Breaking Down All of Taylor Swifts Eras Tour Surprise Song Mash Ups and What They Could Mean

Some Swifties have been luckier than others when it comes to the surprise songs set of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour.

Since launching her record-breaking tour in March 2023, Swift has used the penultimate section of her show to perform songs across her entire discography that aren’t included in the concert’s expansive setlist. On occasion, however, Swift has used the portion of the show to debut special mash-ups of her most famous tracks.

Swift began the trend during a November 2023 show in Buenos Aires, combining “Is It Over Now?” and “Out of the Woods” from 1989 (Taylor’s Version). That same month, Swift revealed that she would be breaking her own surprise songs rule of only performing a track once for more of her international Eras Tour dates.

“I decided that in 2024, when we go back on tour, I’m just gonna open back up all the songs for surprise songs,” she told fans during a show in São Paulo, Brazil, noting that her entire discography was “fair game.”

‘Is It Over Now?’ and ‘Out of the Woods’
One month after 1989 (TV)’s October 2023 release, Swift surprised Argentina fans with a mash-up of songs from the album. Swifties immediately made a connection between the two tracks as both are rumored to be about the pop star’s ex Harry Styles.

The vault track “Is it Over Now?” features the lyrics, “When you lost control / red blood, white snow.” The exes, who were romantically linked from late 2012 to early 2013, famously got into a snowmobile accident in 2012, after which Styles was photographed with a bandage on his chin.

In the song, Swift also sings about sitting in a “blue dress on a boat,” a nod to being photographed in a blue dress while on a boat not long after her and Styles’ split.

“Out of the Woods,” is also speculated to be about Styles and Swift’s snowmobile incident, featuring lyrics such as, “Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? / Twenty stitches in the hospital room.” The song’s lyrics also make reference to the paper airplane necklaces they were each seen wearing during their brief romance.

After beginning to play Reputation’s “Getaway Car” on guitar during a February 2024 concert in Melbourne, Australia, Swift surprised fans by transitioning the tune into “August” from Folklore, which is included in the tour’s main setlist. She rounded out the acoustic performance by adding “The Other Side of the Door” from Fearless (Taylor’s Version).

“I want to play one that you really want to hear, I want you to be happy,” she told the crowd, per social media footage from the show.

Fans once again were quick to notice a connection between the songs as all three discuss infidelity. The lyrics to “Getaway Car” compare being stuck in a romantic situation with three people to being a “sideshow,” while “The Other Side of the Door” asks the question if the other woman in a relationship was “worth the mess” it caused.

“August,” meanwhile, is one of three Folklore songs that tells the story of a love triangle, including “Cardigan” and “Betty.” The track follows the story from the perspective of a girl named August, with whom a boy named James cheated on his girlfriend Betty.

‘Come Back … Be Here’ and ‘Daylight’
For her third Eras Tour concert in Melbourne, Swift grabbed her guitar to sing a mash-up of “Come Back … Be Here” from Red (Taylor’s Version) and “Daylight” from Lover. While “Come Back … Be Here” tells the story of a person hoping to rekindle a broken romance, “Daylight” sees Swift discuss leaving behind the mess of past relationships after seemingly finding her perfect partner.

“And I can still see it all (in my mind) / All of you, all of my (intertwined) / I once believed love would be (black and White) / But it’s golden (golden),” Swift sings in “Daylight.”

It was during her third Melbourne show that Swift revealed she might repeat surprise songs throughout the remainder of the tour. “I want to be as creative as possible with the acoustic set moving forward, and I don’t want to limit anything or say, ‘Oh, if I played this song, I can’t play it again,’” she told fans, per social media footage. “So, from now on, I don’t want to take any paint colors out of the paintbox [or] tools out of the toolbox.”

Breaking Down All of Taylor Swifts Eras Tour Surprise Song Mash Ups and What They Could Mean
TAS Rights Management via Getty Images
‘White Horse’ and ‘Coney Island’
Swift continued her leg of Australia Eras Tour shows in Sydney. During her first night in the city, Swift brought out her opening act, Sabrina Carpenter, to sing a mash-up of “White Horse” from Fearless (TV) and “Coney Island” from Evermore after Carpenter’s performance was canceled due to poor weather.

The lyrics to both songs follow the endings of relationships after the people involved realize their romantic connection was not how they thought it would be or not how it once was.

