You Belong With Me 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
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]
But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers

Dreaming 'bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

[Chorus]
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]
Walking 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, whatcha doing with a girl like that?
[Pre-Chorus]
She wears high heels, I wear sneakers
She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers

Dreaming 'bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you're looking for has been here the whole time

[Chorus]
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 and 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 'bout to cry
And 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

[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 and 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

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About

Genius Annotation

“You Belong with Me” tells the story of a boy who is too wrapped up in a toxic relationship to see how much another girl likes him. It appears on Taylor’s sophomore album, Fearless.

Taylor said the following about the track on a page on Big Machine Records' website, which has since been removed:

I had overheard a friend of mine talking to his girlfriend and he was completely on the defensive, saying [things like] ‘I love you more than anything! Baby, I’m so sorry.’ She was just yelling at him! I felt so bad for him at that moment. So I came up with the first line ‘you’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset, she’s going off about something that you said,’ and I ran that into the storyline that I’m in love with him and he should be with me instead of her.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Taylor Swift say about "You Belong With Me"?
Genius Answer

Swift explained the story behind the song:

I came into the writing session with Liz Rose and said, I’ve got this idea. I had overheard a friend of mine talking to his girlfriend and he was completely on the defensive saying, ‘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.’ She was just yelling at him! I felt so bad for him at that moment. So I came up with the first line ‘You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset, going off about something that you said,’ and I ran that into the story line that I’m in love with him and he should be with me instead of her. It just became this whole picture. It was really fun for us to write the line, ‘She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts.’

She went on to explain its more basic meaning:

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 for your whole life, and you know him better than she does but somehow the popular girl gets the guy every time.

What has the media said about the song?
Genius Answer

In 2018, NPR ranked this as the #141 greatest song by a female or nonbinary artist in the 21st century, saying:

Taylor Swift became officially unavoidable with 2008’s Fearless. ‘You Belong With Me,’ responsible for one ill-fated VMAs acceptance speech, is a trope-heavy teenage underdog romance tale — told with such sincerity as to feel suddenly original. That’s Swift’s brilliance: the Zeitgeist as personal, the personal as Zeitgeist. There’s a banjo part thrown in, but ‘You Belong With Me’ is 100 percent perfect pop, forecasting Swift’s unprecedented crossover to where she and her airtight songwriting always belonged: the chart-topping mainstream.

Has Taylor Swift responded to Lady Gaga praising over 'You Belong With Me"?
What certifications has the song received?
What was the secret message in the album liner notes for this song?
Has she ever reacted to the music video for the song?
How did this song chart?
Credits
Performance Rights
Mixing Engineer
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Release Date
November 4, 2008
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