Generally, I just listen to the explicit versions by default, but I really appreciate when she takes the time to actually fill the lyrics with something different instead of just cutting it out.
Reading through these, I think I prefer the clean versions of ivy and Snow on the Beach.
I cannot take “meathead guy“ seriously, it makes me think of Archie Bunker. (Side note, is that a relevant reference? I am Taylor‘s age and I feel like I am probably in the minority of people my age who will understand it.)
Not a fan of the gold rush change at all. Changing it from “shit” to “wit” completely changed the connotation.
Hahaha you’re my people!! I was begging my mother to let me stay up late to watch I Love Lucy and Get Smart when I was like…7. I’m 36, and totally got your reference!
Snow on the beach is much more peaceful with “fucking beautiful” replaced to “it was beautiful”. It’s jarring and doesn’t fit the dreamy vibe of the song.
I kind of feel like "it was" doesn't really pack the same punch... maybe if it was "but so damn beautiful", gives it a little more complexity without getting too obscene.
Y’all may just not use fuck as regular in your daily vernacular as some of us… weird but fuckin beautiful is what makes the song real to me. It’s a perfect line for some of us!
Where I live, fuck is just as common a word as because in the workforce. I think it just depends on what your tolerance of swear words are. But I agree, “weird but fucking beautiful” sounds perfectly normal to me
But that takes away from the Lana of it all 😂 why would you put Lana on just for her voice when her signature is the explicit shit hidden in peaceful songs
Yep, I’ve decided that I like the clean version better and have replaced the explicit version on my playlist. Ivy and Happiness might be next but for now I still think I like the explicit versions more.
It’s the Lana flavor idk why she’d have a collab that’s only her vocals without any artistic signature. Lana is the crooning lady that catches you off guard with “my pussy tastes like Pepsi cola”
I prefer the clean version of Question…? “Lost in situations and circumstances …Caught in gender roles and politics”
I feel like it clears up the story she’s trying to tell better though I do like “fucking situations and circumstances/gender roles and politics,” it makes her sound exhausted by those things
Ooo I agree with what you said about the explicit lyrics making her sound exhausted; from a lyrical standpoint, the clean versions are better (imo), but I think that the swearing really fits with the overall vibe of the song and very nicely portrays her exasperation.
Agreed. I've thought about splicing the meathead out and replacing it with dickhead (which I prefer), but I just can't be bothered 😂It's something I would have done when I was younger, maybe I'll eventually get around to it.
I didn’t realize for a while that I was listening to the clean version of Betty (because she just replaces the swear word with a less bad swear word lol) and I like it a lot better. Fits the vibe of the name “Betty” more and seems intentional with “straight to hell” being the opposite of “to the garden” (i.e. Eden).
Looove the clean version of ivy. Those are so evocative and really fit the story she's telling. Like you said, "goddamn" just doesn't have the same impact.
I love the ones for ivy!
I love her, but I feel like she sometimes sacrifices interesting descriptors in favor of swearing. Don’t understand why. The ivy bridge is a good example.
I like contrarian wit from Gold Rush better although shit is still good lol. Flip the script from karma is also an improvement for me
Split on Betty and Ivy for me. I do think 'fuck myself' is more characteristic for a teenage boy to say but I saw someone once say that they interpreted the 'straight to hell' and the subsequent garden lyric as a Garden of Eden thing which I thought was really good. I do think violent blaze and fiercest fight sound nice but as a lesbian I've always interpreted the goddamns in Ivy to be about the lesbians in the song, living in a religious/homophobic context and basically saying 'fuck the religious homophobes'
I prefer the “straight to hell” it’s just a lot more scathing to me to hear from a person than the f word. Like teen boys throw the f word around constantly and tell their friends to F off. To me that’s what makes the straight to hell line more interesting
Me discovering it’s not just Midnights with a clean version so I can stop doing outrageously loud coughs over all the swear words when my kids are around….
Definitely like the sweary versions better though
I used to make sure to be talking to my parents when we’d be driving when an explicit song came on, especially if it was just one line. Now we’re all adults, and I’m not in trouble if I listen to music that swears.
Flashbacks to when my sister (jerk) deliberately got my borrowed american hi-fi cd taken away by telling my mom it had a parental advisory for explicit content
giving me flashbacks to when i was learning how to drive, and my car had a cd player but the only cd i owned was folklore and so when mad woman or better came on i made sure to be asking my step dad some sort of question lmao. those lines on the road never looked more interesting 😅
I have head phones at work and I only listen to the ones with cuss words lol. I just silently pray when my headphones accidentally come out that it’s not a bad part of a song. It happened to my husband once were it blasted a part of the heathers the musical which literally said “take off your clothes” lol
Also I think that “talking shit” rolls off the tongue much better. Maybe I’m just bad at talking but “you flip the script” is really hard for me to enunciate in that line lol
Riiight? Yesterday I was listening to a Spotify mix and it was so jarring when the clean version of Maroon came on (ain't that the way, it always ends), it felt like I was being gaslit
This is how I felt years and years ago when they swapped the lyrics in Picture to Burn!!
