This is a song about Taylor Swift’s relationship with Joe Alwyn.

The Single That Almost Never Was

Thanks to the unfortunate timing of a global pandemic, it looked as if this was one Taylor Swift song that wouldn’t get a single release. But then fans took to it so strongly and enough dedicated Swifties streamed the song that they made it happen, for which Taylor expressed her gratitude in a YouTube video.

Like many of Taylor Swift’s songs, this one has to do with a love affair and deep attraction. This is part of her mass appeal since there are such relatable human experiences.

“Cruel Summer” is all about when she and Joe Alwyn were just starting out together. They were at a point when they were both fragile and uncertain in the relationship since they first met each other.

When Taylor met Joe

They were first introduced to one another at the Met Gala in May of 2016. Her boyfriend at the time was DJ Calvin Harris, but it wouldn’t last much longer. Tom Hiddleston came shortly after that, which led straight into her fling with Alwyn.

As it turns out, there might be more to the story. Some fans believe is that Taylor is saying “bad boy Joe” because she fell for him and kept it a secret to herself. This is because the relationship they were in was intended as physical only, and she didn’t want to openly allow herself to let emotions become involved.

This track shows Swift dealing with hardships on a raw and personal level. From the first line, we see the conflict and hear the struggle within.

“Fever dream high in the quiet of the night”

A fever dream is rarely a good thing, but the high seems to imply something good. She’s keeping the depth of her feelings a guarded secret, likening it to a sickness:

“You know that I caught it (Oh yeah, you’re right, I want it)”

Not for the first time, Taylor Swift likens the object of her affections to a plaything:

“Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price / You know that I bought it (Oh yeah, you’re right, I want it)

She makes it clear that she wants what this guy has, and the fact that he’s the bad-boy type is no small part of it.

The Balcony Scene

It’s easy to read the pre-chorus as a Shakespearean reference. It conjures images of Romeo and Juliet or simply a lover calling to an upstairs window:

“Killing me slow, out the window / I’m always waiting for you to be waiting below”

The next line, “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes” is a significant lyric that was used as a teaser on Spotify and in multiple music videos. These words present the listener with the dichotomy between those who take chances and those who scoff at the idea.

On the whole, this Taylor Swift hit is a unique spin on when summer isn’t the carefree fun it is often depicted as. There’s also the oppressive heat and unrequited love that can make things not so sweet.

Lyrics

Fever dream high in the quiet of the night
You know that I caught it
Bad, bad boy
Shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it

Killing me slow, out the window
I’m always waiting for you to be waiting below
Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
What doesn’t kill me makes me want you more

And it’s new, the shape of your body
It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got
And it’s ooh, whoa, oh
It’s a cruel summer
It’s cool, that’s what I tell ’em
No rules in breakable heaven
But ooh, whoa oh
It’s a cruel summer
With you

Hang your head low
In the glow of the vending machine
I’m not dying
You say that we’ll just screw it up in these trying times
We’re not trying

So cut the headlights, summer’s a knife
I’m always waiting for you just to cut to the bone
Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes
And if I bleed, you’ll be the last to know

Oh, it’s new, the shape of your body
It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got
And it’s ooh, whoa, oh
It’s a cruel summer
It’s cool, that’s what I tell ’em
No rules in breakable heaven
But ooh, whoa, oh
It’s a cruel summer
With you

I’m drunk in the back of the car
And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar (oh)
Said, “I’m fine, ” but it wasn’t true
I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you
And I snuck in through the garden gate
Every night that summer just to seal my fate (oh)
And I screamed for whatever it’s worth
“I love you, ” ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?
He looks up grinning like a devil

It’s new, the shape of your body
It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got
And it’s ooh, whoa, oh
It’s a cruel summer
It’s cool, that’s what I tell ’em
No rules, in breakable heaven
But ooh, whoa, oh
It’s a cruel summer
With you

I’m drunk in the back of the car
And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar (oh)
Said, “I’m fine, ” but it wasn’t true
I don’t wanna keep secrets just to keep you
And I snuck in through the garden gate
Every night that summer just to seal my fate (oh)
And I screamed for whatever it’s worth
“I love you, ” ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Taylor Swift / Jack Antonoff / Annie Clark

Cruel Summer lyrics © Sony/atv Songs Llc, Taylor Swift Music, Nail Polish Manifesto Music, Ducky Donath Music, Big Deal Notes, Songs Of Universal Inc., Hipgnosis Notes