Swift described the “Showgirl” highlight “Father Figure” as “a story about a young ingenue and their mentor.” She also said the song’s themes include power, betrayal, cunning, cleverness, and strategy.
Most of the song is told from the perspective of a masculine capitalist, who discovers a young talent and turns her into a star, asking only for her loyalty in exchange.
“I’ll be your father figure, I drink that brown liquor / I can make deals with the devil, because my dick’s bigger,” Swift sings. “This love is pure profit, just step into my office.”
The “Father Figure” persona seems inspired by Borchetta, who signed Swift to Big Machine when she was a teenager.
“When you have a business relationship with someone for 15 years, there are going to be a lot of ups and a lot of downs,” Swift told Rolling Stone. “But I truly, legitimately thought he looked at me as the daughter he never had.”
The devil may refer to Braun, who struck a deal with Borchetta to buy Big Machine and its assets. Swift said this made her feel like Borchetta’s “prized calf that he was fattening up to sell to the slaughterhouse.”
In the song’s final moments, Swift seems to switch back to her own perspective, bragging that she outsmarted both men and regained control of her music.
“I was your father figure, you pulled the wrong trigger,” she sings. “This empire belongs to me / Leave it with me.”
