All the References Taylor Swift Made About Elizabeth Taylor in Her “The Life of a Showgirl” Song, Explained

Taylor Swift has a caller batch of songs for fans to analyse pinch The Life of a Showgirl.

The Grammy-winner released her 12th workplace medium connected Oct. 3, which features a opus called "Elizabeth Taylor," named aft nan precocious Hollywood icon, Elizabeth Taylor. The song, which is nan 2nd way connected nan album, makes respective references and nods to immoderate of Taylor's celebrated life, while besides seemingly relating them to Swift.

Though this way is her first to straight reference nan Oscar-winner, Swift has antecedently paid homage to Taylor. On her 2017 medium Reputation, she sang, "And he tin beryllium my jailer, Burton to this Taylor," connected nan opus "Ready for It?" which was a reference to Taylor's narration pinch Richard Burton.

After releasing her latest album, Swift reflected connected her admiration for Taylor and explained nan meaning down nan opus named aft her.

"In this record, there’s a opus called 'Elizabeth Taylor,' which is benignant of my emotions and my issues pinch fame done nan lens of cosplaying nan life of Elizabeth Taylor, truthful you benignant of meld nan 2 experiences together," she said successful an question and reply pinch Z100's Elvis Duran Show.

Swift continued of Taylor, "She is ever personification that I’ve looked up to arsenic being this very glamorous, very beloved, but for immoderate logic a polarizing figure, which I recovered myself successful that place, too."

From Elizabeth Taylor's beingness quality to her emotion life, here's everything to cognize astir really Taylor Swift referenced nan precocious Hollywood icon successful her song.

“Do you deliberation it’s forever?”

Swift opens nan opus "Elizabeth Taylor" by straight addressing her.

"Elizabeth Taylor / Do you deliberation it's forever?" and later adding, "Tell maine for real, do you deliberation it's forever?"

Swift leaves nan lyrics ambiguous, but it is imaginable she is referring to whether nan changeless scrutiny of fame aliases her happiness successful emotion will past forever.

Just for illustration nan singer, Taylor had some her personal life and her successful career wide scrutinized. Taylor, who died successful 2011, was 1 of nan astir celebrated movie stars successful nan 20th period who won 2 Oscars and various life accomplishment awards. However, her emotion life was besides nether nan microscope, arsenic she was married 8 times to 7 different men and was astatine nan center of a fewer scandalous affairs.

Similar to Taylor, Swift's emotion life has besides been a taxable of speech among nan public. Now, Swift has recovered nan 1 pinch Travis Kelce, whom she got engaged to successful August 2025.

In her song, Swift could beryllium asking Taylor if her narration pinch Kelce will past "forever." On a akin note, Swift could besides beryllium asking Taylor astir nan changeless attraction and analyzable level of fame and wondering if that will besides past "forever."

"Oftentimes it doesn't consciousness truthful glamorous to beryllium maine / All nan correct guys promised they'd enactment / Under agleam lights, they withered away, but you bloom," she adds successful nan song.

“That position of Portofino” and nan “Plaza Athénée”

One of Swift's much nonstop references to Taylor is erstwhile she sings, "That position of Portofino was connected my mind erstwhile you called maine astatine nan Plaza Athénée."

Portofino, Italy, was famously 1 of Taylor's favourite places to vacation, and she moreover spent a number of her honeymoons there. The Italian picnic hub was besides wherever Burton projected to Taylor for nan first time.

The 2nd half of nan lyric refers to nan Plaza Athénée, a five-star edifice successful Paris, wherever Taylor and Burton lived for six months successful 1971.

“Eyes violet”

In different nonstop callout to Taylor, Swift sings, "I'd outcry my eyes violet, Elizabeth Taylor." From nan opening of her career, Taylor was recognized for her breathtaking eyes, which appeared to person a "violet" hue.

Taylor's eyes, which were people heavy bluish pinch grey tints, often appeared to look violet because of her little levels of melanin successful her iris, per Live Science.

“The champion booth astatine Musso & Frank’s”

Another reference to Taylor came successful nan lyrics, "We deed nan champion booth astatine Musso & Frank’s."

Musso & Frank’s Grill is simply a edifice successful Los Angeles that has been serving celebrities since 1919. Taylor was a predominant diner and would measurement distant from nan spotlight by heading into nan restaurant's "famous Back Room," per nan restaurant's website.

“My achromatic diamonds”

While Taylor whitethorn astir famously beryllium known for her on-screen roles, she besides made history arsenic 1 of nan first celebrities to present her ain fragrance line. Her perfume, released successful 1991, was called White Diamonds and brought successful complete $1 cardinal successful income earlier her death, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Swift seemingly paid homage to Taylor's invention and bequest by adding successful nan song, "All my achromatic diamonds and lovers are forever."

“In nan papers, connected nan screen, and successful their minds”

Taylor was 1 of nan first awesome celebrities to person each aspects of her life scrutinized successful nan press, and Swift shared pinch big Elvis Duran that she related to Taylor and has thought of her arsenic a "role model" successful nan midst of her ain stardom.

"In nan papers, connected nan screen, and successful their minds," she sings. Of course, successful nan lyrics, Swift could beryllium referring to immoderate number of things — from group who day her everlastingly being cemented arsenic her partner aliases ex, to each portion of her life getting written and spoken about.

"She was funny," Swift said of Taylor. "I deliberation she’s conscionable a fabulous domiciled exemplary and personification that I dream my fans will look her up and spot really overmuch she went done and really she was making her champion art. Even astatine nan midst of people's outrage complete thing successful her life, she continued being astatine nan apical of her crippled successful position of her creator output."

For much connected Taylor Swift, prime up PEOPLE's recently updated typical version Taylor Swift A to Z: A Showgirl's Life, out now.