exile
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Producers
I can see you standing, honey
With his arms around your body
Laughin', but the joke's not funny at all
And it took you five whole minutes
To pack us up and leave me with it
Holdin' all this love out here in the hall
[Chorus: Justin Vernon]
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defending now?
You were my town, now I'm in exile, seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
[Post-Chorus: Justin Vernon]
Ooh, ooh, ooh
[Verse 2: Taylor Swift]
I can see you starin', honey
Like he's just your understudy
Like you'd get your knuckles bloody for me
Second, third, and hundredth chances
Balancin' on breaking branches
Those eyes add insult to injury
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
I'm not your problem anymore
So who am I offending now?
You were my crown, now I'm in exile, seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leaving out the side door
[Bridge: Justin Vernon, Taylor Swift & Both]
So step right out, there is no amount
Of crying I can do for you
All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (You didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time
I never learned to read your mind (Never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (You never turned things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
So many signs, so many signs
You didn't even see the signs
[Chorus: Taylor Swift & Justin Vernon, Taylor Swift]
I think I've seen this film before
And I didn't like the ending
You're not my homeland anymore
So what am I defending now?
You were my town, now I'm in exile, seein' you out
I think I've seen this film before
So I'm leavin' out the side door
So step right out, there is no amount
Of crying I can do for you
All this time
We always walked a very thin line
You didn't even hear me out (Didn't even hear me out)
You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time
I never learned to read your mind (Never learned to read my mind)
I couldn't turn things around (You never turned things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
You never gave a warning sign (All this time)
(So many signs) I never learned to read your mind
(So many signs) I couldn't turn things around (I couldn't turn things around)
'Cause you never gave a warning sign (You never gave a warning sign)
You never gave a warning sign
Ah, ah
About
“exile” describes two ex-lovers seeing each other following a break-up. Justin Vernon describes feelings of confusion about how quickly a lover moved on, while Swift offers a perspective about repeated warning signs that the relationship was no longer working. It’s also worth noting the contrast between Vernon’s rougher voice and Swift’s smoother one, which mirrors the contrast between their views of the relationship.
The song prompted many comparisons to Swift’s 2012 track “The Last Time,” another song that discusses the downfall of a relationship. Much like “exile,” Swift and featured artist Gary Lightbody’s voices contrast in tone, highlighting their differences.
“exile” is one of many folklore songs to contain a movie motif — other songs to do so include “the 1,” “this is me trying,” and “hoax.” It’s also her first collaboration with Bon Iver, who she called one of her “musical heroes” in an Instagram post announcing folklore.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Swift spoke about the story behind the song in a clip she sent to radio stations in late August 2020:
‘exile’ is a song that was written about miscommunications in relationships, and in the case of this song, I imagined that the miscommunications ended the relationship. They led to the demise of this love affair, and now these two people are seeing each other out for the first time, and they keep miscommunicating with each other. They can’t quite get on the same page, they never were able to. And even in their end, even after they’ve broken up, they’re still not hearing each other. So we imagined the beginning would be his side of the story, the second verse her side of the story, and the end would be the story of them talking over each other and not hearing each other. We’re really stoked about how it turned out because it really does seem to be about the tragedy of two people, of two ships passing in the night.
Bon Iver tweeted about their involvement on the song:
Very very honored to be a part of Taylor Swift’s album folklore. Shout out to Aaron Dessner for always being the great connector!
Taylor Swift:
There’s been a lot of discussion about William Bowery and his identity because it’s not a real person. William Bowery is Joe [Alwyn], as we know, and he plays piano beautifully, he’s always just playing, making things up and kind of creating things. “exile” was crazy because Joe had written that entire piano part and he was singing the Bon Iver part the way that the whole first verse is. So, I was entranced and asked if we could keep writing that one. It was pretty obvious that it should be a duet because he’s got such a low voice and it sounded really good in that register. We’re really big Bon Iver fans and we know that Aaron knows him, but I was too afraid to suggest it. When I sent it to Aaron, I was, like, “This is, hopefully, a duet, I don’t know who with, who would it be with? Who do you think would be good with this?,” and Aaron was, like, “I think Justin would love this.” I couldn’t say it because if I had said it and he would’ve gone to Justin and Justin would’ve said no, it would’ve hurt too much.
Aaron Dessner:
When we talked about it, I was, like, “I think he’s gonna be really inspired by this,” and then, when we sent it to him, he was. Then, the process of working on it and what he sent it back, we didn’t ask him to write anything but he wrote this amazing bridge.
Taylor Swift:
I kept thinking, “This isn’t really going to happen, Justin is going to change his mind about it because this isn’t a part of my reality, there’s no way that this is going to happen. He’s gonna record the vocals and then decide he doesn’t wanna be on the record,” and that just never happened. He just is on the album and he is the coolest and that’s what’s happening.
In an interview with Pitchfork (2020), producer Aaron Dessner discussed how the collaboration came together:
Taylor wrote that one with the singer-songwriter William Bowery. When Taylor sent it to me as a voice memo, she sang both the male and female parts—as much as she could fit in without losing her breath. We talked about who she was imagining joining her, and she loves Justin [Vernon]’s voice in Bon Iver and Big Red Machine. She was like, “Oh my god, I would die if he would do it. It would be so perfect.” I didn’t want to put pressure on Justin as his friend, so I said, “Well, it depends on if he’s inspired by the song but I know he thinks you’re rad.” Which he does. So I sent him the song and he was really into it. He tweaked some parts and added parts as well—the bridge where he says, “Step right out.” The end too, and his choral parts. It was fun because Justin and I work on a lot of stuff together, so it was very easy and natural. At some point I felt like a superfan, hearing two of my favorite singers. This was all being done remotely, but it was one of those moments where your head hits the back of the wall and you’re like, “Fuck. Okay.”
- 1.the 1
- 2.cardigan
- 4.exile
- 6.mirrorball
- 7.seven
- 8.august
- 10.illicit affairs
- 11.invisible string
- 12.mad woman
- 13.epiphany
- 14.betty
- 15.peace
- 16.hoax
- 17.the lakes