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You Belong With Me

Single | Fearless (2008) | Fearless (Taylor's Version) [2021]

“You Belong With Me” is the sixth track on Taylor’s second studio album, Fearless (2008). As one of her signature songs, it tells the story of a boy who, caught up in an unhappy relationship, fails to notice how deeply another girl cares for him. The re-recorded version, “You Belong With Me (Taylor’s Version),” was released on April 9, 2021, as part of Fearless (Taylor’s Version).

Background and Release

Co-writer Liz Rose revealed that “You Belong With Me” was written in the latter part of 2007, toward the end of the Fearless recording sessions. She recalled, “Taylor said, ‘I’m finishing the record on Monday. Let’s write an uptempo song.’ We wrote ‘You Belong With Me’ in just one or two hours. It’s incredible to go back to the work tape and hear how the nuances in the final album version were already present. When Taylor writes, she’s already producing the song in her head—she hears everything.”

“You Belong With Me” was first released as a promotional single from Fearless on November 4, 2008, as part of the “Countdown to Fearless” campaign, an exclusive initiative by the iTunes Store. Big Machine Records then released the song to U.S. country radio on April 20, 2009, as the third single from the album. On May 18, 2009, the track was sent to U.S. contemporary hit radio by Big Machine in partnership with Republic Records.

Lyrical Theme

Taylor was inspired to write “You Belong With Me” after overhearing a conversation between a male friend and his girlfriend on the phone. He sounded defensive as she yelled at him, and he repeatedly said, “No, baby… I had to get off the phone really quickly… I tried to call you right back… Of course I love you. More than anything! Baby, I’m so sorry.” Feeling sympathy for him in the situation, Taylor conceived the idea for a song. In a writing session with co-writer Liz Rose, she shared the story and her concept, leading to the creation of the song’s opening line: “You’re on the phone with your girlfriend / she’s upset / she’s going off about something that you said.” Together, they crafted a storyline about Taylor being in love with her friend and hoping he would break up with his girlfriend for her. Taylor described the concept as follows:

«This song is basically about wanting someone who is with this girl who doesn't appreciate him at all. Basically like 'girl-next-door-itis.' You like this guy who you have known for your whole life, and you know him better than she does but somehow the popular girl gets the guy every time.»

Taylor Swift

The final version of “You Belong With Me” explores the theme of unrequited love and the longing for someone who is already in a relationship with someone else. It follows a girl who observes the turmoil and conflict in the relationship of her crush and hopes he will realize that she is the one who truly understands him and is the right person for him. Taylor recalled, “It was really fun for us to write the line, ‘She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts.’” It captures the contrast between the two girls, highlighting the narrator’s belief that she is more in tune with the personality and needs of her crush.

Music Video

The music video for “You Belong With Me” was directed by Roman White. In the video, Taylor portrays two characters: the protagonist, a nerdy girl and the narrator, and the popular girl, the antagonist and the boyfriend’s girlfriend. American actor Lucas Till plays the male lead. Taylor first met him on the set of Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). The video’s storyline revolves around the protagonist secretly harboring feelings for the male lead, despite his relationship with his girlfriend, creating a narrative of unspoken love and longing.

Live Performances

Taylor’s first televised performance of “You Belong With Me” took place at a free outdoor concert on May 29, 2009, broadcast by The Today Show. A notable moment came on September 13, 2009, when she performed the song at the MTV Video Music Awards, the same night Kanye West famously interrupted her acceptance speech. She later performed the song on The View and Saturday Night Live. In late 2009 and into 2010, Taylor took her promotion of the song internationally, performing it on the UK’s GMTV, at the Australian charity concert “Sydney Sound Relief,” and on the Japanese talk show The Sukkiri Morning Show. Taylor also performed a medley, including “You Belong With Me,” at the 52nd Grammy Awards in 2010, the night she won the “Album of the Year” award for Fearless.

The song served as the opening number on all dates of Taylor’s first headlining tour, the “Fearless Tour” (2009-2010). It was later performed during the “Speak Now World Tour” (2011-2012) and “The RED Tour” (2013-2014), but was notably absent from the regular setlist of “The 1989 World Tour” (2015), making it the first tour not to feature the song. However, at several venues during the “1989 Tour,” she performed the song acoustically in place of “You Are in Love.” In 2018, “You Belong With Me” returned to the regular setlist during the “reputation Stadium Tour” as part of a medley with “Style” and “Love Story.” The full song also made a return to the regular setlist during “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024).