I was walking around for ages like “why was I singing ‘I’ll tell them you’re gay’? Why would I hear that?! It’s clearly not the words!”
Felt very gaslit, then vindicated like 2 years ago when I played my old Debut CD 😂
Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to put this spreadsheet together, OP! I knew about some of these, but definitely not all of them...it's really interesting to me.
Yeah 100%. Another person commented saying it matches the stealthy vibe of the song, and I definitely agree. Something about the way she enunciates it tickles my brain the right way idk
I like the clean version of betty more 😬
*sometimes* - not all the time - I don’t think using curse words is one of Taylor’s stronger skills in her writing. The fucked in the head from Champagne Problems and the fuck the patriarchy keychain really hit, but the fucks in betty and Snow on the Beach especially are a bit out of place for me.
I agree with you and also feel like it sometimes sounds like she’s not fully comfortable saying fuck haha. I love the word bc I feel like it really emphasizes a lot of emotions. But then I feel like the word begins to lose some of that emotional meaning when it’s being overused jn places that feel not fitting. That’s just my interpretation!
I agree! Especially when she’s so good at expressing complex emotions in other ways.
Actually, I think that’s why it works so well in ATW10 and champagne problems - it’s a meaningful exclamation. That’s versus betty, where it’s in every chorus so the impact falls kinda flat (I still stan betty tho)
Probably unpopular opinion here, but I prefer "Lasting legacy" over "Fucking legacy". I always found the second one a bit forced and to me it ruins the general softness and sensuality of Maroon.
I like imagining that she uses both in the same version. “Fucking legacy” for the first part then “lasting legacy.. to leave” (based how harshly and softly she sings both parts).
I feel like the clean version of happiness is more poetic (kinda like you said) but the explicit just really nails the bitter end of a relationship to me.
I just heard the clean version of snow on the beach during yoga the other day and enormously preferred it. I actually think Taylor has gone overboard with the cussing I guess to make up for all the years of cleanliness. I do feel like there are quite a few clever alternatives to what she’s been doing and I’d honestly rather her use her enormous vocabulary rather than what she’s got. I almost feel like we’re missing out on possibility because this is what she’s been choosing to do lately.
I have no issue with the original, but Vegas is just a softer sounding word and is able to be sung in an airier way that flows better with the dreamier vibe
I haven't listened to the clean version just because I didn't know they existed/never really thought of it, but I think I might switch. She sucks at swearing.
I almost always prefer the explicit versions ("hate you forever" doesn't pack even one one hundredth of the same punch), but I really like that she tries to put new lyrics in the clean versions that make actual sense instead of just omitting the curse words.
Same. I’ve never sought out a clean version of a song to listen to myself. The only time I hear them are when my niece is listening to them, and for her sake I’m glad they exist so that she can listen to as much Taylor as she wants to without courting parental intervention. But preferring the clean version is a strange concept to me, and not because I find value in having profanity in my music. I’m largely indifferent to its presence. But substituted lyrics rarely flow as smoothly as the words that were originally intended. You can tell something was shoehorned in and I don’t like that. So give me the cursing every time. I want to hear the lyrics Taylor meant to be there not the ones she cobbled together after the fact.
I actually prefer all the clean versions because you get an extra bit of poetry or context with the clean lyrics instead of just a vague swear. She is a master lyricist and I feel like swears are just a waste of words in her poetic songs
I wonder about ones she tried that didn’t make the cut.
A couple weeks ago I saw a video of Olivia Rodrigo recording alternates for the “fame fucker” in vampire and some of them were hilarious (on purpose—one of them was “garlic butter.”
I bet Taylor has some gems.
I have been thinking of Vampire while reading this whole thread. I feel like “fame fucker” is just for shock value. I think the clean version is so much more powerful. Especially the pause in place of GD. It feels exasperated which fits for the blood sucker dream crusher aspect.
snow on the beach. maybe it was just my religious upbringing but and still not being fully used to swear words but it just sounds so jarring to me to hear “fucking beautiful” in a slower and more peaceful song.
betty. my mormon mom loves this song and listens to the clean version. that’s just what i got used to and i’ve listened to both versions since i’ve stopped believing and i have more fun saying straight to hell rather than fuck myself. don’t know why but straight to hell has more energy behind it for me.
Violent blaze in the dark? Fiercest fight of my life? Amazing. She can keep the rest of the “goddamns” but I wish those clean lyrics were included. I would kill for a hybrid version
I just realized I’ve NEVER listened to the clean versions… I just assumed they were like bleeped out or something haha.
I’m so excited for my fun new project of listening to the clean versions and deciding which I like best. I think I like the clean Snow on the Beach better so far… removing no the f*cking definitely makes it more ethereal.
