Main Point: When we face betrayal, we must show forgiveness, but take action so as not to be hurt again.
The Song:
Bad Blood comes from Taylor Swift’s 5th album, 1989. Featuring Kendrick Lamar, it’s the third song from this album to reach #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Like many of the other songs in Swift’s career, it’s about a real life blow up, but this time instead of it being a guy who broke her heart, the song is probably about a scrap she had with another female singer.
The music video is kind of cool. It features Swift as a “secret agent” of sorts who’s working with a female friend to accomplish a mission. But after the job is done, Swift, aka, Catastrophe, is double-crossed by Arsyn. The rest of the video is spent with the two of them building their respective teams for the upcoming showdown. The video ends with a bunch of 95-pound girls walking menacingly toward one another in 4-inch heels….
Consistent with Swift’s music, there’s nothing massively objectionable about the song or video. Childish video with mediocre CGI? Yes. But the song has some positive messages embedded in it that are helpful for young people as they face the strife and turmoil that comes with being betrayed in life.
Introducing the Song:
Most of us have heard the song Bad Blood by Taylor Swift. It’s a great pop song fused with some hip hop elements provided by Kendrick Lamar who’s featured on the track. You’ve no doubt heard that the song is about a rift that Swift had with another female singer, who some think is Katy Perry, but the music video that I want to show you now reinforces the idea of betrayal in a unique way. Take a look at the lyrics sheet we’ve passed out and follow along as the story develops.
The Song’s Lyrics
[Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you’ve done
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
[Verse 1 – Kendrick Lamar:]
Hey! I can’t take it back, look where I’m at!
We was on D like DOC, remember that? (Remember that)
My TLC was quite OD, ID my facts (ID my)
Now POV of you and me, similar Iraq
I don’t hate you but I hate to critique, overrate you
These beats of a dark heart, use basslines to replace you
Take time and erase you, love don’t hear no more
No I don’t fear no more, better yet respect ain’t quite sincere no more
[Pre-Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
Oh, it’s so sad to
Think about the good times
You and I
[Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you’ve done
‘Cause baby, now we’ve got bad blood, hey!
Now we got problems
And I don’t think we can solve ’em
You made a really deep cut
And baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
[Verse 2 – Kendrick Lamar:]
Hey! Remember when you tried to write me off?
Remember when you thought I’d take a loss?
Don’t you remember? You thought that I would need yah
Follow procedure, remember? Oh wait you got amnesia?
It was my season for battle wounds, battle scars
Body bumped, bruised
Stabbed in the back; brimstone, fire jumping through
Still, all my life, I got money and power
And you gotta live with the bad blood now
[Pre-Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
Oh, it’s so sad to
Think about the good times
You and I
[Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you’ve done
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
Now we got problems
And I don’t think we can solve ’em
You made a really deep cut
And baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
[Bridge – Taylor Swift (Kendrick Lamar):]
Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes
You say sorry just for show
If you live like that, you live with ghosts
(You forgive, you forget but you never let it go)
Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes
You say sorry just for show
If you live like that you live with ghosts
If you love like that blood runs cold
[Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you’ve done
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
Now we got problems
And I don’t think we can solve ’em
(Think we can solve ’em!)
You made a really deep cut
And baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
[Chorus – Taylor Swift:]
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood
You know it used to be mad love
So take a look what you’ve done
(Look what you’ve done)
‘Cause baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
Now we’ve got problems
And I don’t think we can solve ’em
You made a really deep cut
And baby, now we got bad blood, hey!
The Music Video:
The video is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo
Transitional Statement:
The video does a great job showing the pain that accompanies betrayal. It also does a pretty good job talking about what we should do when we face betrayal. In the song, Taylor was betrayed by her friend, and she built another team of agents, a team she could really trust. But she also confronted her betrayer and then moved on. There’s a lot in there that we can learn from, for example, when we face betrayal, we must show forgiveness, but take action so as not to be hurt again. Let’s take a few minutes to look at another story of betrayal, a real one instead of a hypothetical one, and see what else we can learn.
Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.
CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.
Discussion Questions:
- AROUND THE CIRCLE: As we get started, let’s all take a second to share our names and whether or not we’re fans of Taylor Swift.
- ASK A FEW: What was the most intriguing or interesting part of Swift’s music video? Why?
- ASK A FEW: If you were to summarize the message of Bad Blood, how would you do it?
- ASK A FEW: The song is all about betrayal. Most people think the song is about someone who betrayed Swift in real life. How did Taylor handle the betrayal in the video? What clues are you basing your decision on?
