What's The Meaning Of "Mine" By Taylor Swift? Full Analysis

The first track on Speak Now TV, and on the original Speak Now, is a powerhouse of a song that catapulted Taylor into the stratosphere.

When we compare it to the track ones of Debut and Fearless, this intro is so much more pop than country, but still with hints of the small town origin story and hometown roots.

Mine is a song about believing in love, even when the road gets rough. But who is Mine about, what does it mean, and how does it fit into the context of the rest of the album?

Here’s my full analysis of the meaning of Mine by Taylor Swift, line by line.

Purple and lavender ombre background with a bright blue and teal wave graphic. The white text on top reads: "Analyzing Mine (Taylor's Version), by Swiftly sung Stories"

Mine (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift

Title: “Mine” (Taylor’s Version)
Track: 1, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
Written By: Taylor Swift
Pen: Fountain, with a bit of glitter
Secret Message: “Toby”
Lyrics via Genius

Mine Narrative Summary

Setting: Small town, then big city, and in the present, looking back at the beginning of a relationship.
Characters: Narrator (Taylor), “You” (partner).
Mood: Nostalgic, hopeful.
Conflict: She’s insecure in herself and her relationship due to past traumas.
Inciting Incident: “Sitting there by the water”: looking back at a pivotal moment in their relationship.
Quest: Believe in love and learn to trust.
Theme: Love can transform you.
Lesson: You can believe in love if you let yourself trust.

What was the Secret Message on Mine?

The secret message in the original Speak Now liner notes for Mine was “Toby.”

Who is Mine About?

The secret message reading “Toby,” it’s likely about Toby Hemingway, who Taylor briefly dated in the Speak Now era.

But Taylor also briefly dated Cory Monteith at the time of writing and recording Speak Now, so it could be about him.

It’s also important to remember that Speak Now is a concept album about things left unsaid, so it could be about neither of these people, and about believing in love in general.

Meaning of Mine by Taylor Swift: Line by Line

Annotated portions of Taylor Swift's "Mine" (Taylor's Version) on a purple background. Red English teacher's pen highlights hidden meanings, translates tricky phrases, and helps the reader understand the central message of the song.
The first verse and first pre-chorus lyrics read:
"You were in college working part-time, waiting tables
Left a small town, never looked back
I was a flight risk with a fear of falling
Wondering why we bother with love if it never lasts
I say, "Can you believe it?"
As we're lying on the couch
The moment I could see it
Yes, yes, I can see it now"

Speak Now is a concept album about things Taylor wished she had said to people in her life, which is important to remember as we go through the lyrics.

“You were in college working part-time, waiting tables,” she says in the opening verse, setting up a working-class background for the young protagonists.

Her partner “Left a small town, never looked back,” meaning he has escaped the confines of his early life, and sought success in the “big city.”

This juxtaposition of small town vs. big city has always been a theme in Taylor’s lyrics, with small hometowns representing an insulated world, and a big city representing “making it” and finding success.

Here, it also reflects the internal change of our protagonists, who will go on a journey from adolescence to adulthood.

“I was a flight risk with a fear of falling,” she says of her skittish nature, “Wondering why we bother with love if it never lasts.” She’s at risk of running away at the first sign of trouble, and she’s a pessimist. She doesn’t believe that love will work out, so why should she fall in love?

“I say, ‘Can you believe it?’,” she says to her partner, expressing her amazement, “As we’re lying on the couch.” In their comfortable, everyday life together, she looks back at how far they’ve come. When all the odds were stacked against them, here they are now: happy and still together.

“The moment I could see it,” she says, looking back to one moment that solidified their relationship, “Yes, yes, I can see it now.” There was one point in time that set the tone for the rest of their relationship, and she’s about to tell us about it in the chorus.

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Chorus: “You Made a Rebel of A Careless Man’s Careful Daughter”

“Do you remember, we were sitting there by the water?” she says in the first chorus, “You put your arm around me for the first time.”

Water represents a contemplative setting, and as they gaze out over the horizon, they share a memorable moment. He puts his arm around her “for the first time,” indicating possession and protection. It was the first time she was his, and the first time he was hers.

“You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter,” she says, reflecting on the poor example set by her father, “You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

Her father was “careless,” likely with heart, or her mother’s heart. This is the example from which she’s learned that love will “never last.” So what is she rebelling against?

She’s a “rebel” against the way she was raised. Her parents taught her that all love does “is break, and burn, and end,” but she’s discovering that it doesn’t have to be that way.

She’s breaking the cycle of generational trauma, by finding a love that will accept her, and never leave her stranded.

“Flash forward and we’re taking on the world together,” she says in the second verse. She’s still in the present remembering the past, but she fast-forwards their love story to more significant moments that defined their relationship.