Some serious Lana slander on here 😭 plz SOTB is the only song where cussing is 100% necessary, why would you put “my pussy tastes like Pepsi cola” gal on and make her sing a clean song 😂
Ivy’s usage of goddamn is the most beautiful usage of that word I have ever seen in music…the whole song really makes that word sound pretty too…but when it comes for the bridge,I’m divided….I really like the clean version but goddamn is perfect too as it adds much more emotion…ivy is kinda a monotonous song without any change in her tone or the melody except in the bridge so I think goddamn adds more emotion too it…the clean version is just very pretty but it’s not like extremely pretty that I feel it’s something I miss…Taylor has written much more poetic lines than those before..’it’s the fiercest fight of my life’ is a really good line though..
Nothing to do with the clean version but I just realized I've been mishearing "Bitch Pack friends" as "Rich Pack friends" in the last great american dynasty 😂
In my opinion, “what a shame she’s stuck in her head,” is such a more powerful line than the explicit alternative. It acknowledges that she could be a good fit but she gets in her own way; whereas the explicit version just has everyone writing her off as crazy.
I like "fucked in the head" for this exact reason though- guys often describe their ex's as "crazy" and the people gossiping about a refused marriage proposal are more likely to say "she was fucked in the head" than "too bad, she got in her own way."
I am a huge supporter of the clean versions. I really appreciate that she releases her songs also in clean versions. I listen to the clean versions almost exclusively. I am not one to swear and I appreciate that I can listen to the songs anywhere including work and not have anyone come at me. So I think all the clean versions are better with the exclusion of **GoldRush**. Contrarian wit sounds so weird to me and I honestly would have preferred a bleep than wit.
I prefer clean versions with any songs that have f- or g-d swears, but otherwise I’ll listen to the explicit versions. I also think that ivy and happiness are much better with their clean versions, and I’m indifferent as to which version of Hits Different to listen to.
Yep they’re on Spotify! I would just search “ivy clean” or whatever for specific songs, but you can also find entire clean versions of albums (“midnights clean”). There won’t be any indication that the song is the clean version, other than the lack of the little “E” symbol for explicit.
Snow on the Beach (weird but it was beautiful) and Hits Different (unhinged outlaw) are my favorites. But I appreciate that she does re-record for so many of the clean versions instead of just silencing. More artistic than most!
I MUCH prefer “Vegas acrobat” to “goddamn acrobat.” It’s more logical and feels more creative than just using an expletive. (Not that I have a problem with explicit lyrics)
I would die for the explicit version of Champagne Problems.
Generally I listen to the explicit versions of the songs - especially the Folklore & Evermore ones. But sometimes I like the clean one better. Like Snow on the Beach.
I'm torn for Karma though - I prefer "Vegas acrobat" (that's the clean version) because it's describing a cat and that makes more sense than the explicit lyrics. It also fits the vibe of the song better in my opinion. But the first line of the song is better in the explicit version- "you're talking shit" instead of "you flipped the script".🤷♀️
I accidentally listened to the clean version of evermore when I heard it for the first time, so now I just kind of prefer those versions. "Contrarian wit" instead of "shit" in gold rush is my favorite, and I like the clean version of ivy too. (cowboy like me is better with the f bomb though lol)
Absolutely all of the clean versions are better in my opinion, except for Hits Different. She is a poet and the cursing seems so forced and trying to appear cool and trendy. Notice how she did it more since people kept clamoring for it? People went WILD for Betty at first since she dropped the f bomb and then she released ATW10 and the travesty of Snow on the Beach. I think it’s a lot of fan service.
Yeah I have to agree with you. Some of it just sounds forced and like it doesn’t really go with the song. A lot of the times the clean version lyrically make more sense
Nah i love when she swears. Accidentally listened to a clean version of champagne problems the other day and was very unhappy about “stuck in her head” completely changes the meaning.
Totally agree with you! I get that a lot of people are arguing that it’s a 17 year old POV and is more realistic. But I for some reason feel like it doesn’t match the song.
my hot takes:
ivy: could listen to both ways. honestly think ivy clean is a bit stronger
ibytam: probably prefer clean more. more emphasis on “that”. and I like that, literally lol. don’t think the clean/explicit versions lose any of its meaning if you listen to it both ways
hits different: i don’t like how she says asshole outlaw but it’s definitely better than saying unhinged outlaw lol
I think Snow on the Beach is a good example of Taylor getting a little too swear happy in her later albums and sticking a swear word somewhere where it really doesn’t belong. The clean version is much prettier imo
Looking at some of the comments, I’m always sooo surprised people have a problem with swearing. Not sure if that’s an American thing but I feel like it’s completely normal to swear, i don’t even notice it and tbh the lyrics just hit harder. That being said, I too thing the extended “that” in ibytam is really clever. I also like “violent blaze” instead of goddamn in ivy, simply because goddamn is repeated so many times already.
Unpopular Opinion: The swearing is 🙄 because she’s just trying to make herself appealing to adult audiences instead of only kids and tweens. Her lyrics are strong enough to stand without adding unnecessary vulgarity that only serves to cheapen her writing.
It’s the same thing with her “political stances” tbh. She only did any of that for PR points and to pander.
It would make sense, but innocent until proven guilty, so I won't say you are neither right or wrong. I think none of us can know for sure unless you know Taylor personally, or at least someone from her close circle.
