The True Meaning Behind Gracie Abrams And Taylor Swift's 'Us' Lyrics Explained

21 June 2024, 17:59

Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift 'Us' Lyrics Meaning Explained. Picture: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images, Gotham/GC Images

By Sam Prance

What are Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift's 'Us' lyrics about? Here's what they've said about the song.

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Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift's first ever collaboration 'Us' is finally here. What are their 'Us' lyrics actually about though?

As soon as Gracie Abrams announced the tracklist for her second studio album 'The Secret of Us', fans started losing it over Track 5: 'Us (featuring Taylor Swift)'. Taylor is notoriously selective when it comes to choosing her features but Gracie built up a friendship with Taylor supporting her on The Eras Tour and they secretly ended up in the studio together.

Taking to X/Twitter when the tracklist was announced, Gracie tweeted: "All I can tell you for now is that some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my whole entire life was writing this song together. Hands down. I am currently smiling and sweating thinking about it and I’ll never get over the shock of seeing this one on the tracklist. You know how I feel."

Unsurprisingly, 'Us' has immediately become a fan favourite. Here's what Gracie has said about the meaning behind it.

Read more: Every Surprise Song Performed On Taylor Swift's Eras Tour So Far

Gracie Abrams and Taylor Swift write 'Us' together

In 'Us', Gracie and Taylor sing about a past relationship that burned bright and fast. Reflecting, Gracie sings: And if history's clear, someone always ends up in ruins / And what seemed like fate becomes 'What the hell was I doin'?. Taylor later adds: And if history's clear, the flames always end up in ashes / It must seem like fate, give it ten months and you'll be past it.

In the chorus, they both sing: I felt it, you held it / Do you miss us? Us? / Wonder if you regret the secret of us, us / Us, us, us, us, us, us. There's also a rousing Swiftian middle eight that goes: The curse of a miracle, curse of an oracle / You're incomparable, f--- you / What's happened to you? (You?) / Us, us, me, me, us.

Gracie told Billboard that she wrote 'Us' with Taylor after they played each other new music and listened to Aaron Dessner instrumentals together. She said: "Something caught our ear at the same time very hard and fast. So we ran to the piano and started writing this song...I used to fantasize about that kind of a thing as a kid."

Speaking to Billboard as well, Aaron added: "Taylor’s brilliant at synthesising a whole story. [That song] just brought everything [about Gracie’s album] into focus in a beautiful way."

Gracie Abrams - us. (feat. Taylor Swift) [Official Lyric Video]

Writing and releasing a song about an epic failed romance with the queen of writing songs about epic failed romances? Pretty legendary if you ask me.

Gracie Abrams - 'Us (feat. Taylor Swift)' Lyrics

VERSE 1: Gracie Abrams
I know you know
It felt just like a joke
I'm sure you don't know we're talkin'
I know your ghost
I see her through the smoke
She'll play her show
And you'll be watchin'

PRE-CHORUS: Gracie Abrams
And if history's clear, someone always ends up in ruins
And what seemed like fate becomes "What the hell was I doin'?"
Babylon lovers, hangin' lifetimes on a vine (Ooh)
Do you miss mine?

CHORUS: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift
Do you miss us? Us?
I felt it, you held it
Do you miss us? Us?
Wonder if you regret the secret of us, us
Us, us, us, us, us, us

VERSE 2: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift
I know you know
It felt like somethin' old
It felt like somеthin' holy
Like souls bleedin', so
It felt like what I'vе known
You're twenty-nine years old
So how can you be cold when I open my heart?

PRE-CHORUS: Taylor Swift & Gracie Abrams
And if history's clear, the flames always end up in ashes
It must seem like fate, give it ten months and you'll be past it (You'll be past it)
Babylon lovers hanging, missed calls on the line
I gave you mine

CHORUS: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift
I felt it, you held it
Do you miss us? Us?
Wonder if you regret the secret of us, us
Us, us, us, us, us, us

BRIDGE: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift
That night you were talkin'
False prophets and profits
They makin' the margins
Of poetry sonnets (Oh)
You never read upon it
Shame, could've learned something
Robert Blythe on my nightstand
Gifts from you, how ironic
The curse of a miracle, curse of an oracle
You're incomparable, f--- you
What's happened to you? (You?)
Us, us, me, me, us

CHORUS: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift
Us, us, us
I felt it, you held it (Ooh-ooh)
Do you miss us? Us?
Wonder if you regret the secret of us, us (Ooh-ooh)
Mistaken for strangers, no way in
Us, us (Ooh-ooh)
The pain of the rain of the fain of
Us, us (Ooh-ooh)
The outline, well, sometimes

OUTRO: Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift
Do you miss us? Us? (Us, us, us)
The best kind, well, sometimes
Do you miss us?