What does that song mean?

Taylor Swift: Mean Meaning


Mean Lyrics

You, with your words like knives and swords and weapons that you use against me
You have knocked me off my feet again, got me feeling like a nothing
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard calling me out when I'm wounded
You, picking...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 4th 2011, 14:03 report


    hey he song "Mean" is about, well, when you do what I do, which is you put yourself out there for a lot of people to say whatever they want about it, there are a million different opinions from a million different people.

    Taylor said:
    I get it that not everyone is going to like everything that you do, and I get that no matter what, you're going to be criticized for something. But I also get that there are different kinds of ways to criticize someone. There is constructive criticism. There's professional criticism. And then, there's just being mean. There's a line that you cross when you just start to attack everything about a person, and there's one guy who just crossed the line over and over again. Just being mean, and saying things that would ruin my day.

    This happens... no matter what you do, no matter how old you are, no matter what your job is, no matter what your place is in life. There's always going to be someone who's just mean to you. Dealing with that is all you can control about that situation, how you handle it. "Mean" is about how I handle it, and sort of my mind set about this whole situation



  2. 2TOP RATED

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 7th 2011, 04:47 report


    This song is about people who are being mean to her ;)



  3. 3TOP RATED

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 12th 2011, 13:31 report


    It's about how she was bullied in high school but she did something with her life and made a name for herself.so it doesn't matter what they think now because they're just losers, just mean and aren't gonna do the great things she's done.also when it says "i bet you got pushed around somebody made you cold but the cycle ends right now cause you can't lead me down that road"-it's how many bullies were bullied themselves and this leads them to bully others, but she's not going to become like them and keep the cycle going just because she's been hurt-she's gonna make a name for herself.And all they'll ever be is mean.



  4.  

    Katniss
    click a star to vote
    Apr 10th, 22:44 report


    "Mean" is a song about a critic who went to one of her concerts and was super strict. She had no heart and gave rude comments that really affected Taylor in a way that she wrote a song. "Words like knives... Same big loud opinion but nobody's listening..." These lyrics give a hint that she's talking about the rude critic.



  5.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 9th, 20:33 report


    what? i thought this was somewhat about bullying you know like when rude people call mean things to you and hurt you but that someday in the future youll be better than them all and you shouldnt care about what people say about you :)



  6.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 28th 2012, 11:14 report


    This is a song about a girl who got picked which was obviousally taylor and from other readings (on other websites) she got picked on by either a critic or a instructor and it was just so mean , and giving her honest opinion she is trying to express herself and telling that he is mean that s where she got the name of her song.(The critic or instructor said she was terrible and other MEAN stuff like that):)



  7.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 13th 2012, 18:18 report


    i think that this song is about somone is being bullied and needs to stand up for themself.



  8.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 13th 2012, 18:15 report


    i think this song is about someone being bullied and it is pretty clear



  9.  

    iwilldancetillidie
    click a star to vote
    Aug 28th 2012, 13:28 report


    I think its about her and her music because when you listen shes explaining the record people were always putting her down and she will never be on top but then she finally gets reconized and she is saying like in ur face but the record people still have an loud opinion



  10.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 26th 2012, 13:15 report


    May be she's talking about Kanye West ??



  11.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 24th 2012, 08:27 report


    Mean is basically about all the critics who talk about how she can't sing and shes not very good.



  12.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 5th 2012, 05:34 report


    She said in a 60 minutes interview it was written about a really mean critic. She said she normally doesn't read reviews about her, but she did & this guy just kept putting her down to the point it was a bit extreme & it really upset her.
    Nowadays she doesn't like to read reviews.



  13.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 24th 2012, 17:01 report


    Taylor Swift said this song was about Kanye West. All he'll ever be is mean.



  14.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 23rd 2012, 02:56 report


    Mean is a self-empowerment and anti-bullying song. Taylor says it's about criticism, people say about bullying, others say it's about bad reviews from critics and Taylor haters.

    Really, Taylor is singing about all of those. She wants to give hope and realization to victims of all of the above, that they should keep holding on until the future, when it's the time their dreams are achieved. Most victims end up having a successful life in the future. Even the singer of the song was bullied: now she's a singer. :)

    Mean is an inspiring song that teaches you the somewhat cheesy but usually true lesson: no matter what, you'll be hated by SOMEONE... But in holding on, eventually, you WILL get the upper hand. While your haters? They're probably just going to be, well, mean.



  15.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 13th 2012, 19:52 report


    It's about one time at a show Kanye West interrupt her and also that night she missed a part in a song so all the media the day after said that she wasn't good! That's why she wrote "Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing". She also talk about her childhood when nobody use to care about her and they laugh at her, because she wanted to sing country and because she was not cool



  16.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 13th 2012, 04:00 report


    I say it was in retaliation to Kanye West's interruption of her acceptance speech at the 2009 CMA awards.



  17.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 21st 2012, 17:13 report


    This song is about the fundamental difference between real talent and complaining/criticising.

    Talent can reach for the stars and grow, glorifying the gift itself.

    Complaining can only "aspire" to be mean. It can't even truly injure talent, except if the person with talent lets it.


    She is pointing out the futility of choosing the path of grumbling. "Why you gotta be so mean?"



  18.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 14th 2012, 15:06 report


    The hidden message in the lyrics is I THOUGHT YOU GOT ME. So I'd say that she was brought down by someone, and then she realized that she had to believe in herself and keep doing what she loves no matter what people say. And you all should too. :)



  19.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 14th 2012, 14:57 report


    I thought this was about Kanye being a jerk to her because he thought someone else should've won her award.



  20.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 5th 2012, 21:41 report


    Its about how when she was in middle school she was bullied by kids in her grade and now shes a big celebrity and ignoring all the bad things said about her and becoming a big star!



  21.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 28th 2011, 07:55 report


    The song is about kayne west when he made fun during her thanking speech after she won an award(that's what she said on ellen's show.



  22.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 22nd 2011, 19:06 report


    Actaully it's about this guy who does a website reviewing country singers. He used to praise Taylor, then he started bashing her, here's a link to an article he wrote:
    http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/is-taylor-swifts-song-mean-about-me



  23.  

    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 13th 2011, 22:23 report


    this song i heard had to do with the backlash she went thru after sing with stevie nicks on the grammy's.

    they talked about how she couldnt sing, how off key she was... and pretty much talked about how many times her live performances she has hit many off key notes....

    im pretty sure this is what this song references!



‹ prev 123



More Taylor Swift song meanings »



Mean lyrics

 


Mean is considered:

Songs about Revenge
[ suggest ]

Submit Your Interpretation

[ want a different song? ]






Just Posted

  Beast and the Harlot anonymous
  So Long anonymous
  Take a Chance on Me anonymous
  I Have a Dream anonymous
  The Chain anonymous
  Like We Used To anonymous
  Beautiful Disaster anonymous
  Maybe anonymous
  Here Comes the Sun anonymous
  No Time anonymous
  Give Me a Reason anonymous
  Jump on My Shoulders anonymous
  China Grove anonymous
  This Afternoon anonymous
  If You Seek Amy logan3mv

Get a weekly email update

(We won't give out your email)

10 Most popular bands this week


1 Beatles
2 Ed Sheeran
3 Coldplay
4 Eminem
5 Taylor Swift
6 Linkin Park
7 Rihanna
8 Pink
9 Imagine Dragons
10 Silverstein