BABYLON LYRICS - TAYLOR SWIFT | THE LIFE OF A SHOWGIRL: THE ENCORE

Babylon by Taylor Swift — the closing track of The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, released September 25, 2026; written in Sweden with Max Martin and Shellback; debuted at No. 4 on Spotify global with 8.4M first-day streams as Swift held all four top spots.

Babylon Song Credits

Song: Babylon
Singer: Taylor Swift
Album: The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore
Release Date: September 25, 2026
Music Label: Republic Records
Writers: Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback
Producers: Max Martin, Shellback — according to reports
Genre: Pop

Babylon Lyrics

[Verse 1]
The casino doesn't like when you run the tables
And though the box is wrapped up nice, it's just a cage to you
Those electric fences buzz, a stallion flees the stable
And that small town's even smaller now in your rearview

[PreChorus]
You ran with all the wild things
A liberated libertine
Who then longed for home

[Chorus]
'Cause it's where you're from
Aunt Virginia with her church dress on
No elbows on the table and the neighbor's lawn always looked better
Your hand-me-down sweater should've been from the mall, and you hate this song
But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone
Then that melody is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
Till it was gone

[Verse 2]
Give the people what they want
Then you keep it moving
Make your plans and friends, a stranger's makeup on your tie
Twenty watches in the safe
'Cause your time is money
Love is ice upon the ladder that you need to climb

[PreChorus]
She captured your attention
So free of all pretension
It stopped you cold

[Chorus]
Because she loved you so
Pretty as a picture that you didn't post
Looking at you like you're made of solid gold
Never official
You mention you're single to the girls at the bar
You hate this song
But you wake up on the train with your headphones gone
And then that melody is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
Till it was gone

[Bridge]
You're using
Nostalgia as a weapon to hurt yourself
But darling
You end up hurting everybody else
The self-harm of never being where you are
It's bedtime, but you're sitting in your car
You're missing all the best parts

[Chorus]
And they're all at home
She's hanging Christmas lights with your son
Sneaking to the bathroom to call her mom
And say it's not working
It's just not worth it if we're not what he wants, but you love this song
You wake up on the train with your headphones gone
Then that melody is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
And now it's almost gone

[Chorus]
Aunt Virginia with her church dress on
No elbows on the table and the neighbor's lawn always looked better
It's almost gone
Your hand-me-down sweater should've been from the mall
But you love this song
You wake up on the train and you're all alone
Then that memory is all you want
You never knew that it was Babylon
Till it was gone

Babylon Official Lyric Video

Watch the official lyric video on YouTube

Babylon FAQs

Which album is "Babylon" from?
The closing track of Taylor Swift's deluxe album The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, released September 25, 2026 — one of four new songs added to her 12th studio album.

Who wrote and produced "Babylon"?
Taylor Swift, Max Martin and Shellback are credited as writers (licensed credits); Martin and Shellback produced the new material in Sweden according to reports.

What is "Babylon" about?
A reflective song about someone who left a small hometown chasing wealth and status, only to realize too late what they lost; it callbacks "cowboy like me" and "us."

How did "Babylon" perform on Spotify?
It debuted at No. 4 on Spotify's Daily Global chart with about 8.4M first-day streams, as Swift's four new tracks swept the global Top 4 — the biggest deluxe-album debut in Spotify history.

More Taylor Swift Lyrics

Read the lyrics to Pink Clouding and The Fate of Ophelia, and check out our Taylor Swift biography.