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Taylor Swift 'Innocent' Lyrics Reflect Kanye West VMA Debacle

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

After a video flashback of last year's MTV VMA shocker -- Kanye West stealing the microphone from Taylor Swift during her Best Female Video acceptance speech -- the country superstar debuted a brand-new song inspired by the debacle. But this wasn't Taylor's revenge. Instead, she delivered a poignant tune of forgiveness ... and empathy.

"It's alright, just wait and see / Your string of lights are still bright to me / Oh, who you are is not where you've been / You're still an innocent," Taylor sings in the chorus of the song, titled 'Innocent.'

So how do we know the "innocent" subject in the song is Kanye and not Taylor herself? Another line reads, "You're 32 and still growing up now," and Kanye was indeed 32 years old at last year's VMA Awards. The third line in the chorus also changes to "Who you are is not what you did" later in the tune.

Taylor may not have walked away with the Best Female Video this year -- it went to Lady Gaga -- but she certainly left the stage a winner.

'Innocent' will be on Taylor's third studio album, 'Speak Now,' due in stores October 25. The 20-year-old wrote every track on the upcoming project solo.




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dog45men

Interesting comments from "some" people who are trying to seem articulate when their spelling and grammar rates "below" illiterate. Sad.........
I think Taylor is Swift

May 04 2011 at 6:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
cacurtin

I want to thank Kanye for inspiring Taylor Swift to write such a beautiful song. This has got to be one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. She writes about a difficult subtle subject of forgiving a person who has wronged her with tremendous skill and sensitivity. Taylor Swift will be one of the greatest songwriters of our time. She is brilliant.

September 19 2010 at 8:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bruce

In twenty years Taylor will still be a common name in music. Kayne will be a "Huh? Oh, that guy who got shot smoking crack in his bling mobile?"

September 17 2010 at 12:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Sis

KW's song was yuck (VMA)! I will never be a fan of his, LOSER~
As for TS, not a major fan but the little lady definately showed class!

September 14 2010 at 12:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nadine

you all need to get a life and leave kanye west alone because what you expect from being the only child and no other siblings and of cause he is going to defend beyounce like a sister and don,t care if no one like it or not. i am tired of mtv giving awards to these young one that just started and really don,t deserve it and kanye west was just telling it like it was and it just really wasn,t taylor swift time to really desrve it for her flat songs. so just get over it and sing like you got some life in you okay and you know who you are.

September 14 2010 at 11:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Nadine's comment
lornadoone198

many people are only choldren, yet they don't act like jerks. and as for treating Beyonce like a sister, thats kind of an unusual way of showing the love, he embarressed her as well.

September 14 2010 at 8:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
*CMA assistant

She got the award because she deserved it, and Kanye just embarrassed himself and others. He didn't have to be a total jerk. Also you need to learn grammar, because all I got from that was blah blah blah tired of mtv giving awards blah blah deserve it for her flat song blah blah blah. Her songs are obviously not that flat if she wins so many awards and has more fans.

November 26 2011 at 12:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Bruce

She was articulate, classy, and sang well. In fact, Taylor was the only articulate classy thing at the entire VMA's! She's one of the best songwriters in the world, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame agrees, with some members in their 90's.

September 14 2010 at 11:36 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Heifer

Did no one read the critics on this song? Or the critics on the voice? Pitchy for sure, I turned my volumn off until she got done. The lyrics were nice, but............as the critics said, Why write a song about someone you don't even know!! The producers of these shows should know by now that 1. Taylor cannot sing live; 2. She should not be allowed to sing live unless she has a full placing of back up singers that can override her pitchy and out of tune songs.

September 14 2010 at 12:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
3 replies to Heifer's comment
imthebabysner

I liked this performance from her. It was based on a life event she had. I am tired of hearing about how she is expected to let it go and grow up...No one told Mr. West to let it go and grow up yet he is 32 years old!!!! Tell him to grow up. He has made tons of racist comments over the years and I think most people are tired of hearing him. His own performance showed nothing more than the same anger, ignorance and name calling he so well known for. He likes chaos and feeds off of it because he is a negative person. He was negative when he first came out..."gold diggers"...it just shows more of the same attitude towards women that is unwarranted in todays society full of just as many male gold diggers.

September 13 2010 at 11:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
lornadoone198

Want a song that doesn't deal with love!!!! Well HERE YOU GO!!!! I can't wait for the CD!! I love the hair. Doesn't she look a lot older in this performance?

September 13 2010 at 5:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ccmetownsend

I was anout to cry when I watched this. It shows how Taylor is forgving! You can tell she is sad when she sings this because in the whole preformance and after it she doesn't smile once. I LOVE U TAYLOR!

September 13 2010 at 4:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

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