Song Analysis of “Getaway Car” by Taylor Swift
One of my favorite songs about Taylor Swift trading in love for money and a fast car.
Introduction
"Getaway Car" is the ninth track on Taylor Swift's sixth studio album reputation. It tells the story of two outlaws fleeing from a crime scene. As the story unfolds, Taylor Swift double-crosses her accomplice and drives away alone in the getaway car. The song features not one but two different romantic relationships and double-crosses, and shows that Swift is willing to do anything to maintain control and power in love.
Background & Context
“Getaway Car” is a song about three different people in a love triangle, but more importantly, it’s about Taylor reclaiming the power in her romantic relationships by behaving criminally. She starts the song in a black-tie relationship with her first lover and then ditches them in a getaway car with her accomplice. After the song's bridge, Taylor Swift tells us she’s switched to the other side and turned in her fellow “traitor” to the authorities. Finally, she ends the song in the car's driver's seat with the money in the bag and the keys to the car, speeding off alone into the sunset.
One of the most popular theories about this song is that it was inspired by the events of the summer of 2016 that preceded her public cancelation. Here's how that (allegedly) went down: A few weeks after ending things with long-term boyfriend Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, Taylor Swift started dating Tom Hiddleston after meeting at the 2016 Met Gala (while still dating Calvin Harris). And very few people know this, but their relationship was hard-launched just one day before the infamous GQ interview with Kim Kardashian came out on June 16, 2016. She didn’t drop Snapchat videos of her and Kanye on the phone with Taylor until July 17, 2016.
Throughout the summer, Tom and Taylor are photographed all over the world together, from holding hands through his Marvel press tour in Australia to meeting the parents in England to making out in front of the Colosseum to wearing matching white outfits in the literal Vatican City. These two were everywhere! Then, all of a sudden, they weren’t. On September 6, 2016, it was reported that ‘Hiddleswift’ had called it quits and that Swift was the one who ended things. Then, she disappeared from the public eye for an entire year and started writing reputation in secret.
“Getaway Car” Song Meaning and Lyric Deep-Dive
No, nothin' good starts in a getaway car
This is a pretty straight-forward way to start a song. She’s telling us, this shit was never going to work and nothing good can happen from here on out!
It was the best of times, the worst of crimes
This line alludes to the opening words of “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, which tells the story of an age where wisdom and foolishness, light and darkness, hope and despair all exist at once. In this lyric, Taylor Swift tells us that she’s living in a conflicting reality where possibility and peril coexist in every choice she makes. This period of Swift’s life is plagued with contradictions. On the one hand, she reflects on living in a “spring of hope” while simultaneously lamenting her “winter of despair,” leading to chaos and destruction. She’s reflecting on how the choices she made during this stretch of her romantic life were filled with thrills and excitement while also telling us that she committed a few romantic sins of her own in the process.
I struck a match and blew your mind
But I didn't mean it, and you didn't see it
Taylor often uses fire to signal a burning romantic passion. Flames are early-stage love affairs, while some relationships are goddamn blazes in the dark. In the context of these lyrics, striking a match is her way of saying she's trying to spark something between herself and another person. We can observe a similar theme in some of her other songs, for example, the lyrics, "Now I'm pacing on shaky ground. Strike a match, then you blow it out," from "Say Don't Go (Taylor's Version)" off 1989 (Taylor's Version). In this case, however, Taylor tells us that the striking of the match was accidental and that the other person didn't see or understand that her careless flirtations were just that. Taylor sees her behavior with this accomplice as fickle in hindsight–which could play a part in why their Bonnie and Clyde relationship failed.
The ties were black, the lies were white
In shades of gray in candlelight
I wanted to leave him, I needed a reason
In this section of the song, Swift shares that her current relationship is a formal affair that looks great on the surface but is built on an underlying dishonesty. Although seemingly harmless, the lies necessary to maintain it have taken a toll on her over time. Her use of the phrase "black and white" to describe the first relationship also suggests that Taylor feels there is little room for nuance or mistakes with this partner. While there may be a perceived "right" and "wrong" way to behave, Taylor notes that there are shades of gray that cannot be ignored, and she admits that she's looking for a way out of the relationship and needs an excuse to make her escape. The black and white ties could be a nod to the night that Tom and Taylor met at the 2016 Met Gala.
