"22" Song Meaning

Today's Taylor Swift song is the meaning of "22" from her "Red" album.

In an interview with Ramin Setoodeh Taylor says, "Having written a song called 'Fifteen,' about how much I learned at age 15, and how that was a really heavy year for me. I learned a lot of lessons the hard way and it was a vulnerable age. And 22 is a vulnerable age, but you’re a little more brave. You’re a little more ready to take risks and live with the consequences. To me, the song '22' has a more carefree background to it. Because the age of 22 is much more carefree for me than 15 was."

Who is it about?

Dianna Argon, Ashley Avignone, Taylor Swift, Claire Winter Kislinger, April 24, 2012, celebrating Shirley MacLaine's birthday.

Taylor says in her Paint the World Red website, "I wanted to write a song about what my summer had been like, with my friends with that kind of attitude of like 'We are in our 20's and we don't know anything and it's awesome.'  It's kind of fun to embrace that and I've got to say that's probably one of the biggest choruses on the record."

It's a song dedicated to her best friends! In the song, the names ASHLEY, DIANNA, CLAIRE, SELENA are in all caps in her lyric hidden messages.

These girls are: Ashley Avignone(@ashavignone) , Dianna Agron(@DiannaArgon), Claire Winter Kislinger (@ClaireWinter) and Selena Gomez (@selenagomez).

With her friends Taylor is "happy, free, confused and Lonely in the bEst way/it’s miserable aNd mAgical, oh yeah/tonight’s the night when we forget about the heartbreaks, its time". She can let go of her inhibitions to "dreSs up like Hipsters/and make fun of our exes/forget About the deadlines". She "gotta have" her best friends.

Click here for lyrics to the song, "22".

Who are these people? We all know Selena Gomez.

Selena Gomez and Taylor have been "best friends for four years (now five years)”. Taylor said at her "Speak Now" Nov. 22 concert at NYC’s Madison Square Garden where she performed "Who Says" with Selena.

Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez at Taylor's November 22 "Speak Now" concert at Madison Square Garden.

Selena says "One of my favorite stories with Taylor Swift was when I was going through a very hard breakup. She came to my house at 10:30 at night and knocked on my door. I opened it, and she had two big bags of junk food, cookies, Snickers and soda, She put it on the table, put her laptop on, we made a video, and she told me that now we could look forward to breakups, since we know the other one will get us junk food."

The others are friends are people who have been seen in her Twitter pictures recently.

From her LinkedIn profile Claire Winter Kislinger is the PR Director and Senior Accounts Manager at Cathy Waterman Inc. Dianna Argon, plays Quinn Fabray on the series Glee. She is a singer, dancer and an actress. Ashley Avignone is a stylist.

They get together and have fun crazy times.

Taylor's tweet April 25, 2012 "We dressed up full-time fancy and went out in celebration of Shirley MacLaine's birthday. @DiannaAgron @AshA" Top left: Dianna Argon and Taylor Swift, Bottom right: Dianna Argon, Ashley Avignone, Taylor Swift, Claire Winter Kislinger. (Picture taken April 24, 2012)

Dianna Argon's costume birthday bash April 28, 2012. L to R: Taylor Swift, Claire Winter Kislinger, Dianna Argon, and Ashley Avignone.

"Evidently, it was 'face paint Wednesday' last night. ash drew a unicorn on Claire Winter's face. Impressed." Courtesy of taylorswift.com (journal), Top right: Taylor Swift, Bottom Right, Clire Winter Kislinger, Bottom Left: Ashley Avignone.

Her friends were proud of her during her release of "Red".

Claire Winter Kislinger, 12:07 PM - 21 Oct 12

I am really proud of my friend--her album comes out in 12(!!!) hours and it's amazing. See for yourself: @taylorswift13, #RED, midnight.


Ashley Avignone,10:56 PM - 21 Oct 1
#RED

Dianna Argon, 2:36 PM - 22 Oct 12

Congrats @taylorswift13!! Look at you go... Listening party in the trailer & the French are digging it too. pic.twitter.com/j0TYjlne

Glad she is having a fun at 22 and has some great friends!

Click here to see the music video, "22".