This Love

Mood

Production Style

Background

One of the only tracks on 1989 produced solely by Taylor, 'This Love' is a gentle, atmospheric ballad about a love that returns after you have let it go. The self-produced quality gives it an intimacy that distinguishes it from the album's Max Martin-driven tracks.

Meaning & Interpretation

The ocean metaphor — love that comes and goes like tides — structures the entire song. The argument is that some relationships cannot be forced; they only work when both people stop trying to control them. 'This love came back to me' is presented not as an achievement but as a natural phenomenon — something that happened when the narrator finally stopped grasping. The production's ebb and flow mirrors the tidal imagery perfectly.

Personal Connection

Taylor has said 'This Love' represents the most mature perspective on 1989 — the understanding that sometimes the best thing you can do for a relationship is let it go and see if it finds its way back.