Taylor Swift changes the lyrics of "Better Than Revenge" on Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

Speak Now was originally released in 2010, as Taylor Swift's third album. Notably more personal than anything she'd done before, Swift wrote the album entirely herself within two years while touring to promote her second studio album, Fearless.

Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated of her series of re-recordings due to her teasing fans with easter eggs for over a year; fans were shocked when Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version), and saw that it was due to feature collaborations with Hayley Williams of Paramore and Fall Out Boy.

Seeing in the album's arrival, Swift posted a statement to her socials which read: "It’s an album I wrote alone about the whims, fantasies, heartaches, dramas and tragedies I lived out as a young woman between 18 and 20...I recorded this album when I was 32 (and still growing up, now) and the memories it brought back filled me with nostalgia and appreciation. For life, for you, for the fact that I get to reclaim my work. Thank you a million times, for the memories that break our fall."

I’m VERY excited to show you the back cover of Speak Now (my version) including the vault tracks and collaborations with Hayley Williams from @paramore and @falloutboy. Since Speak Now was all about my songwriting, I decided to go to the artists who I feel influenced me most… pic.twitter.com/UJOqUNfCGp

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 5, 2023

It’s here. It’s yours, it’s mine, it’s ours. It’s an album I wrote alone about the whims, fantasies, heartaches, dramas and tragedies I lived out as a young woman between 18 and 20. I remember making tracklist after tracklist, obsessing over the right way to tell the story. I had… pic.twitter.com/I2cLH76EIH

— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) July 7, 2023

Fans have been speculating for a quite a while whether Swift would change the lyrics to "Better Than Revenge", as she recently came under fire for the "slut-shaming" lyrics, that she wrote between the ages of 18 and 20. By changing the lyrics whilst reclaiming the ownership of her masters is not only a way of reclaiming not only her music, but showing the growth in herself and her songwriting.

On Speak Now (Taylor's Version), the lyrics to "Better Than Revenge" have been changed to: "He was a moth to the flame / She was holding the matches", from: "She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress".

me listening to the lyric change in better than revenge pic.twitter.com/TWFg2KS4Ea

— alexis (@anpiatkowski) July 7, 2023

I can't believe Taylor Swift has:
- Picture to Burn (Homophobic Version)
- Better Than Revenge (Slut Shaming Version)

— Will Kremer (@WillKremer) July 6, 2023

We just have to bully her into releasing Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version) (Slut Shaming Version) like she did with lana and snow on the beach https://t.co/kLuBwT02ar

— ruby (@e_matron) July 6, 2023

Hayley Williams who features on "Castles Crumbling" on the album, was also recently under fire for her lyrics in Paramore's hit single "Misery Business". The band retired the song from their live set for four years, before bringing it back.

During its live debut, Williams said: "Four years ago, we said we were gonna retire this song for a little while, and I guess technically we did. But what we did not know was that just about five minutes after I got cancelled for saying the word 'whore' in a song, all of TikTok decided that it was ok. Make it make sense."

The credits for "Castles Crumbling" show that Williams' Paramore bandmate Taylor York recorded her vocals for the track. The band are set to support Taylor Swift as special guests for the international leg of The Eras Tour.

this is why i love taylor york + many other reasons pic.twitter.com/EwM1Xmeuj0

— emma | claiming castles crumbling (@crystalcleqr) July 5, 2023

kinda need taylor to put castles crumbling back to the vault swifties are scaring me pic.twitter.com/AZOeeEbuCg

— taylor york akgae (@brandnewskulls) June 30, 2023

TAYLOR SWIFT AND HAYLEY WILLIAMS. CASTLES CRUMBLING IS PERFECTION #SpeakNowTaylorsVersion pic.twitter.com/wfcJDJi3MQ

— yas (@misamericana) July 7, 2023