When "You Belong with Me" was first released, critics praised the song's radio-friendly production and emotional engagement that appealed to a broad audience, although some deemed Swift's songwriting formulaic. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, "You Belong with Me" was nominated in three categories, including Song of the Year and Record of the Year. The single reached the top ten on charts and received sales certifications in Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand. In the United States, it peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the first country song to reach number one on both Hot Country Songs and the all-genre Radio Songs chart. The single was certified seven times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Roman White directed the song's music video, which stars Swift as both the antagonist—an unsympathetic, popular cheerleader, and the protagonist—a sympathetic girl-next-door who yearns for the antagonist's boyfriend; some critics took issue with the video's narrative as antifeminist. At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, where "You Belong with Me" won Best Female Video, rapper Kanye West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech, which caused a controversy widely covered by the media. Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "You Belong with Me (Taylor's Version)" for her re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021). "You Belong with Me" was included on the set lists of five of her headlining tours.
You Belong with Me
Taylor Swift Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's goin' off about somethin' that you said
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do
I'm in my room, it's a typical Tuesday night
I'm listenin' to the kind of music she doesn't like
And she'll never know your story like I do
'Cause she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can't you see
You belong with me
You belong with me
Walkin' the streets with you and your worn-out jeans
I can't help thinkin' this is how it ought to be
Laughin' on a park bench, thinkin' to myself
"Hey, isn't this easy?"
And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down
You say you're fine, I know you better than that
Hey, what you doin' with a girl like that?
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers
Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can't you see
You belong with me
Standin' by and waitin' at your back door
All this time, how could you not know, baby
You belong with me
You belong with me
Oh, I remember you drivin' to my house
In the middle of the night
I'm the one who makes you laugh
When you know you're 'bout to cry
I know your favorite songs
And you tell me 'bout your dreams
Think I know where you belong
Think I know it's with me
Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?
Been here all along, so why can't you see
You belong with me
Standin' by and waitin' at your back door
All this time, how could you not know, baby
You belong with me
You belong with me
You belong with me
Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me
You belong with me
Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" is a song about a girl who is in love with a guy who is dating someone else. The girl is afraid to tell the guy how she feels because she is afraid he won't feel the same way. The song starts with the girl listening to the guy talk about his girlfriend, who is upset about something he said. The girl knows the guy better and understands him more than his girlfriend. She dreams about the day when the guy wakes up and realizes that he belongs with her, not his girlfriend.
The chorus of the song talks about how the girl is the one who understands the guy, and she has been there all along. She wonders why he can't see that he belongs with her. The girl compares herself to the guy's girlfriend, who wears short skirts and is the cheer captain, while she wears T-shirts and sits on the bleachers. The girl and the guy have a lot in common, and they enjoy spending time together walking the streets and laughing on a park bench.
The second verse of the song talks about how the guy's girlfriend brought him down, and he hasn't been the same since. The girl knows him better than that, and knows he isn't really fine. She can't understand why someone like him is with someone like his girlfriend. The song ends with the girl asking the guy why he can't see that he belongs with her and not his girlfriend. Overall, "You Belong With Me" is a song about unrequited love and the fear of telling someone how you feel.
Line by Line Meaning
You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset
Your girlfriend is upset and you are talking to her on the phone.
She's goin' off about somethin' that you said
She is talking to you about something you said that upset her.
'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do
She does not understand your sense of humor like I do.
I'm in the room, it's a typical Tuesday night
I am in a room and it feels like a regular Tuesday night.
I'm listenin' to the kind of music she doesn't like
I am listening to a type of music that she does not like.
And she'll never know your story like I do
She will never understand your life story like I do.
But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She dresses up in short skirts while I prefer T-shirts.
She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers
She is the cheer captain and I am in the stands watching the game.
Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find
I am dreaming of a day when you realize that I am the one you want to be with.
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time
You have been searching for what you want, and it has been here all along.
If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
You need to understand that I am the one who truly understands you.
Been here all along, so why can't you see
I have been here the whole time, so why can't you realize it?
You belong with me
You should be with me.
Walkin' the streets with you and your worn-out jeans
I want to walk around with you while you wear your old jeans.
I can't help thinkin' this is how it ought to be
I feel like this is how things should be between us.
Laughin' on a park bench, thinkin' to myself
We should sit on a bench in a park, and laugh together.
"Hey, isn't this easy?"
This is simple and fun, isn't it?
And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town
Your smile has the power to brighten up everyone's day in this town.
I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down
I have not seen your smile for a while because she has made you unhappy.
You say you're fine, I know you better than that
You say you are okay, but I know you well enough to know that you are not okay.
Hey, what you doin' with a girl like that?
Why are you with a girl like her?
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She prefers high heels while I prefer sneakers.
Standin' by and waitin' at your back door
I am standing by and waiting at your back door.
All this time, how could you not know, baby
After all this time, how could you not know that we should be together?
You belong with me
You should be with me.
Oh, I remember you drivin' to my house
I remember when you drove to my house.
In the middle of the night
It was late at night.
I'm the one who makes you laugh
I am the one who can make you laugh.
When you know you're 'bout to cry
When you are about to cry, I can make you laugh instead.
And I know your favorite songs
I know the songs that you love the most.
And you tell me 'bout your dreams
You tell me about the dreams you have.
Think I know where you belong
I think I know where you should be.
Think I know it's with me
I think you should be with me.
Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?
Why can't you see that I am the one who truly understands you?
Been here all along, so why can't you see
I have been here the whole time, so why can't you understand that?
You belong with me
You should be with me.
Have you ever thought just maybe
Have you ever considered that maybe...
You belong with me
...you should actually be with me?
You belong with me
You should be with me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Elisabeth Wagner Rose, Taylor Alison Swift
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Avery Jennings
I Love Taylor Swift ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
@kathtsmall6405
Coronavirus got me listening to Taylor old hits
@AnjuSingh-dm4eq
Same lol, listened this all my childhood but never saw the video.
@seokberry
Sameeeeeee
@nudelnmitonst
U Not alone
@asdionribut54
You not alone
@huyxinhgai3462
Taylor swift now so Flop 😂😂
@90shiphopmix
If we're being honest, she was a huge part of our childhood.
@kimhaseul
I agree
@90shiphopmix
@@kimhaseul ☺️☺️☺️