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The Moment I Knew

Promotional Single | Bonus Track | RED (2012) | RED (Taylor's Version) [2021]

“The Moment I Knew” is track nineteen on the deluxe edition of Taylor’s fourth studio album, RED (2012). It tells the true story of how Taylor’s then-boyfriend, Jake Gyllenhaal, didn’t show up to her 21st birthday party. The re-recording of the song, “The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version),” was released on November 12, 2021, on the album RED (Taylor’s Version).

The title of “The Moment I Knew” refers to the moment Taylor realized her relationship with Jake was over for good.

Background and Lyrical Theme

“The Moment I Knew” was written by Taylor and produced by Nathan Chapman. Former The Agency band member Liz Huett performs background vocals. The song takes place at Taylor’s 21st birthday party. Everyone that’s important to her is in attendance, besides her boyfriend. The entire time she cannot get her mind off of him, waiting for him to burst through the door — which he never did. In an interview with Yahoo Music, Taylor revealed a little about the song:

«‘The Moment I Knew’ was a really difficult song for my friends and family to listen to because it is about my 21st birthday party and it was...not a good party, as you can hear in the song. It was...you know, standing there, waiting for someone to show up who never did. So it was a song that I felt was really important to put out to hear. Because nobody likes that feeling of waiting for somebody who's never going to walk through the door.»

Taylor Swift

The heartbreaking simplicity of the lyrics is reminiscent of other songs on the album. Together with “All Too Well“, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “Babe“, “The Moment I Knew” seems to tell the story of why this particular relationship fell apart.

During her time on Tumblr, Taylor once reblogged a post with the lyrics of the first verse, commenting: “I was reading this like ‘this post is so SAD’ and then I went oh ya I wrote that so that happened tonight.”

Live Performances

Taylor first performed “The Moment I Knew” eleven years after its release. It was the second surprise song during her show on June 4, 2023, on “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024) in Chicago. Until then, fans only had a video of her premiering the song at a Target exclusive event, which is surprisingly funny. There, she commented on the song, jokingly saying:

«That song is about the worst birthday party I have ever had. My boyfriend just decided not to show up. Then we broke up. It's gonna be fine, I'll be okay.»

Taylor Swift

On July 13, 2024, she played an acoustic mashup of “The Moment I Knew” with “I Almost Do” (2012) in Milan.

Commercial Performance

Upon the release of RED (Taylor’s Version), “The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version)” debuted and peaked at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the week ending November 26, 2021.

Taylor's Version

On August 6, 2021, Taylor announced that a re-recorded version of “The Moment I Knew”, titled “The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version)”, would be included as the sixth track on her second re-recorded album RED (Taylor’s Version), which was released on November 12, 2021, through Republic Records.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
You should’ve been there
Should’ve burst through the door with that
“Baby, I’m right here” smile
And it would’ve felt like
A million little shining stars had just aligned
And I would’ve been so happy

[Verse 2]
Christmas lights glisten
I’ve got my eye on the door
Just waiting for you to walk in
But the time is ticking
People ask me how I’ve been
As I comb back through my memory
How you said you’d be here
You said you’d be here

[Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick, with no one to impress
And they’re all laughing
As I’m looking around the room
But there’s one thing missing
And that was the moment I knew

[Verse 3]
And the hours pass by
Now I just wanna be alone
But your close friends always seem to know
When there’s something really wrong
So they follow me down the hall
And there in the bathroom I try not to fall apart
And the sinking feeling starts
As I say hopelessly,
“He said he’d be here”

[Bridge]
What do you say
When tears are streaming down your face
In front of everyone you know?
And what do you do
When the one who means the most to you
Is the one who didn’t show?

[Breakdown]
You should’ve been here
And I would’ve been so…happy

[Final Chorus]
And it was like slow motion
Standing there in my party dress
In red lipstick, with no one to impress
And they’re all standing around me singing,
“Happy birthday to you”
But there was one thing missing
And that was the moment I knew (Oh oh oh)
Oh, I knew (Oh oh oh)

[Outro]
You called me later
And said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t make it”
And I said, “I’m sorry too”
And that was the moment I knew