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Mary's Song (Oh My My My)

Taylor Swift (2006)

“Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” is the tenth track on Taylor’s debut album Taylor Swift (2006). It was inspired by her next-door neighbors, an old couple that had known each other since they were just kids. They were talking with Taylor one night about how they met, and she was touched by the story.

Background and Lyrical Theme

Taylor co-wrote the song with Liz Rose and Brian Maher. It recounts the story of an old couple that met in their childhood and stayed in love as they grew up. She tells the story from the perspective of the older woman, Mary, who narrates the memorable events that took place in their childhood and adult life, as well as the elements that sustained her relationship with her husband. In an interview, she explained the background of the story in “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)”:

«I wrote this song about a couple who lived next door to us. They’d been married forever and they came over one night for dinner, and were just so cute. They were talking about how they fell in love and got married, and how they met when they were just little kids. I thought it was so sweet, because you can go to the grocery store and read the tabloids, and see who’s breaking up and cheating on each other, or just listen to some of my songs, haha. But it was really comforting to know that all I had to do was go home and look next door to see a perfect example of forever.»

Taylor Swift

A Reddit user wrote, “Taylor has greatly evolved with her storytelling as the albums have progressed, but this song is like a timestamp of innocence in adolescence. You could literally imagine her at 16 on her bedroom floor, smiling to herself with a stomach full of butterflies as she wrote this song.”

Fanmade Music Video

The music video for “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” was made by an outside company, meaning Taylor had no part in its production. But it is well-made and brings the story in the song to life.

Live Performances

In total, Taylor has performed “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” over 20 times. She often sang it in promotion of her debut album when she was a tour opening act for many country music superstars. She didn’t perform the song from 2008-2023. She finally picked it as an acoustic surprise song during her “The Eras Tour” show in Amsterdam on July 6, 2024. She mashed it up with “So High School” (2024) and “Everything Has Changed” (2012).

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
She said, “I was seven and you were nine
I looked at you like the stars that shined
In the sky, the pretty lights”
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us
Growing up and falling in love and our mamas smiled
And rolled their eyes and said, “Oh my, my, my”

[Chorus 1]
Take me back to the house in the backyard tree
Said you’d beat me up, you were bigger than me
You never did, you never did
Take me back when our world was one block wide
I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried
Just two kids, you and I…
Oh my, my, my, my

[Verse 2]
I was sixteen when suddenly
I wasn’t that little girl you used to see
But your eyes still shined like pretty lights
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us
They never believed we’d really fall in love
And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes
And said, “Oh my, my, my”

[Chorus 2]
Take me back to the creek beds we turned up
Two a.m. riding in your truck and all I need is you next to me
Take me back to the time we had our very first fight
The slamming of doors instead of kissing goodnight
You stayed outside till the morning light
Oh my, my, my, my

[Bridge]
A few years had gone and come around
We were sitting at our favorite spot in town
And you looked at me, got down on one knee

[Chorus 3]
Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle
Our whole town came and our mamas cried
You said, “I do,” and I did too
Take me home where we met so many years before
We’ll rock our babies on that very front porch
After all this time, you and I

[Outro]
I’ll be eighty-seven; you’ll be eighty-nine
I’ll still look at you like the stars that shine
In the sky, oh my, my, my…