Mean – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a fun and effective way to improve your skills, and Taylor Swift's "Mean" is a great song to start with. The lyrics are straightforward and tell a clear story of overcoming negativity, making them easy to follow. The song’s catchy, country-flavored melody and clear pronunciation of the lyrics can also help with comprehension and vocabulary building.

[English]

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 I'm nothing

You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard

Calling me out when I'm wounded

You, picking on the weaker man

...

Well, you can take me down

With just one single blow

But you don't know what you don't know

Someday, I'll be living in a big old city

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

...

Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be so mean?

...

You, with your switching sides

And your wildfire lies and your humiliation

You have pointed out my flaws again

As if I don't already see them

I walk with my head down

Trying to block you out, 'cause I'll never impress you

I just wanna feel okay again

...

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

And you don't know what you don't know

Someday, I'll be living in a big old city

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be so mean?

...

And I can see you years from now in a bar

Talking over a football game

With that same big loud opinion

But nobody's listening

Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things

Drunk and grumbling on about how I can't sing

But all you are is mean

All you are is mean

And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life

And mean, and mean, and mean, and mean

But someday, I'll be living in a big old city

And all you're ever gonna be is mean, yeah

Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

(Why you gotta be so mean?)

Someday, I'll be living in a big old city

(Why you gotta be so mean?)

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

(Why you gotta be so mean?)

Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me

(Why you gotta be so mean?)

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be so mean?

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
word /wɜrd/ A1	noun - a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing
knife /naɪf/ A2	noun - a tool used for cutting
sword /sɔrd/ B1	noun - a weapon with a long metal blade
weapon /ˈwɛpən/ B1	noun - an instrument used for fighting or defense
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town
mean /miːn/ B2	adjective - unkind or cruel verb - to signify or indicate
flaw /flɔː/ B2	noun - a mistake or defect
humiliation /hjuːˌmɪl.iˈeɪ.ʃən/ C1	noun - the act of making someone feel ashamed or embarrassed
opinion /əˈpɪn.jən/ B1	noun - a belief or judgment about something
bitter /ˈbɪtər/ B2	adjective - having a sharp taste or smell; angry or hurt
cold /koʊld/ A2	adjective - having a low temperature
block /blɒk/ B1	verb - to obstruct or prevent movement
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - to be alive; to exist

Key Grammar Structures

• You, with your words like knives

  ➔ Prepositional phrase to describe manner or possession

  ➔ 'With' introduces a phrase that describes how the words are used

• Got me feeling like I'm nothing

  ➔ Using 'feeling' as a gerund to express emotion or state

  ➔ 'Feeling' functions as a gerund here, describing the emotional state

• Calling me out when I'm wounded

  ➔ Using 'calling out' as a present participle phrase indicating action

  ➔ 'Calling out' is a present participle phrase that describes the action of criticizing or confronting

• And all you're ever gonna be is mean

  ➔ Future intention using 'gonna' as a colloquial form of 'going to'

  ➔ 'Gonna' is an informal contraction of 'going to,' expressing a future plan or intention

• Why you gotta be so mean?

  ➔ Use of 'gotta' as a colloquial contraction of 'got to' (have to)

  ➔ 'Gotta' is a colloquial contraction of 'got to', used to express obligation or necessity

• Someday, I'll be living in a big old city

  ➔ Future continuous tense indicating ongoing action in the future

  ➔ Using 'will be living' to express an action that will be ongoing in the future