Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams’ “Us” lyrics, explained

They say you should never meet your heroes, but for Gracie Abrams it worked out quite well. On the second album of the singer-songwriter The secret of usShe collaborates with her idol Taylor Swift on the title song “Us.”, securing a rare contribution from the Grammy winner.

Abrams has spoken openly about Swift’s influence on her career and artistry and has proven to be an expert on her music. “Every formative memory in my life is connected to a Taylor Swift song that helped me get through,” she said Vanity Fair in July 2023. “My girlfriend did this the other day where we mixed her discography and played one song for a second… I have them all.”

Their friendship developed after Abrams opened for many shows on Swift’s Eras Tour in the summer of 2023, even joining her onstage at a show when her opening set was canceled due to inclement weather. Eventually, their growing bond led to their first collaboration.

What is “We” about?

“Us.” draws inspiration from Swift’s style in many ways and was produced by Swift’s frequent collaborators Aaron Dessner (who also oversaw the rest of Abrams’ album) and Jack Antonoff.

Like many Swift classics, Us follows the end of an unhappy relationship that only lasted a short time, with Abrams wondering what could have been and what her former lover thinks of her now.

Much like Lana Del Rey in “Snow on the Beach” (especially the first version), Swift sings mostly in the background but takes the lead in one of the pre-choruses, almost as if she’s giving Abrams advice on how to deal with the fallout. “And when the story is clear, the flames always end in ashes,” she sings. “And what seemed like destiny, give it ten months and you’ll be over it.”

The (literal) story of “us”.

In an interview with billboard, Abrams said she and Swift wrote “Us.” together while hanging out at Swift’s New York apartment on a drunken night. As they introduced each other to their new albums, the two were inspired by instrumentals by Dessner.

“Something struck us very strongly and quickly at the same time, so we ran to the piano and started writing this song,” she said. “I always dreamed of something like this as a child.”

As they were writing, they heard a noise that Swift dismissed as one of her cats running around before realizing a candle had fallen over and her kitchen island was ablaze. Swift rushed to the rescue. “She was such a legend – I don’t know how she knew what to do at that time of day or in our state,” she said. “We both had a crazy cough for weeks from the fumes from the fire extinguisher.”

“Us” by Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift – Lyrics

Read the full lyrics to Abrams’ collaboration with Swift below.

(Verse 1: Gracie Abrams)

I know, you know, it felt like a joke

I’m sure you don’t know we’re talking

I know your spirit, I see them through the smoke

She will play her show and you will watch

(Pre-Chorus: Gracie Abrams)

And if the story is clear, someone always ends up in ruins

And what seemed like fate becomes “What the hell have I done?”

Babylon lovers hang on a vine all their lives (Ooh)

Do you miss mine?

(Choir: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift)

Do you miss us? Us?

I felt it, you held it

Do you miss us? Us?

I wonder if you regret keeping the secret from us, from us

Us, us, usus, us, us

(Verse 2: Gracie Abrams, Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift)

I know, you know, it felt like something old

It felt like something holy, like pleading souls

It felt like what I know, you are 29 years old

So how can you be cold when I mean home?

(Pre-Chorus: Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift)

And if the story is clear, the flames always end in ashes

And what seemed like fate, give it ten months and you’ll have it behind you (You’ll have it behind you)

Babylon lovers hang, missed calls on the line

I gave you mine

(Choir: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift)

Does it bother you that we? We?

I felt it, you held it

Do you miss us? Us?

I wonder if you regret keeping the secret from us, from us

Us, us, usus, us, us

(Bridge: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift)

This night you spoke, false prophets and profits

They make the edges of poem sonnets

(Oh)You never informed yourself about it, what a pity, you could have learned something

Robert Bly on my nightstand, gifts from you, how ironic

The curse of a miracle, the curse of an oracle, you are incomparable, fuck you

What happened to you? (You?), Us, usMe, MeWas

(Choir: Gracie Abrams, Taylor Swift, Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift)

We, we, we, I felt it, you held it (Ooh-Ooh)

Do you miss we us?

I wonder if you regret keeping the secret from us, from us (Ooh-Ooh)

Faulty for strangers, no way into us, us (Ooh-Ooh)

The pain, the rain, the fain of us, us (Ooh-Ooh)

The structure, well, sometimes

Do you miss us? Us? (We, we, we)

The best way, well, sometimes

Do you miss us?