Taylor Swift's Opalite dropped this morning at 5am along with 11 other bangers as part of her highly anticipated The Life of A Showgirl release. And naturally, we wasted no time in working our way through the 41 minute masterpiece to unpick any and every hidden meaning, including Swift's Opalite lyrics. And frankly, as Swifties, that's exactly what we're meant to be doing.
Opalite came in third on TLOAS tracklist, with the song being an adorable tribute to her now- fiancé Travis Kelce. Let's get into it.
A die-hard Swiftie unpacks all the easter eggs, song meaning, and lyrics.
Is Taylor Swift's Opalite about Travis Kelce?
While Taylor hasn't explicitly said they are, it's safe to assume that the Opalite lyrics are a clear reference to Travis Kelce.
In addition to opalite symbolising clarity, new beginnings, healing and emotional equilibrium, opal is also Travis Kelce's birthstone. So, yeah. 👀
Taylor Swift on Opalite lyrics meaning
Speaking about the Opalite lyrics meaning on Hits Radio, Taylor Swift said “When we go through something that doesn't work out, we oftentimes look at it as this like major setback. Like we've taken a step back, but I’ve found that so many of those instances in my life can catapult your forward in growth, in wisdom, in perspective."
She expanded, “And so Opalite is a song about forgiving yourself for having gone through something that didn't pan out the way you wanted it to. Because it says, you know, of all the perfect couples would look at you and say, “when you know, you know, and when you don't, you don't”. It's giving yourself permission to not have it all figured out or not marry the first person you ever dated, stuff like that. I'm just happy that song exists and that chorus, I'm just stoked about how like absolutely infectious and borderline narcotic it is.”
You can listen to her explaining the song here:
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In the song, Taylor explains what she's been through before finding her perfect match, as is clear from lyrics like “This life will beat you up, up, up, up /This is just a temporary speed bump / But failure brings you freedom”.
She looks back on her relationships, saying "I had a bad habit / Of missing lovers past / My brother used to call it / "Eating out of the trash"".
Opalite then switches over to the other person's POV (assuming this is about Trav), seeming to allude to his ex being disengaged and on their phone constantly: “You couldn't understand it / Why you felt alone / You were in it for real / She was in her phone / And you were just a pose”.
Ultimately, however, the song finishes on a positive note and how much better things are now that she's found Travis:
“Never met no one like you before (No) / You had to make your own sunshine / But now the sky is opalite”
Cute!
All in all, the Opalite lyrics offer an optimistic view of love, serving as a reminder that you have to go through the bad to get to the good and find your person and eventual “opalite sky”.
Keen to unpack Taylor Swift's Opalite lyrics for yourself? You can find them in full below, along with the visualiser for the song.
Many fans think the “Actually Romantic” lyrics are a direct response to Brat's “Sympathy is a knife.”
Taylor Swift's Opalite lyrics in full
I had a bad habit
Of missing lovers past
My brother used to call it
"Eating out of the trash"
It's never gonna last
I thought my house was haunted
I used to live with ghosts
And all the perfect couples
Said, "When you know, you know"
And, "When you don't, you don't"
And all of the foes, and all of the friends (Ha, ha)
They've seen it before, they'll see it again (Ha, ha)
Life is a song, it ends when it ends
I was wrong
But my mama told me
It's alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is opalite
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh my Lord
Never met no one likе you before
You had to make your own sunshinе
But now the sky is opalite
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
You couldn't understand it
Why you felt alone
You were in it for real
She was in her phone
And you were just a pose
And don't we try to love love? (Love love?)
We give it all we've got (Give it all we've got)
You finally left the table (Uh, uh)
And what a simple thought
You're starving 'til you're not
And all of the foes and all of the friends (Ha, ha)
Have messed up before, they'll mess up again (Ha, ha)
Life is a song, it ends when it ends
You move on
And that's when I told you
It's alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is opalite
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh my Lord
Never met no one like you before
You had to make your own sunshine
But now the sky is opalite
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
This is just a storm inside a teacup
But shelter here with me, my love
Thunder like a drum
This life will beat you up, up, up, up
This is just a temporary speed bump
But failure brings you freedom
And I can bring you love, love, love, love, love
Don't you sweat it, baby
It's alright
You were dancing through the lightning strikes
Oh, so sleepless in the onyx night
But now the sky is opalite
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh my Lord
Never met no one like you before (No)
You had to make your own sunshine
But now the sky is opalite
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
“Should've kissed you anyway.”
