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Invisible

Bonus Track | Taylor Swift (2006)

“Invisible” is the thirteenth track on Taylor’s eponymous debut album, Taylor Swift (2006). She co-wrote it with Robert Ellis Orrall about lamenting on someone who doesn’t notice her.

Background

Taylor co-wrote “Invisible” with Robert Ellis Orrall, one of her earliest collaborators. In total they have written nine songs together. When they penned this track together, Taylor still attended Hendersonville High School and drove over to his house after school, having the idea for the song ready. He told the “Swift Legacy Podcast”:

«She would sometimes say, 'I have a piano idea', and just sit at the piano. That’s how ‘Invisible’ started, with her sitting down.»

Robert Ellis Orrall

When it was time to record Taylor’s self-titled studio album, they recorded “Invisible,” “The Outside,” “I Heart ?” and the re-recording of the unreleased “What Do You Say?” all in the same session.

Lyrical Theme

It has never been confirmed, but in an email exchange about her summer days at the Jersey Shore, Taylor said that she was inspired to write “Invisible” as she looked back on one of the summers she spent there. She frequented the Shore with her family until she was about fourteen years old and wrote the song when she was fifteen. The guy in question was the son of her parent’s friends. They would spend a lot of time at the Swift’s summer house. Taylor said:

«I wrote this song about a guy that I really liked. And he liked somebody else. It was sort of like I would chase him, he would chase her. She didn't even notice him, he didn't even notice me. And as tragic as that is, the way that I was able to get over it was to write this song.»

Taylor Swift

“Invisible” is one of Taylor’s favorite songs on her debut record, even though it ended up being a bonus track. “I really wanted to put this on the album because it’s one of my favorites. And it was just almost on the first album.”

Live Performances

In total, Taylor has performed “Invisible” thirteen times. She often sang it in promotion of her debut album when she was a tour opening act for many country music superstars. She also played it on August 14, 2018, as an acoustic surprise song during her “reputation Stadium Tour” concert in Tampa, Florida. When introducing the song, she said:

«One of the last couple of shows there was someone who I met and he said that he was coming to this show too. He told me a really beautiful story about how he listened to this song before he came out. It truly honors me to really have had any part in that journey. And he asked me to play this song 'cause when he was a teenager who was going through that and living his life in a different part of the country, I was a teenager who wrote this song for my first album.»

Taylor Swift

Most recently, Taylor performed “Invisible” on her sixth headlining tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). It was the second surprise song during her show on May 20, 2023, in Foxborough.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
She can’t see the way your eyes
Will light up when you smile
She’ll never notice how you stop and stare
Whenever she walks by
And you can’t see me wanting you the way you want her
But you are everything to me

[Chorus]
And I just want to show you
She don’t even know you
She’s never gonna love you like I want to
And you just see right through me
But if you only knew me
We could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable
Instead of just invisible

[Verse 2]
There’s a fire inside of you
That can’t help but shine through
She’s never gonna see the light
No matter what you do
And all I think about is how to make you think of me
And everything that we could be

[Bridge]
Like shadows in the faded light
We’re invisible
I just wanna look in your eyes
And make you realize

[Final Chorus]
And I just want to show you
She don’t even know you
Baby, let me love you, let me want you
You just see right through me
But if you only knew me
We could be a beautiful miracle, unbelievable
Instead of just invisible

[Outro]
She can’t see the way your eyes
Will light up when you smile