On September 13, 2009, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Taylor Lautner presented the MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video. It was a strong year for the category, which included Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, P!nk, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Lautner’s current girlfriend, Taylor Swift. When the winner was announced, Swift seemed overwhelmed as she approached the stage to accept the award. She hugged Lautner and then turned to speak. She thanked the crowd and expressed her disbelief as she was a self-described country singer. The camera cut to P!nk, who graciously applauded.
As the camera switched back to Swift, rapper Kanye West had taken the microphone out of her hand and addressed the crowd “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you,” he said. “I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!” Swift was visibly shaken by the incident as the crowd booed. She later recounted feeling as if the audience was showing their disapproval of her, not him. As he returned the mic to Swift, she stood stunned as the show cut to a commercial break. She had been robbed of her moment. Let’s take a look at the story behind “You Belong with Me” by Taylor Swift.
You’re on the phone with your girlfriend, she’s upset
She’s goin’ off about somethin’ that you said
‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do
I’m in the room. It’s a typical Tuesday night
I’m listenin’ to the kind of music she doesn’t like
And she’ll never know your story like I do
“I Felt so Bad for Him at that Moment”
Nashville songwriter Liz Rose co-wrote seven of the songs on Taylor Swift’s self-titled debut album and four on Fearless, including “You Belong With Me.” Swift told That’s Country, “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 storyline 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.”
But she wears short skirts. I wear T-shirts
She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers
Dreamin’ ’bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time
If you could see that I’m the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can’t you see
You belong with me
You belong with me
One More Up-tempo Song
As Swift was preparing to go into the studio, she needed one more up-tempo song. In 2017, Liz Rose told Billboard magazine, “We wrote it, like, the day before she cut it. And she, I believe, wanted to make sure she’d written everything she could write for the record before she finished cutting it. So I think she came in wanting to write an up-tempo and came in with that story, wanting to write this really fun, fast, driving song. And you can hear it in the guitar, in the work tape.”
Walkin’ the streets with you and your worn-out jeans
I can’t help thinkin’ this is how it ought to be
Laughin’ on a park bench, thinkin’ to myself
“Hey, isn’t this easy?”
And you’ve got a smile that could light up this whole town
I haven’t seen it in a while since she brought you down
You say you’re fine. I know you better than that
Hey, what you doin’ with a girl like that?
A Love Story
The music video was directed by Roman White. He told MTV News, “I really wanted there to be a great love story there. It’s about these two people who have lived these two lives across from each other and both of them loved each other but just never knew it. They were just barely missing each other, across the way.”
She wears high heels. I wear sneakers
She’s cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers
Dreamin’ ’bout the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time
Standin’ by and waitin’ at your back door
All this time, how could you not know, baby
You belong with me
You belong with me
Aftermath
After the interruption at the MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West was asked to leave the ceremony. When Beyoncé was awarded the Video of the Year award for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” later in the show, she recounted her first VMA win when she was a member of Destiny’s Child and how it was one of the most exciting moments in her life. In a classy move, she took the opportunity to allow Swift to “have her moment.” The crowd recognized the significance as Swift emerged from backstage to face a standing ovation. She thanked video director Roman White, her co-star Lucas Till, and her little brother’s high school for letting them use the location. In the following days, President Barack Obama and former President Jimmy Carter both spoke out in Swift’s defense, and West apologized on The Jay Leno Show. In his 2016 single, “Famous,” the rapper controversially claimed he made Swift famous because of the event.
Oh, I remember you drivin’ to my house
In the middle of the night
I’m the one who makes you laugh
When you know you’re ’bout to cry
And I know your favorite songs
And you tell me ’bout your dreams
Think I know where you belong
Think I know it’s with me
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Photo by Gregory Pace/BEI/Shutterstock
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