Going to see Taylor Swift live is a detailed event, so much planning goes into the tickets, the outfits, the friendship bracelets, and during the show Swifties have developed many traditions for various songs that are unique to a Taylor Swift show. While we may not know what the surprise songs will be on any given night, it’s been proven time and time again that these five moments will happen during an Eras Tour show. So, to make sure you are ready to sing along, we’ve compiled a list of all the Swift-centric etiquette you need to know before going to see the singer’s three-hour tour through her musical career.
'Taylor You’ll Be Fine'
Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff have been collaborating for a long time, and us Swifties were in for a treat when the pop star released an alternative version of “Anti-Hero” with the well-known producer featured on it. Now, on the Eras Tour, one of the changes made to the lyrics in Antonoff’s version of Midnight's first single has become a tradition during the live performance.
In the version of “Anti-Hero” that Bleachers (aka Antonoff) is featured on, the lyrics are slightly different. Rather than her singing “tale as old as time,” her long-time collaborator sings “Taylor you’ll be fine,” which is how this tradition started:
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism Like some kind of congressman? / Taylor, you'll be fine
So, when you go to see Swift live, and she’s walking around stage singing about being a “monster on a hill,” be ready to support her, and scream “Taylor you’ll be fine,” when the time comes.
'1, 2, 3 Let’s Go Bitch!'
Probably the best-known, and most-loved, inside joke on the Eras Tour is the screaming of “1, 2, 3 Let’s Go Bitch!” at the beginning of the song “Delicate.” It all started on the Reputation world tour when a fan screamed the line with the hopes of being noticed by Swift. Emily Valencia was at the Pasadena show in 2018, and after Swift sang the beginning of the song, she yelled:
We can’t make any promises now can we babe? But you can make me a drink / 1, 2, 3 Let’s go bitch!
It’s stuck ever since, and Swift is even in on it now, counting off the audience, and basking in the moment as the Swifties yell “1, 2, 3 Let’s go bitch!” before she gets into the wonderful song off Reputation.
‘You Forgive, You Forget, But You Never Let It Go.’
Much like “Anti-Hero,” there is a version of “Bad Blood” that exists with a featured artist on it. During the 1989 era, Swift brought in Kendrick Lamar to rap on the single. During the bridge Swift sings:
Bandaids don’t fix bullet holes, you say sorry just for show, if you live like that, you live with ghosts
Then in the background, you can hear Lamar rap:
You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go.
Hence the tour tradition that fans have been doing for years now.
Lamar was one of many very famous folks to be involved with the song “Bad Blood,” as the music video also features tons of Swift’s A-List friends including her bestie Selena Gomez. The song was definitely a moment, so whenever it’s played live, fans make sure to pay homage to the rapper’s feature on the song.
Clap During 'You Belong With Me'
This tradition dates back almost a decade, and it was originated on the Fearless tour. “You Belong With Me” was one of the biggest songs off that album (and is still one of Swift’s biggest songs), and it’s such a party when it’s performed live because everyone knows the words. So, during the live performance of the song the singer and her band would do a cheeky little double clap during the bridge. According to In The Know, this has been happening since Swift toured the album, and fans, Swift and her band have kept the tradition alive.
So, when you hear Swift sing this line, make sure you are ready to swiftly clap:
You’re the one who makes me laugh, when you know I’m about to cry [clap, clap]
This is a song that makes you want to stand up and jump around, and the little extra clap makes it all the more fun. So, make sure you are ready to participate when this throwback gets performed on the Eras Tour.
Honorable Mention: Scream The Bridge Of 'Cruel Summer' At The Top Of Your Lungs
Taylor Swift loves a bridge, and so do the Swifties. It was quickly determined that one of the most iconic bridges of the singer’s recent work was in “Cruel Summer," and fans couldn’t wait to sing along to it at the Eras Tour. This bridge from the Lover track is so special that Swift even made an announcement before singing it, explaining that they’ve reached the first bridge of the night, before she sings and the audience screams:
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
@taylorrobinson.13 ♬ original sound - Taylor Robinson
Like many of Swift’s upcoming projects and re-recorded albums, fans have been waiting years to hear this song (and its bridge) live. So, when Taylor Swift asks if you are ready for it, you better be, because in my humble opinion, knowing the bridge to “Cruel Summer” is a signature sign that you’re a true Swiftie.
While there are major moments during the show that Swifties freak out over, like her stage dive and viral “Bejeweled” dance, the parts of the show that get everyone stoked are these audience participation moments. So, if you managed to survive the Ticketmaster fiasco and already have your Eras outfit picked out, study up on these tips so you are ready to sing your heart out whenever Taylor Swift comes to your city.
