Innocent
Promotional Single | Speak Now (2010) | Speak Now (Taylor's Version) [2023]
Table of Contents
Background and Lyrical Theme
«The song 'Innocent' is about something that really intensely affected me emotionally. It took a while to write that song. That was a huge, intense thing in my life that resonated for a long time. It was brought up to me in grocery stores, and everywhere I went, and in a lot of times in my life when I don't know how I feel about something, I say nothing. And that's what I did until I could come to the conclusion that I came to in order to write 'Innocent.' Even then, I didn't talk about it, and I still don't really.»
Taylor Swift
Live Performances
«I was fortunate enough to get a chance to perform this song on the VMAs, and that's the first time that anyone ever heard it. Putting out an album called Speak Now where you're supposed to say what you feel when you know how you feel, I felt that performing that song on that particular award show was appropriate. I hope everybody likes this one.»
Taylor Swift
Taylor didn’t perform the song again for 13 years, until she chose it as the second surprise song for her show on November 24, 2023, in São Paulo (Brazil) on “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). She played it acoustically on piano.
Critical Reception
Commercial Performance
Taylor's Version
«I went through my first worldwide scandal (the mic grab seen around the world). [...] [That is a] weird experience to have at any age, but even more surreal when you're 19. I had the nagging sense that in the most intense moments of my life, I had frozen. I had said nothing publicly. I still don't know if it was out of instinct, not wanting to seem impolite, or just overwhelming fear. But I made sure to say it all in these songs. [...] Some of these emotional revelations were surprising to people. Some expected anger and instead got compassion and empathy with 'Innocent'.»
Taylor Swift
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Wasn’t it easier in your lunchbox days?
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn’t it beautiful when you believed in everything?
And everybody believed in you
[Chorus 1]
It’s alright, just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you’ve been
You’re still an innocent
Still an innocent
[Verse 2]
Did some things you can’t speak of
But at night you live it all again
You wouldn’t be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
[Pre-Chorus 2]
Wasn’t it easier in your firefly catching days?
When everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn’t it beautiful running wild till you fell asleep?
Before the monsters caught up to you
[Chorus 2]
It’s alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you’ve been
You’re still an innocent
It’s okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You’re still an innocent
[Bridge]
Time turns flames to embers
You’ll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to
Be brand new
[Chorus 2]
It’s alright just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me
Oh, who you are is not where you’ve been
You’re still an innocent
It’s okay, life is a tough crowd
32 and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You’re still an innocent
You’re still an innocent
[Outro]
Lost your balance on the tight rope
It’s never too late to get it back
Artist | Taylor Swift | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Albums | Speak Now Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) | |||
Released | September 12, 2010 | |||
Re-Released | July 7, 2023 | |||
Written | 2009–2010 | |||
Genre | Country Rock | |||
Length | 5:01 | |||
Labels | Big Machine Records Republic Records | |||
Songwriter | Taylor Swift | |||
Producers | Nathan Chapman (original) Christopher Rowe Taylor Swift | |||
SPEAK NOW CHRONOLOGY | ||||
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