 Maloy felt that the lyrics consisted of more universal sentiments with the line "I knew you were trouble when you walked in/So shame on me now/Flew me to places I'd never been/Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground".According to Stephanie Marcus of "The Huffington Post", the chorus and its lyrics echo Swift's sentiments in "Dear John" with the similar themed lyrics like "And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said run as fast as you can".There is also indication of romantic rivalry resulting in the end of the relationship with the lines "The saddest fear comes creeping in that you never loved me, or her, or anyone..." Sam Lansky from Idolator observed that the lyrics touched on the romantic story from a broader perspective, unlike Swift's previous songs she had written, giving fewer details about the whole ordeal.