Taylor Swift s Eras Tour Performance Guide

‘Should’ve Said No’ and ‘You’re Not Sorry’ / ‘Peace’ and ‘New Year’s Day’
Swift performed her first set of double secret song mash-ups during her second Sydney Eras Tour show in February 2024. She began by combining “Should’ve Said No” from her self-titled debut album, Taylor Swift, and “You’re Not Sorry” from Fearless (TV) on the guitar. Both of the breakup tracks discuss relationships in which one partner was not faithful.

Swift followed up the mash-up by performing Folklore’s “Peace” with Reputation’s “New Year’s Day,” both of which see the singer analyze her romances. While “Peace” sees Swift question whether her fame is keeping her from maintaining “peace” in a relationship, Swift asks her partner to “please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere” in “New Year’s Day.”

‘Is It Over Now?’ and ‘I Wish You Would’ / ‘Haunted’ and ‘Exile’
Swift performed another mash-up of 1989 (TV) tunes, “Is It Over Now?” and “I Wish You Would,” as her guitar surprise song during Sydney Night 3. The concert marked the second time Swift used “Is It Over Now?” in a mash-up with another track rumored to be about Styles, having previously done so in Buenos Aires in November 2023.

After performing the upbeat songs on her guitar, Swift headed over the piano to sing a mash-up of “Haunted” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and “Exile” from Folklore. On theme with many of Swift’s surprise song mash-ups, both breakup tracks tell the story of realizing a relationship was not what it seemed on the surface.

Which Taylor Swift Rerecord Is Your Favorite?
Fearless (Taylors Version)
1989 (Taylors Version)
Speak Now (Taylors Version)
Red (Taylors Version)
‘Forever & Always’ and ‘Maroon’ / ‘Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve’ and ‘Ivy’
For her final night in Sydney, Swift hit fans with two more secret song mash-ups featuring some of her biggest tracks. On piano, Swift performed Fearless (TV)’s “Forever & Always” with Midnight’s “Maroon.” For the guitar secret song, she combined Midnight’s “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” with Evermore’s “Ivy.”

The performances seemingly dispelled the theory that Swift performs her most emotional tracks while wearing her yellow surprise songs dress. Swift instead sported the green version of the dress, which she has also worn in maroon and blue, for Sydney Night 4.

Swift’s official fan account, Taylor Nation, seemingly confirmed there’s no correlation between her surprise songs dress color and the tracks she performs. “#SydneyTSTheErasTour, the past four nights with you have kept us on the edge of our seats! Thanks for bringing *the chant* back and crying with us during the mashups!” they tweeted after the show, adding, “We fear all the dresses now … 🫣.”

‘Mine’ and ‘Starlight’
Swift performed a mash-up of “Mine” and “Starlight,” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), respectively, during her March 2, 2024, concert in Singapore.

“This has become my favorite part of the show because it’s become very chaotic and it’s become a challenge for me to think of new things to do for every single city,” she said in her introduction. “And hope that I’m doing something that you guys might like. It’s been a blast!”

‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ and ‘Dress’
Swift’s second acoustic number on March 2 mashed up “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever,” her 50 Shades Darker duet with Zayn Malik, and “Dress” from Reputation.

Swift’s official Instagram went live to share the performance with her followers, many of whom think it is a clue for the arrival of Reputation (Taylor’s Version). Certain Swifties even pointed out that “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” came out in December, the 12th month of the year, and “Dress” is the 12th song on Reputation’s OG tracklist.

‘Long Story Short’ and ‘The Story of Us’
Swift kicked off her March 3, 2024, acoustic set in Singapore with Evermore’s “Long Story Short” on guitar. Her number evolved into a mash-up with “The Story of Us” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).

‘Clean’ and ‘Evermore’
Swift’s second surprise song on March 3 combined the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) track “Clean” with Evermore from her 2020 album of the same name. The piano mash-up occurred moments after Swift announced the “final edition” of The Tortured Poets Department, which is called “The Black Dog.”

“[These are] two songs about healing from a sky that ‘turned black like a perfect storm’ and a ‘gray November,’” one X user pointed out about the song choices, quoting the respective lyrics. “This album is about heartbreak, but also about healing.”

‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ and ‘Babe’ / ‘Fifteen’ and ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’
For her fourth show in Singapore on March 7, Swift performed two emotional mash-ups spanning four albums during the surprise song set. On guitar, Swift combined Lover’s “Death by a Thousand Cuts” with Red’s “Babe,” two fan-favorite breakup songs. While “Babe” — which Swift originally wrote for Sugarland before releasing it as a vault track on Red (TV) — reflects on a lover’s infidelity and broken promises, “Death by a Thousand Cuts” recalls the slow and painful deterioration of a relationship and is based on the Netflix movie Something Great.

