While Taylor Swift loves playing the songs she's written throughout her career, there was one song she took a break from for thirteen years. While the surprise song set was a massive part of the Eras Tour, Swift actually has done surprise songs at her other tours too. During the surprise song sets, Swift often revisits songs from earlier in her career that she hasn't played in a while.

However, occasionally, she does put an older song onto the main setlist. During her Reputation Stadium Tour, Taylor Swift did a mashup of the 1989 track "Bad Blood" and her debut album track "Should've Said No." However, there is one song from her debut album that she managed to avoid playing for over a decade.

Taylor Swift Didn't Want To Perform Picture To Burn

Swift Allegedly Found The Song Embarassing

Despite its popularity, Taylor Swift did not play "Picture To Burn" live for over a decade. Earlier in her career, Swift loved playing the song and would typically get an enthusiastic reaction from the audience. However, on July 10th, 2010, Swift sang the song live for the final time at the last show of her Fearless tour. It didn't make the set for her following tour for her third album, Speak Now, and when her surprise song tradition started on her Red tour, "Picture To Burn" never made the cut.

However, it wasn't because fans didn't want to hear the debut track, but because Swift didn't want to play it. Several Swifties who have met Swift backstage before her concerts claim that when they requested the song, Swift brushed it off, calling it embarrassing. She then asked if there was a different song they wanted to hear instead. However, there may be another reason Swift didn't want to sing the song, which she never confessed.

In the original version of "Picture To Burn," Swift sings the line "Go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy / That's fine I'll tell mine you're gay." The line got some negative and accusations of homophobia, prompting Swift to change the lyric to "That's fine you won't mind if I say." Swift may have been embarrassed that she wrote the original line and didn't want to bring it to mind when she performed the song, pushing her to opt for some other debut tracks instead.

Swift Finally Sang The Song Again At The Eras Tour

"Picture To Burn" Made It Onto The Surprise Song Setlist

It was quite shocking in 2023 when, during the Eras Tour acoustic set, Taylor Swift picked up her guitar and started singing "Picture To Burn." The audience was thrilled to hear the song after so many years, and Swift even appeared to be having fun singing it. Before singing the debut track, Swift confessed to the crowd that for the acoustic set, she had been thinking of songs she hadn't played in "ages" and said "in the spirit of nostalgia" she would be playing "Picture To Burn."

It's likely that since it was the Eras Tour, a celebration of all her music, she decided to swallow her pride and honor the beloved track. Despite Taylor Swift's previous embarrassment, the song was sorely missed, and hopefully, the crowd's excitement proves that she shouldn't wait another thirteen years to sing it again.