Which song from a musical does this Taylor Swift song sound like? HELP

[emilyfaye48]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 3:12am

Hello my friends <3

I have been listening to the new Taylor Swift album and the opening guitar is tickling my brain in a very frustrating way. I SWEAR it sounds exactly like the beginning of a song from a musical but I can't figure out which one. I don't know if I'm just crazy and it sounds sorta like a lot of things but I really feel like there is a musical theatre song that starts exactly or nearly exactly like the song Actually Romantic. I thought it was Rent or maybe Next To Normal but it's not.

PLEASE give it a listen, literally just the first 5 seconds of the song is what I'm talking about. Thank you so much for any input <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShsfUTynzQU&list=RDShsfUTynzQU&start_radio=1

[Mskuphantm]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 3:16am

You Will Still Be Mine from Waitress, perhaps?

[emilyfaye48]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 3:19am

ooh this is a great suggestion but doesn't quite hit it. But the guitar does kinda give me the same vibe. Thanks for the suggestion, I hadn't listened to that song in a long time. RIP Nick Cordero. He was really perfect in that role

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 10:16am

It reminds me a little of certain moments from Spring Awakening, particularly the beginning of "The Dark I Know Well."

[okfromthetop]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 3:23pm

this is a very different tone, but it is the same chord progression and key as If I Could Tell Her from DEH

[Laurapattifan]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 4:18pm

Maybe the opening from Murder Ballad?

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 6:23pm

It reminds me a bit of the beginning of "I Am The One" from Next To Normal.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 7:10pm

Not from a musical but it's basically the same opening as Teenage Dirtbag. 

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 8:15pm

Murder Ballad immediately came to mind for me. 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 10/5/25 at 7:01pm

Hi! Could you be thinking of The Long Grift from Hedwig and the Angry Inch? Different key and tempo, but after thinking about your post for a bit and listening back to back, felt like it could be the answer. Let us know when you do figure it out!! So curious.

[Pasunepomme]

Posted: 10/5/25 at 9:42pm

Also not a musical but it reminds me of the opening of Everclear's Father of Mine.

[emilyfaye48]

Posted: 10/7/25 at 12:00am

wow! thank you so much for these suggestions!! I definitely think it was tickling a Murder Ballad moment in my mind! But Spring Awakening and Next To Normal also have something close. But wow I loved Murder Ballad so much!

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 10/7/25 at 8:13am

emilyfaye48 said: "wow! thank you so much for these suggestions!! I definitely think it was tickling a Murder Ballad moment in my mind! But Spring Awakening and Next To Normal also have something close. But wow I loved Murder Ballad so much!"

I also love Murder Ballad. It kind of reminds me of "Built For Longing".