About the lakes (original version)

"The Lakes" (stylized in all lowercase) is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from the deluxe edition of her eighth studio album, Folklore (2020), released on August 7, 2020, through Republic Records. An orchestral version of "The Lakes", which is the original demo, was released as a promotional single on July 24, 2021, to commemorate the first anniversary of Folklore.

Written and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, "The Lakes" is a midtempo indie ballad, set to acoustic guitar and strings, with themes of introspection and escapism that reflect on Swift's semi-retirement in Windermere, the largest natural lake in England. Upon release, "The Lakes" received universal acclaim from music critics, with compliments on its sophisticated, poetic lyrics, and melancholic instrumentals; many named it a highlight on Folklore and one of the best songs Swift has ever written. The song debuted in the top 10 of the Canadian Digital Song Sales and US Digital Song Sales charts, and reached number 21 in Scotland and the UK Singles Downloads Chart, and number 28 in Hungary.