"A Place In This World" is a song written about the uncertainty of what the future holds, along with the acceptance that whether it all works out or doesn't, life will go on.
The song was written when Taylor was thirteen, a common age for teenagers to begin concerning themselves with belonging somewhere. For Taylor, this journey was also about her pursuit to make her music known and develop her artistry, as well as the uncertainty artists face when they begin, especially at such a young age.
[Verse 1]
I don't know what I want, so don't ask me
'Cause I'm still trying to figure it out
Don't know what's down this road, I'm just walking
Trying to see through the rain coming down
Even though I'm not the only one
Who feels the way I do
> In the first verse we get introduced to Taylor's feelings of uncertainty and insecurity. She's unsure of what she really wants and how she sees her destiny unfolding.
This holds personal truth to Taylor, who at a young age wasn't 100% sure where her life was going. Although she dreamed of pursuing music. she wasn't sure how exactly that would pan out for her. Her parents are also both in business, and when she was younger she wanted to become a financial advisor.
In an interview she stated:
My dad is so passionate about what he does, like in the way I'm passionate about music. He's so gung-ho for his job, and I saw how happy it made him and I just thought, like, "I can broke stocks."<
[Chorus]
I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on
Oh, I'm just a girl trying to find a place in this world
> Taylor realizes that she's the only person she can truly rely on. She acknowledges that by herself she won't get things right 100% of the time, but she'll learn from her mistakes and try to do better next time. She may be haunted by the memory of her mistake, but it's not the end of the world if something goes wrong
(This feels in a way connected to you're on your own kid)<
[Verse 2]
Got the radio on, my old blue jeans...
>This is a reference to the "ordinary girl" theme showcased throughout the Taylor Swift album. She's just like the rest of us – a small town girl with big dreams
This image was also called up on her nostalgic track "Tim McGraw," where she sings:
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
There's some level of dramatic irony here, as everyone who hears this song knows that she's gone on to reach these dreams.<
...And I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve
Feeling lucky today, got the sunshine
Could you tell me what more do I need?
And tomorrow's just a mystery, oh, yeah
But that's okay
[Chorus]
I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on
Oh, I'm just a girl trying to find a place in this world
[Bridge]
Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission
But I'm ready to fly
> When Taylor wrote this song, she was very young. She had no idea where her career was going to go, but she knew that she wanted be a successful musician one day. She was willing to take a risk "fly" and try to get what she wanted, even if it didn't pan out the way she wanted it to ... and man did that leap of faith pay off!
In her documentary A Place in This World, Swift said the following about her future dreams:
My big dream is to look out into a crowd of thousands of people and have them singing the words to my songs. That to me would just be everything I've ever hoped for. I want to make people feel things when they hear my music. I want to give a song to someone who is going through a breakup. I want to give a song to someone who loves someone and can't tell them, a song for someone who has just fallen in love, and a song for people who are just living their lives.<
[Chorus]
I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh, but life goes on
Oh, I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know
Oh, I'm just a girl trying to find a place in this world
> She just wants to find a devotion – someone/somewhere to make her feel special and a place where she feels she belongs.
Everybody wants to find their destiny and the answer to the age-old question –
why are we all here?
As the album booklet hidden message for this song so rightly says – SHE FOUND IT.<
[Outro]
Oh, I'm just a girl
Oh, I'm just a girl, oh, oh
Oh, I'm just a girl
Score: 6/10
(Lyrics: 6/10, bridge:5/10, sonically: 6/10)
My opinion:
The theme of this song is quite relatable. It's really well written for her age and in generally. But it's falls short in comparison to her entire discography. Sonically it's not my cup of tea. Although the melodies are catchy and nice. I respect this song but it's not for me.
