Taylor Swift songs with specific dates explained: July 9, April 29

Taylor Swift often draws on her own experiences in her music and even includes specific dates in the lyrics.

Perhaps the most memorable date in one of Swift’s songs is “Last Kiss,” a track from 2010 Speak Now.

“I remember the smell of the rain now / Fresh on the pavement, I ran off the plane,” she sings. “That 9th of July, the beat of your heart / It’s jumping through your shirt, I can still feel your arms / But now I’m gonna leave / Sitting on the floor wearing your clothes / All I know is that I don’t know / How to be something that you miss.”

“Last Kiss,” which is presumably about Swift’s separation from her husband in 2008 Joe Jonashas inspired an unofficial holiday on July 9th – and Swift is aware of the celebration.

Related: All of Taylor Swift’s literary references: From her debut to “TTPD”

Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Before Taylor Swift even thought about the tortured poets’ section, the singer peppered her music with references to classical literature. Back in 2006, Swift referenced Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” in the song “The Outside” from her eponymous debut album. “I tried (…)

“I don’t know if you know the date, but it’s July 8th. So it’s almost July 9th,” Swift said during her 2023 Epoch tour Concert in Kansas City in their acoustic section. “We know what time it is, Kansas City: time to play ‘Last Kiss’ and cry!”

A year later, Swift sang “Last Kiss” when she performed in Zurich during the European tour on July 9, 2024.

July 9 isn’t the only date mentioned in Swift’s discography. Scroll down to see a full breakdown of the references and how fans interpreted them:

‘Last Kiss’

Lyrical: “This 9th of July, the beat of your heart / it bounces through your shirt, I can still feel your arms.”

What it means: Fans speculated that the Speak Now Track charts Swift and Jonas’ whirlwind romance. On July 9, 2008, Swift was spotted at a Jonas Brothers show in Texas. Hours later, she was seen stepping off a private jet alone. Swift later revealed that Jonas dumped her via voicemail – and some believe the call was made while she was in the air.

‘Endgame’

Lyrical: “After the storm, something was born on July 4th.”

What it means: Swift’s friend Ed Sheeran sings the next date in the middle of her Call Duet. In an interview with Billboard in 2017, they described their collaborative songwriting process in detail.

“See, it’s kind of a play on words,” Sheeran joked after Swift noted that the reference made her “really happy.” He added: “There’s a (1989) movie with Tom Cruise called Born on July 4th and of course my relationship started on the 4th of July at Taylor’s house.”

Swift is known for hosting patriotic parties at her Rhode Island mansion. In 2015, Sheeran invited her former classmate Cherry Seaborn to attend the troupe’s party. Sheeran and Seaborn married four years later and eventually had their daughters Lyra and Jupiter.

‘High infidelity’

Lyrical: “Do you really want to know where I was on April 29th? / Do I really have to record the constellations in his eyes?”

What it means: The midnight The song tells of a moment of infidelity in a relationship that fans believe actually happened on April 29, 2016. On that day, Swift was spotted leaving her boyfriend. Gigi Hadid‘s birthday party alone while she was with DJ Calvin Harris. A few days later, Swift appeared at the Met Gala, where she was rumored to Tom HiddlestonThe couple were briefly married the following summer. Loki The star even attended her 4th of July party in an “I Heart TS” tank top.

Joe Alwyn also attended the same Met Gala. He and Swift were first linked in the fall of 2016. The news came to light in April 2023 while Swift was on the domestic leg of her Epoch Tour, that the couple separated.