I Almost Do
Written By Taylor Swift
Produced By Taylor Swift & Christopher Rowe
About
From Genius, the ultimate source of music knowledge
Track 7 on "Red".
On the re-recording of the breakup ballad "I Almost Do," Taylor sings of the distance and now non-existent communication between her and her ex. Longing to speak to him, but unable to do so in fear of the ramifications, "I Almost Do" shows Taylor speculating about his thoughts and life, all the while hoping that he's doing the same.
In a comment about the song's inspiration during its original 2012 release, Taylor explained:
"I Almost Do" is a song I wrote about the conflict that you feel when you want to take someone back, and you want to give it another try, but you know you can't. I think I needed to write this song in order to not call that person actually.
Much like many of the songs on Red (Taylor's Version), "I Almost Do" is acoustic-guitar-heavy, and features prominent drums which nudge the song towards soft rock. The recording itself is very similar to the original, but distinguishes itself through Taylor's more mature vocal performance and the new guitar melody inserted into the final chorus.
The song's structure is reminiscent of Taylor's early country hits, with lyrics from the song's opening verse being repeated in the outro. This same songwriting style was used in her 2000s singles "Tim McGraw," "Teardrops On My Guitar," "Our Song," "Love Story," and "Fifteen."
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I bet this time of night, you're still up
I bet you're tired from a long hard week
I bet you're sittin' in your chair by the window
Looking out at the city, and I bet
Sometimes you wonder 'bout me
[Chorus]
And I just wanna tell you
It takes everything in me not to call you
And I wish I could run to you
And I hope you know that every time I don't
I almost do
I almost do
[Verse 2]
I bet you think I either moved on or hate you
'Cause each time you reach out, there's no reply
I bet it never, ever occurred to you
That I can't say hello to you and risk another goodbye
[Chorus]
And I just wanna tell you
It takes everything in me not to call you
And I wish I could run to you
And I hope you know that every time I don't
I almost do
I almost do
[Bridge]
Oh, we made quite a mess, babe
It's probably better off this way
And I confess, baby
In my dreams, you're touching my face
And asking me if I wanna try again with you
And I almost do
[Chorus]
And I just wanna tell you
It takes everything in me not to call you
And I wish I could run to you
And I hope you know that every time I don't
I almost do
I almost do
[Outro]
I bet this time of night, you're still up
I bet you're tired from a long hard week
I bet you're sittin' in your chair by the window
Looking out at the city, and I hope
Sometimes you wonder 'bout me