Critical Reception

“You Belong With Me” received widespread acclaim from music critics. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone praised the song’s authenticity, noting, “It’s hard not to be won over by the guilelessness.” Josh Love of The Village Voice highlighted the song’s “preternatural wisdom and inclusiveness,” considering it one of Fearless’ standout tracks. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly commended Taylor’s vocals, describing them as perfectly suited to the song’s “slick” and “radio-friendly” melody and instrumentation.

The song appeared on several prominent year-end lists, including Pitchfork‘s at No. 69 and The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics’ poll at No. 10. It was also ranked among the greatest songs of the 2000s by CMT (No. 8) and VH1 (No. 50). In 2017, Billboard included “You Belong With Me” in their “100 Greatest Choruses of the 21st Century,” praising its “immaculate chorus” and noting, “There were about a dozen moments… you could point to as proof that Taylor Swift would one day become the biggest pop star in the world, but maybe none bigger than this.” Additionally, Teen Vogue ranked it first on their 2020 list of the “91 Best Songs About Unrequited Love.”

Commercial Performance

“You Belong With Me” achieved significant commercial success. In the United States, it became Taylor’s highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 at the time, reaching No. 2. It also garnered the largest crossover radio audience since Faith Hill’s “Breathe” in 2000. With over 10 million copies sold in the U.S., the song became eligible for a rare diamond certification from the RIAA.

It was also Taylor’s first No. 1 single on the all-genre Radio Songs chart. With this achievement, “You Belong With Me” became the first country crossover single to top the Radio Songs chart since Billboard began incorporating Nielsen BDS-monitored data in 1990. It stayed at No. 1 for two consecutive weeks and spent 49 weeks on the chart in total.

“You Belong with Me” peaked within the Top 10 on singles charts in Canada (No. 3), Australia (5), New Zealand (5), and Japan (10). The single peaked within the Top 40 in Ireland (12), Slovakia (17), the United Kingdom (30), Hungary (31), and Denmark (32). In Canada, the song reached No. 1 on three airplay charts: Canada Country, Canada CHR/Top 40, and Canada Hot AC. The single was certified Platinum in Japan and Platinum or multi-platinum in English-speaking countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Accolades

The song earned multiple Grammy Award nominations, including “Song of the Year,” “Record of the Year,” and “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.” The music video won the MTV Video Music Award for “Best Female Video” at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. However, Taylor’s acceptance speech was famously interrupted by rapper Kanye West, who protested in support of Beyoncé. The incident sparked widespread media attention, with many defending Taylor. It marked the beginning of a long-standing feud between West and Taylor, making it one of the most talked-about pop culture moments of the century.

Taylor's Version

On February 11, 2021, Taylor revealed on Good Morning America that she would be releasing a re-recorded version of “You Belong With Me,” titled “You Belong With Me (Taylor’s Version).” This version appears as the sixth track on Fearless (Taylor’s Version), the re-recorded edition of her 2008 album Fearless.

The re-recording stays faithful to the original, while also highlighting Taylor’s evolved vocal abilities and deeper emotional expression. Critics praised the authenticity and subtle nuances in the updated version, which reflects her growth as an artist while preserving the charm and relatability that made the original a fan favorite. The production, while similar to the original, feels fresher and more mature, offering a renewed energy to the beloved track. Following the album’s release, Taylor shared her thoughts with a radio station, discussing how this new version of the song encapsulates both her past and present:

«'You Belong With Me' just absolutely changed my life. It was one of those songs that I had written about unrequited love and crushes at school. And I never would have imagined how many people I would see in a crowd one day screaming, 'She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts,’ or there would be think pieces about it, or that it would be this thing that launched me and my career into this place that I never imagined it would go to. It was this song and 'Love Story’ that really, really changed my life in a huge way. And I’ve had so much fun with the fans singing this into crowds over the years. So, getting to re-do it was really a joyful experience. Cause I kind of was looking back on all of those memories and thinking, 'Wow, I’m really lucky.’»

Taylor Swift

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
You’re on the phone with your girlfriend
She’s upset, she’s going off about something that you said
‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do

[Verse 2]
I’m in the room, it’s a typical Tuesday night
I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like
And she’ll never know your story like I do

[Pre-Chorus 1]
But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

[Chorus 1]
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

[Verse 2]
Walk in the streets with you and your worn out jeans
I can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be
Laughing on a park bench thinking 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 doing with a girl like that?

[Pre-Chorus 2]
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time

[Chorus 2]
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
Standing by, waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know, baby
You belong with me
You belong with me

[Bridge]
Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night
I’m the one who makes you laugh when you know you’re about to cry
And I know your favorite songs and you tell me about your dreams
I think I know where you belong, I think I know it’s with me

[Final Chorus]
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
Standing by, waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know, baby
You belong with me
You belong with me

[Outro]
You belong with me
Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me
You belong with me