Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you popular songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Taylor Swift wants to wear her new boyfriend’s initial on a chain around her neck in the introspective 2017 hit, “Call It What You Want.”
Written in late 2016 by Swift and collaborator Jack Antonoff, this deeply personal tune recounts how falling in love again helped her recover from a very dark time when her “castle crumbled overnight.”
She sings, “I want to wear his initial / On a chain round my neck, chain round my neck / Not because he owns me / But ’cause he really knows me.”
Her new boyfriend at the time was British actor and model Joe Alwyn, and Swift had been spotted wearing a script initial “J” engraved on a silver charm pendant.
Following her split from Tom Hiddleston and an emotionally draining public feud with Kanye West, Swift stepped out of the spotlight to make new music and hit the reset button. What resulted was the 15-track Reputation, an album that topped the charts in 14 countries and sold more than 2 million copies in its first week.
“Call It What You Want” is the penultimate song on an album that takes the listener on an emotional journey from rebellion and anger to true love. The single topped out at #27 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #24 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart. The single was named the 20th best song of 2017 by Rolling Stone.
Swift fans will notice similarities between the lyrics of “Call It What You Want” and her 2008 hit, “Love Story.” In both songs, the heroine wants to run away with her boyfriend…
In “Love Story,” she sings, “Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone / I’ll be waiting, all that’s left to do is run / You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess / It’s a love story, baby just say yes.”
In “Call It What You Want,” she sings, “I recall late November, holdin’ my breath / Slowly I said, ‘You don’t need to save me / But would you run away with me?’ / Yes.”
Swift and Alwyn broke up in April of 2023 after dating for six years.
More recently, Swift, 34, has been wearing a diamond and gold "TNT" friendship bracelet that she received from her newest boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs' tight end Travis Kelce. Kelce had matching bracelets made for him and his girlfriend just before Christmas 2023. "TNT" stands for "Travis 'n' Taylor."
Swift often complements the bracelet with a diamond-embellished "87" pendant necklace, which is a nod to her 35-year-old beau's jersey number.
Born in Wyomissing, PA, Swift was not an average schoolgirl. By the time she was 11, Swift was already performing regularly at karaoke contests, festivals and fairs near her home in Berks County. When she was 14, her parents moved the family to Nashville, where Swift would be better positioned to pursue a career in country music. At the age of 17, Swift was topping the country charts.
Swift is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 114 million albums and 162 million single downloads. She has won 14 Grammy Awards, one Emmy, 39 Billboard Music Awards and 12 Country Music Association Awards.
Please check out the official lyric video of “Call It What You Want.” You can also follow along, below…
“Call It What You Want”
Written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. Performed by Taylor Swift.
My castle crumbled overnight
I brought a knife to a gunfight
They took the crown, but it’s alright
All the liars are calling me one
Nobody’s heard from me for months
I’m doing better than I ever was, ’cause
My baby’s fit like a daydream
Walking with his head down
I’m the one he’s walking to
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
My baby’s fly like a jet stream
High above the whole scene
Loves me like I’m brand new
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
All my flowers grew back as thorns
Windows boarded up after the storm
He built a fire just to keep me warm
All the drama queens taking swings
All the jokers dressing up as kings
They fade to nothing when I look at him
And I know I make the same mistakes every time
Bridges burn, I never learn, at least I did one thing right
I did one thing right
I’m laughing with my lover, making forts under covers
Trust him like a brother, yeah, you know I did one thing right
Starry eyes sparkin’ up my darkest night
My baby’s fit like a daydream
Walking with his head down
I’m the one he’s walking to
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
My baby’s fly like a jet stream
High above the whole scene
Loves me like I’m brand new
(Call it what you want, call it what you want, call it)
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
I want to wear his initial
On a chain round my neck, chain round my neck
Not because he owns me
But ’cause he really knows me
Which is more than they can say, I
I recall late November, holdin’ my breath
Slowly I said, “You don’t need to save me
But would you run away with me?”
Yes (would you run away?)
My baby’s fit like a daydream
Walking with his head down
I’m the one he’s walking to
(Call it what you want, call it what you want, call it)
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
My baby’s fly like a jet stream
High above the whole scene
Loves me like I’m brand new
(Call it what you want, call it what you want, call it)
So call it what you want, yeah, call it what you want to
Call it what you want, yeah
Call it what you want
Call it what you want
Call it what you want
To
