We’re all eagerly counting down the days until Midnights arrives, but in the meantime, let’s dive deep into Taylor Swift’s incredible catalog. I’ve been revisiting her albums and hand-picking what I believe are her top 10 most healing songs.
Taylor Swift has a remarkable gift for making us feel understood. No matter what you’re going through, there’s a Taylor song that can resonate and offer solace.
As I explored each of her albums, I was struck by the therapeutic depth in her music – the metaphors, the life lessons, and the emotional intelligence woven into her lyrics.
So, after careful consideration, I’ve selected what I consider Dr. Swift’s most healing songs, choosing one standout track from each album, plus one from The Vault to round out our list to ten.
Before we get started, please remember – this is just my perspective.
The best Taylor Swift songs for healing are the ones that resonate with you.
Trusting your own feelings and finding what comforts you is a crucial part of your personal healing journey.
These are simply my interpretations, blending my experience as a therapist with my love for Taylor Swift’s music to highlight the healing themes within.
Important Note: The songs below are listed chronologically by album, not ranked by healing power.
However, I will reveal which song I believe is the most healing – keep reading to find out!
Taylor Swift’s Most Healing Song From Each Album: A Curated List
Taylor Swift (Self-Titled Album) – A Place in This World
Many of us fall into the trap of believing happiness will arrive once we have everything “figured out.” We chase milestones, thinking that reaching a certain point means we’ve “made it.”
But life is often about navigating uncertainty. We spend our lives evolving, discovering who we are, what we truly want, and which path to take. And, let’s face it, plans often change!
That’s why A Place in This World is my pick for the most healing song from Taylor Swift’s debut album.
This song is a celebration of the journey itself, not just the destination. It’s a comforting reassurance when you feel lost and a gentle reminder that you don’t need a detailed roadmap. Sometimes, simply “just walkin’,” is enough.
Many of the lyrics are incredibly grounding. Let’s break down a few:
“Tomorrow’s just a mystery, oh yeah, but that’s okay” acknowledges the inherent uncertainty of life. Believing in your own resilience is key to navigating the unknown.
“I’m alone, on my own, and that’s all I know” is a powerful affirmation of self-reliance. You always have yourself to depend on, no matter what life throws your way.
“I’ll be strong, I’ll be wrong, oh but life goes on” is a mantra of courage, humility, and acceptance, all rolled into one.
And perhaps my favorite line, “got the sunshine, could you tell me what more do I need?”
It’s a powerful call to gratitude. When you’re feeling lost or hopeless, connecting with nature is a wonderful way to cultivate gratitude.
Fearless – Change
If you’ve ever been through a tough period where everything seems to be going wrong, and you fear it will never end… Change is your anthem.
The very title of this song radiates healing energy.
Healing is often synonymous with transformation, with change. It’s why so many people seek therapy – to facilitate positive change in their lives.
Situations can change. Feelings can change. Reactions can change. You can change.
Change from Fearless is my chosen healing song.
When you’re in a dark place, holding onto the hope that “these things will change,” is vital for your healing process.
However, life throws curveballs. Sometimes you face situations beyond your control. Things happen that you simply cannot change.
In those moments, if external change is impossible, shift your focus inward. Work on internal change. And often, that internal shift involves moving from resistance towards acceptance.
I also want to highlight the lyric “we sing Hallelujah,” and how it serves as a reminder of something larger than yourself, even if you aren’t religious. We are all interconnected.
“Hallelujah” is an expression of hope, faith, and gratitude for the good that is yet to come.
Thank you, Taylor, for reminding us to keep the faith.
Speak Now – Innocent
This song may or may not be inspired by the infamous Kanye West VMA incident.
Regardless of its origin, Innocent from Speak Now is my choice for its surprising depth and healing lessons.
Taylor Swift imagines the person who caused her pain as a child – chasing fireflies, seeking comfort in their parents’ bed, needing help to reach things. She envisions their youthful innocence, before the “monsters caught up” to them.
Childhood experiences and interpretations of those events profoundly shape adult behavior. We often unconsciously create barriers that negatively impact our relationships with others.
If someone has hurt you, forgiveness isn’t mandatory. Accepting their behavior isn’t required.
And you might not be ready for forgiveness, and that’s okay.
But consider that one day, it might be possible to see that person as an innocent child, even a baby.
Understanding their potential past struggles can foster compassion and shed light on their actions.
Broadening your perspective of their situation can help release anger and resentment.
