Taylor Swift often pulls from her own experience in her music, even dropping specific dates in lyrics.
Perhaps the most memorable date in one of Swift’s songs is in “Last Kiss,” a track off of 2010’s Speak Now.
“I do recall now the smell of the rain / Fresh on the pavement, I ran off the plane,” she sings. “That July 9th, the beat of your heart / it jumps through your shirt, I can still feel your arms / But now I’ll go / Sit on the floor wearin’ your clothes / All that I know is I don’t know / How to be somethin’ you miss.”
“Last Kiss”, which is presumed to be about Swift navigating her 2008 breakup from Joe Jonas, has inspired an unofficial holiday on July 9 — and Swift is aware of the celebration.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Before The Tortured Poets Department was ever a glimmer in Taylor Swift’s eye, the singer peppered her music with references to classic literature. As early as 2006, Swift included a nod to Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” in the song “The Outside” from her self-titled debut album. “I tried to […]
“I don’t know if you’re aware of the date [but] it’s July 8th. So, soon it will be July 9th,” Swift said during her 2023 Eras Tour concert in Kansas City in her acoustic section. “We know what time it is Kansas City: Time to play ‘Last Kiss’ and cry!”
One year later, Swift sang “Last Kiss” when she performed in Zurich during the tour’s European leg on July 9, 2024.
July 9th is not the only date mentioned in Swift’s discography; scroll below for a complete breakdown of the references and how fans have interpreted them:
‘Last Kiss’
Lyric: “That July 9th, the beat of your heart / it jumps through your shirt, I can still feel your arms.”
What It Means: Fans have speculated that the Speak Now track charts Swift and Jonas’ whirlwind romance. On July 9, 2008, Swift was spotted at a Jonas Brothers show in Texas. Hours later, she was seen getting off a private jet solo. Swift later revealed that Jonas dumped her via voicemail — and some believe the call was made while she was in the air.
‘End Game’
Lyric: “After the storm, something was born on the Fourth of July.”
What It Means: Swift’s friend Ed Sheeran sings the next date in the middle of their Reputation duet. In a 2017 interview with Billboard, they detailed their collaborative songwriting process.
“You see, it’s kind of a play on words,” Sheeran quipped after Swift noted the reference made her “really happy.” He added, “There’s a [1989] film with Tom Cruise called Born on the Fourth of July and, obviously, my relationship started on the Fourth of July [at] Taylor’s house.”
Swift is known for hosting blowout patriotic parties at her Rhode Island mansion. In 2015, Sheeran invited former classmate Cherry Seaborn to join the squad’s bash. Sheeran and Seaborn got married four years later before eventually welcoming daughters Lyra and Jupiter.
‘High Infidelity’
Lyric: “Do you really want to know where I was April 29th? / Do I really have to chart the constellations in his eyes?”
What It Means: The Midnights song chronicles a moment of infidelity in a relationship, which fans think actually happened on April 29, 2016. On that date, Swift was spotted leaving pal Gigi Hadid’s birthday party solo while she was dating DJ Calvin Harris. Days later, Swift stepped out at the Met Gala, where she was rumored to meet Tom Hiddleston. The pair briefly dated the following summer with the Loki star even attending her 4th of July party in an “I Heart T.S.” tank top.
Joe Alwyn also attended that same Met Gala. He and Swift were first linked in the fall of 2016. News broke in April 2023, while Swift was on the domestic leg of her Eras Tour, that the pair split.
