What does Back to December mean?

Taylor Swift: Back to December Meaning

Album cover for Back to December album cover

Song Released: 2010


Back to December Lyrics

I'm so glad you made time to see me
How's life, tell me how's your family
I haven't seen them in a while
You've been good, busier than ever
We small talk, work and the weather
Your guard is up, and I know why
Because the last time you saw...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 15th 2010 !⃝

    This song is about her relationship with Taylor Lautner. She says in the song that all through the summer they were close friends and enjoyed some good times together and when it came to fall she realised she was in love with him. However in the winter she starts to have doubts and when he comes and gives his love to her she simply rejects him. She's looking back on it now and regretting her decision. She is talking to him and trying to ask for his forgiveness and also wondering whether they could ever be together again. She says she goes "back to december all the time" meaning she constantly goes back to her memories of the night she rejected him and wishes she could change her own mind.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    Lucky24
    click a star to vote
    Jun 12th 2011 !⃝

    Back to December is written as an 'apology somg' to Taylor Lautner saying that she's sorry for hurting him. This is obviously a really personal song, referring to the memories and laughs they shared, but also mentioning the darker side of the relationship: Taylor L must have acted similar to the way taylor S exes had acted, but his intentions were different. Because she had been hurt by her past loves, taylor S naturally assumed that he was going to hurt her, too, even though he wasn't, so in order to keep her heart from getting broken, she dumped him before he had a chance to hurt her.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 19th 2011 !⃝

    This song is about taylor lautner.that is because the hidden message(there's one for every song in her albums)says"tay"and so unless she was referring to herself,which it isnt,this song is about taylor lautner. the first paragraph suggests that they met up after they broke up but lautner was on his guard against taylor and she knows why,because she broke his heart by initiating the breakup.as for the chorus,it is clearly stated that taylor is swallowing her pride to say sorry to lautner.and the freedom she talks about is singlehood.but after they broke up,taylor then realises that she still loves lautner a lot.so,when lautner's birthday passed,taylor didn't call him to wish him happy birthday and she also says that she stays up late at night thinking back about their breakup and how she left him.well,taylor has a car,so if lautner was on the car with her,he would obviously be in the passenger seat.taylor loved lautner in the fall,that would be around just before they broke up.and the "dark days" and "fear" that taylor mentioned,was about her breakup with joe jonas(they broke up in december)and although she still loves lautner,she doesn't want another shattered relationship.the next paragraph is clearly hinting that this song is about lautner because isnt he known for his tan skin and sweet smile?.taylor also says that lautner held her in his arms on a september night,the first time he ever saw her cry.the rest of the song is telling lautner that she wishes they could go back together again,but even if he doesn't want to,she understands..

  4. Little_girl_08
    click a star to vote
    Feb 17th 2021 !⃝

    The song was written as an apology for Taylor Lautner( miss your tan skin). I think that because she has been heartbroken so many times before that she just guessed that he would be like that to, so to save her own heart she dumped him(You gave me roses and I left them there to die). By the way the song goes I'm guessing that she later regrets dumping him because she then realises what she had with him and how much they meant to each other and she wants him back but she doesn't think that he will take her back but she's going to try.

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 13th 2019 !⃝

    I would like to write this song for my mom and then she’ll let me know when she gets there and help me out with the song and so she will be doing something with music she said thank goodness she was so happy to watch her daughter dance

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 12th 2019 !⃝

    While they take a sour worldview, don't think of sad songs as a negative thing. Think of them as a healing catharsis, letting tears wash the soul of residual angst in preparation for facing the next dawn with a new lease on life. Loading your boombox up with something from our collection of "I'm sorry" apology songs couldn't hurt!

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 23rd 2018 !⃝

    I love that song, it’s so beautiful and absolutely liked the purple dress that looks like the purple Barney, when she wears a dress with her tutu, and then I’ll be wearing same thing as Taylor’s, so, I’m wearing that for this Halloween?

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 19th 2017 !⃝

    This is a song about a relationship that T-Swift herself screwed up, but she feels awful about it. She sees again her previous lover and apologizes for what happened. "Your guard is up,and I know why" He clearly doesn't feel comfortable around Taylor. "You left roses of my doorstep, and I left them there to die" This part used to confuse me. She suddenly stopped loving him? Then I got to thinking, perhaps she made mistake and couldn't stand facing him. Then she realized she didn't take his feelings intl perspective and apologized for it. Honesty, I just hope Taylor Swift will finally find a guy because I feel bad that so many relationships turned bad for her.

  9. anonymous
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    Jul 11th 2016 !⃝

    This song is about regret and how she goes back to the day they broke up all the time.

  10. anonymous
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    Feb 9th 2016 !⃝

    Song about second chances. from the line but " "but we loved again I swear I'd love you right"

  11. anonymous
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    Dec 24th 2012 !⃝

    This song is about breaking up with Taylor Lautner and how she's sorry for breaking her heart. He gave her all his love and all she did was a goodbye. I think she was falling in love with John Mayer at this point because in her song Superman(about John) she said she wished the flowers and cards were from him instead(referring to "you gave me roses and I left them there to die") plus she wanted John to wait for her relationship with Taylor was done so she could finally be with him instead.
    So this song is saying sorry to Taylor.

  12. gigibug2000
    click a star to vote
    Jul 17th 2012 !⃝

    it is about how she broke her boyfriend's heart and wished she could go back and take it back

  13. anonymous
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    Jun 13th 2012 !⃝

    Roya


    this song is so sad so blue that i wanna cry everytime
    i don't know if u have ever fall in love. it's an awful thing when you're apart. anyway... this was very beautiful. the music , the rythem , the lyrics, ..., everything. I Did like it.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 31st 2012 !⃝

    I think this is about her falling in love with Taylor Lautner. She fell in love with him in the summer, but by winter she started to get doubts about their relationship. She decided to break up with him but this song is about her regretting it.

  15. fernanda
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    Apr 16th 2012 !⃝

    shse really loves Taylor Lautner... but she is just kind of regret

  16. anonymous
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    Apr 9th 2012 !⃝

    This is about wanting a guy she liked back all that was said and done on that night but not knowing if she will be forgiven and putting herself out there

  17. anonymous
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    Apr 3rd 2012 !⃝

    "When I think about summer, all the beautiful times..."
    Summer is symbolic of contentment and happiness.

    "I realised I loved you in the fall..."
    The autumn (fall) is symbolic of maturity and the coming of the despair and loss.

    "And then the cold came: the dark days when fear crept into my mind..."
    The winter is symbolic of despair and loss. It is also symbolic of doubts and cold-bloodedness, and how she snubbed him: she says 'you gave me roses, and I left them there to die'.

    December is the time when you look forward to the new year and look ahead, while in the song, Taylor Swift looks back the year, and regrets her decision.

  18. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 18th 2012 !⃝

    this song is about doing a big mistake, and finding out that is was too late to fix it. this song is about taylor lautner and how taylor swift was really careless with him in their relationship when he was just perfect for her. and now, taylor is saying how she is sorry and how she should've said the right thing at the right time. this is a really personal song, and i love it for it's honesty.

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