It’s Taylor Swift album release day, which means I’m extremely busy decoding lyrics. The Max Martin and Shellback-produced The Life of a Showgirl features a few love songs about Travis Kelce, some commentary on pop stardom and the music industry, and a pretty harsh diss track allegedly aimed at Charli XCX. At the moment, I’m working on deciphering track 4, “Father Figure,” which includes an interpolation from George Michael’s song of the same name.
There are a few different interpretations of the lyrics going around right now — some fans and critics are convinced that “Father Figure” is written from the perspective of a music industry exec, while others suspect the song hints at Taylor’s alleged drama with Olivia Rodrigo. (The latter was my first thought, TBH.) So, who is Taylor Swift’s “Father Figure” really about? Let’s take a look at these lyrics and discuss the related lore.
Let’s explore the Olivia theory, shall we? “I showed you all the tricks of the trade / All I ask for is your loyalty / My dear protégé,” Taylor sings in “Father Figure.” And who was her protégé back in 2021? Yup, that would be Olivia. Elsewhere, Taylor croons, “You know, you remind me of a younger me / I saw potential.” These lines echo themes from “Clara Bow,” where Taylor reflects on younger pop stars taking her place.
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For a while, everyone was calling Olivia “the next Taylor Swift,” which I’m sure Taylor detested. The pop stars notably stopped interacting after Taylor was retroactively given a writing credit on Olivia’s “deja vu,” due to its supposed similarity to “Cruel Summer.” (For the record, I still don’t hear it.)
In the chorus of “Father Figure,” Taylor says she’ll be someone’s father figure, but the love is “pure profit.” She whispers, almost threateningly, “I protect the family,” and warns: “You want a fight, you found it / I got the place surrounded.” You could definitely read this as a reference to her legal fallout with Olivia.
This isn’t the first time either Taylor or Olivia has seemingly referenced their fallout in song… Take a listen to Olivia’s “the grudge” and Taylor’s “Nothing New” and (as mentioned above) “Clara Bow.”
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Although the theory’s compelling, “Father Figure” might actually have nothing to do with Olivia. It could also be written from the perspective of a Scooter Braun or Scott Borchetta figure — a sketchy music industry dude with a lot of power who exploits a young female artist’s talent and turns threatening the moment she steps out of line.
In 2019, Taylor actually told Rolling Stone: “I truly, legitimately thought [Scott Borchetta] looked at me as the daughter he never had. I thought I knew what betrayal felt like, but this stuff that happened with him was a redefinition of betrayal for me, just because it felt like it was family.” (The Big Machine Label Group founder was the one who sold her masters to Scooter Braun.)
The line, “You made a deal with this devil / Turns out my dick’s bigger,” could be a reference to Taylor buying back her masters.
I like this theory way more!
