Taylor Swift Reveals The Succession Scene That Inspired "Father Figure"
"I think about that scene constantly."
Taylor Swift was just as invested in the Roy family’s drama as the rest of us. So much so, that the pop star has confirmed one of the songs on her new album The Life of a Showgirl is inspired by an iconic Succession moment. Here’s the Logan Roy quote that moved Swift to write her song “Father Figure.”
Swift explained the backstory of “Father Figure” during her Oct. 6 appearance on The Tonight Show, revealing that the lyrics about a fraught relationship between a powerful mentor and a fledgling protégé were inspired by a key line in Succession Season 4, Episode 2 where business magnate Logan Roy expresses his dissatisfaction with his children. “I kept thinking about that scene in Succession where Logan looks at his kids and say, ‘I love you, but you are not serious people,’” Swift said. “I think about that scene constantly. I just think it’s one of the coolest scenes ever, and I was like, I want to write a song that has that energy of Logan Roy being like, ‘You bit the hand that fed you, and you do not possess the vernacular to be doing this.’”
“Father Figure” has stirred up a lot of fan theories since its release. Swift explained a bit about how she relates to the track, which may illuminate who the song could be about. “This was written from the perspective of the mentor to the protégé,” Swift said. “But I also have completely related to the protégé perspective in so many of these situations. I relate to the younger one when I’m listening to this song, even though it’s from the perspective of the father figure character. That’s why I like this song so much.”
Most Swifties believe the “father figure” in the song is Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta, who was a key player in preventing Swift from owning the masters of her first six albums. Her comment about relating to the protégé character in the song seems to support this reading of the lyrics.
