Some songs say what most people are afraid to admit out loud. Taylor Swift’s “illicit affairs” from folklore does exactly that: it gives language to a kind of love that lives in parking lots and careful lies, the kind that slowly hollows you out.
This breakdown covers the full lyrics of “Illicit Affairs,” what each section really means beneath the surface, where the song fits within folklore’s bigger story, and the questions fans keep searching for long after the album ends.
If you’ve ever felt like a song knew something about you that you hadn’t said yet, this one might be it.
About the Song
“illicit affairs” is one of the quieter gut-punches on folklore, Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album released in July 2020.
Written entirely by Swift during the pandemic, the song tells the story from the perspective of someone caught in a secret relationship, the one who waits, hides, and eventually loses a piece of herself in the process.
It was part of the surprise album drop alongside 15 other tracks, all built around stripped-back production and storytelling. The Long Pond Studio Sessions later gave fans a live, raw version that made the emotion hit even harder.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Song Title | illicit affairs |
| Artist | Taylor Swift |
| Written By | Taylor Swift |
| Album | folklore |
| Released | July 24, 2020 |
| Genre | Folk-pop, Indie Folk |
| Label | Republic Records |
| Notable | Part of folklore’s three-song love triangle |
| Live Version | folklore: the long pond studio sessions (2020) |
Illicit Affairs Lyrics by Taylor Swift
Verse 1
Make sure nobody sees you leave
Hood over your head, keep your eyes down
Tell your friends you’re out for a run
You’ll be flushed when you return
Take the road less traveled by
Tell yourself you can always stop
What started in beautiful rooms
Ends with meetings in parking lots
Chorus
And that’s the thing about illicit affairs
And clandestine meetings and longing stares
It’s born from just one single glance
But it dies, and it dies, and it dies
A million little times
Verse 2
Leave the perfume on the shelf
That you picked out just for him
So you leave no trace behind
Like you don’t even exist
Take the words for what they are
A dwindling, mercurial high
A drug that only worked
The first few hundred times
Chorus
And that’s the thing about illicit affairs, clandestine meetings, and stolen stares
They show their truth one single time
But they lie, and they lie, and they lie
A million little times
Bridge
And you wanna scream
Don’t call me “kid.” Don’t call me “baby.”
Look at this godforsaken mess that you made me
You showed me colors, you know I can’t see with anyone else
Don’t call me “kid.” Don’t call me “baby.”
Look at this idiotic fool that you made me
You taught me a secret language I can’t speak with anyone else
Outro
And you know damn well
For you, I would ruin myself
A million little times
What Do the “illicit affairs” Lyrics Mean?
Every line in this song is doing quiet, heavy work. Here’s what Taylor Swift was really saying, section by section.
Verse 1: Hiding in Plain Sight
The opening paints a picture of calculated secrecy — instructions to stay invisible, cover tracks, and keep the relationship from bleeding into real life. The shame is baked in before the first chorus even hits.
Pre-Chorus: Knowing Better, Staying Anyway
This section captures the emotional trap at the heart of the song. She knows the situation is wrong, but the pull is stronger than the logic. That tension is what makes the whole thing feel so painfully human.
Chorus: Being Made to Feel Small
The chorus is where the power imbalance becomes impossible to ignore. Being called “kid” or “baby” strips away her identity. It’s not affection; it’s a way of keeping someone in their place inside a relationship that can never be equal.
Verse 2: The Perfume Line
This is the most-discussed moment in the song. The detail about scent is a sharp, specific reminder of how much effort goes into concealment. It’s one small line that says everything about how exhausting and dehumanizing secrecy becomes over time.
Bridge and Outro: Shame Meets Longing
The final section doesn’t offer resolution; it sits in the wreckage. The narrator isn’t angry so much as gutted. She understands now what this cost her, and the emotion isn’t rage. It’s grief for something she can’t take back.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “illicit affairs” about Joe Alwyn?
Taylor Swift described folklore as a fictional, character-driven album rather than a personal diary. While fan theories exist, there’s no confirmed real-life basis for the song. The storytelling is intentionally universal, which is part of why it resonates so widely.
Is “illicit affairs” a breakup song?
Not exactly. It doesn’t end with a dramatic split; it ends with grief and self-awareness. The narrator comes to terms with what the relationship cost her, which hits harder than a clean breakup ever could.
Who wrote “illicit affairs”?
Taylor Swift wrote the song entirely on her own, which she did for every track on folklore. The album was written and recorded in isolation during 2020, giving it the quiet, internal quality that makes songs like this one feel so personal.
Final Thoughts
“illicit affairs” is three minutes of Taylor Swift saying the quiet part out loud. The illicit affairs lyrics walk through secrecy, self-erosion, and the specific grief of a relationship that could never exist in the light.
The meaning breakdown showed how each section adds a layer to that story, from the calculated hiding in verse one to the raw collapse in the bridge.
The FAQs covered the most-asked questions. If the song hit differently after reading this, drop a comment below. If folklore’s love triangle has you curious, the breakdowns for August and Betty are worth reading next.
