Steve Brewer

I am terrible at remembering song lyrics.

I listen to a song a thousand times, hanging on every word, desperately trying to commit the lines to memory. I’ve even resorted to pausing mid-song to read the lyrics on Spotify, studying them like they’re going to be on a test. Yet inevitably, when the moment comes to sing along, I belt out something completely wrong with the confidence of someone who knows what they’re talking about.

But here’s the thing: does it really matter? All that matters is that you’re singing from an authentic place—from that spot deep in your soul where truth lives, even if that truth happens to be hilariously incorrect.

For me the one song I know I am wrong is “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift.

Yes, you read that right, Taylor Swift. I am a member of the Swifty Dads Club, and if you don’t believe me, just check out the photo below.

There’s a line in the chorus that I’ve been confidently singing as “Got a long list of Starbucks lovers” for years. I remember being in the car with my daughter several years ago when she was too young to drive and we actually had her as a captive audience and the song came on. I launched into my version with gusto.

She looked at me like I’d just claimed the earth was flat.

“Dad, you’re singing the wrong lyrics,” she said, with that special blend of embarrassment and pity that only teenagers can master.

We listened to the song again. And again. It was crystal clear to me: Taylor was obviously singing about Starbucks lovers, not whatever my daughter claimed the lyrics actually said. Even Spotify disagreed with me, but I knew what I heard.

Fact: I’m literally writing this blog post from inside a Starbucks right now. Perhaps because I enjoy visiting these establishments and buying overpriced coffee has unconsciously influenced what I hear.

But in all seriousness, this little lyrical mishap got me thinking about some bigger questions:

What causes each of us to hear, see, or believe one thing when the reality is something entirely different?

Why are we so convinced that our version of truth is correct—even when it’s clear to the outside world that we are wrong?

How many of our firmly held beliefs are actually just opinions dressed up as facts, with no real data to back them up?

Where do I cling so tightly to my beliefs that they cause me to act irrationally, judgmentally, or even hurtfully toward others?

I know these questions are heavy, especially in our current cultural moment.

Song lyrics are meant to be sung with abandon. Life’s bigger questions deserve our careful attention and humility.  There’s a world of difference between confidently singing “Starbucks lovers” and confidently believing things that aren’t true when it actually matters. When it comes to serious stuff such as the beliefs that affect how we treat other people or ourselves and how we show up in the world, I believe we have a responsibility to question ourselves. To seek truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. To be willing to discover we’ve been wrong and adjust course.

There’s definitely more to unpack here, but that’s material for a future post. 

Sorry, back to the original programming: Taylor Swift.

Go listen to “Blank Space” right now. It’s the perfect song for summer drives with the windows down and the volume up. But here’s the challenge: don’t look up the lyrics first. Just listen and tell me what you hear.

To help you find the line I’m talking about, here’s the chorus the way my brain processes it:

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 Starbucks lovers

They’ll tell you I’m insane

That last line feels pretty on-point right about now. Maybe I am insane. 🙂

Here’s the thing: when it comes to song lyrics, absolutely keep singing your gloriously wrong version. Smile like you’re in on the best joke that no one else gets. It makes life more fun, and we all need more reasons to smile. These harmless misheard lyrics? They’re pure joy.

So yes, keep belting out your beautifully incorrect Taylor Swift lyrics. But also keep asking yourself those harder questions I posed earlier. In a world where misinformation spreads as fast as a catchy chorus, we need people who can laugh at themselves about the small stuff while taking the important stuff seriously.

The goal isn’t to eliminate all confident wrongness, it’s to know the difference between when it’s harmless fun and when it’s harmful delusion.

Want the “real” lyrics? Below is what Spotify tells me. I still think I am right 🙂