On piano, Swift performed a mash-up of “Fifteen” from Fearless and “You’re On Your Own, Kid” from Midnights, marking her fifth performance of the latter, which is now her most-played surprise song of the Eras Tour so far. When Swift began singing “Fifteen” in a different key than usual, fans began to speculate the emotional Midnights track would be coming next. Both songs’ lyrics show Swift reflecting on the innocence of youth, although she wrote “Fifteen” when she was 18, and penned “You’re On Your Own, Kid” more recently as part of her 2022 album.

‘Sparks Fly’ and ‘Gold Rush’ / ‘False God’ and ‘Slut!’
Swift went for more mash-ups during her Singapore Eras Tour show on March 8. On the guitar, she opted for “Sparks Fly” from Speak Now and “Gold Rush” from Evermore. These two songs appear to depict opposite sides of a relationship. “Sparks Fly” is about the feelings expressed during the beginning stages of a romance while “Gold Rush” is the more realistic side of a crush. Swift sings about how she is jealous of a possible suitor and cannot be with them because they are loved by everyone.

For her piano songs, Swift chose Lover’s “False God” and “Slut!” from 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Both of these seem to have more sexual undertones. “Slut!” references the slut-shaming Swift received in the public eye over the years, and the lyrics of “False God” lean into promiscuity.

“Tim McGraw” and “Cowboy Like Me” / “Mirrorball” and “Epiphany”
Swift once again delivered two mash-ups in Singapore. For her guitar song on March 9, she quipped that she felt “nostalgic” since it would be her “last show for a while” until May, which led into “Tim McGraw.” Halfway through, Swift began strumming the chords to Evermore’s “Cowboy Like Me.”

Later, Swift took to the piano to mash up the two Folklore tracks of “Mirrorball” and “Epiphany.”

“The Alchemy” and “Treacherous” / “Begin Again” and “Paris”
During her fourth and final Paris concert in May, Swift performed two mash-ups. On the guitar, she sang The Tortured Poets Department’s “The Alchemy” — which is widely believed to be about her romance with boyfriend Travis Kelce, who was in attendance — and Red’s “Treacherous.”

For her piano song, she belted out Red’s “Begin Again” and Midnight’s “Paris.” (Swift also performed “Paris” during the first night in the city.) “When she says I’m so in love that I might stop breathing my heart melted because she literally is so in love,” a user wrote via X, referencing the lyrics to “Paris.”

‘I Think He Knows’ and ‘Gorgeous’
For Swift’s first May 2024 concert in Sweden, she mashed up the Lover and Reputation songs for her guitar surprise song. At one point, she sang, “I think he knows that he’s gorgeous,” which several fans believed was a subtle shout-out to boyfriend Kelce.

Days before the Sweden show, Swift jetted off to Lake Como, Italy, with the NFL tight end in between concerts. (Kelce did not make it to the gig as his Kelce Jam festival in Kansas City took place on the same day.)

‘Say Don’t Go,’ ‘Welcome to New York’ and ‘Clean’
For the first time, Swift performed a trio mash-up for her second Stockholm, Sweden show. The piano rendition took place during the 89th show on her Eras Tour.

‘Message in a Bottle,’ ‘How You Get the Girl’ and ‘New Romantics’
As Swift kicked off the surprise song set of her final Sweden concert, she revealed that Max Martin was in the crowd. While the “shy” songwriter was not interested in coming up on stage for a duet, he did want to hear one of their early 2012 collaborations live. Swift did one better and came up with a “Max Martin medley” of three Red and 1989 tracks.

‘Come Back, Be Here,’ ‘The Way I Loved You’ and ‘The Other Side of the Door’ / ‘Fresh Out the Slammer’ and ‘High Infidelity’
Swift performed two mash-ups of three songs during her first concert in Lisbon in May 2024. The guitar one featured the first time on the Eras Tour that “The Way I Loved You” made the setlist.

Swift’s piano mash-up of the TTPD and Midnights songs sparked fan theories that she is confirming the viral April 29 speculation.

“Did she just confirm where she was on April 29th … was literally my first thought,” an X user wrote.

