"I Knew You Were Trouble." is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter… Read Full Bio ↴"I Knew You Were Trouble." is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her fourth studio album, Red. It was released as the third single from the album on 27 November 2012. It was written by Swift, Max Martin and Shellback, with the production handled by the latter two.

I Knew You Were Trouble.
Taylor Swift Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Once upon a time, a few mistakes ago
I was in your sights, you got me alone
You found me, you found me
You found me
I guess you didn't care, and I guess I liked that
And when I fell hard, you took a step back
Without me, without me
Without me

And he's long gone
When he's next to me
And I realize
The blame is on me

'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
'Til you put me down, oh
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground

Oh, oh
Trouble, trouble, trouble
Oh, oh
Trouble, trouble, trouble

No apologies, he'll never see you cry
Pretends he doesn't know that he's the reason why
You're drowning, you're drowning
You're drowning
And I heard you moved on from whispers on the street
A new notch in your belt is all I'll ever be

And now I see, now I see
Now I see

He was long gone
When he met me
And I realize
The joke is on me, yeah

I knew you were trouble when you walked in (oh)
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been
'Til you put me down, oh
I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been (yeah)
Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground

Oh, oh (yeah)
Trouble, trouble, trouble (trouble)
Oh, oh
Trouble, trouble, trouble

And the saddest fear
Comes creepin' in
That you never loved me
Or her, or anyone, or anything
Yeah

I knew you were trouble when you walked in
So shame on me now
Flew me to places I'd never been (never been)
'Til you put me down, oh
I knew you were trouble when you walked in (knew it right there)
So shame on me now (knew it right there)
Flew me to places I'd never been (ooh)
Now I'm lyin' on the cold hard ground

Oh, oh
Trouble, trouble, trouble (oh)
Oh, oh
Trouble, trouble, trouble (trouble)
'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Trouble, trouble, trouble
'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in
Trouble, trouble, trouble

Overall Meaning

The song I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift tells the story of a girl who falls for a guy who she knows is bad news but cannot resist his charm. The lyrics begin with the girl reminiscing about the time when she first met the guy and how he found her although he did not care much about her. She admits that she fell hard for him even though he took a step back. While she was in love, she knew deep down that this could lead to trouble. The chorus indicates that she tried to convince herself that he was not as bad as she thought, but ultimately, she was right in her intuition, and he put her down, leaving her alone on the cold hard ground.

The second verse discusses how the girl heard about the guy moving on and getting involved with someone else who might end up in the same situation. She also admits that he was never really in love with her or anyone else, which is the saddest fear that creeps in. Throughout the song, the chorus serves as a reminder to the girl that she knew all along that he was trouble but ignored her intuition. Overall, the song sends a powerful message about the importance of listening to our instincts and not succumbing to temptation, even when it seems irresistible.

Line by Line Meaning

Once upon a time
Long ago

A few mistakes ago
Before things went wrong

I was in your sights
I got your attention

You got me alone
You isolated me

You found me
You discovered me

I guess you didn't care
You didn't have feelings for me

And I guess I liked that
I was attracted to your indifference

And when I fell hard
I became emotionally invested

You took a step back
You pulled away

Without me
Leaving me behind

And he's long gone
He left a while ago

When he's next to me
When I'm with him

And I realize
I understand now

The blame is on me
It's my fault

'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in
I knew you would cause problems for me from the start

So shame on me now
I should have known better

Flew me to places I'd never been
You exposed me to new experiences

'Til you put me down, oh
Until you hurt me

No apologies
You never said sorry

He'll never see you cry
You won't let him know that he affected you

Pretends he doesn't know
Acts like he's innocent

That he's the reason why
He caused the problem

You're drowning
You're struggling

And I heard you moved on
I heard you've moved forward

From whispers on the street
From rumors going around

A new notch in your belt
A new conquest for you

Is all I'll ever be
You only saw me as someone to conquer

And now I see
Now I understand

And the saddest fear
The worst fear

Comes creepin' in
Slowly enters

That you never loved me
You never had feelings for me

Or her
Or anyone else

Or anything
Or anything else

Yeah
Yes

Trouble, trouble, trouble
Problems, problems, problems

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Martin Max Sandberg, Johan Karl Schuster, Taylor Alison Swift

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

anon

on Blank Space

13w

Nice to meet you, where you been?
Hey there, I'm interested in getting to know you. What's your story? test

I could show you incredible things. Magic, madness, heaven, sin
I can offer you an exciting, unpredictable experience. It could be heavenly or dangerous.

Saw you there and I thought, Oh my God, look at that face. You look like my next mistake
When I saw you, I was immediately drawn to you. But I have a habit of getting into relationships that end poorly.

Love's a game, wanna play? Ayy
I view relationships as a game, and I want to see if you're up for playing it with me.

New money, suit and tie. I can read you like a magazine
You appear to be wealthy and put together, but I can tell that you're not as perfect as you may seem.

Ain't it funny, rumors fly. And I know you heard about me. So hey, let's be friends
There are likely rumors and gossip about me, but I want to befriend you despite what you might have heard.

I'm dyin' to see how this one ends. Grab your passport and my hand. I can make the bad guys good for a weekend
I'm curious to see where this relationship will go. Let's go on an adventure together and I can change your perspective on things.

So it's gonna be forever. Or it's gonna go down in flames. You can tell me when it's over, mm. If the high was worth the pain
Our relationship might be long-lasting or it might be a complete disaster. Once it's over, let me know if it was worth all the trouble.

Got a long list of ex lovers. They'll tell you I'm insane. 'Cause you know I love the players. And you love the game
I've had many past relationships that didn't end well, and they might say I'm crazy. But I can tell that you're a player, and I like the game.

Cherry lips, crystal skies. I could show you incredible things. Stolen kisses, pretty lies
I can give you thrilling, romantic experiences. But I might also deceive you with sweet lies.

You're the king, baby, I'm your queen. Find out what you want. Be that girl for a month
You can be in charge of this relationship, and I'll be there to fulfill your desires. I can try being someone different for a month.

The worst is yet to come, oh no. Screaming, crying, perfect storms. I can make all the tables turn. Rose garden filled with thorns
Things might get even worse between us. We could have explosive fights and difficulties. But I have the power to change things around. Our relationship might seem wonderful, but it has hidden dangers.

Keep you second guessing like. Oh my God, who is she? I get drunk on jealousy. But you'll come back each time you leave
I can be unpredictable and keep you on your toes. I'm prone to jealousy, but you'll keep coming back to me despite my flaws.

'Cause darling, I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream
I might seem lovely and sweet, but I can turn into a total nightmare in a relationship.

Boys only want love if it's torture. Don't say I didn't, say I didn't warn ya
Many men enjoy being in dramatic, tumultuous relationships. I'm warning you that's what you're in for with me.

But I've got a blank space, baby. And I'll write your name
I may have a history of failed relationships, but now there's an opportunity for something new and exciting with you. I'll make you mine, and it'll be unforgettable.