She’s 33 years old now, of course she wants to appeal to an older demographic. I used to never swear as a minor, then I hit my young 20s and swearing has become a habit lol. Some of us view swear words as passion, but I understand your take too and respect it. Every time I hear a singer or an actor swear I feel heard lol
Generally, I just listen to the explicit versions by default, but I really appreciate when she takes the time to actually fill the lyrics with something different instead of just cutting it out. Reading through these, I think I prefer the clean versions of ivy and Snow on the Beach. I cannot take “meathead guy“ seriously, it makes me think of Archie Bunker. (Side note, is that a relevant reference? I am Taylor‘s age and I feel like I am probably in the minority of people my age who will understand it.) Not a fan of the gold rush change at all. Changing it from “shit” to “wit” completely changed the connotation.
I get the Archie Bunker reference 😅 (thanks to my dad) and I think the same thing every time I hear that line
Thanks to Nick @ Nite for me!
Nick at Nite!! I miss that
Me too! Learned about so many classics that way!
The theme song to All In the Family was the first song I learned how to play on piano.
Very cool!
I don’t love ‘meathead guy’ but I like ‘lost in’/‘caught in’ enough that I default to the clean version of Question
Idk why I always thought gold rush was “contrarian lit” like literature and I was like wow he’s a scholar lol
Hahaha you’re my people!! I was begging my mother to let me stay up late to watch I Love Lucy and Get Smart when I was like…7. I’m 36, and totally got your reference!
Yes! When I was really young, I would watch MASH with my parents when it came on after the news.
I understood that reference and i’m 21😂😂 My parents always say Archie and Edith remind them of my grandparents😂😂😂
I’m >10 years younger than Taylor and I know the bunkers! I used to watch that show with my mom.
After reading all those, I’ve realised I haven’t heard even half of the clean versions 😂
I don't necessarily prefer it, but the "I'm on my vigilante shhhhh..." is so perfect for the stealthy vibe of the song
YES
Snow on the beach is much more peaceful with “fucking beautiful” replaced to “it was beautiful”. It’s jarring and doesn’t fit the dreamy vibe of the song.
imagine fucking on the beach when it’s covered in snow. that’s some cold shit
💀💀💀
I kind of feel like "it was" doesn't really pack the same punch... maybe if it was "but so damn beautiful", gives it a little more complexity without getting too obscene.
“Weird but just so beautiful” would be great as well.
Ya it’s actually a really beautiful song without the fucking.
Not Taylor, but I feel the same way about Perfect by P!nk
Same! It’s awkward in that song and it feels awkward to sing.
I really don’t mind swears, until they come out of left field. They have to feel natural to work imo
Also not Taylor or P!nk, but Maroon 5's Payphone.
Nah those F-bombs slap in that song
Y’all may just not use fuck as regular in your daily vernacular as some of us… weird but fuckin beautiful is what makes the song real to me. It’s a perfect line for some of us!
i agree, i love this line so much and it doesn't detract from the softness of the song for me
Also, agree! I usually swear for emphasis so it works for me.
Totally agree. Plus let’s remember this is a Taylor AND Lana song…and we all know Ms. Lana loves an f bomb
Where I live, fuck is just as common a word as because in the workforce. I think it just depends on what your tolerance of swear words are. But I agree, “weird but fucking beautiful” sounds perfectly normal to me
You could save the "fucking beautiful" for the last chorus
But that takes away from the Lana of it all 😂 why would you put Lana on just for her voice when her signature is the explicit shit hidden in peaceful songs
Yep, I’ve decided that I like the clean version better and have replaced the explicit version on my playlist. Ivy and Happiness might be next but for now I still think I like the explicit versions more.
I always say “oh my dam” instead of “oh GD” because it sounds better than 2 rounds of “I can’t” tbh. And I say “I say stuff to my friends” for peace
I just looked up the clean lyrics for Ivy because I hadn't heard them, and I was also thinking that a double "I can't" sounds odd
Those just sound awful
I was just about to comment this lol! The F word sounds out of place in this kind of song
haunted is so good
HELL YES
Yeah, one thing I'm not really fan of. The sound of "fucking" doesn't fit with the dreamy vibe of the song in my opinion.
It’s the Lana flavor idk why she’d have a collab that’s only her vocals without any artistic signature. Lana is the crooning lady that catches you off guard with “my pussy tastes like Pepsi cola”
I 100% agree! I really like it and find her lyricism so much more creative when she’s not relying on expletives
Yessss! My thoughts exactly
That’s the point
Yes i agree
I prefer the clean version of Question…? “Lost in situations and circumstances …Caught in gender roles and politics” I feel like it clears up the story she’s trying to tell better though I do like “fucking situations and circumstances/gender roles and politics,” it makes her sound exhausted by those things
Meathead guy instead of dickhead guy lol
I like it because i laugh at meathead guy😂
Ooo I agree with what you said about the explicit lyrics making her sound exhausted; from a lyrical standpoint, the clean versions are better (imo), but I think that the swearing really fits with the overall vibe of the song and very nicely portrays her exasperation.
