What Is "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" About by Taylor Swift?
John Peck Publish date: 2024-01-01
What is "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" by Taylor Swift about? Track 15 on "Midnights (3 a.m. Edition)" has left fans with a heartbreaking theory.
Trigger warning: This article includes discussion of pregnancy loss.
Swifties wasted no time in deciphering each track on Taylor Swift's album "Midnights," which dropped at the stroke of midnight on Oct. 21, 2022. Once the new music was released, theories about each song's meaning — and who they're about — began flying left and right on social media. And fans think they've cracked the code about "Bigger Than the Whole Sky."
Keep reading to learn about the meaning of the track, which was released as part of Taylor's "Midnights (3 a.m. Edition)."
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What is "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" about?
In a nutshell, "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" is about loss. What that specific loss happens to be, however, is left to interpretation.
The first verse begins: "No words appear before me in the aftermath / Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears / Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness / 'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea."
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Whatever loss Taylor experienced was over something fleeting and short-lived — but nevertheless gut-wrenching. The chorus lyrics read:
"Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time / And I've got a lot to pine about / I've got a lot to live without / I'm never gonna meet / What could've been, would've been / What should've been you / What could've been, would've been you."
In the second verse, the lyrics express a sense of guilt ("Did some force take you because I didn't pray?"). They also indicate a death of sorts ("Did some bird flap its wings over Asia?") and shattered dreams ("Every single thing to come has turned into ashes").
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After picking themselves off the floor from ugly-crying, fans took to Twitter to express their utter devastation over "Bigger Than the Whole Sky." One person tweeted, "I need a few business days to recover from 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky.'"
i need a few business days to recover from bigger than the whole sky.
— ً (@fancysnaake) October 21, 2022Article continues below advertisement
Another fan declared: "'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' ... new contender for the saddest Taylor Swift song ever."
bigger than the whole sky…new contender for the saddest taylor swift song ever
— right where you left me warrior (@dontblameklara) October 21, 2022Article continues below advertisement
Yet another person tweeted, "Just when I thought this album couldn't get better, 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' is TEARING ME APART.'"
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Some fans think Taylor Swift's "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" is about a miscarriage.
A popular theory floating around the interwebs is that "Bigger Than the Whole Sky" is about having suffered a pregnancy loss. One fan tweeted, "Why does 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' sound like it's about a miscarriage. My heart is in pieces on the floor."
Why does bigger than the whole sky sound like it's about a miscarriage. My heart is in pieces on the floor.
— Beth (@ElizabethErinn) October 21, 2022Article continues below advertisement
Another Twitter user agreed, writing: “'Bigger Than the Whole Sky' sounds like a different level of grief for a Taylor Swift song, about an event that didn’t happen yet still has devastating, life-altering effects. I played it for my wife this morning, and, like me, she heard it in the context of miscarriage."
“Bigger Than the Whole Sky” sounds like a different level of grief for a Taylor Swift song, about an event that didn’t happen yet still has devastating, life-altering effects. I played it for my wife this morning, and, like me, she heard it in the context of miscarriage.
— Brian Mansfield (@brian_mansfield) October 21, 2022Article continues below advertisement
It's worth noting that Taylor has not spoken or written about having had miscarriage. However, Taylor has played around with writing songs through the viewpoints of other people. So it's possible the song is about miscarriage — just not her personal experience with it.
One Twitter user summed it up perfectly: "Taylor Swift once said she wanted people to have a song for every moment of their life. If people who have had a miscarriage can relate to and find comfort in 'Bigger Than the Whole Sky,' I think that's really beautiful and powerful. Please listen to this song."
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Taylor Swift once said she wanted people to have a song for every moment of their life. If people who have had a miscarriage can relate to and find comfort in Bigger Than The Whole Sky, I think that's really beautiful and powerful. Please listen to this song.
— Wear sunblock and don't be racist (@SarcasticerVeg) October 21, 2022Pregnancy loss is an incredibly sensitive topic. But for many listeners, Taylor's song has perfectly captured the emotions of the all-too-common experience.
What meaning do you derive from "Bigger Than the Whole Sky"?
"Midnights" and "Midnights (3 a.m. Edition)" are now available for purchase everywhere.
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