Additional Coverage:
- Who is Taylor Swift’s song ‘Father Figure’ about? The lyrics and references suggest it’s Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta (businessinsider.com)
Taylor Swift’s “Father Figure” Reportedly Explores Music Industry Power Dynamics and Betrayal
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” offers more than just tales of her record-breaking Eras Tour or her engagement to Travis Kelce. Among its tracks, the song “Father Figure” delves into surprisingly fraught narratives of rivalry, scandal, betrayal, and a particularly sour business relationship, with many observers drawing direct parallels to Swift’s contentious past with Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta.
“Father Figure,” the fourth track on the album, intricately uses character work and real-life touchpoints to dissect power dynamics within the music industry. Swift herself has clarified that the song portrays “a young ingenue and their mentor,” a storyline widely believed to be inspired by her history with Borchetta.
Known for her layered lyrics and double meanings, Swift initially presents the song as a boast, seemingly flaunting her influence. However, a deeper look reveals a narrative where Swift adopts an alpha-male persona to explore a familiar power dynamic.
During “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” a theatrical event featuring behind-the-scenes glimpses into her creative process, Swift explained her inspiration from the 1987 George Michael hit of the same name. Michael is credited as a co-writer on Swift’s version.
Swift elaborated on how she transformed the romantic context of Michael’s original into a story about power, betrayal, wit, and strategy. “Essentially, it ends up in a ‘Who’s going to win?’
situation. Who’s going to outplay the other?
Who’s going to out-fox the other?” she explained.
While Swift often crafts fictional narratives, as seen in “Folklore,” she admits to infusing her own emotions into these characters. This approach suggests that even “Father Figure,” with its abstract themes, likely draws from her personal experiences.
Several lines in “Father Figure” contain distinct parallels to Swift’s real life, pointing strongly to Scott Borchetta. The song opens with lyrics like, “When I found you, you were young, wayward, lost in the cold / Pulled up to you in the Jag, turned your rags into gold,” which mirror Swift’s discovery at age 15 when she signed with Borchetta’s Nashville-based boutique label, Big Machine. Borchetta reportedly took on a paternalistic role in her career.
Swift once told a national publication that she “truly, legitimately thought he looked at me as the daughter he never had.” This perceived father-daughter dynamic, or at least her innocent trust in it, is echoed in the song’s core relationship.
Yet, the song quickly exposes the lucrative undercurrent of this dynamic: “This love is pure profit, just step into my office,” and later, “All I asked for is your loyalty, my dear protégé.” Swift quickly became Big Machine’s biggest star, releasing six albums that sold tens of millions of copies, generating significant profit for the label.
Her multi-album contract concluded with her 2017 release, “Reputation.” In 2018, Swift signed a new deal with Universal Music Group, which granted her ownership of any new music she released.
Swift later disclosed that renegotiations with Big Machine for her old music fell apart after she “pleaded for a chance” to buy her masters, but Borchetta refused. Instead, he offered a deal to “earn” one album back for every new one she produced.
Swift declined, stating she feared Borchetta would sell the label, effectively selling “me and my future.”
Her prediction came true just one year later when Borchetta sold Big Machine and all its assets, including Swift’s master recordings, to celebrity manager Scooter Braun. Swift publicly expressed her distress, describing herself as “sad and grossed out” that Braun, whom she considered a bully, now owned her life’s work. She recounted her feelings of betrayal: “To go from feeling like you’re being looked at as a daughter to this grotesque feeling of, ‘Oh, I was actually his prized calf that he was fattening up to sell to the slaughterhouse that would pay the most.'”
The imagery surrounding Borchetta’s sale to Braun, particularly photos of the two men celebrating in a wood-paneled bar with whiskey, also appears to have influenced the song. Swift previously mocked the “tacky photo shoot” of “two very rich, very powerful men” raising a glass of scotch after purchasing “the most feminine body of work.” This hyper-masculine imagery reappears in “Father Figure,” with lyrics such as, “I drink that brown liquor / I can make deals with the devil, because my dick’s bigger.”
Swift has indicated that she can “relate to both characters in certain parts of the song.” This duality becomes apparent in the bridge of “Father Figure,” where the narrative perspective seemingly shifts.
The singer no longer addresses an ingenue but a male adversary, singing, “I saw a change in you, my dear boy,” and criticizing his “thoughtless ambition” and “foolish decisions.” This transition reflects Swift’s journey of outgrowing and ultimately regaining control, mirrored by her decision to re-record her early albums.
The song culminates in a triumphant declaration, with Swift’s voice emerging victorious: “Mistake my kindness for weakness and find your card canceled / I was your father figure, you pulled the wrong trigger / This empire belongs to me / Leave it with me.” This powerful conclusion underscores her eventual reclamation of agency and ownership.
Representatives for Taylor Swift and Scott Borchetta did not respond to requests for comment.