What does Mean mean?

Taylor Swift: Mean Meaning

Album cover for Mean album cover

Song Released: 2011


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. anonymous
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    Jul 24th 2012 !⃝

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

  2. anonymous
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    Apr 24th 2012 !⃝

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

  3. anonymous
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    Apr 23rd 2012 !⃝

    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.

  4. anonymous
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    Feb 13th 2012 !⃝

    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

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  5. anonymous
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    Feb 13th 2012 !⃝

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

  6. anonymous
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    Jan 21st 2012 !⃝

    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?"

  7. anonymous
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    Jan 14th 2012 !⃝

    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. :)

  8. anonymous
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    Jan 14th 2012 !⃝

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

  9. anonymous
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    Jan 5th 2012 !⃝

    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!

  10. anonymous
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    Dec 28th 2011 !⃝

    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.

  11. anonymous
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    Dec 22nd 2011 !⃝

    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

  12. anonymous
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    Dec 13th 2011 !⃝

    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!

  13. anonymous
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    Dec 5th 2011 !⃝

    I think this is song is about how this girl in the song is getting bullied and she feels like everyone is agianst her. But taylor swift is telling her that it's ok and that they are all mean and your going to be better than them. That one day you will be rich and have a great life and all their going to be is mean. Also it's about how everyone is equal and should be together

  14. anonymous
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    Nov 21st 2011 !⃝

    According to Sixty Minutes in last night's show the song was written to counter criticism of her singing. Supposedly she was off key when singing with another professional. I'm a 64 year old man and I am with Taylor on this. Some of these "evaluations" by people who do not know who she is and who her audience is and what she is trying to say are so off base as to be meaningless. And they are mean as well.

    When I pay careful attention to the lyrics, I do think she has included a reference to an adult figure who would hurt her as a child not fully grown. That is a veiled reference to mean parents everywhere. There are some out there who should never have been parents or in positions of authority over young people.
    Sing on, young lady. You have one old man who is your fan.

  15. anonymous
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    Nov 6th 2011 !⃝

    Even though her musicc vid show diff people being bullied by people their age, i think it's about being abused by a father.




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