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Sweet Nothing

Midnights (2022)

“Sweet Nothing” is the twelfth track on Taylor’s tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). It was released on October 21, 2022, through Republic Records. Written by Taylor and her partner at the time, William Bowery (Joe Alwyn), it is a song about their simple gratitude for the love and life they had built together.

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 twelfth edition on October 7, 2022, Taylor fittingly announced the title of the twelfth track as “Sweet Nothing.”

On the Lavender Marbled deluxe edition of the album, the sixteenth track is a remix of the song called “Sweet Nothing (Piano Remix)”.

Lyrical Theme

“Sweet Nothing” is a slow and soft track about Taylor’s and Joe’s simple gratitude for the life they had built together at the time. To Taylor, the outside world seems chaotic, deceitful, and hopeless. As one of the world’s biggest celebrities, she finds unbearable scrutiny and expectations placed on her shoulders, but finds peace in her romantic relationship because her partner asks “sweet nothing” of her.

The song was written by Taylor and Joe Alwyn under his alias, William Bowery. This is not the first time the two had written a song together. William Bowery also has writing credits on the folklore (2020) songs “exile,” and “betty,” and evermore’s “champagne problems,” “coney island,” and the title track “evermore.”

Live Performance

Taylor first performed “Sweet Nothing” during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023). It was the second surprise song during her show on August 24, 2023, in Mexico City.

Commercial Performance

In the United States, songs from Midnights occupied the entire Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100; a historic feat. “Sweet Nothing” debuted at No. 15 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

[Verse 1]
I spy with my little tired eye
Tiny as a firefly
A pebble that we picked up last July
Down deep inside your pocket
We almost forgot it
Does it ever miss Wicklow sometimes?
Ooh…

[Chorus 1]
They said the end is coming
Everyone’s up to something
I found myself running home to your
Sweet nothings
Outside, they’re push and shoving
You’re in the kitchen humming
All that you ever wanted from me was
Sweet nothing

[Verse 2]
On the way home
I wrote a poem
You say, “What a mind”
This happens all the time
Ooh…

[Chorus 2]
‘Causе they said the end is coming
Evеryone’s up to something
I found myself running home to your
Sweet nothings
Outside, they’re push and shoving
You’re in the kitchen humming
All that you ever wanted from me was
…nothing

[Bridge]
Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors
And smooth-talking hucksters
Out glad-handing each other
And the voices that implore
“You should be doing more”
To you, I can’t admit
That I’m just too soft for all of it
Ooh…

[Chorus 1]
‘Causе they said the end is coming
Evеryone’s up to something
I found myself running home to your
Sweet nothings
Outside, they’re push and shoving
You’re in the kitchen humming
All that you ever wanted from me was
Sweet nothing

[Final Chorus]
They said the end is coming (They said the end is coming)
Everyone’s up to something (Everyone’s up to something)
I found myself running home to your
Sweet nothings
Outside, they’re push and shoving (Outside, they’re push and shoving)
You’re in the kitchen humming (You’re in the kitchen humming)
All that you ever wanted from me was
Sweet nothing