Taylor Swift Removes Controversial 'Better Than Revenge' Lyrics for 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift changed the lyrics of the song Better Than Revenge for the album Speak Now (Taylor's Version). There are a total of 22 songs in the album, including six previously unreleased Swift songs and two previously released bonus tracks.

It also marks the Grammy winner's most recent re-recording since 2021's Red (Taylor's Version). However, fans will also notice that the singer has changed the song Better Than Revenge. The original song's lyrics read, "She's not a saint, and she's not what you think / She's an actress, whoa / She's better known for the things that she does / On the mattress, whoa."

The last lines were changed in Swift's most recent song to, "He was a moth to the flame / She was holding the matches, whoa," reports People Magazine. Since the song's 2010 release, fans have critiqued it, frequently labeling it as problematic. In 2014, Swift addressed the criticism in the media, stating to The Guardian, "I was 18 when I wrote that. That's the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one can take someone from you if they don't want to leave."

Swift initially revealed that Speak Now (Taylor's Version) would be her next re-recording at her May 5 Eras Tour concert in Nashville before singing Sparks Fly from the album, according to People. "There's a different reason that I'm really excited about this part of the set tonight. Because I've been planning something for a while," she said while on stage. "You know how I love to plan things, and how I love to surprise you with the things I plan. It's my love language with you — I plot, I scheme, I plan and I get to tell you about it. If you would direct your attention to the back big screen." The new Speak Now cover then showed up, along with the captions (Taylor's Version) and its release date.

While talking about the album, the Anti-Hero songstress wrote on Instagram, "It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness."

She further added, "I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing… and living to speak about it. With six extra songs I’ve sprung loose from the vault, I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with you on July 7th. Pre-order now at TaylorSwift.com."