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Would’ve, Could’ve,
Should’ve
Taylor Swift

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Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve Lyrics

[Verse 1]
If you would've blinked then I would've looked away at
the first glance
If you tasted poison you could've spit me out at the first
chance
And if I was some paint, did it splatter on a promising
grown man?
And if I was a child did it matter if you got to wash your
hands?

[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, ooh, ooh
All I used to do was pray
Would've, could've, should've
If you never looked my way
I would've stayed on my knees
[Chorus]
And I damn sure would've never danced with the devil
At 19, and the God's honest truth is that the pain was
heaven
And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts
Memories feel like weapons
And now that I know, I wish you left me wondering

[Verse 2]
If you never touched me, I would've gone along with the
righteous
If I never blushed, then they could've never whispered
about this
And if you never saved me from boredom, I could've
gone on as I was
But lord you made me feel important, and then you tried
to erase us

[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, ooh, ooh
You're a crisis of my faith
Would've, could've, should've
If I'd only played it safe
I would've stayed on my knees

[Chorus]
And I damn sure would've never danced with the devil
At 19, and the God's honest truth is that the pain was
heaven
And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts
Memories feel like weapons
And now that I know, I wish you left me wondering

[Bridge]
God rest my soul
I miss who I used to be
The tomb won't close
Stained glass windows in my mind
I regret you all the time
I can't let this go, I fight with you in my sleep
The wound won't close
I keep on waiting for a sign
I regret you all the time

[Verse 3]
If clarity's in death, then why won't this die?
Years of tearing down our banners, you and I
Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts
Give me me back my girlhood, it was mine first

[Chorus]
And I damn sure would've never danced with the devil
At 19, and the God's honest truth is that the pain was
heaven
And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts
Memories feel like weapons
And now that I know, I wish you left me wondering

[Outro]
God rest my soul
I miss who I used to be
The tomb won't close
Stained glass windows in my mind
I regret you all the time
I can't let this go, I fight with you in my sleep
The wound won't close
I keep on waiting for a sign
I regret you all the time
Oh God, rest my soul
I miss who I used to be
The tomb won't close
Stained glass windows in my mind
I regret you all the time
I can't let this go, I fight with you in my sleep
The wound won't close
I keep on waiting for a sign
I regret you all the time

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Genius Annotation 1 contributor

In “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”, Taylor uses morbid

and religious overtones in order to express regret for a
youthful relationship that left her deeply scarred. This
draws on themes such as those in previous songs “A
Perfectly Good Heart” and “Dear John”, where the
singer’s naivete was similarly trampled on.

“Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” draws on Taylor’s

relationship with John Mayer, which took place when she
was nineteen and he was thirty-one. The age difference

Expand  

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Midnights (3am Edition)

(2022)
Taylor Swift

1. Lavender Haze
12. Sweet Nothing

2. Maroon
13. Mastermind

3. Anti-Hero
14. The Great War

4. Snow On The Beach

15. Bigger Than The Whole Sky

5. You’re On Your Own, Kid

16. Paris

6. Midnight Rain
17. High Infidelity

7. Question...?
18. Glitch

8. Vigilante Shit
19. Would’ve, Could’ve,
Should’ve
9. Bejeweled

20. Dear Reader

10. Labyrinth

11. Karma

Credits
Produced By Written By
Taylor Swift & Aaron Dessner Taylor Swift & Aaron Dessner

Vocal Engineer Synthesizer

Jonathan Low Aaron Dessner, James McAlister
& Doveman

Recording Engineer Mixer

Aaron Dessner, Jonathan Low & Jonathan Low
Expand  

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