Tim McGraw," which Taylor wrote in her freshman math class, was her debut single and first-ever published song. At the time, she was dating a senior named Drew Dunlap and believed they would break up before he left for college, so she wrote this song hoping to memorialize their time together.
The Tim McGraw song in question was 2004's "Can't Tell Me Nothin'." Taylor got to perform the song for a crowd Tim was in at the 2007 ACMs. The two later collaborated on Tim's 2013 track "Highway Don't Care."
In 2018 Taylor also performed "Tim McGraw" live with Faith Hill and TimMcGraw himself during the Nashville leg of her reputation tour!
...
[Verse 1]
He said the way my blue eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said, "That's a lie"
> Taylor went on to mention eyes in numerous later songs — even just on her debut, she describes eyes on "Teardrops on My Guitar," "Stay Beautiful," "Mary's Song," "Invisible," and "A Perfectly Good Heart." In between her first and second albums, she even released an EP called Beautiful Eyes, which included a song of the same name.
It's also interesting to note that Taylor lived in Hendersonville, Tennessee at the time of this song's release. She attended Hendersonville High School, and the school auditorium was even renamed the Taylor Swift Auditorium after she donated $75,000 to update the lighting and sound systems in 2009. It takes around six hours to drive from Hendersonville to the middle of Georgia.<
Just a boy in a Chevy truck
That had a tendency of gettin' stuck
On backroads at night
> The lyric implies that Swift's boyfriend fakes the truck breaking down to spend some unchaperoned time with her.
The demo version of these lyrics were:
Just a boy in a pickup truck
That had a funny way of getting stuck
On backroads at night
Taylor also mentioned a pickup truck on "Picture To Burn," implying that the two songs may be connected.
I hate that stupid old pickup truck you never let me drive<
[Pre-Chorus]
And I was right there beside him all summer long
And then the time we woke up to find that summer gone
> The age old story of summer romance, as told in movies such as the 1978 film Grease. Summer is a season associated with fun and cheerful days, while autumn is a season associated with endings, since leaves begin to fall and animals prepare for hibernation.
There's also an interesting parallel between the weather, which cools as fall approaches, and the "coldness" that has grown between the two.
Taylor also uses this metaphor in "Back To December" where she says:
And I think about summer, all the beautiful times
I watched you laughing from the passenger side
And realized I loved you in the fall.
And then the cold came, the dark days
When fear crept into my mind.<
[Chorus]
But when you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
> In a 2007 interview, Taylor revealed that the song in question is McGraw's "Can't Tell Me Nothin'," from his 2004 release Live Like You Were Dying.
It's also noteworthy that Taylor switches perspectives for the first chorus, speaking directly to the subject. Throughout the remainder of the song, she uses "you" rather than "he" like she did in the first verse.<
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
>The demo lyrics for this section were:
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
The one you said you liked best
Next to my old faded pair of jeans
Moreover, Swift also mentions a little black dress in her October 2009 track, "The Other Side Of The Door," on which she sings:
And I broke down crying, was she worth this mess?
After everything and that little black dress
After everything, I must confess, I need you<
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me
[Verse 2]
September saw a month of tears
And thankin' God that you weren't here
To see me like that
> September is the month that marks the end of summer and their love. Even though Taylor was devastated their relationship was coming to a close, she didn't want him to see her cry. If he saw how upset she was, he would feel sad as well, and it would be even harder for them to say goodbye.<
But in a box beneath my bed
Is a letter that you never read
From three summers back
[Pre-Chorus]
It's hard not to find it all a little bittersweet
And lookin' back on all of that, it's nice to believe
[Chorus]
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me
[Bridge]
And I'm back for the first time since then
I'm standin' on your street
And there's a letter left on your doorstep
And the first thing that you'll read
> Taylor's back in town, so she could easily go talk to him and say hi, especially if she's "standing on [his] street." However, she chooses to leave the relationship in the past and put the letter on his doorstep as a final goodbye.
The demo version of the bridge was:
Been back a couple times since then
And I didn't look you up
But some trains you can't catch again
You gotta leave it as it was<
[Chorus]
Is, "When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
Someday you'll turn your radio on
I hope it takes you back to that place"
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me
[Outro]
Oh, think of me, mmm
He said the way my blue eyes shined
Put those Georgia stars to shame that night
I said, "That's a lie"
My score is : 7.3/10
(Lyrics: 7/10, bridge : 7/10, sonically how much I like it : 7)
My opinion: I think this song is nice. The song writing is so impressive for her age. There is so much detail and imagery already. The bridge really progress this story which I love.
