodes, with one song revealed in per episode. In the third edition on September 25, 2022, Taylor announced the title of the seventh tack as “Question…?.”

Lyrical Theme

Reflecting upon a past relationship on “Question…?,” Taylor asks her former lover if their newer romantic experiences compare to the time that they spent together. In the prologue for Midnights, she wrote:

«Maybe it’s that one urgent question you meant to ask someone years ago but didn’t. Someone that slipped through the cracks in your history, and they are too far gone now anyway. All the ghost ships that have sailed and sailed away, but at this hour, they’ve anchored in your harbor. They sit with flags waving, bright and beautiful. And it’s almost like it’s real.»

Taylor Swift

Implicitly, she hopes that her ex is similarly unable to move on from her and that their newer attempts at love are only “second best after that meteor strike.”

Production and Interpolation

“Question…?” opens with an interpolation from “Out of the Woods” off of Taylor’s fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). The two songs are commonly considered to have been written about Taylor’s relationship with British singer Harry Styles back in 2012-2013, although neither party has confirmed this assumption. Still, both tracks start with virtually the same cadence and tune. Furthermore, Taylor repeats the phrase “I remember” at the beginning of “Question…?” which was also prominently featured in the chorus and bridge of “Out of the Woods.”

The crowd cheers in the last chorus of “Question…?” were provided by Austin Swift, Dylan O’Brien, Jack Antonoff and his sister Rachel Antonoff.

Live Performances

Taylor first performed “Question…?” during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). It was the first surprise song during her show on May 20, 2023, in Foxborough. Before singing it, she said:

«There's a song from Midnights that I love so much! And I haven't played it on this tour or ever. So I figured that could be fun to play with you. And I just kind of feel like telling you, I dont know...I've just never been this happy in my life, in all aspects of my life, ever before. And I just wanna thank you for being a part of that. It's not just the tour, I just sort of feel like my life finally feels like it makes sense. And so I thought I'd play this song, which brings me a lot of happy memories.»

Taylor Swift

On July 4, 2024, she played an acoustic mashup of “Question…?” with “The Archer” (2019) on piano in Amsterdam.

Commercial Performance

In the United States, songs from Midnights occupied the entire Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100; a historic feat. “Question…?” debuted at No. 7 on the chart. Taylor became the first artist to simultaneously occupy the Top 10 spots of the Hot 100; the female artist with the most Top 10 songs (40); and the first act to occupy the entire Top 10 of the Hot 100, Streaming Songs, and Digital Songs charts simultaneously. Midnights also became the first album in history to contain ten Top 10 songs.

Lyrics

[Intro]
I remember

[Verse 1]
Good girl, sad boy
Big city, wrong choices
We had one thing going on
I swear that it was something
‘Cause I don’t remember who I was before you
Painted all my nights a color I’ve searched for since
But one thing after another
Fuckin’ situations, circumstances
Miscommunications and I
Have to say
By the way
I just may like some explanations

[Chorus]
Can I ask you a question?
Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room
And every single one of your friends was making fun of you
But 15 seconds later thеy were clapping too?
Then what did you do?
Did you lеave her house in the middle of the night?
Did you wish you’d put up more of a fight
When she said it was too much?
Do you wish you could still touch…her?
It’s just a question

[Verse 2]
Half-moon eyes, bad surprise
Did you realize out of time
She was on your mind
With some dickhead guy
That you saw that night
But you were on something
It was one drink after another
Fuckin’ politics and gender roles
And you’re not sure and I don’t know
Got swept away in the gray
I just may like to have a conversation

[Chorus]
Can I ask you a question?
Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room
And every single one of your friends was making fun of you
But 15 seconds later they were clapping too?
Then what did you do?
Did you leave her house in the middle of the night?
Did you wish you’d put up more of a fight
When she said it was too much?
Do you wish you could still touch…her?
It’s just a question

[Bridge]
Does it feel like everything’s just like second best after that meteor strike?
And what’s that that I heard, that you’re still with her
That’s nice, I’m sure that’s what’s suitable
And right
But tonight…

[Chorus]
Can I ask you a question? (Can I ask you a question?)
Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room? (In a crowded room)
And every single one of your friends was making fun of you (Was making fun of you)
But 15 seconds later they were clapping too?
Then what did you do?
Did you leave her house in the middle of the night?
Did you wish you’d put up more of a fight (More of a fight)
When she said it was too much?
Do you wish you could still touch…her?
It’s just a question