“Today Was a Fairytale” by Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s “Today Was a Fairytale” is largely centered on a magical night she had with the addressee, which in her mind is further indicative of a likewise magical romance they share. Or put otherwise the singer and addressee just went on what was, from her perspective, a very special date. And the type of experience they had together encapsulates why she is so enamored with him. 

And to get that overall point across, Taylor has based the lyrics on a fairytale motif. Indeed she was still a teenager when she wrote the song, i.e. at a stage in her life where we can say many ladies still believe in the general ideals upon which fairytales are based. And while fairytales tend to have their villains and what have you, likening a romance to one (especially as far as youth are concerned) is another way of saying that the person relaying such a sentiment considers the relationship to be perfect.

The Prince

So for example, the singer refers to the addressee, her beloved, as “the prince”. In a fairytale such characters are young, single and rich. They are simply put, the ideal romantic interest from many young ladies’ perspectives. 

And no, the guy we’re dealing with today doesn’t seem to be literally rich based on the way he’s described as being dressed. Nor may he be particularly attractive to anyone beside the singer. But the bottom line is that he is still someone whom she personally deems as a perfect suitor. To her, whether he’s rich or attractive is ultimately beside the point. Rather the reason she is comparing him to a “prince” is because she deems him as being a model partner.

And then that would make her the “damsel in distress”, i.e. the girl who needs to be saved by the prince in the fairytale. So of course, she is not in any type of actual distress or danger. Or let’s say that if anything, what she needs to be saved from is loneliness, i.e. having no fitting lover in her life, a role which the addressee has now apparently filled.

A Real Fairytale

And despite basing the lyrics on such a metaphor, Taylor is actually very realistic about the whole thing. For instance, even though she “looked like a mess” on the featured date, the addressee still told her that she is “pretty” in his eyes. 

So it’s like a fantastical situation for the both of them. Or let’s say that it is truly the emotion between them, not anything else, that has the vocalist feeling this way, as if she is living a fantasy, like a fairytale, when she is with him. That’s why she uses similes like being ‘taken to another planet’ when he smiles. 

Also as expressed, she feels as if “time slows down” when they are together. And the “magic”, as she refers to their chemistry, is really felt when the two of them kiss.

Summary of “Today Was a Fairytale”

So plainly put, “Today Was a Fairytale” is a love song. It’s not the type being relayed from, say, one spouse to another. The implication is that this relationship is just now getting started. And as such, it is still in what some may refer to as the euphoric stage. And yes, we can conclude on that note, as in when a person likens a romance they are in to a fairytale, then it is indeed akin to a state of euphoria that they are experiencing.

Facts about “Today Was a Fairytale”

This track is from the soundtrack of a film Taylor Swift co-starred in entitled “Valentine’s Day” (2010). Music-wise this film was backed by her label at the time, Big Machine Records. So in addition to Swift, other artists from the label can also be found on the soundtrack.  And “Today Was a Fairytale” is actually the first track on the playlist of said soundtrack.

And despite the fact it wasn’t featured on the original “Fearless”, which was Taylor Swift’s second album, the track still made it onto the re-recorded re-release of that project, entitled “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”, in 2021. Thus there is also a “Today Was a Fairytale (Taylor’s Version)” which came out that same year, i.e. a re-recorded edition of this song. 

This love song was originally released as the second single from the aforementioned soundtrack on 19 January 2010. 

It really caught on up north, where it topped the Canadian Hot 100. And it was also a big hit stateside, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Furthermore it achieved platinum status in the United States and also in Australia.

Talented Taylor

Taylor Swift is one of the most commercially-successful artists in the music industry’s history. She signed her first contract in 2004, at only 15 years of age. Then she released her first album, “Taylor Swift”, the following year. That was a project in which she had a hand in writing every song featured. 

And it went on to become a major multi-platinum success. So by the time she got around to this writing this song in 2008, at around the age of 19, Swift was already a seasoned, proven and successful songwriter. 

Additionally, she co-produced “Today Was a Fairytale” with Nathan Chapman, someone who has buttressed her in that capacity since the Taylor Swift days.