It was late 2017. The world was obsessed with the "old Taylor is dead" narrative. Amidst the heavy bass of Reputation, a shimmering, synth-heavy track sat quietly at track seven. So it goes song lyrics didn't just provide a breather from the vengeful anthems; they offered a glimpse into a private, claustrophobic kind of magic. Most people missed it because they were busy looking for receipts on Kim and Kanye. Honestly? They missed the best part of the album.
The song is a paradox. It feels massive but sounds like a whisper. It’s about a cycle—a "so it goes" rhythm of breaking up, making up, and losing yourself in someone else. If you’ve ever felt like you were trapped in a loop with someone you probably shouldn't be with, this track hits different. It isn’t just a love song. It’s a song about the gravity of another person.
The Vonnegut Connection and the Trap of Fatalism
The title itself is a massive literary "Easter Egg," though Swift has never explicitly sat down and said, "Yes, I am referencing Slaughterhouse-Five here." But come on. Kurt Vonnegut used the phrase "So it goes" every single time someone or something died in his novel. It’s a shrug. It’s an acknowledgment of the inevitable.
By using it in a song about a messy, high-stakes relationship, the so it goes song lyrics take on a darker tone. It suggests that the couple is doomed to keep repeating their mistakes. They’re "scratches around the ice" or "tripping on their own feet." It's not romantic in a traditional, "happily ever after" way. It’s romantic in a "we can't stop even if we tried" way.
Think about the line: "And all our pieces fall right into place." On the surface, it’s sweet. But in the context of the pulsing, dark production by Max Martin, Shellback, and Oscar Görres, it feels more like Tetris blocks locking you into a corner. You’re stuck. You’re trapped. But you like it there.
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Decoding the Imagery: Gold Cages and Scratched Ice
Swift is a master of color theory. In this era, she moved away from the "red" of passion and the "blue" of sadness toward "gold." But in these lyrics, the gold is almost metallic and cold. "You know I'm not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you." That’s a heavy admission. It frames the relationship as a catalyst for a personality shift.
- The Illusionist: "See you in the dark / All eyes on you, my magician." This isn't just about stage presence. It's about being tricked. It’s about the sleight of hand involved in a new romance where you only see what the other person wants you to see.
- The Physicality: "I'm yours to keep / And I'm yours to lose." The possessiveness here is palpable. It’s a far cry from the "I'd like to be my old self again, but I'm still trying to find it" vibe of All Too Well. Here, she’s leaning into the disappearance.
- The Count: "One, two, three..." That whispered count before the drop is one of the most discussed moments in her discography. Is it a countdown to an explosion? Or just a way to keep time in a world that feels like it’s spinning out of control?
Why the Production Matters More Than You Think
You can't talk about the lyrics without talking about the sound. The "whooshing" noises and the heavy low-end synths mimic the feeling of being underwater. Or being high. It’s a "trip," literally mentioned in the song ("trippin' on my feet").
A lot of critics at the time felt Reputation was too overproduced. They were wrong. For this specific track, the production is the lyric. It creates the atmosphere of a dark room with only a sliver of light coming through the door. It’s intimate. It’s private. It feels like a secret you aren't supposed to hear. While "Look What You Made Me Do" was shouting from the rooftops, "So It Goes..." was whispering in a corner booth at a dive bar.
Common Misconceptions About the Song’s Muse
People love to pin Taylor's songs on specific men. It's the national pastime of the Swiftie fandom. Most fans point toward Joe Alwyn, given the timeline of their meeting during the Reputation era. The "gold" imagery certainly aligns with how she described him in later songs like "Daylight" ("I once believed love would be black and white / But it's golden").
However, some fans argue the song’s darker, more obsessive undertones might reflect the transition period between her high-profile 2016 relationships. It doesn't really matter who it's about, though. The brilliance of the so it goes song lyrics lies in the universal feeling of "here we go again." It’s the feeling of a magnetic pull that defies logic.
The "1, 2, 3" Mystery
During the Reputation Stadium Tour, this song was frequently the one left off the main setlist, often rotated as an acoustic surprise song. Why? Maybe because it’s so hard to capture that specific atmospheric studio magic live with just a guitar.
When she did perform it, the "1, 2, 3" whisper became a focal point. It’s a moment of tension. In a song about cycles, that count is the reset button. It’s the moment before the cycle starts over. It’s the most human part of the song—a breath before the plunge.
Nuance and Complexity: Is it a Love Song or a Warning?
If you ask ten different fans, you’ll get ten different answers. Some see it as a sultry, grown-up track about physical attraction. Others see it as a song about the loss of agency. "You did a number on me / But honestly, baby, who’s counting?"
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That’s a lie. She is counting. She literally counts in the song.
This reveals the "unreliable narrator" aspect of Taylor’s writing that she’s perfected over the years. She says she doesn't care, but the very existence of the song proves she’s hyper-aware of every "number" being done on her. It’s this complexity—the bravado masking vulnerability—that makes the lyrics stand the test of time while other pop songs from 2017 have faded into obscurity.
Practical Insights for the Casual Listener
If you want to actually appreciate this track, stop looking at it as a piece of celebrity gossip. Try these steps to really "get" the song:
- Listen with high-quality headphones: The layering in the bridge is insane. There are vocal harmonies buried so deep you won't hear them on a phone speaker.
- Read the lyrics alongside "Slaughterhouse-Five": Even if it wasn't a deliberate homage, the thematic parallels regarding "unstuck in time" make the song much deeper.
- Contrast it with "Dress": These two songs are the "sensual" pillars of the album. While "Dress" is about the anticipation, "So It Goes..." is about the aftermath and the inevitable repetition.
- Look at the "Reputation" poem: Taylor released a poem with the album about "if you can't be yourself, who are you?" This song is the musical realization of that identity crisis.
The so it goes song lyrics represent a turning point in Swift's career where she stopped writing for the radio and started writing for the atmosphere. It's moody, it's slightly toxic, and it's incredibly honest about the ways we let ourselves get lost in other people. It’s not a "hidden gem" anymore—it’s a foundational piece of her "Reputation."
To get the most out of your next listen, pay attention to the silence between the beats. That's where the real story is. Taylor isn't just telling you she’s in a cycle; she’s making you feel the vertigo of the spin.