What do you think Innocent means?

Taylor Swift: Innocent Meaning

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Album cover for Innocent album cover

Song Released: 2010


Innocent Lyrics

Guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 31st 2012 !⃝

    If this song is truly written for Kanye, the song is ruined for me. When I listen to the lyrics I don't feel like she's trying to forgive someone, the song feels like a tribute to everyone whose ever made a mistake. To anyone who feels like if they could just-somehow-find themselves in the innocence of their childhood once more, life would be so much simpler. I don't think that every song someone writes has to be about one specific person. And how does innocence have anything to do with the Kanye incident? "Your string of lights still shines for me" she's reassuring someone that though they may feel stuck in a life that they didn't anticipate she sees the innocence that still remains in all of us.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 4th 2011 !⃝

    The song is about how even though a person made mistakes in their life, it doesn't make them a bad person, because everybody makes mistakes.

    Verse one: refers to a big mistake that a person made, and people are judging them.


    Chorus: means that even though people make mistakes, they are all innocent and still a good person. Who they really are inside is not what they did in the past.

    Verse 2: refers again to mistakes that have been made, and that if only that person had known the consequences of that mistake, they might have changed their mind and it would've ended different.

    "32 and still growing up" means that no matter what age you are, everyone makes and learns from their mistakes, and changes.

    Verse 3: "Time turns flames to embers" means that with time, people will forget what you did and it will all be good."

    "You'll have new Septembers" means that you will always make mistakes, no matter how hard you try."

    "Everyone of us has messed up too" pretty self-explanatory, everyone makes mistakes.

    "Life's change like the weather, i'll hope you'll remember, today is never too late to, be brand new." means that with one wrong thing said/done, your whole life can change, and that today is never to late to try and right the wrongs you made and start fresh.

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 15th 2011 !⃝

    1) The line, “Wasn’t it easier in your lunchbox days?”. John mentions his lunchbox in his song “83”, which is a song about wishing you were a kid again. Taylor also references “83” in her song “Superman”, which is generally believed to be about John.

    2) The rest of that line, “always a bigger bed to crawl into”. John tweeted “And that’s what adulthood is: you wake up from the nightmare and realize there’s no bigger bed to climb into” on Feb. 9, 2010. Which is around the time him and Taylor were “hanging out”.

    3) The line, “lost yourself in your warpath”. John’s last album was “Battle Studies”. And she references it in “Story of Us” too. Which we know is about him.

    4) The “32” line. A lot of people think that’s the proof that it’s about Kanye because he was 32 during the VMA incident, but John was also 32 when whatever happened with him and Taylor.

    5) Taylor didn’t write the song until early/mid ‘10, which was a long time after the Kanye incident. But while something was going on with Mayer.

    6) If you just look at the lyrics, not having any idea of who/what it could be about, it really doesn’t sound like it’s about someone she doesn’t know that did something bad to her. It sounds like it’s for someone she knows and cares about that messed up (ie. the Playboy article, which was why he tweeted that “bigger bed” quote) and letting them know she still believes in them, “your string of lights are STILL bright to me”.

    7) Yes, obviously she performed the song for Kanye at the VMA’s. But Taylor said in interviews about the VMA performance, that it wasn’t really about performing a song about Kanye/the VMA situation, as much as performing a song FOR him. And I do think that performance was for him. Just like “White Horse” was for Joe when she performed it at the 2008 AMA’s, even though that song wasn’t written about him.

    8) People think it’s about Kanye because the secret message was about “little interruptions”. But Taylor’s special message for “Mine” was TOBY and we know that song is definitely not about him. She didn’t even meet him until they shot the video for that song. He said so himself in the behind-the-scenes.

    9) John has a new song called “Shadow Days” that he’s performed once or twice, and might be on his next album. I think that song is Taylor-related because there’s a line in it that says “I never meant her harm”. There’s also a line that says “I found myself in pieces on my hotel floor”. There’s a line in “Innocent” that says, “you wouldn’t be shattered on the floor now”. So I think it’s safe to say John knows “Innocent” is about him…

    In the end, I think Taylor was well aware of the double meaning the song could have. Especially in writing it for someone but performing it for someone else. And she’s probably loving it.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 26th 2022 !⃝

    This song indeed is intended for Kanye and I don't see anything wrong with it.
    She wrote a beautiful song about redemption,self acceptance,forgiveness and moving forward
    I can deeply relate to this song
    And if it made me feel something special even though it's intended for West, that doesn't ruin any thought of this masterpiece
    You love it/I love it♡

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 8th 2018 !⃝

    This song is about Kanye West, and how she forgives him for interrupting her acceptance speech. Of course, a decent human being would have been grateful that she wrote a beautiful song forgiving him... but no. Instead he calls her a ***** in one of his songs.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 6th 2017 !⃝

    The song is too personal and sweet to ever be about Kanye. She's not writing about him . She's not stupid. She's a brilliant writer. After reading everyone's comments I agree with the person who wrote that Innocent is about John Mayer.

    But something tells me it could also be for a female friend / relative that she really cares about .

    But the person who said its about John mayor gave a pretty convincing list of reasons .

    God bless and Long live Tay Tay!

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 21st 2013 !⃝

    Taylor confirmed in an interview with New York Magazine that the song was inspired by the 2009 MTV VMA incident where Kanye West interrupted her acceptance speech. "I think a lot of people expected me to write a song about him. But for me it was important to write a song to him," she said.
    Asked how the incident affected her, Taylor responded, "It doesn't really add anything good if I start victimizing myself and complaining about things. Because I'm proud of that performance at the VMAs last year, where my fans helped me get through it.
    And there was a lot that went down backstage that I will always be thankful for, and the fans in the subway [where she sang 'You Belong With Me' shortly after the incident] know exactly what happened that night.
    I feel everything," she added. "I've never had this thick skin... It's not like I am bulletproof in any sense of the word."

