Before 1989 turned her “Wildest Dreams” of becoming a pop superstar into a reality, before Folklore had us all wandering “Out Of The Woods,” Taylor Swift was a teenager in cowboy boots writing songs about her feelings and experiences. Her self-titled debut album gave us iconic hits like “Tim McGraw” and “Teardrops on My Guitar,” which started Swift’s thriving music career.
But there are other songs from her debut album that prove even teenage Tay-Tay was already beyond her years when it comes to writing brilliant lyrics.
Taylor Swift’s Debut Album: Deep Cuts
“Cold As You”
Cold As You | Taylor Swift
“Cold As You” is a relatable song, especially for those who have experienced falling in love with someone emotionally unavailable. Talk about unrequited love! This song shows how Swift was able to articulate and express complex emotions of loving someone who doesn’t love you back.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, she mentioned that “Cold As You” is her favorite song on the album. The emotional ballad is the fifth song on the tracklist. It sets the precedent for her intentionally placing her most vulnerable songs at track 5 on her subsequent albums.
“The Outside”
The Outside | Taylor Swift
“The Outside” captures the feeling of being on the edges, looking in. An autobiographical piece Swift wrote at 12, the song serves as an outlet for her feelings of alienation. It’s full of her experiences of being an outcast, proving even then, Swift knew how to speak to the misfits and dreamers in all of us.
The relatable chorus, “So how can I ever try to be better?/Nobody ever lets me in/I can still see you, this ain’t the best view/On the outside looking in/I’ve been a lot of lonely places/I’ve never been on the outside,” is something we can still relate to even today.
“Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)”
Mary’s Song (Oh My My My) | Taylor Swift
“Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” is the most-streamed non-single from Swift’s debut album. It tells the story of a wholesome, nostalgic love inspired by her neighbors’ lifelong romance. Imagine meeting the love of your life as kids and spending forever together, that’s the kind of fairytale this song paints.
This track reminds us of Swift’s youthful optimism about love. Sure, her songwriting has evolved over the years, and not all of her later lyrics are quite as sweet and timeless. But going back to this song when you’re feeling down is like a little reminder that happy endings still exist.
“Stay Beautiful”
Stay Beautiful | Taylor Swift
Described as underrated and “such a vibe,” “Stay Beautiful” is for that crush. You know, the one you never actually dated because they’re dating your best friend or they’re the most popular kid at school, but still wrote bad poetry about or the constant star of your daydreams. With its easy melody, it’s the kind of song you blast on a summer road trip or when you’re just chilling in your room. It’s fluffy and saccharinely sweet, but also a feel-good tune you’ll catch yourself humming at the end of the day.
Why These Songs Matter
Even as a teenager, T-Swift was already exploring adult themes of vulnerability, storytelling, empathy, and emotional authenticity in her songs, and her debut album proves this. Tracks like “The Outside” showed she’s not afraid to open up about her insecurities, while “Mary’s Song” and “Stay Beautiful” revealed her ability to talk about everyday crushes and young romances into classic stories of love.