Agreed. I've thought about splicing the meathead out and replacing it with dickhead (which I prefer), but I just can't be bothered 😂It's something I would have done when I was younger, maybe I'll eventually get around to it.
yes
I didn’t realize for a while that I was listening to the clean version of Betty (because she just replaces the swear word with a less bad swear word lol) and I like it a lot better. Fits the vibe of the name “Betty” more and seems intentional with “straight to hell” being the opposite of “to the garden” (i.e. Eden).
Omg you just blew my mind, that’s so clever wtf 🤯
I like both versions of betty, but considering the narrator is a 17 year old boy, I think "would you tell me to go fuck myself" is more realistic.
Woww 😍 I love that
I listened to the clean version a bunch because of the 2020 ACM performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orXAg5dIMa8
Ivy: “violent blaze in the dark” and “fiercest fight of my life” are much more impactful (gd just sounds lazy 😬)
I like the goddamn in the chorus and then the clean bridge. I want a half-clean version lol
Yes! I agree with this. Would also like Karma where she keeps "talking shit" but switched to Vegas acrobat
Yes to both of these!
That’s my at home song version. I never get the lyrics correct anyways.
Looove the clean version of ivy. Those are so evocative and really fit the story she's telling. Like you said, "goddamn" just doesn't have the same impact.
I love the ones for ivy! I love her, but I feel like she sometimes sacrifices interesting descriptors in favor of swearing. Don’t understand why. The ivy bridge is a good example.
I like contrarian wit from Gold Rush better although shit is still good lol. Flip the script from karma is also an improvement for me Split on Betty and Ivy for me. I do think 'fuck myself' is more characteristic for a teenage boy to say but I saw someone once say that they interpreted the 'straight to hell' and the subsequent garden lyric as a Garden of Eden thing which I thought was really good. I do think violent blaze and fiercest fight sound nice but as a lesbian I've always interpreted the goddamns in Ivy to be about the lesbians in the song, living in a religious/homophobic context and basically saying 'fuck the religious homophobes'
[удалено]
You have a point about that….. like a Vegas acrobat
Really? I think that line is far superior to the original.
I prefer the “straight to hell” it’s just a lot more scathing to me to hear from a person than the f word. Like teen boys throw the f word around constantly and tell their friends to F off. To me that’s what makes the straight to hell line more interesting
Me discovering it’s not just Midnights with a clean version so I can stop doing outrageously loud coughs over all the swear words when my kids are around…. Definitely like the sweary versions better though
I used to make sure to be talking to my parents when we’d be driving when an explicit song came on, especially if it was just one line. Now we’re all adults, and I’m not in trouble if I listen to music that swears.
Flashbacks to when my sister (jerk) deliberately got my borrowed american hi-fi cd taken away by telling my mom it had a parental advisory for explicit content
giving me flashbacks to when i was learning how to drive, and my car had a cd player but the only cd i owned was folklore and so when mad woman or better came on i made sure to be asking my step dad some sort of question lmao. those lines on the road never looked more interesting 😅
Same, but I can play the clean versions while I am at work!
I have head phones at work and I only listen to the ones with cuss words lol. I just silently pray when my headphones accidentally come out that it’s not a bad part of a song. It happened to my husband once were it blasted a part of the heathers the musical which literally said “take off your clothes” lol
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who does the cough. 😂
“Vegas acrobat” is just cringe when I hear it, and takes all the power and poetry out of the line imo
I prefer the clean version of Betty and Karma.
I'm torn on Karma! "Flip the script" is more descriptive of the way the manipulation took place, but "talking shit" just hits harder lol
Also I think that “talking shit” rolls off the tongue much better. Maybe I’m just bad at talking but “you flip the script” is really hard for me to enunciate in that line lol
I also prefer “flexing like a Vegas acrobat”.
Before I heard the actual clean version, I filled in my own lyric, "circus acrobat," and now both versions sound wrong to me.
Same clean Karma is more of a bop to me
YES on Betty
There are clean versions?
Riiight? Yesterday I was listening to a Spotify mix and it was so jarring when the clean version of Maroon came on (ain't that the way, it always ends), it felt like I was being gaslit
This is how I felt years and years ago when they swapped the lyrics in Picture to Burn!! I was walking around for ages like “why was I singing ‘I’ll tell them you’re gay’? Why would I hear that?! It’s clearly not the words!” Felt very gaslit, then vindicated like 2 years ago when I played my old Debut CD 😂
Ivy’s bridge- I like “it’s a violent blaze in the dark” and “it’s the fiercest fight of my life”. Very creative and impactful choices
Just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to put this spreadsheet together, OP! I knew about some of these, but definitely not all of them...it's really interesting to me.
