Released: November 21, 2011

Songwriter: Ryan Tedder Taylor Swift

Producer: Taylor Swift

[Verse 1]
I'm so glad you made time to see me
How's life, tell me, how's your family
I haven't seen them in a while
You've been good, busier than ever
We small talk, work and the weather
Your guard is up and I know why

[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind
You gave me roses and I left them there to die

[Chorus]
So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you, saying I'm sorry for that night
And I'd go back to December all the time
It turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine
I'd go back to December, turn around and make it alright
I go back to December all the time

[Verse 2]
These days I haven't been sleeping
Staying up playing back myself leaving
When your birthday passed and I didn't call
And I think about summer, all the beautiful times
I watched you laughing from the passenger side and
Realized I loved you in the fall

[Pre-Chorus]
And then the cold came, the dark days when fear crept into my mind
You gave me all your love and all I gave you was goodbye

[Chorus]
So this is me swallowing my pride
Standing in front of you, saying I'm sorry for that night
And I'd go back to December all the time
It turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine
I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind
I go back to December all the time

[Bridge]
I miss your tan skin, your sweet smile, so good to me, so right
And how you held me in your arms that September night
The first time you ever saw me cry
Maybe this is wishful thinking
Probably mindless dreaming
But if we loved again I swear I'd love you right
I'd go back in time and change it, but I can't
So if the chain is on your door, I understand...

And then he said, "It's too late to apologize"
It's too late...
He said, "It's too late to apologize"
It's too late...

So this is me swallowing my pride (It's too late to apologize)
Standing in front of you, saying I'm sorry for that night (It's too late...)
And I go back to December (It's too late to apologize, it's too late)
It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you (It's too late to apologize)
Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine (It's too late...)
Oh...

He said you're not sorry (no no no)
You're not sorry (no no no)
You're not sorry (no no no)
You're not sorry (no, no, no...)

Taylor Swift

One of the defining artists of the 2010s, Taylor Alison Swift, born December 13th, 1989, is an American singer-songwriter and actress who has achieved success in both country and pop. Raised on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania, Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee at age fourteen to pursue a career in country music. Scott Borchetta signed Swift to his then-nonexistent label Big Machine Records after seeing her perform at the Bluebird Cafe in November 2004.

Swift debuted in June 2006 with “Tim McGraw,” an ode to a lover who would be leaving town. The song served as an introduction to her self-titled debut album, which touched upon topics like heartbreak and bullying Swift faced at school. Her honesty and relatability appealed to fans from all walks of life, and went on to become the longest-charting album of the 2000s, spending 227 weeks on the Billboard 200.

Swift’s sophomore effort, Fearless, came in November 2008 and cemented her status as a country superstar, while tracks like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” also garnered mainstream attention. Not only did the record become her first number one, but it also became the most-awarded country album of all time, winning accolades such as the Grammy award for Album of the Year. Until Billie Eilish’s 2020 win, then-20-year-old Swift was the youngest person to have ever received the honor.