The lyrics of Taylor Swift’s Midnights (3am Edition) song seem to detail the heartbreaking loss of a loved one
Taylor Swift has a way with words on her recent album Midnights, but one song, in particular, is really resonating with fans.
Marking her first autobiographical album since Lover, the singer details “13 sleepless nights scattered throughout” her life in her 10th studio album. In the track “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” from the deluxe version of the album, Midnights (3am Edition), the singer seemingly opens up about the heartbreaking loss of a loved one.
“Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time,” Swift sings in the chorus of the emotional ballad.
Since its release on Oct. 21, the song has resonated with many fans who are grieving, including those who have experienced pregnancy loss, with lyrics such as: “I’m never gonna meet / What could’ve been, would’ve been / What should’ve been you / What could’ve been, would’ve been you.”
On Twitter, many fans shared that the song carried special weight for them; a common sentiment was expressed by user @annemillsMD, who wrote, “If you ever have a loved one suffer a miscarriage & want to understand how they feel, listen to Taylor Swift’s ‘Bigger Than the Whole Sky.’ Cannot speak to whether this was her intention, but her lyrics crystallize what I & many others have experienced so eloquently … Mine was many years ago, but this song took me right back.”
Though Swift hasn’t confirmed the inspiration behind the track, many fans have noted that it feels like an extension of her song “Ronan” from Red (Taylor’s Version), which the singer wrote about Ronan Thompson, a young boy who died of cancer at 4 years old.
Along with the re-recorded version of the song in November 2021, Swift also shared an emotional lyric video which included family photos and videos provided by Ronan’s mother Maya Thompson.
“@taylorswift13 You are one of the greatest loves of my life. TY for loving him,” Maya wrote on Twitter in response to the lyric video.
Fans have also suggested that “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” could be a tribute to Swift’s late friend Jeff Lang, who died at 21.
A day after his funeral, Swift paid tribute to Lang as she accepted the country songwriter of the year honor at the BMI awards in November 2010.
“It’s been a really emotional week for me,” she said in the speech, opening up about Lang’s death. “He was 21, and I used to play my songs for him first. So I would like to thank Jeff Lang.”
Following the release of Red (Taylor’s Version), fans believed that her vault track “Forever Winter” was written about him as the lyrics seem to detail a close friend going through a life crisis as she sings, “All this time I didn’t know / You were breakin’ down / I’d fall to pieces on the floor / If you weren’t around / Too young to know it gets better.”
Regardless of the inspiration behind the song, Swift has once again proven that her songwriting is universal as the track relates to her each of her fans in a special way.
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