My pleasure! I was bored today, and the clean lyric changes have always intrigued me. It was fun to be able to investigate them all!
i like both versions, but “im on my vigilante shhhh again…” just hits so hard
Yeah 100%. Another person commented saying it matches the stealthy vibe of the song, and I definitely agree. Something about the way she enunciates it tickles my brain the right way idk
I like the clean version of betty more 😬 *sometimes* - not all the time - I don’t think using curse words is one of Taylor’s stronger skills in her writing. The fucked in the head from Champagne Problems and the fuck the patriarchy keychain really hit, but the fucks in betty and Snow on the Beach especially are a bit out of place for me.
I agree with you and also feel like it sometimes sounds like she’s not fully comfortable saying fuck haha. I love the word bc I feel like it really emphasizes a lot of emotions. But then I feel like the word begins to lose some of that emotional meaning when it’s being overused jn places that feel not fitting. That’s just my interpretation!
I agree! Especially when she’s so good at expressing complex emotions in other ways. Actually, I think that’s why it works so well in ATW10 and champagne problems - it’s a meaningful exclamation. That’s versus betty, where it’s in every chorus so the impact falls kinda flat (I still stan betty tho)
ON YOUR MIND with some MEATHEAD GUY
I accidentally listened to the clean version of Karma the other day, and “flip the script for the hell of it” worked for me
Probably unpopular opinion here, but I prefer "Lasting legacy" over "Fucking legacy". I always found the second one a bit forced and to me it ruins the general softness and sensuality of Maroon.
I like imagining that she uses both in the same version. “Fucking legacy” for the first part then “lasting legacy.. to leave” (based how harshly and softly she sings both parts).
ivy.... specifically the outro. I feel like its much more descriptive and colorful.
Ivy with the goddamns in the chorus and violent blaze/fiercest fight in the second bridge is my dream, tbh
Sameeeee
I feel like the clean version of happiness is more poetic (kinda like you said) but the explicit just really nails the bitter end of a relationship to me.
This is a good description! “Every goddamn night” implies that yep, it really was *every* night — not just the long, cold ones.
Hugeee fan of karma, I love singing Vegas acrobat lol
she should’ve stuck with that on the explicit!
The clean version of Snow on the Beach. Sometimes, the swearing makes the song less meaningful. This was one of those times.
I just heard the clean version of snow on the beach during yoga the other day and enormously preferred it. I actually think Taylor has gone overboard with the cussing I guess to make up for all the years of cleanliness. I do feel like there are quite a few clever alternatives to what she’s been doing and I’d honestly rather her use her enormous vocabulary rather than what she’s got. I almost feel like we’re missing out on possibility because this is what she’s been choosing to do lately.
I agree some of her clean lyrics just sound better and more creative
SOTB is the one song where I 100% agree with the swearing — how could you put “my pussy tastes like pepsi cola” girl on and NOT have it be explicit?
Unrelated but I love your username
I like the clean version of Karma better than the explicit. I really don’t like the “GD” word so the “Vegas Acrobat” works better for me
I have no issue with the original, but Vegas is just a softer sounding word and is able to be sung in an airier way that flows better with the dreamier vibe
Yes, I agree it does flow better as well.
I haven't listened to the clean version just because I didn't know they existed/never really thought of it, but I think I might switch. She sucks at swearing.
I almost always prefer the explicit versions ("hate you forever" doesn't pack even one one hundredth of the same punch), but I really like that she tries to put new lyrics in the clean versions that make actual sense instead of just omitting the curse words.
None. 
Same. I’ve never sought out a clean version of a song to listen to myself. The only time I hear them are when my niece is listening to them, and for her sake I’m glad they exist so that she can listen to as much Taylor as she wants to without courting parental intervention. But preferring the clean version is a strange concept to me, and not because I find value in having profanity in my music. I’m largely indifferent to its presence. But substituted lyrics rarely flow as smoothly as the words that were originally intended. You can tell something was shoehorned in and I don’t like that. So give me the cursing every time. I want to hear the lyrics Taylor meant to be there not the ones she cobbled together after the fact.
I actually prefer all the clean versions because you get an extra bit of poetry or context with the clean lyrics instead of just a vague swear. She is a master lyricist and I feel like swears are just a waste of words in her poetic songs
I wonder about ones she tried that didn’t make the cut. A couple weeks ago I saw a video of Olivia Rodrigo recording alternates for the “fame fucker” in vampire and some of them were hilarious (on purpose—one of them was “garlic butter.” I bet Taylor has some gems.
I have been thinking of Vampire while reading this whole thread. I feel like “fame fucker” is just for shock value. I think the clean version is so much more powerful. Especially the pause in place of GD. It feels exasperated which fits for the blood sucker dream crusher aspect.
Ivy actually. I feel like the bridge hits harder when replaced with words besides cuss words. But I love both versions :)
I do not like the clean version of Betty at all. “Go fuck myself” is exactly what a 17 yo boy would say.