Furthermore, Innocent offers valuable lessons in inner child healing, especially when you direct the lyrics inward.
We all make mistakes. Our self-response to mistakes is often modeled by our caregivers.
If self-forgiveness or self-acceptance feels challenging, it might stem from a lack of those lessons in childhood.
But healing begins now. You can learn to speak to yourself with loving-kindness and compassion. This song embodies that message:
“Your string of lights is still bright to me.”
“Who you are is not what you did.”
“Today is never too late to be brand new.”
These lyrics encourage positive self-talk after mistakes, fostering self-reparenting.
And that is truly healing.
Red – Begin Again
Full disclosure: Begin Again, my Red album pick, is technically about falling in love. It’s healing because it reminds us that endings pave the way for new beginnings.
Yes, Begin Again is the most healing song from Red.
But there’s more!
I often reframe “romantic love” songs when the context doesn’t quite fit my current situation. Get creative and expand the song’s subject matter.
Directing a love song towards yourself is incredibly powerful (mind blown, right?).
When I listen to Begin Again, I feel hope blooming as I envision myself on a date – being treated with kindness and respect, experiencing genuine connection, and simply enjoying the moment.
Why not apply this imagery to yourself? Date yourself! Treat yourself with kindness and respect! Cultivate a beautiful connection with yourself! Learn to enjoy your own company!
Remember, “it” in the line “on a Wednesday, in a café, I watched it begin again” can be anything you want it to be.
If “it” isn’t romantic love right now, “it” can represent those qualities you seek in a partner – interest in your life, deep compassion, understanding, and yes, even love. Give those things to yourself.
Every day, every moment, is a chance to begin again.
And if you’re disappointed I didn’t choose All Too Well for this list, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! I dedicated a whole post to how that song helps process breakups: Check it out here.
1989 – Clean
Creating space to feel your authentic emotions is a cornerstone of healing.
When you allow yourself to feel, you can then examine those feelings, understanding and releasing thoughts, beliefs, or situations that no longer serve you.
That’s why Clean is my highlighted healing track from 1989.
This song can be interpreted in many ways – cleansing from addiction, moving on from a breakup, healing from trauma and feeling “clean” again.
But the common thread? The healing power of tears.
When I hear “rain came pouring down,” I picture tears streaming down a face.
And the line “when I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe,” speaks to surrendering to emotions, experiencing them fully to truly release them. Even if they feel overwhelming, you must process them to move forward.
Did you know that crying releases oxytocin and endorphins – natural pain relievers!
So, if you’re feeling sad, angry, frustrated – all of the above – allow yourself to cry.
Crying isn’t weakness. It’s not shameful. It’s cathartic release. It cleanses your heart, mind, and soul.
Reputation – Call It What You Want
Failure and loss are tough, and the fear of judgment amplifies the pain. It’s not just the setback, but the worry about what others will think.
My Reputation pick is a song of acknowledging defeat. It’s about failure.
But it’s also about shifting focus to the good in your life.
It’s about finding comfort when you desperately need it.
And it’s about recognizing your inherent worth, regardless of external opinions.
That’s why Call It What You Want is the most healing song from Reputation.
Yes, it’s about finding solace in a loving partner who provides warmth and support.
Having a trustworthy partner during difficult times is undoubtedly therapeutic.
But even without a partner, you can still find healing in this song. Direct the lyrics towards any source of comfort – a pet, a friend, nature.
Or, even better, make it a self-love anthem! Imagine yourself “fly as a jet stream, high above the whole scene, loving yourself like you’re brand new.”
YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN FIRE TO KEEP YOURSELF WARM.
Becoming your own source of comfort and strength? Call it what you want – but I call it healing.
Lover – Daylight
We’ve arrived at the song, my #1 most healing Taylor Swift track: Daylight.
This song encapsulates the journey through a Dark Night of the Soul and the subsequent emergence into light.
A Dark Night of the Soul is exactly as it sounds – a profoundly challenging, emotionally agonizing period. Everything you thought you knew about yourself and your life crumbles.
It’s painful. Depressing. Physically draining. Control feels like an illusion.
Your entire belief system is challenged.
But surrendering to the experience, accepting it, and finding meaning within it can become a catalyst for immense growth and healing.
Let’s rewind to the iconic line from Look What You Made Me Do:
“I’m sorry, but the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh! Cause she’s dead.”
This line hints at Dr. Swift’s own Dark Night of the Soul experience.