"X" marks the spot where we fell apart
He poisoned the well, I was lyin' to myself
“X” marks the spot that usually symbolizes where you’ll find treasure on a map. “X” is where you have to dig to find what you’re looking for. So, in these lines, Taylor Swift is telling us that we’ll find the answer for her break-up with the first suitor if we just dig for the obvious sign or reason for it. And what was that reason? He poisoned the well, which is another way of her saying this person started creating a negative view or image of Taylor while they were still together. Poisoning the well is a logical fallacy where one person attempts to place their enemy in a position that will damage their reputation (🐍🐍🐍) regardless of how they respond. This is done by preemptively casting someone in a negative light by spreading rumors or lies about them before they’re aware and able to answer. Taylor ends the verse by telling us that she was aware of this duplicitous behavior from her partner and chose to (knowingly) lying to herself about how this person was behaving to keep the peace. Ouch.
I knew it from the first Old Fashioned, we were cursed
We never had a shotgun shot in the dark (oh!)
I love this line because it links to another song in her discography and gives us some juicy details about the downfall of relationship number one. An old-fashioned cocktail is traditionally made with bourbon or whiskey. Throughout her music, she mentions whiskey three times: in "this is me trying" from folklore, in "Pouring out my heart to a stranger, But I didn't pour the whiskey, I just wanted you to know that this is me trying" as well as "London Boy" from Lover, "You know I love Springsteen, faded blue jeans, Tennessee whiskey. But something happened, I heard him laughing." The third mention of whiskey comes in "Gorgeous" when she sings, “Whiskey on ice, sunset and vine, you ruined my life by not being mine,” and is also the sole whiskey reference that aligns with the reputation era, hinting that this song connects to the moment she realized the cursed nature of the first relationship described in "Getaway Car."
“Gorgeous” is a song about Taylor being attracted to another person even though she’s already in a relationship – and it makes her mad that she can’t have this other person. From this perspective, it makes sense why she would assume this relationship – possibly one that started while she was still in a relationship with someone else – was doomed to fail. Another connection between “Getaway Car” and “Gorgeous” reinforces that these stories are connected. In “Gorgeous,” Taylor sings, “You should think about the consequence of you touching my hand in the darkened room.” What’s the consequence of this encounter? “In shades of gray in candlelight, I wanted to leave him, I needed a reason.” Swift tells us that her interaction with the muse in “Gorgeous” ignited her plan to take a daring escape to ditch her current lover.
You were drivin' the getaway car
We were flyin', but we'd never get far
Here, Taylor paints a picture of her daring escape with her accomplice, the second lover she's riding shotgun alongside. We’re told again that this relationship — though it’s moving fast — is doomed to crash and burn. Throughout the song, you'll see that the person positioned in the drivers seat is cast as the one in control of the outcome of the relationship. Here, Taylor sits in the passenger's side seat while her accomplice takes the wheel. After the bridge, Taylor steals the money and the keys from her accomplice and drives off alone, indicating she's taking back control.
Don't pretend it's such a mystery
Think about the place where you first met me
These lines give me literal waking nightmares. For those unaware, the 2016 Met Gala was a clusterfuck of gossip and drama for Taylor’s dating life. For starters, Calvin Harris was not in attendance this evening. Big mistake. It’s the night that Taylor and Tom crossed paths leading up to the “Gorgeous” narrative, which caused her and Calvin Harris to break up. It’s also the same night she and future boyfriend Joe Alwyn would meet. Yes, that one evening is responsible for this entire mess, and the lyric in “Dress” that’s (allegedly) about Joe Alwyn, “Flashback when you met (Gala) me, your buzzcut and my hair bleached.” This, again, seems reinforced by the lyrics in “Dress” when she sings, “Flashback to my mistakes, My rebounds, my earthquakes, Even in my worst lies (white lies), You saw the truth in me.” So yeah, if everything is to be taken at face value here, it seems like Taylor is admitting that the 2016 Met Gala was the source of a lot of chaos that would follow in her life and that future boyfriend turned inspiration for the album turned ex-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, was there to witness the whole thing go down in secret? And she was also secretly flirting with him that the same night that she was rebounding from Calvin to Tom. Okay. ALL THAT TO SAY. She’s telling Tom Hiddleston (allegedly) not to be surprised when a con cons him.
