Peak
34
Weeks
1
Score
219
Chart Year
2023
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"When Emma Falls In Love" is a character study on Speak Now (Taylor's Version). Taylor Swift keenly observes a friend's journey through love's ups and downs, showcasing Emma's evolving perspective on relationships with each verse. It is one of six previously unreleased songs on Swift's re-recording of her 2010 album Speak Now. Emma's heart leads her on a roller coaster ride in the first verse - pacing the floor, locking the door when love strikes. Swift reveals Emma's ritual of calling her mom to discuss these blossoming affairs, playfully anticipating their potential downfalls. In a slightly rocked-out chorus, we discover Emma's enchanting and irresistible qualities. Swift likens her to a page-turner, a book impossible to set aside, evoking Cleopatra's essence flourishing in a small-town setting. Like Swift's own "Blank Space," Emma possesses the power to temporarily tame even the bad boys, enchanting them with her beauty and charm. The second verse exposes Emma's serious commitment to love, shouldering the pain that accompanies heartbreak on her own. She's in it for the long haul, unwilling to walk away unless absolutely necessary. The bridge unveils Swift's perspective as the friend witnessing Emma's love journey. In contrast to Emma's grounded nature, Swift confesses her tendency to lose herself in relationships. Emma stands as a role model, unyielding even when deeply infatuated. In the final verse, Emma discovers her dream lover, a boy with captivating eyes. Swift paints a vivid picture of him as the rock in someone's storm, offering solace and unwavering support through the trials. Little does the boy know that Emma's presence will unleash a profound transformation, forever altering the course of their life. On the outro, Swift reflects on the lessons learned through Emma's love stories, acknowledging her own desire to embody Emma's strength and wisdom. The happy ending of the song has been compared to that of Swift's Fearless track, "Love Story." Many Swifties speculate the song is about Emma Stone, an American actress who is friends with Swift. Stone met her ex-boyfriend Andrew Garfield in 2010 and the couple dated for five years before breaking up in 2015. One potential clue is in the first verse: She waits and takes her time 'Cause Little Miss Sunshine always thinks it's gonna rain In the 2010 film Easy A, Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocketful Of Sunshine" is a humorous motif after Emma Stone's character receives a greeting card that plays the song upon opening. Swift penned "When Emma Falls In Love" during the original Speak Now era. For the re-recorded version, she joined forces with her frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner to co-produce the track. Together, they created a production that alternates between graceful piano balladry and catchy country-pop. Dessner also plays acoustic guitar, bass guitar, electric guitar, piano and synthesizer. The other musicians are: Ben Lanz: synthesizer James Krivchenia: drums, percussion James McAlister: synthesizer, drums, percussion Josh Kaufman: electric guitar, banjo, organ Christopher Rowe: background vocals Mike Meadows: background vocals Ben Kanz is a touring member of the indie-folk band Beirut. He also played on Dessner co-produced albums for Ed Sheeran (Minus) and Gracie Abrams (Good Riddance). Drummer and percussionist James McAlister is best known for his work with Sufjan Stevens.. He also played on Minus and Good Riddance as well as several of Taylor Swift's Folklore tracks. James Krivchenia is the drummer and producer of the American and Big Thief. He played on the Minus tracks "Dusty" and "Sycamore." Josh Kaufman is a member of the indie rock band Muzz and folk supergroup Bonny Light Horseman. He played on four Evermore tracks, including the single "Willow." Christopher Rowe worked as the vocal engineer on Speak Now (Taylor's Version) along with providing background vocals to the vault tracks. Mike Meadows is a member of Taylor Swift's band. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin and keyboards.
When Emma falls in love, she paces the floor Closes the blinds and locks the door When Emma falls in love, she calls up her mom Jokes about the ways that this one could go wrong She waits and takes her time 'Cause Little Miss Sunshine always thinks it's gonna rain When Emma falls in love, I know That boy will never be the same 'Cause she's the kind of book that you can't put down Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town And all the bad boys would be good boys If they only had a chance to love her And to tell you the truth, sometimes I wish I was her When Emma falls in love, it's all on her face Hangs in the air like stars in outer space When Emma falls in love, she disappears And we all just laugh after seein' it all these years When Emma falls apart, it's when she's alone She takes on the pain and bears it on her own 'Cause when Emma falls in love, she's in it for keeps She won't walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave And she's the kind of book that you can't put down Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town And all the bad boys would be good boys If they only had a chance to love her And to tell you the truth, sometimes I wish I was her Well, she's so New York when she's in LA She won't lose herself in love the way that I did 'Cause she'll call you out, she'll put you in your place When Emma falls in love, I'm learning Emma met a boy with eyes like a man Turns out her heart fits right in the palm of his hand Now he'll be her shelter when it rains Little does he know, his whole world's about to change 'Cause she's the kind of book that you can't put down Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town And all the bad boys would be good boys If they only had a chance to love her And to tell you the truth, sometimes I wish I was her Yeah, between me and you, sometimes I wish I was her
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 22, 2023 | 34 | 92 |