- ASK A FEW: Have you ever been betrayed? How did it feel?
- ASK A FEW: What did you do about it? Did you handle it well, or did you make it worse by making mistakes?
- ASK A FEW: What’s the best way to handle betrayal? How do you know?
- ASK A FEW: What were some of the ways that Absalom betrayed his father in this passage? How sinful did Absalom have to become to steal the throne away from his dad?
- ASK A FEW: What did King David do in response, and was it the right thing in your opinion? Why or why not?
- ASK A FEW: After you’ve been betrayed, what are some things you need to do? (Leaders – This is a key question. For starters, they need to forgive the person who betrayed them. But they also need to take action to prevent themselves from being further harmed by that person. We never get God’s permission to seek revenge, only justice.)
- ASK A FEW: What role – if any – does forgiveness play in betrayal?
- ASK A FEW: In the song, Taylor was betrayed by a friend. In this story from the Bible, David was betrayed by a family member. Which is tougher? Why?
- ASK A FEW: Do you think Absalom was dealt with too cruelly? Why or why not?
- ASK A FEW: How do you think God feels about betrayal when it happens in our relationships? Why?
- AROUND THE CIRCLE: It’s a guarantee that you will face betrayal in life. What have you learned during our discussion that will help you handle it as positively as possible in the future?
Read the following passage:
2 Samuel 15:1-17 (NIV)
CONTEXT: Before you read this passage, you need to share a few things with your students about the characters. David is King over all the land, and things had been going pretty well for him until very recently. Absalom, one of David’s more striking and popular sons, was getting jealous of his father’s fame and power, so he hatched a plan to change things to his favor. Take a look at what he did to his dad:
2 Samuel 15:1-17
In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, “What town are you from?” He would answer, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” 3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” 4 And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice.” 5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7 At the end of four years, Absalom said to the king, “Let me go to Hebron and fulfill a vow I made to the LORD. 8 While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: ‘If the LORD takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron. ‘” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he went to Hebron. 10 Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, ‘Absalom is king in Hebron.'” 11 Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12 While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing. 13 A messenger came and told David, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin upon us and put the city to the sword.” 15 The king’s officials answered him, “Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.” 16 The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17 So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at a place some distance away.
NOTE: Interrupt the questions by telling your students how this story ends up playing out. If you’re not familiar with it, the sad conclusion of this saga can be found in 2 Samuel 18:1-33. Familiarize yourself with that passage and then summarize it for them before continuing.
Wrap Up:
During our time together, we talked about betrayal, as it happened in the life of Taylor Swift and then in the life of King David. Both were tragic and completely unnecessary; both were costly, as well.
If you look across the pages of history, you’ll see there are several very infamous characters who’ve changed the course of history with their betrayal. For example…
Brutus betrayed – and killed! – his friend Julius Caesar in ancient Rome.
Benedict Arnold betrayed his friend George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
Judas Iscariot committed the most well-known act of betrayal in history when he betrayed Jesus.
Sadly, you are going to face betrayal in your life. When you do, it’s important that you remember a few things. First, always offer forgiveness. Give the person who betrayed you what they need the most: forgiveness. This will be very, very difficult, but it gives God the opportunity to change that person’s life. That’s always a good thing. And remember, only God can make something good out of something as bad as betrayal.
Second, make sure you eliminate any chance of that person betraying you again. No, I didn’t say kill that person…just remove yourself from the relationship. For example, if a significant other betrayed you by cheating on you, then it’s time to move on. They’ve proven themselves unworthy of your love. Don’t give them another chance to hurt you. If it’s a friend, forgive them, but then choose wiser and more godly friends.
Yes, God wants you to forgive those who hurt you, but never once in His Word does He ask us to be continual fools. We must forgive and then move on.
As we close in prayer in a moment, I want to invite any of you who’ve been betrayed by a friend to hang around and talk about it in a confidential setting. You can speak with me or another one of our adult leaders. We want you to know we love you and support you and will do anything we can to help you get past your betrayal.
Close in Prayer
Written by David R Smith
Jonathan McKee
Jonathan McKee is the author of over twenty books including the brand new The Guy's Guide to FOUR BATTLES Every Young Man Must Face; The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices; If I Had a Parenting Do Over; and the Amazon Best Seller - The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. He speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers on TheSource4YM.com. Jonathan, his wife Lori, and their three kids live in California.