Swift mentions April 29th on “High Infidelity,” which fans have inferred is about cheating and believe occurred in 2016 when Swift attended Gigi Hadid’s birthday party solo amid her romance with Calvin Harris. Days later, Swift went to the Met Gala. Her now-ex, Joe Alwyn, was at the fashion fundraiser that same night. Swift never addressed what allegedly happened on April 29 in any year.

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ and ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’/ ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’ and ‘Long Live’
For Swift’s second Eras concert in Lisbon, she gave them a guitar surprise song that she had never played live before in the title track from TTPD. After playing nearly the entire song, she launched into “Now That We Don’t Talk” from 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Her piano mash-up of “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Long Live” had fans in their feels.

Both “You’re On Your Own, Kid” and “Long Live” have widely been thought of as Swift’s songs dedicated to Swifties. In the Midnights track, Swift mentions friendship bracelets. The lyric inspired concertgoers to trade their own beaded baubles at Eras shows. Meanwhile, “Long Live” has been Swift’s ode to her supporters harking back to her Speak Now album. (“Long Live” had been added to the setlist when her Taylor’s Version came out in 2023 but was removed to make room for a TTPD section.)

‘Sparks Fly’ and ‘I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)’ / ‘I Look In People’s Windows’ and ‘Snow On The Beach’
During her first show in Madrid, Swift had the crowd singing along when she mashed up the choruses of “Sparks Fly” and “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” on the guitar. For the piano portion, Swift performed a heartfelt rendition of “Snow On The Beach” and “I Look In People’s Windows.”

While in the middle of singing the chorus of “Snow On The Beach,” the crowd went wild at the thought Lana Del Rey would pop up on stage to perform the duet. However Swift shut down the fans’ dreams in the post-chorus, by saying “It’s just me guys, sorry,” before transitioning back to the TTPD track.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift
Related: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship Timeline
‘The Prophecy’ and ‘Long Story Short’ / ‘Fifteen’ and ‘You’re On Your Own Kid’
For Swift’s first night in Lyon, France, she surprised concertgoers with a song she hadn’t yet played live: “The Prophecy” from TTPD. Swift performed the track on the guitar, blending it with Evermore’s “Long Story Short.” Moving to the piano, the pop star mashed-up two songs: “Fifteen” and “You’re On Your Own, Kid.”

Fans were quick to point out that these songs may be a nod to Kelce. In “The Prophecy,” Swift sang about her hope to find love and wondered if she’ll end up alone. In “Long Story Short,” Swift makes it clear that she “survived” that doubt-filled period of being with the “wrong guy.”

Her piano number is also believed to be a tribute to Kelce. Fearless’ “Fifteen” describes dating “the boy on the football team,” a lyric which has resurfaced since she began dating the NFL player. “You’re on Your Own, Kid,” from 2022’s Midnights, prompted fans to trade their own friendship bracelets at Swift’s Eras Tour shows — which is exactly what Kelce did to give Swift his number in summer 2023.

‘Glitch’ and ‘Everything Has Changed’
During her June, 3, 2024 concert in Lyon, France, the pop star delivered a stunning performance of her song “Glitch” which appears on the 3 a.m. Version of her 2022 record, Midnights. She then transitioned into “Everything Has Changed,” a duet with Ed Sheeran off her 2012 album, Red. (Sheeran, however, was not in attendance for the mashup.)
‘Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve’ and ‘I Know Places’ / ‘Tis the Damn Season’ and ‘Daylight’
Swift performed two mash-ups during her first June 2024 concert in Edinburgh. Her guitar rendition of “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” and “I Know Places” was briefly halted when she spotted a fan looking for help.

“She’s right there. I’m just gonna keep playing until somebody helps them, I’m gonna be singing this song,” Swift told security guards. “Just let me know. I can do this all night.”

Swift mashed up the TTPD track with Reputation’s “Getaway Car” during her guitar surprise song during Edinburgh Night 2 in June 2024. She then migrated to the piano to perform “All the Girls You Loved Before” with a special mid-song introduction to “Crazier.”

“You get extra credit points if you know this next song at all because it is really, really old,” Swift quipped, referring to the Hannah Montana the Movie single.

The Edinburgh piano mashup was Swift’s first time playing “Crazier” on the Eras Tour, which many fans think is a clue that the rerecorded version of her album Taylor Swift will feature “Crazier” as a vault track. As Swift sang the lyrics, the audience’s LED bracelets lit up green. The emerald hue has since become a symbol of the debut record.