Who Is ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ About? Decoding Taylor Swift’s Lyrics

Taylor Swift re-releases ‘1989’ with NEW songs. Picture: Getty

Taylor Swift has dropped her highly-anticipated re-release of ‘1989’ and there’s NEW songs on it. Let’s dive into the lyrics of one the vault faves ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’.

Nine years after releasing ‘1989’ Taylor Swift has re-released the album as ‘1989’ (Taylor’s Version) – and she’s including brand new songs titled (From The Vault).

One fan favourite vault title is ‘Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)’, it’s a punchy pop tune clearly about one of Taylor’s ex-beaus… but who?

‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ follows the aftermath of a broken relationship and in this instance Swifties believe Taylor is reflecting on her split with ex-One Direction bandmate Harry Styles.

With references to Harry’s long hair, and how he can dominate a room we’d have to agree with the Swifties, this seems to be about the ‘Watermelon sugar’ singer. Here’s a full lyric break down.

Is ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ about Harry Styles?

It’s believed that ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)’ is about Taylor Swift navigating her split from Harry Styles.
How do we know it’s about Harry? Here are some clues:

In the opening verse Taylor asks: “Did you get anxious though, on the way home? I guess I’ll never ever know, now that we don’t talk.”
This line is likely alluding to to Harry Styles’ flight home from the British Virgin Islands following their break up. At the start of 2013 the pair had taken a New Year’s holiday as a couple, but an alleged argument cut the trip short. It’s understood that Taylor flew back to the US alone just three days after arriving.

Harry continued to stay on the British Virgin Islands for a while longer before news broke that they had called time on their short-lived relationship.

The second clue Taylor gives is when she sings “You grew your hair long” in the second verse of ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’. It seems this is about Mr Styles since he began to let his grow out after they split only cutting it short again in 2016.

Harry Styles grew his hair out before chopping it short again in 2016. Picture: Getty

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles are seen walking around Central Park in 2012. Picture: Getty
Towards the end of ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ Taylor seems to be coming to terms with the fact that she and Harry couldn’t remain friends after the break up.

“I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost. And what it cost, now that we don’t talk” she sings, before saying, “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock”.
This seems to be a direct reference to Harry whose earliest music could be categorised under acid rock, with songs like ‘Kiwi’ and ‘Meet Me in The Hallway’. He’s also been open about alternative rock influences such as glitter rock icon David Bowie and pop rock band T. Rex.

In October 2023 Taylor released ‘1989’ Taylor’s Version. Picture: X/@taylorswift13

What are the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’?

You went to a party
I heard from everybody
You part the crowd like the Red Sea
Don’t even get me started
Did you get anxious though
On the way home?
I guess I’ll never ever know
Now that we don’t talk
You grew your hair long
You got new icons
And from the outside
It looks like you’re tryin’ lives on
I miss the old ways
You didn’t have to change
But I guess I don’t have a say
Now that we don’t talk
I call my mom, she said that it was for the best
Remind myself the morе I gave, you’d want me less
I cannot bе your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost
What do you tell your friends we
Shared dinners, long weekends with?
Truth is I can’t pretend it’s
Platonic, it’s just ended, so
I call my mom, she said to get it off my chest (Off my chest)
Remind myself the way you faded ’til I left (‘Til I left)
I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost (Of what I lost)
And what it cost, now that we don’t talk
I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock
Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht
With important men who think important thoughts
Guess maybe I am better off now that we don’t talk
And the only way back to my dignity
Was to turn into a shrouded mystery
Just like I had been when you were chasing me
Guess this is how it has to be now that we don’t talk