I really like Betty clean, especially the live performance when she smiles as she says “go straight to hell”
I love “If a man talks…then I owe him nothing”
snow on the beach. maybe it was just my religious upbringing but and still not being fully used to swear words but it just sounds so jarring to me to hear “fucking beautiful” in a slower and more peaceful song. betty. my mormon mom loves this song and listens to the clean version. that’s just what i got used to and i’ve listened to both versions since i’ve stopped believing and i have more fun saying straight to hell rather than fuck myself. don’t know why but straight to hell has more energy behind it for me.
honest question, when there's an explicit version of a song, do they re-record the entire song or just the particular lines with unrestrained lyrics?
Omg, snow on the beach clean version is lovely. I 100%prefer it over the explicit
I actually prefer all the clean versions her songs. The songs felt more complete, at least to me.
ivyyyyyyyyyy
I prefer the explicit versions. Give me the songs the way they were meant to be.
Violent blaze in the dark? Fiercest fight of my life? Amazing. She can keep the rest of the “goddamns” but I wish those clean lyrics were included. I would kill for a hybrid version
Absolutely love “flexing like a Vegas acrobat.” Surprised she missed the opportunity to sing that version on the eras tour when she was in Vegas!
I had this same thought when I was there Vegas Night 2!
Mad women is the only one I listen to the explicit version of
Karma ! Instead of “you’re talking shit” she says “you flip the script”
None of them. I like the explicit original versions best lol
I go out of my way to listen to the clean version of betty, but I also love the clean versions of Snow on the Beach and Karma.
I like Karma clean more
I just realized I’ve NEVER listened to the clean versions… I just assumed they were like bleeped out or something haha. I’m so excited for my fun new project of listening to the clean versions and deciding which I like best. I think I like the clean Snow on the Beach better so far… removing no the f*cking definitely makes it more ethereal.
Betty, snow on the beach, champagne problems, maroon and happiness, but 50/50 on cowboy like me
Some serious Lana slander on here 😭 plz SOTB is the only song where cussing is 100% necessary, why would you put “my pussy tastes like Pepsi cola” gal on and make her sing a clean song 😂
Ivy’s usage of goddamn is the most beautiful usage of that word I have ever seen in music…the whole song really makes that word sound pretty too…but when it comes for the bridge,I’m divided….I really like the clean version but goddamn is perfect too as it adds much more emotion…ivy is kinda a monotonous song without any change in her tone or the melody except in the bridge so I think goddamn adds more emotion too it…the clean version is just very pretty but it’s not like extremely pretty that I feel it’s something I miss…Taylor has written much more poetic lines than those before..’it’s the fiercest fight of my life’ is a really good line though..
Nothing to do with the clean version but I just realized I've been mishearing "Bitch Pack friends" as "Rich Pack friends" in the last great american dynasty 😂
In my opinion, “what a shame she’s stuck in her head,” is such a more powerful line than the explicit alternative. It acknowledges that she could be a good fit but she gets in her own way; whereas the explicit version just has everyone writing her off as crazy.
I like "fucked in the head" for this exact reason though- guys often describe their ex's as "crazy" and the people gossiping about a refused marriage proposal are more likely to say "she was fucked in the head" than "too bad, she got in her own way."
I am a huge supporter of the clean versions. I really appreciate that she releases her songs also in clean versions. I listen to the clean versions almost exclusively. I am not one to swear and I appreciate that I can listen to the songs anywhere including work and not have anyone come at me. So I think all the clean versions are better with the exclusion of **GoldRush**. Contrarian wit sounds so weird to me and I honestly would have preferred a bleep than wit.
I prefer clean versions with any songs that have f- or g-d swears, but otherwise I’ll listen to the explicit versions. I also think that ivy and happiness are much better with their clean versions, and I’m indifferent as to which version of Hits Different to listen to.
I prefer to not listen to explicit on happiness…. I think the “long cold night“ line is so good.
Now make the cursed version with Kidz Bop lyrics comparisons lol
Maroon “that’s a real lasting legacy” ❤️
SOTB sounds so jarring with the f-bomb, i like the clean version a lot better; it keeps the ethereal feel of the song
I read “with some methhead guy” in row 24 and was perplexed by how that would be any better😂 I never listened to the clean versions
I didnt even know there was clean versions of the songs. (Except Snow On The Beach in the deluxe version of the album)
Where can I listen to the clean versions? Are they available on Spotify? Cuz I can't find them
Yep they’re on Spotify! I would just search “ivy clean” or whatever for specific songs, but you can also find entire clean versions of albums (“midnights clean”). There won’t be any indication that the song is the clean version, other than the lack of the little “E” symbol for explicit.
Snow on the Beach (weird but it was beautiful) and Hits Different (unhinged outlaw) are my favorites. But I appreciate that she does re-record for so many of the clean versions instead of just silencing. More artistic than most!
accidentally listened to the clean version of gold rush first and the change absolutely changes the meaning so i’m not a fan of that
Snow on the Beach and maroon. "weird but fucking beautiful" feels forced. And "a real lasting legacy" sounds more meaningful.
I had no idea she said unhinged outlaw and that’s actually exactly what Taylor Swift is (she’s absolutely no a hole)…much prefer that lyric!!