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 13th 2012 !⃝

    It seems to me that its about the Kanye VMA situation and it sounds like a sarcastic 'approval' "32 and still growing up now, life is a tough crowd... seems sarcastic. LIke shes got her life together at 22 and hes still messing around embarrasing himself. I dont think it s purely this simple but that seems like part of it.

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 12th 2012 !⃝

    I think that this song has way more meaning than kayne west he is just a minor part in her life. It has to do with loving someone even though they really messed up. Kayne west isnt worth more than one song (mean)

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 5th 2012 !⃝

    Actually, this song IS about Kanye. It's a fact. She's like forgiving him in this song telling him that it's just all going to be okay. But, at the same time, she's also calling him a bit childish of what he did, but it's a beautiful song though. Not really a fan, but Taylor Swift, is a great song writer. :)

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 19th 2012 !⃝

    I am a true fan of Taylor Swift and based on the facts I believe this song is about Kanye West at the VMA's. Taylor is just being her great self writing this song even after what he did to her. Go Taylor!!!

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 19th 2012 !⃝

    I think this is a beautiful song symbolizing peace with her and Kanye West because of all the proof you've already read. I think Kanye West still owes her a true apology instead of a post. Taylor Swift is such a great writer though and this song can be interpreted in many different ways showing that much more beauty in it. I love you Taylor Swift!

  13. anonymous
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    Dec 27th 2011 !⃝

    This song is indeed about Kanye West, for those who think otherwise. She and her mom have subtly commented on it in interviews. But, Taylor's songwriting can take anyone back to personal memories they've had, therefore, resulting in a mix of different interpretations. Most of us have never been on national TV and had our moment stolen away from a famous rapper, so I doubt we can relate to the core event that caused Taylor to write this song. However, we can relate to the fact that this song is written about second chances, regrets, ect. Every time I hear "Innocent" I personally think of the times I know I've messed up, the times I embarrassed myself and sat in the bath crying over events.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 22nd 2011 !⃝

    Okay, I doubt Tay was thinking of this when she wrote this song, but I'll have a go anyway. I've been reading The Percy Jackson series a lot, and when I heard this song, my first thought was of Luke Castellan, the son of Hermes.
    "Guess you really did it this time, left yourself in your warpath."
    Luke messed up big time by starting the second Titan war.
    "Lost your balance on a tightrope, lost your mind trying to get it back."
    This line particularly makes me think of Luke getting possessed by Kronos, as he literally did lose his mind, by letting Kronos possess it.
    "Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days, always a bigger bed to crawl into, wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything, and everybody believed in you."
    This makes me think of when Luke was on the run with Thalia and Annabeth before he joined Kronos, and Annabeth and Thalia both believed in him and that he could never let them down.
    "It's alright, just wait and see, your string of lights are still bright to me, who you are is not where you've been, you're still an innocent."
    Annabeth never gave up on Luke, even after he got possessed.
    "Did some things you can't speak of, but at night you'll live it all again."
    Since Luke was pretty much in charge of Kronos's army, he probably had to kill a lot of demigods, which refers to this line. It could also refer to how he poisoned Thalia's tree and tricked Annabeth into holding up the sky. Since they'd both been his friends, he would've felt particularly guilty about this.
    "You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now, if only you had seen what you know now then."
    Luke wouldn't have died if he had realized from the start that joining Kronos wasn't the way to go.
    "Wasn't it easier in your firefly catching days, when everything out of reach someone bigger brought down to you, wasn't it beautiful running wild till you fell asleep, before the monsters caught up to you."
    Things had been easier back when Luke was on the run with Thalia and Annabeth, trying to keep on the move before the monsters could find them.
    "It's okay, life is a tough crowd, 32 and still growing up now, who you are is not what you did, you're still an innocent."
    Luke died when he was 23, which, when you reverse the numbers, is 32.
    "Time turns flames to embers, you'll have new Septembers, everyone of us has messed up too, ooh."
    Luke wasn't the only demigod who had messed up.
    "Minds change like the weather, I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new."
    Luke changed his mind, in the end, and destroyed Kronos, and he died a differant man.
    "Lost your balance on a tightrope, it's never too late to get it back."
    Luke had messed up, but he fixed his mistakes in the end.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 31st 2011 !⃝

    This song definitely touches my heart and reminds me of my son. He was so very innocent when he went off to war. nightmares of what you saw and what had to be done. It reminds me of kids or women who have experienced abuse and who don't feel safe...who have nightmares. Wasn't it easier when there was always a bigger bed to crawl into. It fits so many different life experiences. I am thankful that the words were penned. It makes us believe that someone understands our deepest most hidden experiences. We are okay and not alone. It can bring healing when flames turn to embers...thank you

  16. anonymous
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    Aug 18th 2011 !⃝

    I dont this this is about Kanye West at all. It seems more like, in the "lost your balence on a tightrope/ lost your mind tryna get it back" part someone she loves made mistakes. and later when it says "times turns flames into embers" and stuff that time can heal your mistakes and it's all going to be ok.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  17. anonymous
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    Aug 10th 2011 !⃝

    Duh its about kanye.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  18. anonymous
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    Jul 24th 2011 !⃝

    But who is the 32 year old... "32 and still growing up now"

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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