Love Story by Taylor Swift: song meaning

This song tells a story of a love that must overcome obstacles and lack of acceptance from those around them, told through the perspective of a young woman who compares herself to Juliet. She faces loneliness and uncertainty in love, until the ending where both of their efforts succeed with a marriage proposal.

Romantic · Longing · Hopeful · Forbidden love · Fighting for love · Hope

Behind the song

Taylor Swift wrote this song inspired by a boy whom her family and friends did not accept. She used the plot from William Shakespeare's tragedy Romeo and Juliet as a reference, but chose to change the ending to a marriage proposal instead to create a happy ending love story.

Source: Wikipedia: Love Story (Taylor Swift song) (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Mood

The atmosphere of the song is filled with a fairytale-like feeling, containing both the pressure of secrets that must be kept and the fluttering sensation of meeting secretly in the garden, but ultimately resolving into warmth and stability.

Symbols in the song

Romeo and Juliet: Representing a couple who must face obstacles from family and society
Scarlet letter: A symbol of guilt or being stigmatized by those around them
White dress: The beginning of a new life and a successful marriage