‘You Belong with Me’ by Taylor Swift: Meaning and Analysis

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘You Belong with Me’ is a Taylor Swift song, which featured on her second studio album, Fearless (2008). Swift wrote the song with Liz Rose and produced it with Nathan Chapman.

Although ‘You Belong with Me’ has a ‘story’ at its heart which is hardly new, the lyrics to the song are worthy of closer analysis because of the way Swift and Rose build a detailed picture of the love triangle at the story’s centre. Continue reading “‘You Belong with Me’ by Taylor Swift: Meaning and Analysis”

The Curious Meaning of ‘22’ by Taylor Swift

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘22’ is a classic example of a pop song whose meaning appears straightforward but is, in fact, slightly more complex and ambiguous once we probe under the surface. Taken from her fourth album Red (2012), ‘22’ is in some ways a quintessential Taylor Swift song, combining poppy and uptempo music with seemingly breezy and carefree lyrics. Continue reading “The Curious Meaning of ‘22’ by Taylor Swift”