“And there’s a drawer of my things at your place,” she says, symbolizing intimacy and trust. They don’t live together yet, but they’re getting closer and closer.

“You learn my secrets and you figure out why I’m guarded,” she says of their emotional intimacy. She’s “guarded” because of her “careless” father: she has “daddy issues,” that make themselves known in relationships with other men.

“You say we’ll never make my parents’ mistakes,” she says of his promise to her. We don’t get to find out exactly what her “parents’ mistakes” are, but we can gather that they’re no longer together. They don’t want her parents’ example to frame their story.

2nd Pre-Chorus & Chorus: “We Got Nothin’ Figured Out”

“But we got bills to pay,” she says, snapping out of this dreamy moment. Real life enters the chat, and the realities of daily life will always add stress to a relationship, no matter how close you are.

“We got nothing figured out,” she says of their life and love. They don’t know where it’s going, but they’re working hard to get there.

“When it was hard to take,” she says of their difficult times, “Yes, yes, this is what I thought about.” When she’s having a hard time, she thinks back to the waterside moment. It comforts her, both to remember it, and to see how far they’ve come since then.

The first part of the chorus repeats, then she asks, “Do you remember all the city lights on the water?” Just as a big city represents success and “making it,” city lights are the shining beacons of hope that guide them.

It’s a cinematic moment, where “You saw me start to believe for the first time.” She points to this single moment, where she finally believed they could – and would – work out.

“You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter,” she says once again, emphasizing just how difficult it was to overcome her trauma, “You are the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

This is kind of like saying “you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” but emphasizes possession. She’s always been on shaky ground with her traumatic father figure, but her partner gives her steadiness to hold onto.

Much like “this love is ours,” their relationship is theirs and only theirs, and will be no matter what other people (or parents) have to say about it.

Bridge: “Braced Myself for the Goodbye”

The bridge describes a pivotal moment of conflict and fear.

“And I remember that fight, 2:30 AM,” she says, recalling a fight in the early hours. Midnights and early mornings have always represented a time of conflict and rumination for Taylor, and it’s an hour when big decisions are made (see Breathe, The Way I Loved You, and all of Midnights).

“As everything was slipping right out of our hands,” she says, recalling the moment when she almost lost it all. This love is slipping through her fingers, and she feels powerless to stop it.

“I ran out crying and you followed me out into the street,” she says, painting a cinematic portrait of their argument. Like the streets of Hey Stephen, Fearless, and We Were Happy, the pavement is where magic or tragic things can happen.

“Braced myself for the goodbye,” she says, mentally preparing for the breakup, “’Cause it’s all I’ve ever known.” Her trauma resurfaces, and she imagines he’ll leave just like her father.

“Then you took me by surprise,” she says, “You said, ‘I’ll never leave you alone’.” She’s comforted by his steadiness: he won’t leave like all the others.

This is a rare moment in Taylor’s discography, because most of the moments she writes about aren’t this miraculous: your feelings nurtured, your personhood acknowledged fully by a supportive partner.

We’ll hear how the rest of this interaction went down in the following chorus.

Final Chorus: “She is the Best Thing That’s Ever Been Mine”

“You said, ‘I remember how we felt sitting by the water’,” he says to her as they stand in the street, “And every time I look at you, it’s like the first time.” Just like she recalls that magical moment where she first saw the light, he remembers it and cherishes it, too.

His love hasn’t faded with time; each moment he sees her, their love is still new and fresh.

“I fell in love with a careless man’s careful daughter,” he says, acknowledging her past and her present, “She is the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

“Hold on, make it last,” she says to herself, “Hold on, never turn back.” ‘Hold tight to this love,’ she urges herself, and ‘resist the urge to run. Don’t turn back to the pessimist you once were.’

“Do you believe it?” she asks one more time in the outro, “We’re gonna make it now.” She finally feels confident that this can last.

“And I can see it,” she says to herself, or to him, “I can see it now.”

The whole song, she’s been questioning the future: “can you see it?” And she can’t, fully, until the very end. It’s been a long road, but they’re finally on the home stretch.

They belong to one another, and they’re both confident that they will be, for a very long time to come.

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Mine Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts

Speak Now’s tracks are open letters to people in Taylor’s life; things she wishes she had said in the moment. So who is this letter to, and what is she really saying?

The central message is, essentially, ‘you made me believe in love.’ She’s thanking this person for standing by her, even when she was very difficult to be with.

Throughout the rest of the album, she’ll turn in circles around this idea, sometimes believing in love, and sometimes disillusioned. But it feels like that – at least in this moment – she sees that it’s possible, and she will eventually find a love that’s just for her, and ‘all mine.’

More Songs From Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)