State of Grace
Promotional Single | RED (2012) | RED (Taylor's Version) [2021]
Background and Release
Taylor released her third studio album, Speak Now, in October 2010. She wrote the album entirely by herself and co-produced it with Nathan Chapman, her longtime collaborator. The album musically expands on the country pop sound of her two previous albums, with elements of radio-friendly pop crossover that had been evident on its predecessor Fearless (2008). On Speak Now‘s follow-up, RED, Taylor aimed to experiment beyond her previous albums’ formulaic country pop sound. “State of Grace” was one of the first songs that Taylor wrote at her career base of Nashville, Tennessee, before she headed to Los Angeles to approach new producers. She co-produced the song and eight other RED tracks with Chapman.
To promote RED, Taylor released one album track each week onto the iTunes Store, from September 24 until the album’s release date of October 22, 2012, as part of a four-week release countdown. “State of Grace” was released as the final promotional single from RED during the final countdown week, on October 16, 2012.
Lyrical Theme
«I wrote this song about when you first fall in love with someone. The possibilities, kind of thinking about the different ways that it could go. It’s a really big sound. To me, this sounds like the feeling of falling in love in an epic way.»
«I think that in order to pick one that to me would define the rest of the record, lyrically, it would probably be the song 'State of Grace' because it has a line in the song that says, 'Love is a ruthless game unless you play it good and right.' And that sets the tone for the entire rest of the record — that one lyric.»
Acoustic Version
Live Performances
Critical Reception
Upon its release, “State of Grace” received positive reviews from contemporary critics. Spin‘s Marc Hogan lauded the production as “brutally effective”, and August Brown from the Los Angeles Times thought the track was RED‘s most arresting and promising song. Adam Graham of The Detroit News complimented Taylor’s songwriting for creating “moments of intimacy within the booming sonics”, which showcased a new aspect of her artistry. Jason Lipshutz of Billboard similarly commented on the song’s “sweeping emotion” and labelled it Taylor’s bold experimentation with arena rock.
Retrospective reviews of “State of Grace” have been generally positive. Jordan Sargent of Spin described its production as a “thematically perfect musical composition, unhurried as if to marinate on the moment but also fleetingly epic”. The staff of Billboard included the track in their 2017 list of the “100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars”, describing the built-up arena rock production as “a wallop quite unlike anything in Swift’s catalog”. Hannah Mylrea of NME and Jane Song of Paste included the song among the 10 best songs in Taylor’s catalog, both lauding the arena rock sound that Taylor since has not recreated.
Commercial Performance
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I’m walking fast through the traffic lights
Busy streets and busy lives
And all we know
Is touch and go
We are alone with our changing minds
We fall in love ’til it hurts or bleeds or fades in time
[Chorus]
And I never (never)
Saw you coming
And I’ll never (never)
Be the same
[Verse 2]
You come around and the armor falls
Pierce the room like a cannonball
Now all we know
Is don’t let go
We are alone, just you and me
Up in your room and our slates are clean
Just twin fire signs
Four blue eyes
So you were never a saint
And I’ve loved in shades of wrong
We learn to live with the pain
Mosaic broken hearts
But this love is brave and wild
[Chorus]
And I never (never)
Saw you coming
And I’ll never (never)
Be the same
[Bridge]
This is a state of grace
This is the worthwhile fight
Love is a ruthless game
Unless you play it good and right
These are the hands of fate
You’re my Achilles heel
This is the golden age of something good and right and real
[Chorus]
And I never (never)
Sw you coming
And I’ll never (never)
Be the same
And I never (never)
Saw you coming
And I’ll never
(So you were never a saint, I’ve loved in shades of wrong)
Be the same
(We learn to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts, but this love is brave and wild)
[Outro]
This is a state of grace
This is the worthwhile fight
Love is a ruthless game
Unless you play it good and right
| Albums | RED RED (Taylor’s Version) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Released | October 16, 2012 | ||
| Re-Released | November 12, 2021 | ||
| Studio | Blackbird (Nashville) | ||
| Genre | Alternative Rock | ||
| Length | 4:55 (Standard Version) 5:21 (Acoustic Version) | ||
| Labels | Big Machine Records Republic Records | ||
| Songwriter | Taylor Swift | ||
| Producers | Nathan Chapman (original) Christopher Rowe Taylor Swift | ||
RED CHRONOLOGY | |||
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![RED (Taylor's Version) [Republic Records, 2021]](https://taylorswiftswitzerland.ch/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/8k-RED-Taylors-Version-scaled.jpg)
