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The Very First Night (From The Vault)

RED (Taylor's Version) [2021]

“The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” is a song recorded by Taylor for her album RED (Taylor’s Version) [2021], which is the re-recording of her fourth album, RED (2012). She is fondly reminiscing about the beginning stages a past relationship. She wishes she could go back in time and experience that love-struck feeling again.

Background and Release

Following her masters dispute, Taylor announced RED (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her 2012 album RED, on June 18, 2021. Alongside the deluxe edition of the album, she revealed she would release nine songs, all dubbed “From the Vault” that did not make the 2012 album, one of them being “The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”.

Lyrical Theme and Production

Taylor co-wrote the uptempo dance-pop song with Espen Lind and Amund Bjørklund, who comprise the Norwegian songwriting and music production team Espionage. Their resumé also includes Beyoncé’s “Irreplaceable,” or Train’s “Hey Soul Sister.” Taylor told Amazon Music:

«'The Very First Night' is a song that I made with a production group called Espionage, and they're so cool, so talented. This is actually the first time anybody gets to hear the work we did together because this didn't end up on the album, even though I loved it so much and told myself that someday it would come out. It's a song about a common theme on the RED album, which is reminiscing. Reminiscing about something that's over now, and reminiscing about the good times, and how powerful memories can be.»

Taylor Swift

With a combination of drums, acoustic guitar and her vocals, Taylor creates an atmosphere of rush and haste, which is reminiscent of young love. To stress the magnitude of her emotions, she employs repetition multiple time throughout the song, most notably in the refrain.

Live Performance

Taylor first performed “The Very First Night” during her sixth headlining concert tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). It was the first surprise song during her show on November 9, 2023, in Buenos Aires (Argentina). She sang it acoustically on guitar and introduced the song by saying:

«I'm having the time of my little life up here, this is just unreal, unreal. On 'The Eras Tour', a tradition that we started is that I try to play two different songs in the acoustic sections that I've never played live before. So, I'm gonna keep that tradition going tonight, I've got two songs I've never even attempted to play. And I thought since this is the very first night of the South American tour...»

Taylor Swift

Critical Reception

“The Very First Night” received positive reviews from music critics. Bobby Olivier of Spin called it and “Message In A Bottle” “bygone-era sugar bops”. This was a repeated sentiment throughout reviews, with the two songs being explicitly tied. Paul Bridgewater of Line of Best Fit wrote, ““Message in Bottle” and “The Very First Night” are A-grade Swift and would fit easily on RED’s follow-up 1989“.

Commercial Performance

Upon the release of RED (Taylor’s Version), “The Very First Night” debuted at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, the week ending November 26, 2021.

Lyrics

[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time
I’d write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night

[Verse 1]
And so it goes
Every weekend this same party
I never go alone and I don’t seem broken hearted
My friends all say they know everything I’m going through
I drive down different roads
But they all lead back to you

[Pre-Chorus 1]
‘Cause they don’t know about the night in the hotel
They weren’t riding in the car when we both fell
Didn’t read the note on the Polaroid picture
They don’t know how much I miss you

[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time
I’d write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night

[Verse 2]
And so it was
We never saw it coming
Not trying to fall in love
But we did like children running
Back then we didn’t know we were built to fall apart
We broke the status quo, then we broke each other’s hearts

[Pre-Chorus 2]
But don’t forget about the night out in LA
Danced in the kitchen, chased me down through the hallway
No one knows about the words that we whispered
No one knows how much I miss you

[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time
I’d write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night

[Refrain]
Take me away, take me away
Take me away
To you, to you
Take me away, take me away
Take me away
To you, to you

[Verse 3]
I remember the night at the hotel
I was riding in the car when we both fell
I’m the one on the phone as you whisper,
“Do you know how much I miss you?”

[Bridge]
I wish that we could go back in time
And I’d say to you,
“I miss like you it was the first night”

[Chorus]
I wish I could fly
I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time
I’d write this in the sky
I miss you like it was the very first night

[Refrain]
Take me away, take me away
Take me away
To you, to you
Take me away, take me away
Take me away
To you, to you