Eldest Daughter – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: The Life of a Showgirl

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into Taylor Swift's "Eldest Daughter" to explore the nuances of public persona versus private vulnerability, a theme deeply rooted in the modern experience and the concept of 'eldest daughter syndrome.' Learning the English in this track offers insight into how sincerity can break through the cultural pressure to always appear cool and detached, a sentiment that resonates widely.

[English]

Everybody's so punk on the internet

Everyone's unbothered till they're not

Every joke's just trolling and memes

Sad as it seems, apathy is hot

Everybody's cutthroat in the comments

Every single hot take is cold as ice

When you found me, I said I was busy

That was a lie

...

I have been afflicted by a terminal uniqueness

I've been dying just from trying to seem cool

...

But I'm not a bad bitch

And this isn't savage

But I'm never gonna let you down

I'm never gonna leave you out

So many traitors

Smooth operators

But I'm never gonna break that vow

I'm never gonna leave you now, now, now

...

You know, the last time I laughed this hard was

On the trampoline in somebody's backyard

I must've been about eight or nine

That was the night

I fell off and broke my arm

Pretty soon, I learned cautious discretion

When your first crush crushes something kind

When I said I don't believe in marriage

That was a lie

...

Every eldest daughter

Was the first lamb to the slaughter

So we all dressed up as wolves and we looked fire

...

But I'm not a bad bitch

And this isn't savage

But I'm never gonna let you down

I'm never gonna leave you out

So many traitors

Smooth operators

But I'm never gonna break that vow

I'm never gonna leave you now, now, now

...

We lie back

A beautiful, beautiful time lapse

Ferris wheels, kisses, and lilacs

And things I said were dumb

'Cause I thought that I'd never find that beautiful, beautiful life that

Shimmers that innocent light back

Like when we were young

...

Every youngest child felt

They were raised up in the wild

But now you're home

...

'Cause I'm not a bad bitch

And this isn't savage

And I'm never gonna let you down

I'm never gonna leave you out

So many traitors

Smooth operators

But I'm never gonna break that vow (Never gonna break that vow)

I'm never gonna leave you now, now, now

...

Never gonna break that vow

Never gonna leave you now, now

I'm never gonna leave you now

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
punk /pʌŋk/ B1	adjective - rebellious or unconventional
unbothered /ˌʌnˈbɑːðərd/ B2	adjective - not worried or disturbed
trolling /ˈtroʊlɪŋ/ B1	verb - posting provocative messages online
apathy /ˈæpəθi/ B2	noun - lack of interest or concern
cutthroat /ˈkʌtθroʊt/ C1	adjective - extremely competitive and ruthless
afflicted /əˈflɪktɪd/ B2	verb - to be affected by a problem or illness
terminal /ˈtɜːrmɪnəl/ B2	adjective - relating to an incurable disease
savage /ˈsævɪdʒ/ B1	adjective - fierce, brutal, or cruel
traitor /ˈtreɪtər/ A2	noun - a person who betrays someone's trust
operator /ˈɒpəreɪtər/ B1	noun - a person who is skillful in managing situations
vow /vaʊ/ A2	noun - a solemn promise verb - to make a solemn promise
trampoline /træmˈpəʊliːn/ A2	noun - a strong fabric sheet attached to a frame, used for bouncing
discretion /dɪˈskreʃən/ B2	noun - the quality of being cautious or careful
slaughter /ˈslɔːtʃər/ B1	noun - the killing of animals or people in a violent way
shimmers /ˈʃɪmərz/ B1	verb - to shine with a soft, slightly shaking light

Key Grammar Structures

• Everybody's so punk on the internet

  ➔ Present simple tense with 's for third person singular

  ➔ The verb 'is' is contracted to '’s' to agree with the third person singular subject 'Everybody'.

• That was a lie

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the past simple tense to describe a completed action in the past.

• I've been afflicted by a terminal uniqueness

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense

  ➔ 'I've been afflicted' indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

• But I'm not a bad bitch

  ➔ Present simple tense with contraction

  ➔ The contraction 'I'm' is used for 'I am', a common feature in informal speech.

• Every eldest daughter was the first lamb to the slaughter

  ➔ Past simple tense with 'was'

  ➔ 'Was' is the past form of 'be' used here to describe a past state or condition.

• We lie back

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The present simple tense is used to describe a habitual or general action.

• Like when we were young

  ➔ Past continuous tense

  ➔ 'Were' is the past form of 'be' used to describe a past ongoing state.

• But now you're home

  ➔ Present simple tense with contraction

  ➔ 'You're' is a contraction of 'you are', used for brevity in speech.