This song is Swift's response to the negative reputation the media has given her.
"I can make the bad guys good for a weekend" - the bad guys are the paparazzi to Swift, but are good to the "player" since association with Swift immediately gives publicity. Any publicity is good publicity and Swift knows this.
"You can tell me when it's over" - the tabloids rumor relationships are over before the couple announces it officially.
With this song Swift is portraying the way she is portrayed by the media.
It is a sarcastic jab at how she views herself and how her "ex-lovers" only wanted to be with her to increase their fame.
I applaud the brilliance in writing about how you always write about relationships.
It is expected so Swift is giving the media what they want and profiting off the attention.
(Take this)
There's always a flaw
(Take this)
A flaw that gets in
(Take this)
There's always a crack
(Shadow)
(Untold)
The hoax that harms
(The hoax)
That harms the spirit
(The first)
One to arrive
(The last)
To confess
(They've got)
Their arms outstretched
(They've got)
Their front row tickets
(They're the)
First to arrive
For the trial
For the raid
(We run)
We run for first
Off the road and off the record
(We run)
We run for first
But the first come in second
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
There's always a flaw
(Take this)
A flaw that gets in
(Take this)
There's always a crack
(Shadow)
(Untold)
The hoax that harms
(The hoax)
That harms the spirit
(The first)
One to arrive
(The last)
To confess
(They've got)
Their arms outstretched
(They've got)
Their front row tickets
(They're the)
First to arrive
For the trial
For the raid
(We run)
We run for first
Off the road and off the record
(We run)
We run for first
But the first come in second
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
When we spit out
The names
Of those
We betrayed
Lyrics submitted by Fourth Dimension
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