Blank Space
Written By Taylor Swift, Shellback & Max Martin
Produced By Shellback & Max Martin
About
From Genius, the ultimate source of music knowledge
Track 2 on "1989".
Taylor Swift plays her "serial dater" image to her advantage with "Blank Space," a synth-pop anthem that the RIAA certified 8x platinum in July 2018. Swift explained to GQ in October 2015 that she wrote the song from the perspective of the "crazy, but seductive, but glamorous, but nuts, but manipulative" woman that the media painted her as.
Throughout the song, Swift carefully brings this character to life through juxtaposition that showcases her raging passion. She also included the noise of a pen clicking towards the end of the chorus, suggesting that the character is writing her new lover's name in her "blank space."
After the song rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, Swift became the first woman to knock her own song out of the #1 spot — 1989's lead single, "Shake It Off," had topped the chart for four weeks before "Blank Space" took over.
The song's music video came out in November 2014, and brought Swift's obsessive dater persona to life alongside American model Sean O'Pry. It became the fastest VEVO video to reach a billion views, achieving the milestone in July 2015. Check out a scene-by-scene breakdown of the music video by Genius users here!
As part of the 1989 deluxe edition Swift created with Target, she shared a voice memo she recorded during the "Blank Space" writing session, giving fans a glimpse into her creative process. Swift sang her drafted lyrics over acoustic guitar, while producers Max Martin and Shellback offered ideas for production.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Nice to meet you, where you been?
I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
Saw you there, and I thought
"Oh my God, look at that face
You look like my next mistake
Love's a game, wanna play?"
Ayy
[Verse 2]
New money, suit and tie
I can read you like a magazine
Ain't it funny? Rumors fly
And I know you heard about me
So, hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends
Grab your passport and my hand
I can make the bad guys good for a weekend
[Chorus]
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames?
You can tell me when it's over, mmm
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
'Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless, mmm
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name
[Verse 3]
Cherry lips, crystal skies
I could show you incredible things
Stolen kisses, pretty lies
You're the king, baby, I'm your queen
Find out what you want
Be that girl for a month
Wait, the worst is yet to come
Oh, no
[Verse 4]
Screaming, crying, perfect storms
I can make all the tables turn
Rose garden filled with thorns
Keep you second guessing, like
"Oh my God, who is she?"
I get drunk on jealousy
But you'll come back each time you leave
'Cause, darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream
[Chorus]
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames?
You can tell me when it's over, mmm
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
'Cause we're young and we're reckless (Oh)
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless (Oh-oh), mmm
Or with a nasty scar
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane (Insane)
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name
[Bridge]
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya
[Chorus]
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames?
You can tell me when it's over (Over), mmm
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane (I'm insane)
'Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game (And you love the game)
'Cause we're young and we're reckless (Yeah)
We'll take this way too far (Ooh)
It'll leave you breathless, mmm
Or with a nasty scar (With a nasty scar)
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I've got a blank space, baby
And I'll write your name