My Ranking of Red (Taylor's Version)
Seeing this era all in my head, in burning red
It’s finally sweater weather where I live, and you know what that means: it’s Red (Taylor’s Version) season!
Let me give a little background first. I have been a Swiftie since 2006 and therefore have had the privilege of experiencing all of her eras in real time. I was freshly 13 when Red first released. My mom and I followed our tradition of buying the CD at Target the day it was out, and the album was the soundtrack to our drives to school and softball practice in the following months.
I’ll be honest: as much as I love this album and as close as it’s grown to my heart since the Taylor’s Version release, Red isn’t my favorite of hers. But I can’t argue the fact that it is THE autumn album for me (and many others), so it felt right to rank all of its songs in the middle of its season.
Quick Disclaimers
I know disclaimers aren’t anyone’s favorite part of an article (no judgment if it is), but I have a couple of quick ones.
One, it should go without saying, but I’m stating it anyway. This is just my personal ranking of the songs, based on my own taste and preferences. If your ranking is any different than mine, that’s completely okay! There is so much for everyone to love on this album. You could make a case for any song to be your favorite, and I would completely understand.
Two, I am leaving 2 songs out of my ranking. So I guess this isn’t technically ranking ALL of the songs, but it’s close enough in my mind. The songs I’m omitting are:
“Ronan” because of its personal, heartbreaking subject matter.
“State of Grace (Acoustic Version)” because of its identical lyrics to — and my preference for — the original version.
With all of that said, let’s dive into my ranking of the songs on Red (Taylor’s Version) and my favorite lyrics from each one!
It’s Time (oh-oh!) To Rank
28. Stay Stay Stay
Fave Lyrics: “I’d like to hang out with you for my whole life”
This track’s position doesn’t mean I hate it. I actually loved this song when I was in middle school, and it’s still a fun bop today. But I don’t find myself actively seeking out this song on a regular basis, so it’s at the bottom.
27. Begin Again
Fave Lyrics: “I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ‘cause he never did”
I like a hopeful song, but this one has never been my favorite. I’m not sure what it is, if I’m honest. It might be the slower pace and the instrumentation choices, but this song feels long to me. The music video is very sweet, though.
26. Run (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Fave Lyrics: “We can go where our eyes can take us / Go where no one else is”
I enjoy the melodies of Taylor and Ed (as always), but this song is a little too slow for me during my regular listening sessions. The bridge is definitely the highlight, which is no surprise for a Taylor Swift song.
25. Girl At Home
Fave Lyrics: “And, yeah, I might go with it / If I hadn’t once been just like her”
Hot take: I prefer the demo version that was a bonus track on the original Red album. There's something about the production of this version that isn’t my favorite. But it is a fun bop, so I don’t mind it.
24. Babe
Fave Lyrics: “I hate that because of you, I can’t love you, babe”
Sugarland’s version of “Babe” was my first exposure to this song, and the music video featuring a red-haired Taylor (before the ATW film) is still a classic. Taylor’s version gives a new, youthful pain to the lyrics.
23. Come Back…Be Here
Fave Lyrics: “This is falling in love in the cruelest way”
Oh, to be watching airplanes take off and pining for your new love that’s sitting in one of them. This song begs to be included in a romantic movie. I love the mention of specific cities and the overall yearning that’s in early relationships.
22. 22
Fave Lyrics: “We’re happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way”
I swear, the number of this spot is just a coincidence. This is such a fun song to dance to with your friends, whether or not you’re actually in your early twenties anymore. 22 also happens to be my favorite number, so I appreciate this title.
21. Better Man
Fave Lyrics: “Push my love away like it was some kind of loaded gun”
I constantly heard Little Big Town’s version of “Better Man” on country radio when I was in high school, but it’s Taylor’s version (literally) that makes me appreciate the story. Once again, the bridge is the highlight for me.
20. Everything Has Changed (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Fave Lyrics: “And your eyes look like coming home”
This is my favorite Taylor & Ed collab by far. The music video is also one of Taylor’s most underrated (in my humble opinion) because it demonstrates the song’s themes of new, sweet love that somehow already feels comfortable.
19. The Moment I Knew
Fave Lyrics: “I try not to fall apart / And the sinking feeling starts”
An absolutely devastating song with masterful production. The strings add to the heartbreaking, “sinking feeling” of knowing that the most important person in your life is actively disappointing you in the worst way.
18. I Bet You Think About Me (feat. Chris Stapleton)
Fave Lyrics: “Mr. Superior Thinking / Do you have all the space that you need?”
When I listen to this, I feel the urge to put my arms around my friends’ shoulders and sway back and forth as we sing along. That’s just a side note, but this song is a great combination of a diss track and reflection.
17. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Fave Lyrics: “And you would hide away and find your peace of mind / With some indie record that’s much cooler than mine”
It teetered on the edge of being an overplayed radio hit in its heyday, but I still think this song is fun. I was so proud of my 12-year-old self for memorizing the speaking part and lip-syncing it with the right level of sassiness.