Ridin' in a getaway car
There were sirens in the beat of your heart
Should've known I'd be the first to leave
Think about the place where you first met me
In a getaway car, oh-oh-oh
No, they never get far, oh-oh-ah
No, nothin' good starts in a getaway car
Pay close attention to who’s in the driver’s seat of the getaway car throughout the song. At the end of the first chorus, Taylor tells us that she’s riding in a getaway car and she can hear the sirens (the alarms) signaling disaster in the beat of this other person’s heart. Earlier in the song, Taylor explains to us that the second person is her accomplice and a means to an end, a way for her to escape her first relationship. And with these lyrics, we’re reminded that this relationship isn’t one that’s built to last–despite the fact that her partner in crime is quickly falling for her false charms.
It was the great escape, the prison break
The light of freedom on my face
These next lines are Taylor describing what it feels like to finally break free. We’re told that she’s pulled off her escape and broken out of prison–an interesting parallel to draw considering the very first song on the album, “Ready For It” features a line about how her new lover, the Burton to her Taylor, can be her jailer. So now a few times on the same album it seems we have Swift comparing relationships with imprisonment.
Chronologically, the first reference is in "Ready For It" when she sings, “And he can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor. Every lover known in comparison is a failure.” The next comes in “So It Goes…” when she sings, “Gold cage, hostage to my feelings,” and the next is in “Getaway Car” when she sings about the prison break–which would imply that the person she wants to be “End Game” with is the same person she breaks free with in “Getaway Car” – maybe? Not to mention, “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” could be a continuation of this jail imagery (handcuffs) throughout reputation.
But you weren't thinkin' and I was just drinkin'
This line suggests that while Taylor and this other person are reveling in the freedom and rush of adrenaline that comes with pulling off their crime, her accomplice isn’t considering the consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, Taylor herself is drinking to numb herself and isn’t fully engaged or present in this new relationship. Yikes.
While he was runnin' after us, I was screamin', "Go, go, go!"
But with three of us, honey, it's a sideshow
And a circus ain't a love story, and now we're both sorry (we're both sorry)
In these lyrics, Taylor recounts the aftermath of her perfect crime. While she and her accomplice may have initially escaped, her first partner (presumably) isn’t willing to let things go so easily. She explains that despite their plans to drive off together into the sunset, their silent crime quickly turned into a media circus. We can safely assume these lyrics refer to the absolute meltdown that Calvin Harris had on Twitter multiple times regarding his breakup and musical collaboration with Taylor while they dated. Given all this information, these lyrics seem to spell out why she and her accomplice had the odds stacked against them both externally and internally, facing scrutiny from the public and grappling with their own complicated emotions in the fallout.
"X" marks the spot where we fell apart
He poisoned the well, every man for himself
I knew it from the first Old Fashioned, we were cursed
It hit you like a shotgun shot to the heart (oh!)
As we approach the refrain of the chorus, there's a subtle alteration in this section of the lyrics compared to last time. Here, Taylor sings "He poisoned the well, every man for himself," instead of "He poisoned the well, I was lyin’ to myself." This lyrical change conveys a few key points. First, it shows that Taylor has learned from her past mistakes of ignoring warning signs in love. Second, the phrase "every man for himself" suggests that she has no intention of salvaging her new relationship with her accomplice. Bonnie and Clyde are no longer a united front–Taylor is signaling that when the media circus begins, you can only rely on protecting yourself from harm.
Another subtle change we see in this section of the song occurs when she changes the lyrics from “I knew it from the first Old Fashioned, we were cursed. We never had a shotgun shot in the dark” to “It hit you like a shotgun shot to the heart (oh!)” Here, Taylor Swift is expressing the emotional impact her actions had on her accomplice when she inevitably double-crossed them out of her own interest and need for self-preservation. Early in the song, we’re told that these two criminals are damned. Now, we’re shown how it all falls apart and how Taylor played a role in the fiery crash.
