The Best Day by Taylor Swift

Album: Fearless (2008)

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This song is a love letter to Taylor Swift's mother, Andrea Swift, who usually accompanies her daughter while she's on tour.
The country star told CMT Radio the story of this song, which she wrote out on the road and kept as a secret from her mom until Christmas. Swift explained: "In the first verse, I was talking about being 5 years old, so as a writer, it was really fun to go back to that place of the way that I used to talk when I was 5. I wrote the song from that perspective, and I starting thinking, 'What would I be thinking if I was 5 and I was remembering this?' And it goes, 'I'm 5 years old/It's getting cold and I've got my big coat on.' It had language like that - that makes me really think back to that time. I actually wrote that song without telling my mom and recorded it without telling my mom. Complete secret session. Then I got the track back and synced up all these home videos of me when I was a little kid and made this video and played it for my mom on Christmas and said, 'Merry Christmas!' She had no idea that it was me singing for the first half of the song. And then she just broke down crying when she realized I had done this whole thing to surprise her. It was a really cool moment."
Taylor had to drop this touching song from her Fearless tour set list as her mother burst into tears backstage every time she heard it. Andrea explained, "She had to drop it from the set because I kept breaking down."
Taylor Swift re-recorded "The Best Day" along with all the other Fearless tracks over the winter of 2020-2021 following a dispute regarding ownership of the album masters. She released a video for the updated version, which features home movies and personal photos of the singer and her mother, along with the rest of her family.

Comments: 13

James from AlabamaLiterally thought this was about her dad for YEARS
Tom from Long IslandNot a Swifty (too old) but as soon as I heard this I thought of my wife. I remembered how much she LOVED being a mom. I know she adored me, but her kids? Forget it, hands down she loved being their mom. She passed away recently and I can’t help but cry every time I hear it thinking of her, with my boys and me. How absolutely lucky I was to be married to her and how lucky our boys were to have her for a mom. I so wish she was still here to enjoy getting older together.
Kae from PhilippinesThis song reminds me of my mom and I can't help but break down everytime I listen to it.
Nell from Chatham, Njat first I thought this song was about her whole family
Fabio from New Orleans, LaI love this song so much. The video made me burst into tears. Sometimes, I have to skip it because I still get choked up. She was so bloody adorable.
Marlin from Oak Ridge, TnI'm really confused about how anyone is confused about this song. Obviously some people hear one phrase and act like they never heard the song...so lets clear some stuff up..

Jessica.. you asked.. why does it say "i don't who i'm going to talk to now at school"?

Well the answer should be easy considering right before she said that she says..

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names

Katy.. you said ..I thought she wrote it about her dad bc of the lines "I have an excellent father" and "daddy's smart". It never once mentions her mom....just her little brother and dad.

She references a ( YOU ) through out the whole song So I can see if you were confused till it comes to this stanza ..

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you're talking to me
It's the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy's smart and you're the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

So are you still confused after seeing she said YOU'RE THE PRETTIEST LADY..?
That should have made you say...OHH...its her mom!
Jessica from Westerville, Ohwait, if it's about her mom then why does it say "i don't who i'm going to talk to now at school"?
Katy from Pleasant View, Tnthis song is confusing to me. When I first heard it I thought she wrote it about her dad bc of the lines "I have an excellent father" and "daddy's smart". It never once mentions her mom....just her little brother and dad.
Ashleigh from ?????, MoReally beautiful song.
Hope from Naperville, Ilahh...i made a mistake. thanks
Emily from Around Chicago, IlIn the booklet that comes w/the CD, there are hidden messages in the lyrics. You take all the capital letters and put them in order to spell a phrase. The Best Day's message is: GOD BLESS ANDREA SWIFT. That's some mother's day present if you ask me.
Mary from Richmond, Vahope-
the end where she says "I know you were on my side even when I was wrong" is about her mother, just like all the rest of the song.
Hope from Naperville, Ilno comments yet? i love the end where she's talking about how her dad was always on her side even when she was wrong.