Taylor Swift's 'Father Figure' Lyrics Explained: Breaking Down “The Life of a Showgirl” Track

The Life of a Showgirl hears Taylor Swift singing astir a "Father Figure" — but who precisely is nan popular prima referring to?

Nearly 2 months aft announcing that her 12th workplace medium was connected its way, The Life of a Showgirl was officially released connected Oct. 3. The medium — which nan Grammy victor has described arsenic having "completely intentional" lyrics — includes 12 marque caller tracks, including "The Fate of Ophelia," "Opalite" and "Wi$h Li$t."

When she first announced nan title of Track 4, "Father Figure," fans people noticed that it shared its sanction pinch the iconic track by nan precocious George Michael. One time earlier nan album's release, Swift sewage nan charismatic stamp of support from nan precocious singer's team, arsenic his charismatic Instagram relationship posted a letter saying they were "delighted" erstwhile Swift and her squad approached them astir it.

"When we heard nan way we had nary hesitation successful agreeing to this relation betwixt 2 awesome artists and we cognize George would person felt nan same," nan missive read.

But alternatively than sampling Michael's song, she interpolates it pinch her ain version, 1 that fans deliberation is loaded pinch immoderate hidden messages astir existent group successful her life.

So, who is Taylor Swift's "Father Figure" about? Here are nan lyrics of The Life of a Showgirl's Track 4, decoded.

What is Taylor Swift's "Father Figure" about?

In Track 4, "Father Figure," Swift sings astir a characteristic swinging their BDE astir and making "deals pinch nan devil."

During an Oct. 3 quality connected BBC1, Swift shared that "Father Figure" is simply a measurement of talking astir "power structures and nan flipping of nan powerfulness dynamics."

In nan Amazon Music Track by Track version of The Life of a Showgirl, Swift shared that nan lyrics of "Father Figure" are her "favorite," and that they see things she's "always wanted to say."

"It was a blast to write," she said. "I emotion stepping into a characteristic for illustration that."

Who did Taylor Swift constitute "Father Figure" about?

Swift has not confirmed who "Father Figure" was written about, but that hasn't stopped fans from theorizing online.

Some listeners are speculating that nan opus was written from nan position of Swift's erstwhile mentor, Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta.

During an Oct. 3 quality connected Elvis Duran and nan Morning Show, Swift said nan way is simply a metaphor astir nan measurement "men move done nan world successful a consciousness of power."

"You benignant of can't show if I'm singing from nan position of nan ingénue aliases of nan begetter fig mentor character, and that's by design," she said.

What happened betwixt Scott Borchetta and Taylor Swift?

When Swift signed pinch Borchetta's grounds explanation astatine 15 years old, nan brace had a seemingly adjacent narration arsenic she roseate to fame successful nan years to follow. But successful 2019, their narration reached a turning constituent erstwhile Borchetta sold Big Machine Records to Scooter Braun successful a reported $300 cardinal woody — a move that gave Braun power of Swift's first six albums.

The waste sparked a highly publicized conflict betwixt Swift and her erstwhile label, and yet motivated nan vocalist to re-record her first six albums arsenic a measurement to reclaim ownership of her catalog.

That aforesaid day, Swift reacted to nan waste successful a lengthy connection connected Tumblr, revealing that she had pleaded "for years" pinch Borchetta for nan chance to ain her masters. Instead, she was offered what she described arsenic an ultimatum: re-sign pinch Big Machine and “earn” 1 medium backmost for each caller 1 she delivered.

In nan letter, Swift besides shared that though she knew Borchetta would 1 time waste her masters aft leaving nan label, she ne'er imagined it would've been to Braun.

"Never successful my worst nightmares did I ideate nan purchaser would beryllium Scooter," she wrote. "Any clip Scott Borchetta has heard nan words ‘Scooter Braun’ flight my lips, it was erstwhile I was either crying aliases trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they some did."

Six years later, Swift announced that she had reclaimed power of her masters, penning successful a missive that it is her "greatest dream travel true."

If "Father Figure" is astir Borchetta, it wouldn't beryllium nan first clip her feud pinch him and Braun would find its measurement into a song. "My Tears Ricochet," a opus from her eighth workplace medium Folklore, is believed to beryllium Swift's reflection connected leaving Big Machine Records and nan symptom she felt complete Borchetta's betrayal.

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