1: "The Fate of Ophelia"

The opening song on Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl references the character Ophelia from William Shakespeare's Hamlet, who faces a tragic fate.

According to the song's lyrics, Taylor "might've drowned in the melancholy" if she hadn't been saved by her true love.

"I heard you calling / On the megaphone," Taylor sings. "You wanna see me all alone."

The lyrics appear to be a nod to Travis Kelce calling Taylor out on his New Heights podcast for not meeting him at her Eras Tour, which is how their romance began. 

"I swore loyalty to me, myself and I," the lyrics continue. "Right before you lit my sky up."

Before meeting Travis, Taylor was fresh off a breakup from Matty Healy, having declared herself one of the "independent girlies" in July 2023. 

But after Travis went to her concert in Kansas City that same month, sparks began to fly.

Now, Taylor's fiancé is even in on her Easter egg game, teasing "The Fate of Ophelia" lyrics on Instagram back in July. (Had some adventures this offseason," he captioned pics with Taylor, adding, "Kept it [100].")

How does that connect to Taylor's song? Well, as the lyrics go, "You dug me out of my grave and saved my heart from the fate of Ophelia / Keep it one hundred."

2: "Elizabeth Taylor"

Taylor gives a nod to another famous showgirl, the late Elizabeth Taylor, in the second song on the album, even naming Elizabeth's favorite places, Paris' Plaza Athénée as well as Los Angeles' Musso & Frank's.

In the lyrics, Taylor also draws parallels between her and the Cleopatra actress. Like Taylor today, Elizabeth often made headlines for everything from her love life to her dazzling outfits.

But, as Taylor notes in her song, "Oftentimes it doesn't feel so glamorous to be me."

3: "Opalite"

In upbeat "Opalite," which Travis previously revealed as his favorite Showgirl song, Taylor references their love story. 

After weathering her fair share of lightning strikes in relationships, now Taylor's sky is calm, it's opalite, with Travis.

4: "Father Figure"

While Taylor, Max Martin and Shellback are credited as Showgirl writers, the late George Michael receives a posthumous credit on "Father Figure" because the song includes an interpolation of George's 1987 track of the same name.

George's team even gave their stamp of approval, writing on Instagram Oct. 2, "Thank you @taylorswift for including George in such a special moment."

5: "Eldest Daughter"

We've reached track five on Showgirl, known to be the spot on an album that Taylor reserves for her most heartbreaking songs.

In "Eldest Daughter," Taylor, who Andrea Swift and Scott Swift welcomed before also becoming parents to Austin Swift, sings about navigating all of life's highs and lows, but always sticking with the ones she loves. 

"Cause I'm not a bad bitch / And this isn't savage / And I'm never gonna let you down,” the lyrics note. “I'm never gonna leave you out / So many traitors / Smooth operators / But I'm never gonna break that vow."

6: "Ruin the Friendship"

7: "Actually Romantic"

"Actually Romantic" is not actually about a romance, per se. Rather, it's a response to an unnamed person who, according to the lyrics, has spent a lot of time talking about Taylor.

"High-fived my ex and then you said you're glad he ghosted me," Taylor sings. "Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face / Some people might be offended / But it's actually sweet."

While Taylor rarely reveals who a song is written about, many fans on social media believe it was inspired by Charli XCX, who opened for Taylor on her Reputation Tour and is friends with Taylor's ex Matty and his fiancée Gabbriette Bechtel.

When Charli—who is married to Matty’s The 1975 bandmate George Daniel—released brat in June 2024, there was speculation that her song "Sympathy is a Knife" threw shade at Taylor. However, two months later, Taylor seemed to put rumors to rest by sharing her praise for Charli.

“I’ve been blown away by Charli’s melodic sensibilities since I first heard ‘Stay Away’ in 2011,” Taylor told New York magazine in an article published Aug. 26. “Her writing is surreal and inventive, always. She just takes a song to places you wouldn’t expect it to go, and she’s been doing it consistently for over a decade. I love to see hard work like that pay off."

E! News has reached out to reps for comment on the speculation and has not heard back.

8: "Wish List" 

On the very top of Taylor's wish list? A forever with Travis. That includes starting a family.

"I just want you," she sings. "Have a couple kids / Got the whole block looking like you."

9: "Wood"

According to Taylor, wishing on a star "never did me any good" when it came to love. But now, with Travis, she doesn't even need to knock on wood. 

"Girls, I don't need to catch the bouquet," she notes in the lyrics, "to know a hard rock is on the way."

And she was right. Taylor and Travis announced their engagement in August 2025 after two years of dating.

The song also includes a nod to New Heights, which Taylor credits for the start of their relationship.

10: "Cancelled!"

In track 10, Taylor is taking someone under her wing after they've been canceled, something she too has experienced.

"Come with me, when they see us they'll run," she advises. "Something wicked this way comes / Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like 'em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal."

11: "Honey"

"Honey" is as sweet as it sounds. In the 11th track, Taylor sings about how Travis has been able to redefine her vocabulary. Instead of having bad memories tied to words like "honey" and "sweetheart," Taylor now thinks of Travis.

"Redefine all of those blues / When you say 'honey,'" Taylor croons. "Summertime spritz, pink skies / You can call me 'honey' if you want / Because I'm the one you want."

In fact, Travis did call Taylor "sweetie" during her debut appearance on New Heights in August.

12: "The Life of a Showgirl" (Featuring Sabrina Carpenter)

For her final act, Taylor teamed up with friend Sabrina Carpenter.

The lyrics tie together with "Elizabeth Taylor," giving a glimpse behind-the-scenes of a showgirl. While it may seem glamorous, there's always a price to pay, and the seasoned showgirl has to let the budding star know.

And the lyrics paint a picture, "She said, 'I'd sell my soul to have a tase of a magnificent life, that's all mine' / But that's not what showgirls get / They leave us for dead."

In the end, after learning about the life of a showgirl, they join together for a final bow, "That's our show / We love you so much, goodnight!"