Taylor Swift explains why she was ‘mad’ at her parents when she wrote Love Story

Taylor Swift wrote Love Story at 17, inspired by her parents not allowing her to date an older man. Photo / Getty Images

Taylor Swift wrote Love Story when she was “mad” at her parents for not letting her date an older man.

The 36-year-old singer has been named one of New York Magazine’s Greatest Living Songwriters, and in an interview to celebrate the accolade, she’s shared an insight into her songwriting process.

Swift, who started writing songs when she was just 12 years old, recalled how she was able to put aside her fears of what people would think of her work for the first time when writing her 2008 single Love Story.

She said: “I think the first time I felt I don’t care if people hate this because I love it so much was when I wrote the song Love Story when I was 17, sitting in my bedroom, mad at my parents because they wouldn’t let me go on a date with a guy who was too old so I shouldn’t have been on a date with him anyway.”

She jokingly added: “And this is why you need to discipline your kids because they might write songs that go to number one.”

Swift – who is engaged to Travis Kelce, also 36 – writes to please her own tastes, rather than to match up with expectations and she is “okay” if fans don’t like some of her songs.

She said: “Oftentimes when I love it to a certain degree, that tends to match up with people.

“And it could be that it doesn’t match up with the way people feel until six years later.

“I loved the Reputation album. I was like, ‘You guys say what you want. I know what I did. I love it. Go with God. Sorry. You can come around if you want. It’s okay if you don’t.’”

Swift also recalled how her latest song Elizabeth Taylor was inspired by a passionate rant during a car journey with Travis.

She said: “There are so many different ways that a song begins in my world ...

“I’m riding in the car with Travis.

“I go on and on in explaining to Travis, like, why I love Elizabeth Taylor so much. ‘She fought for artists’ rights. She was exploited in so many ways, and yet she kept her humanity. She kept her humour. She kept her passion for life.’ I was just going on and on.

“I was like, ‘Her eyes were violet. Some people said they were blue. Some people said they were violet. I think they were violet.’ We get home. He gets out of the car and I’m just in my head just this intrusive melody ... And I’m just scrambling to open my record app on my phone.”