16. The Lucky One
Fave Lyrics: “Another name goes up in lights / You wonder if you’ll make it out alive”
Taylor’s songs about the perils of fame always hit. Considering how early this was in her career, it’s interesting to hear her thoughts on the appeal of a secluded “rose garden” over a packed venue.
15. Forever Winter
Fave Lyrics: “Too young to know it gets better”
This song is a beautiful ode to her friend, and I love that she included it in the vault tracks. The bells and horns really add to the “winter” aspect and the deeper themes of the song.
14. All Too Well
Fave Lyrics: “I’d like to be my old self again / But I’m still trying to find it”
Until the 10 Minute Version, this song was near the top of my Red ranking. Honestly, I prefer the shorter version when I’m not in the headspace to go on the journey that is the 10 Minute Version. Either way, this song is essential.
13. The Last Time (feat. Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol)
Fave Lyrics: “You wear your best apology / But I was there to watch you leave”
This is one of THE most underrated tracks in Taylor’s discography, in my eyes. The way that it starts slow with the separate voices, then grows into a cinematic finish with their pleading voices weaving in and out of each other, is unmatched.
12. Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
Fave Lyrics: “How did I go from growing up to breaking down?”
I still feel like Taylor owes me financial compensation for releasing this when I was 22 and going through my own issues. The line about knowing “everything at 18 and nothing at 22” is definitely one of her most relatable.
11. Sad Beautiful Tragic
Fave Lyrics: “Words, how little they mean when you’re a little too late”
This is one of the album’s slower songs, but somehow, it works for me. I think it’s the fluttery instruments and the haunting tone of her voice. It’s not a very word-heavy song, but the lyrics still cut deep.
10. I Knew You Were Trouble
Fave Lyrics: “Flew me to places I’ve never been / Til you put me down”
You couldn’t escape this song or the screaming goat meme in 2013, but Taylor’s Version gave me a new appreciation for this hit. Her mature voice in the chorus gives the song a haunting remorse that wasn’t as apparent (to me) before.
9. I Almost Do
Fave Lyrics: “I bet it never, ever occurred to you / That I can’t say hello to you and risk another goodbye”
As an over-thinker with the tendency to romanticize everything, this song hits different (pun intended). I love the acoustic guitar and the imagery of two people looking out over the nighttime landscape, wondering about the other.
8. Starlight
Fave Lyrics: “Don’t you see the starlight, starlight? / Don’t you dream impossible things?”
This was in my top 5 during the original release, and it’s still a masterpiece to me. The storytelling, the electric guitar solo, the twinkling piano, the dance-worthy chorus… There’s so much to love here, which is why it’s in my top 10.
7. Treacherous
Fave Lyrics: “And I’d be smart to walk away / But you’re quicksand”
Speaking of songs that start slower and build to a booming bridge and final chorus, “Treacherous” is great. I think of this as the precursor to “I Knew You Were Trouble,” which adds a new layer to the longing in this song.
6. Message In A Bottle
Fave Lyrics: “‘Cause you could be the one that I love / And I could be the one that you dream of”
I can’t believe one of Taylor’s best glitter gel pen songs was kept in the vault for 9 years. This is the perfect song to listen to when you’re catching feelings for someone and the excitement gives you newfound energy.
5. All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
Fave Lyrics: “They say ‘all’s well that ends well’ / But I’m in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind”
I’ve seen many rankings that put this song at the top, and I will never argue that placement. This is an essential part of the Taylor Swift canon. Between the short film and the Eras Tour performance, this version is getting all the flowers it deserves.
4. State Of Grace
Fave Lyrics: “We learn to live with the pain, mosaic broken hearts”
Opening the album with isolated drums is a great metaphor for the beating of the heart that will break throughout this track list. The lyrics to this song are some of my favorite on Red, and it really sets the tone for the era.
3. The Very First Night
Fave Lyrics: “I drive down different roads, but they all lead back to you”
I’ll be blunt: I love this song. It’s so poppy and fun with a relatable thesis of wanting to return to a happy time with a person with whom you’re no longer close. The repetition of “take me away to you” really adds to the nostalgia factor.
2. Red
Fave Lyrics: “Regretting him was like wishing you never found out that love could be that strong”
I still think this should’ve been in the Red set on the Eras Tour, but I digress. It’s such a great title track. Packed full of similes, “Red” is a rockin’ way to reflect on the whirlwind of an ended relationship.
1. Holy Ground
Fave Lyrics: “I guess we fell apart in the usual way / And the story’s got dust on every page”
There’s 2 things you should know about me: I love a strong drumbeat, and I love a song that’s steady until its abrupt end. “Holy Ground” is everything to me. It’s thoughtful, nostalgic, upbeat, reflective, and (ultimately) hopeful.
I hope this post puts you in the autumn spirit, if you weren’t in it already. Red (Taylor’s Version) is truly an incredible album that captures the art of picking yourself up from the “cold, hard ground” to keep the hope of finding something “good and right and real.”
Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun ranking this album, so be on the lookout for more album rankings in the future. I would love to hear your favorites from Red (Taylor’s Version), so please leave a comment below with your faves! 🧣❤️