Taylor Swift Sings Stripped-Down Version of 'Lover' & 'False God' on 'SNL': Watch

It ain't easy being green -- unless you're Taylor Swift playing a technicolor piano on Saturday Night Live.

No stranger to the SNL stage, Swift -- who made her first appearance on the late night mainstay in 2009, and returned for her fifth round on Saturday (Oct. 5) -- opted for a simple yet stunning starter. From her turtleneck to her hoop earrings to the piano and the stage behind her, everything popped in various shades of spearmint as she eased into slow burn of "Lover," the title-track from her latest No. 1 album. 

Sheets of music were suspended as if they were frozen mid-twirl in the air around the piano, and the performance threw to the whimsy and pops of color from the romantic music video while keeping things sweet and spare -- but just as potent as the original. 

For her second song, Swift went darker -- both with the mood and her aesthetic. She made a quick costume change into black sequined slacks and an ebony oversized jacket, and made her entrance from the back of the smoke-strewn stage.

As she strolled in between glowing Edison light bulbs, she weighed the pros and cons of fighting for a difficult relationship while rolling through the lyrics of "False God." Swift paused to take in Lenny Pickett's saxophone solo in between her verses, and immediately threw out her hand at the end of the song to divert her spotlight to the seasoned player and encourage some well-deserved applause.