“But Daddy I Love Him” is Taylor Swift’s response to criticism of her personal relationships. The lyrics compare public scrutiny to the attitudes of controlling parental figures, with the narrator rebelling against those who judge her choices in love.The song’s title is a reference to the 1989 Disney film The Little Mermaid, where the mermaid Ariel says the line to her father King Triton after he disapproves of her human love interest Prince Eric.
- Song Name: But Daddy I Love Him
- Artist: Taylor Swift
- Album: The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
- Genre: Electronica, folk rock, country, rock
- Length: 5 minutes 40 seconds
- Songwriters: Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner
- Producers: Taylor Swift, Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff
I forget how the West was won
I forget if this was ever fun
I just learned these people only raise you
To cage youSarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best
Clutchin’ their pearls, sighing, “What a mess”
I just learned these people try and save you
‘Cause they hate youToo high a horse for a simple girl
To rise above it
They slammed the door on my whole world
The one thing I wantedNow I’m runnin’ with my dress unbuttoned
Screamin’, “But, Daddy, I love him”
I’m havin’ his baby
No, I’m not, but you should see your faces
I’m tellin’ him to floor it through the fences
No, I’m not coming to my senses
I know he’s crazy, but he’s the one I wantDutiful daughter, all my plans were laid
Tendrils tucked into a woven braid
Growin’ up precocious sometimes means
Not growin’ up at allHe was chaos, he was revelry
Bedroom eyes like a remedy
Soon enough, the elders had convened
Down at the city hall”Stay away from her”
The saboteurs
Protested too much
Lord knows the words
We never heard
Just screeching tires and true loveNow I’m runnin’ with my dress unbuttoned
Screamin’, “But, Daddy, I love him”
I’m havin’ his baby
No, I’m not, but you should see your faces
I’m tellin’ him to floor it through the fences
No, I’m not coming to my senses
I know he’s crazy, but he’s the one I wantI’ll tell you something right now
You ain’t gotta pray for me
Me and my wild boy and all of this wild joy
If all you want is gray for me
Then it’s just white noise, and it’s my choiceScreamin’, “But, Daddy, I love him”
I’m having his baby
No, I’m not
But you should see your faces
But, oh my God, you should see your facesThe lyrics to “But Daddy I Love Him” by Taylor Swift express her defiance against public scrutiny of her personal relationships. She likens the constant criticism to the attitudes of controlling parental figures, singing about rebelling against their disapproval of her love interest.