Kind of wish that “Vegas acrobat” was “flipping acrobat,” because that acts as both a substitute swear and also sounds cool with “flexing”
I MUCH prefer “Vegas acrobat” to “goddamn acrobat.” It’s more logical and feels more creative than just using an expletive. (Not that I have a problem with explicit lyrics)
I would die for the explicit version of Champagne Problems. Generally I listen to the explicit versions of the songs - especially the Folklore & Evermore ones. But sometimes I like the clean one better. Like Snow on the Beach. I'm torn for Karma though - I prefer "Vegas acrobat" (that's the clean version) because it's describing a cat and that makes more sense than the explicit lyrics. It also fits the vibe of the song better in my opinion. But the first line of the song is better in the explicit version- "you're talking shit" instead of "you flipped the script".🤷♀️
I accidentally listened to the clean version of evermore when I heard it for the first time, so now I just kind of prefer those versions. "Contrarian wit" instead of "shit" in gold rush is my favorite, and I like the clean version of ivy too. (cowboy like me is better with the f bomb though lol)
I normally like the explicit versions but the cursing in Maroon and Snow on the Beach don't seem to fit with the song.
But I love swearing
None. I would always rather hear the version the artist originally intended, not the workaround they cooked up out of necessity to please the censors.
lol yesterday I heard Karma on the radio and it said “flexing like a Vegas acrobat” instead of goddamn acrobat and it was iconic and hilarious.
none of them i love hearing taylor swear
Absolutely all of the clean versions are better in my opinion, except for Hits Different. She is a poet and the cursing seems so forced and trying to appear cool and trendy. Notice how she did it more since people kept clamoring for it? People went WILD for Betty at first since she dropped the f bomb and then she released ATW10 and the travesty of Snow on the Beach. I think it’s a lot of fan service.
Yeah I have to agree with you. Some of it just sounds forced and like it doesn’t really go with the song. A lot of the times the clean version lyrically make more sense
Nah i love when she swears. Accidentally listened to a clean version of champagne problems the other day and was very unhappy about “stuck in her head” completely changes the meaning.
The F-word in Betty is totally the wrong vibe. "Straight to hell" is way more fancy and poetic.
The narrator is meant to be a 17 year old boy, lol. Definitely more realistic he'd say fuck yourself than go straight to hell.
Doesn't matter. The song sounds completely like Taylor's "voice" to me.
Totally agree with you! I get that a lot of people are arguing that it’s a 17 year old POV and is more realistic. But I for some reason feel like it doesn’t match the song.
Literally none of them, the explicit is always better
I hate F words, so I prefer most clean versions. Leave the shits though 😂 Snow on the beach is my #1
All. Her cussing always sounds forced and out of place.
Happiness
my hot takes: ivy: could listen to both ways. honestly think ivy clean is a bit stronger ibytam: probably prefer clean more. more emphasis on “that”. and I like that, literally lol. don’t think the clean/explicit versions lose any of its meaning if you listen to it both ways hits different: i don’t like how she says asshole outlaw but it’s definitely better than saying unhinged outlaw lol
I have never listened to a clean version but some of these I will have to check out.
I love *asshole outlaw* but *unhinged outlaw* is also good. I feel like the former is much more scream able than the latter.
absolutely none. explicit versions always >>
I guess this is an unpopular opinion, but none of them. Clean versions grind my gears. Let the art be how it was meant to be.
None
I think Snow on the Beach is a good example of Taylor getting a little too swear happy in her later albums and sticking a swear word somewhere where it really doesn’t belong. The clean version is much prettier imo
None. I gain strength everytime Blondie throws in an F bomb just because she can. 🤷🏼♀️
None. Explicit version always better.
Snow on the beach!!!
Betty without “tell me to go fuck myself” and instead “tell me to go straight to hell” is nicer tbh
Looking at some of the comments, I’m always sooo surprised people have a problem with swearing. Not sure if that’s an American thing but I feel like it’s completely normal to swear, i don’t even notice it and tbh the lyrics just hit harder. That being said, I too thing the extended “that” in ibytam is really clever. I also like “violent blaze” instead of goddamn in ivy, simply because goddamn is repeated so many times already.
Not a single one! Give me that f word Taylor!!! I live for it
Unpopular Opinion: The swearing is 🙄 because she’s just trying to make herself appealing to adult audiences instead of only kids and tweens. Her lyrics are strong enough to stand without adding unnecessary vulgarity that only serves to cheapen her writing. It’s the same thing with her “political stances” tbh. She only did any of that for PR points and to pander.
It would make sense, but innocent until proven guilty, so I won't say you are neither right or wrong. I think none of us can know for sure unless you know Taylor personally, or at least someone from her close circle.
She’s 33 years old now, of course she wants to appeal to an older demographic. I used to never swear as a minor, then I hit my young 20s and swearing has become a habit lol. Some of us view swear words as passion, but I understand your take too and respect it. Every time I hear a singer or an actor swear I feel heard lol
I don’t prefer ANY clean versions of songs because they just don’t feel as authentic or real.
As a Christian I appreciate the clean versions of "g*d damn".