This is precisely what happens during such a period. An old version of yourself dies. Your identity shifts. It’s emotionally and mentally exhausting.
But when that old self dissolves, the ego can finally release its grip. And you can rediscover Your Self – a purer, more radiant version of you. Your True Self.
Daylight is the most healing song, not just from Lover, but from Taylor Swift’s entire discography.
I’ve personally navigated my own Dark Night of the Soul. It lasted roughly two years, and I emerged a changed person. It forced me to become who I am today. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary, and I’m grateful for the meaning I found in the experience.
Many Daylight lyrics resonate with this profound transformation:
“Been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night, and now I see daylight” is about emerging from that darkness and finally seeing light – joy, hope, and life’s positive moments.
I interpret “I don’t wanna look at anything else now that I saw you,” as glimpsing Your True Self – that luminous, loving core. Once you connect with that part of yourself, everything shifts.
And the powerful closing lines: “I wanna be defined by the things that I love. Not the things, I hate. That I’m afraid of – afraid of. That haunt me in the middle of the night. I – I just think that – you are what you love.”
Talk about reframing! If that isn’t healing, I don’t know what is.
Folklore – This Is Me Trying
Truthfully, This Is Me Trying didn’t fully resonate as therapeutic until I watched The Long Pond Studio Sessions and Taylor Swift explained its meaning.
After that, WOW. This song is like a therapy session in musical form. She even mentions therapy directly with “pouring out my heart to a stranger, but I didn’t pour the whiskey.”
So, This Is Me Trying is my Folklore pick.
The song’s core message is vital for personal healing and for supporting others on their journeys.
It acknowledges that you’re likely doing your best with the knowledge and resources you have. Even when someone seems to be doing the bare minimum, or when you feel like you’re not doing enough, the truth is, you’re probably trying.
If you’re struggling with depression and getting out of bed for five minutes to shower is your day’s accomplishment – you’re still trying.
If you’ve applied to countless jobs and haven’t landed an interview – you’re still trying.
And sometimes, you try. You try incredibly hard. And you still don’t get the desired outcome. This song validates the hopelessness that can arise when effort doesn’t yield immediate results.
It reminds us that quick fixes aren’t always available. And that simply holding space for someone’s struggles fosters connection, which is in itself a form of healing.
Evermore – Happiness
Holding space for contradictory emotions is challenging but crucial for healing.
Listening closely to my Evermore pick, you might feel the push and pull of conflicting thoughts and feelings coexisting.
There’s a sense of peace alongside deep sadness:
“Honey when I’m above the trees, I see it for what it is. But now my eyes leak acid rain on the pillow where you used to lay your head.”
There’s a simultaneous desire to hold on and let go:
“I would have loved you for a lifetime, leave it all behind.”
And a reminder to be honest about present feelings while acknowledging their potential to evolve:
“All you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness. I haven’t met the new me yet, but I think she’ll give you that.”
Yes, Happiness is my most healing Taylor Swift song from Evermore.
This song expands our understanding of happiness:
“There’ll be happiness after you. There was happiness because of you. Both of these things can be true. There is happiness.”
And she’s right – there is happiness, even amidst complexity.
From The Vault – Ronan
I can count on one hand how many times I’ve listened to Ronan. It’s profoundly sad.
This song is about grief. About remembering someone who is gone. It doesn’t gloss over the pain of loss.
My From The Vault pick is, of course, Ronan.
For those unfamiliar, Taylor Swift wrote this song after discovering Rockstar Ronan, Maya Thompson’s blog documenting her 3-year-old son’s battle with cancer.
Taylor Swift used excerpts from the blog as lyrics, credited Maya Thompson as a songwriter, and donated all proceeds to cancer charities.
When it comes to grief, there’s no right or wrong way to heal.
But Ronan focuses on the one thing you can control when someone dies: remembrance.
Remembering helps process emotions.
It helps understand how loss reshapes your life.
Remembering honors your loved one and keeps their memory alive.
And remembering is an expression of the enduring love within you.
I admit, I’m teary-eyed writing this.
But if you need to access suppressed emotions and release them through tears, Ronan is the song.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other article on Taylor Swift songs that teach us how to navigate our feelings.
If you found this article helpful, please like and share it below! And if you’re in New York and seeking therapy, explore my services pages to see if we might be a good fit.
Please leave a comment – what Taylor Swift song has been most healing for you?
