"Look What You Made Me Do" Song Meaning and Lyric Video

Today's Taylor Swift song is the the meaning of "Look What You Made Me Do" from her album "Reputation".

The first listen of this song was a bit rough for me. The beginning was really good but the chorus got me. I wondered why she repeated "Look What You Made Me Do" over and over? After watching the lyric video I totally get it. She was emphasizing a point. It has been revealed that Taylor based this off of "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. She credits Fred Fairbrass, Richard Fairbrass and Rob Manzoli for co writing the song. Remember that song from the 90's that said, "I'm too sexy for my shirt"? The "Look What You Made Me Do" has the same rhythmic pattern as that line. You can literally sing the "I'm So Sexy" on top of "Look What You Made Me Do".

After listening to the song a few times it reminds me soooo much of Blank Space. It is a very cynical song. She wrote Blank Space to make fun of the media's perception of her. This time she wrote this song to show the cynical side of an event that happened to her.

Here is the lyric video, it is very important to understanding the song. It was produced by Joseph Kahn, a producer that has worked on many of her videos. He is known for his artsy, symbolic, and abstract music videos. It is honestly one of the best lyric videos I have seen.


The video starts out with a chessboard, signifying a game. Taylor knocks over the piece. She does not "like your little games".

Who is playing this game?

It's none other than Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry. The back story goes a few years back with Kanye and Kim. Kanye wrote a song about Taylor in the summer of 2016. He said Taylor owing him sex because he made her famous and he called her a not nice name. He says he made her famous because of the 2009 VMA incident where he took the stage and said Beyonce should have won best video over Taylor. Taylor did not like him writing about her this way. I would not like it either.

In a conspiracy on national Snake Day in 2016 Kim released a video on Snapchat  from her and Kanye's "titled stage" (Kanye had a tilted stage in his show) showing a phone call where Taylor said the song lyrics were okay. Somehow Kanye had recorded the conversation, which is illegal to record without consent. Taylor says the "role [they] [her] play" was a "fool". It's not "cool". I think she is saying here she felt pressured to be okay with the song at the time of the phone call.  But here's the thing, no matter what Taylor said, the song had a bad message, why would she have to put up with it anyway? Why did she have to play that game? I think Kim did it all for ratings, she did have a new season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians on. And she probably grew her Snapchat followers. Kim will do anything for fame, including smearing other people's good name.

Taylor was smeared in the press and who knows what went on behind closed doors. Kim made all these people choose a side. It was just horrible.

The next verse talks about a closer friendship. This is where Katy Perry comes in. Katy Perry has always been a mean girl to Taylor. Taylor wrote about this in "Bad Blood". They were friends. It sounded like Katy asked "for a place to sleep", meaning they were close and probably talked to each other about their lives and offered advice. They are both in the Pop genre. Taylor talks about "kingdom keys", the pop princess keys. Taylor had them with "1989", but Katy is trying them with her new release. In the lyric video we see a crown. Katy "locked [her] out, and threw a feast". In Katy Perry's Bon Appétit music video she is throwing a feast with her head on the platter. During Katy's promotional tour for her new album she talked about Taylor ALL the time flip flopping on whether she was mad or not. Katy said she was not writing a song about Taylor then she came out with "Swish, Swish" which was blatantly about Taylor and her relationship. It was not a nice song basically calling Taylor calculated and fake. I think Katy did all of this for press, if Taylor's name was in the quote it got instant coverage.

Taylor acknowledges she did something wrong with both of them, "Baby, I got mine". But she also says "but you'll get yours". Other times in the song she said you, this time you all. That is why it is about more than one person/situation. She is convinced they will get their just rewards for what they did to her.

Taylor learned from both of these experiences. She "got smarter", "got harder", she has risen up from the "dead". She has done it lots of times. She alludes to others not liking her either, there being a "list of names". This is a mock at the press. She then says she checks the list once, she checks it twice, like Santa Clause. But this is the naughty list and both of them are on it. These incidents made Taylor not trust as much. She says "I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me." In the video the lyrics are on a paper bill and some trees with eyes. And the way it played out probably made some of her friends not trust her as much anymore. I think the dollar bill symbolizes that every one is all in it for the money and the fame. The trees represent everyone hiding. Taylor also alludes to the fact that they changed her " 'I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now.' 'Why?' 'Oh, 'cause she's dead!' ". She is different now from this experience. I think this is also a jab at Kanye and Kim saying she will not be answering their phone calls and playing their games anymore. The push around Taylor is gone.

And finally the chorus is symbolized in the video with a snake biting itself is "Look what you made me do." Look at how she has changed. The snake was an emoji people were using on her Instagram to shame her. Instagram actually blocked people from using it.

So the question is, should Taylor have wrote and published this song? My answer is mixed. It is good to forgive people but it is also good to get things out on the table. She uses her songs to express the feelings in her life and this was a very powerful incident that shaped her and changed her. I think Kim and Kanye have this coming. They can not act like they own the world and damage Taylor with a very disrespectful song. I have even written a whole article about it. She is justified and I am frankly glad to see she is still sharing her world through song and can not wait to see what the rest of the Reputation album brings! I have a feeling all the songs will not be as harsh. She wanted to come back with a bang.

Click here for the lyrics to the song, "Look What You Made Me Do."

Click here to see the music video and detailed analysis for "Look What You Made Me Do". It is a definite continuation of the "Blank Space" video.