We were jet-set, Bonnie and Clyde (oh-oh)
Until I switched to the other side, to the other side
It's no surprise I turned you in (oh-oh)
'Cause us traitors never win
Let’s talk about oxymorons. The jet-set lifestyle refers to wealthy and powerful people who indulge in a life of luxury and travel. This title is typically reserved for the elite, which feels in direct opposition to who Bonnie and Clyde were. These lovers turned outlaws traveled the United States during the Great Depression, robbing banks and committing multiple murders before they were ambushed and killed by police in a highway standoff. Of course, song lyrics aren’t meant to be taken so literal.
Taylor is telling us she and her accomplice were being glamorized as a couple in the media while also being criminalized for their perceived crimes. She goes on to explain that she’s the person who ultimately foils their escape plan by switching sides and turning her new lover into the authorities. This is likely a metaphor for Taylor ending things with Tom – a relationship she knew was short-term – and she ends this verse by explaining that you should never be surprised when a traitor betrays you. For those wondering where you’ve seen the word ‘traitor’ before in her music, the answer is in “Is It Over Now?” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault), where she sings, “you dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor.” Why does it always link back to 1989?
I'm in a getaway car
I left you in a motel bar
Put the money in a bag and I stole the keys
That was the last time you ever saw me (oh!)
Remember when I told you to pay attention to who’s driving the car? Here, Taylor explains the double-cross of her accomplice when she reveals that she’s in a getaway car after leaving her partner behind at a motel bar. She describes how she stole the money, grabbed the keys, and that was the last time her partner in crime ever saw her again. I like the image of her ditching her second lover in a motel bar, which is a stark contrast to the black-and-white tie affair where she and her accomplice first met in the opening lines of the song. It’s a nice way of showing us that Taylor values her freedom and independence above what anyone can seemingly offer her. While the situation itself is very messy to watch unfold, the lyrics are very raw and honest.
Drivin' the getaway car
We were flyin', but we'd never get far (don't pretend)
Don't pretend it's such a mystery
Think about the place where you first met me
Ridin' in a getaway car
Again, we see the image of Taylor Swift driving off in the car alone, as she explains to her criminal counterpart why they got left behind. This relationship burned hot and fast out of the gate, but ultimately, that was part of what led to its downfall. Taylor also reminds us in the final line that this relationship was always an escape–meaning it wasn’t something that began with pure intentions. It was a just means to an end.
I was ridin' in a getaway car
I was cryin' in a getaway car
I was dyin' in a getaway car
Said goodbye in a getaway car
Ridin' in a getaway car
I was cryin' in a getaway car
I was dyin' in a getaway car
Said goodbye in a getaway car
...Or was it? In the final lines of the song, Taylor expresses her feelings on the situation for the first time. As she drives off alone into the sunset, having betrayed everyone she once called her partner in crime, Taylor Swift tells us she’s crying and dying in the aftermath of her crime. And even though her “goodbye” and crime seem heartless to those she’s leaving in the rearview mirror, she still has her regrets.
Themes in “Getaway Car” by Taylor Swift:
Betrayal, deception, and how love can cause us to behave criminally
Fast cars as a symbol of male power (phallic), control, and freedom
Commentary on the media’s hand in creating and fueling narratives
Final Thoughts on “Getaway Car” by Taylor Swift:
There’s so much I could say about this song, and I’ve said a lot. But I’ll leave you with this. As Americans, we’re simultaneously a sex-crazed and deeply puritanical society that always wants to know what other people are up to. This song is about the voyeurism that comes with Hollywood and celebrity dating culture. And if you think this is a new phenomenon brought on by social media and technology, you’d be wrong. We’ve always been nosy about what others do between the sheets. Nobody understands this better than the producer of this song, Jack Antonoff, who is seen wearing a yellow T-shirt in the behind-the-scenes footage for the making of “Getaway Car” that says “Everything you always wanted to know about publicity* (but were too afraid to ask).” The design of this shirt are a direct reference to David Reuben's 1969 book Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask), which is Jack’s way of reaffirming to us something we already know to be true: sex sells.
