You Belong with Me

"You Belong with Me"
Song

"You Belong with Me" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American country artist Taylor Swift. It is the third single from her second album, Fearless. The song was originally released as a digital single, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 based on downloads. In April 2009, it was officially released to radio, debuting at #32 on the Hot Country Songs charts on the chart week of May 2, 2009. The song is Swift's eighth Top 10 country hit. After the official full release, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #2 so far, becoming her highest charting single. "You Belong With Me" was the first song in over nine years to be in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts simultaneously (the last one being Faith Hill's 2000 single "Breathe").

Content

"You Belong with Me" is a song in which the singer loves a boy, but they are just friends, and he is with someone else. Swift commented about the song's background: "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's cheer captain, and I'm on the bleachers'".

Critical reception

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave the song a mostly favorable review. Although he said that its production was "not remotely country" except for a prominent banjo line, he still called it a "well-written teen-centric lyric that any girl who isn’t 'the pretty one' will absolutely relate to." Dan Milliken of Country Universe similarly said that the song was not suitable for country radio. Nonetheless, he gave it an A- rating, saying that its melody was "perhaps her catchiest yet" and that Swift gave a credible vocal performance.

Tracklist

Promo CD

1. "You Belong with Me" (Album Version) - 3:52
2. "You Belong with Me" (Instrumental Version) - 3:52

Australian CD Single

1. "You Belong with Me" (Album Version) - 3:52
2. "Love Story" (Stripped) - 3:40

Australian Digital Single

1. "You Belong with Me" (Radio Mix) - 3:51

Music video

Swift plays both the nerdy neighbor and the girlfriend (with wearing a brunette wig) of a high school football star (Lucas Till). The nerdy neighbor and Lucas have presumably grown up together communicating through their bedroom windows across from each other. They communicate through writing messages on note pads and showing the message through their windows to one another. At the very beginning Swift writes, "I love you." and attempts to show him, only to see that he has closed his curtains. Later they are sitting on a street bench talking when the boy's popular girlfriend pulls up in her car and kisses him. She then pushes him away, showing their unpleasant relationship. At a football game, the nerdy neighbor watches as her neighbor catches the game winning touchdown. He walks to his girlfriend, a cheerleader, only to catch her flirting with his teammate saying "You were awesome." Swift's nerdy character watches from her position in the team's band. The following night, the boy announces with note pads that he's heading to the school dance. Swift at first declines, but ultimately decides to go after seeing her neighbor's sad face. At the end of the video it shows a school dance where Swift's nerdy character has a Cinderella moment (and has put away her glasses). Her neighbor picks her over his girlfriend, Swift pulling out the "I love you" note from the start and her neighbor pulling out another "I Love You" note. They end the scene with a kiss between the two of them. "You Belong with Me" debuted at #13 on CMT's Top Twenty Countdown for the week of May 8, 2009, and has peaked at #1 for eleven consecutive weeks (as of August 21, 2009). The music video is nominated for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Chart performance

"You Belong with Me" first charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100 charts in 2008 based on downloads after its release as a digital single. Upon the song's release to country radio in April 2009, it debuted at #32 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated for May 2, 2009. It re-entered the Hot 100 at #87 on the chart week of May 16. As of August 12, 2009 it has reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, her highest charting single. On the chart week of August 22, 2009, it became her fourth Number One country hit in the U.S. (and fifth overall). It has also become the highest charting country single on the Hot 100 since Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" reached #1, respectively, in 2005. In the UK, "You Belong with Me" first appeared in the top 100 singles at #99, over a period of seven weeks it has since climbed to #50.

Chart (2008-2009)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	5
Canadian Adult Contemporary Singles	30
Canadian Radio & Records Country Singles	1
Canadian Hot 100	4
Irish Singles Chart	42
Japan Hot 100	100
New Zealand Singles Chart	5
UK Singles Chart	50
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	10
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	10
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	1
U.S. Billboard Pop Songs	2