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So It Goes...

reputation (2017)

“So It Goes…” is the seventh track on Taylor’s sixth studio album reputation (2017). Lyrically, it could be a symbolic summerization to the album’s theme as a whole.

Background

Taylor released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014. Its synth-pop production transformed her sound and image from country-oriented to mainstream pop. The album was a massive commercial success, selling over five million copies in the U.S. within one year, and spawning three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles. The BBC asserted that the success of 1989 solidified Taylor’s status as a global pop star.

In 2016, when Taylor was at the peak of overexposure, some of her rivals in the industry (including Scooter Braun, Kanye West and Justin Bieber) succeded in launching a worldwide hate campaign against her. As a result, Taylor disappeared from public view for an entire year and thought about quitting music for good. She became increasingly reticent on social media, having previously maintained an active presence with a large following, and avoided interactions with the press. She conceived her sixth studio album, reputation, as an answer to the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.

Lyrical Theme and Composition

The line “so it goes” originates from the novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, which was written in 1969. He uses the line several times in the novel whenever a death occurs, as a narrative transition to another subject. Infamously, Taylor publicly declared the “Old Taylor” dead on “Look What You Made Me Do“. The album symbolizes her transition into the “new” Taylor — so it goes. In 2020, producer Oscar Görres revealed how the song came together in an interview for the Recording Academy:

«I’d just become a father. I was not in the room when the melody and the lyrics were written. Max and Shellback did half of the album with her in L.A., and I had done this [instrumental] track—which is weird too, because I don’t do tracks. No one really does tracks on our team now. But I’d started that idea. Shellback was looking through things on his computer, listened to that track, and Taylor reacted to it. 'Oh, what’s that? That’s special. I haven’t done anything like that. Can we do that?'»

Oscar Görres

Lyrically, Taylor switches things back to romance, reflecting on how a new love interest might help her out of her fixations: “You make everyone disappear,” she explains in the moody, murky opening segment, which opens into a trap-lite chorus about getting caught up in the moment.

«So they were vibing and doing melodies, and Taylor had the lyrics. She wrote everything quickly. I woke up — this is the funny part of the story — and someone is FaceTiming me at 6:30 in the morning. I’ve just had a child. I was up all night and my eyes were bloodshot and my hair was crazy. I saw it was Shellback and I ignored the call, put my phone away, and jumped into the shower. My girlfriend is like, 'Can you answer your phone? Someone’s calling you constantly, it’s Johan [Shellback]! Can you just take it?' I got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around me and I texted Shellback like, 'Ok, it’s 6:30 a.m., I am so tired, I’ve been up all night, and I just got out of the shower. Can I call you back later?' He said, 'No. Call me. Now.' I called him back and saw this girl on his couch. She goes, 'Hi! It’s Taylor! How are you?' And I’m presenting myself [in a towel] after a shower…it was a very unpleasant picture for her. She goes, 'We just heard the track. We had the melody. The lyrics are like this. I can read you the lyrics! I had this idea. What do you think about that?' And I was like, '…Yes!' It was a very strange songwriting session for me, but I’m very thankful for that. It’s the one FaceTime call I’ll remember for the rest of my life.»

Oscar Görres

Live Performances

“So It Goes…” became an accidental dark horse of reputation, thanks to Taylor’s reluctance to sing it on the “reputation Stadium Tour” (2018) — it was the only song from the album not included on the original setlist. That changed after fans continued to make noise about the song on social media. After a few shows, Taylor eventually started alternating between performing “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” and “So It Goes…” acoustically.

Five years later, Taylor performed “So It Goes…” during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). It was the second surprise song during her show on November 20, 2023, in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). She performed it acoustically on piano.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
See you in the dark
All eyes on you, my magician
All eyes on us
You make everyone disappear
And cut me into pieces
Gold cage, hostage to my feelings
Back against the wall
Tripping, trip, trippin’ when you’re gone

[Pre-Chorus 1]
‘Cause we break down a little
But when you get me alone
It’s so simple
‘Cause baby, I know what you know
We can feel it…

[Chorus]
And all the pieces fall
Right into place
Getting caught up in a moment
Lipstick on your face
So it goes…
I’m yours to keep
Aand I’m yours to lose
You know I’m not a bad girl but I do bad things with you
So it goes…

[Verse 2]
Met you in a bar
All eyes on me, your illusionist
All eyes on us
I make all your grey days clear
And wear you like a necklace
I’m so chill but you make me jealous
But I got your heart
Skipping, skip, skippin’ when I’m gone

[Pre-Chorus 2]
‘Cause we break down a little
But when I get you alone
It’s so simple
‘Cause baby, I know what you know
We can feel it…

[Chorus]
And all the pieces fall
Right into place
Getting caught up in a moment
Lipstick on your face
So it goes…
I’m yours to keep
And I’m yours to lose
You know I’m not a bad girl but I do bad things with you
So it goes…

[Refrain]
Come here, dressed in black now
So it goes…
Scratches down your back now
So it goes…

[Bridge]
You did a number on me
But honestly, baby
Who’s counting?
I did a number on you
But honestly, baby
Who’s counting?
You did a number on me
But honestly, baby
Who’s counting?
Who’s counting?
……1, 2, 3…

[Chorus]
And all the pieces fall (Pieces fall)
Right into place
Getting caught up in a moment (Caught up, caught up)
Lipstick on your face
So it goes…
I’m yours to keep (Oh)
And I’m yours to lose (Baby)
You know I’m not a bad girl but I do bad things with you
So it goes…

[Refrain]
Come here, dressed in black now
So it goes…
Scratches down your back now
So it goes…
Come here, dressed in black now
So it goes…
Scratches down your back now
So it goes…