What's The Real Meaning Of You're On Your Own, Kid By Taylor Swift? Here's What We Think
A new Taylor Swift album just dropped, signaling another round of lyric dissection sessions for fans everywhere — not that it ever stopped.
Swifties have long been conditioned by the singer not to take anything at face value, considering how nearly everything she releases, says, or does (let's be honest) has easter eggs and hidden meanings. A massive chunk of those subliminal messages is woven within her songs, and the tracks in "Midnights" are no exception. "Midnights is a collage of intensity, highs and lows and ebbs and flows," Swift tweeted of her latest record. "Life can be dark, starry, cloudy, terrifying, electrifying, hot, cold, romantic, or lonely. Just like Midnights."
And in true Swiftie fashion, fans are gushing about Track No. 5 in this album, since the fifth tracks in most of her albums are some of her most vulnerable. We've seen it with "All Too Well" and "Dear John" in the past. "I didn't realize I was doing this, but as I was making albums, I guess I was just kind of putting a very vulnerable, personal, honest, emotional song as Track 5," she said in an Instagram Live in 2019 (via Bustle). "So because you noticed this, I kind of started to put the songs that were really honest, emotional, vulnerable, and personal as track five."
Swift's entire body of work is already profoundly personal, but her Track 5s are on a whole other level. This is just further underscored in "Midnights'" fifth track, "You're on Your Own, Kid."
You're on Your Own, Kid is Taylor Swift's ode to herself
"You're on Your Own, Kid" begins as if it's reminiscent of "Teardrops on My Guitar," with Taylor Swift singing about unrequited love during her younger years. "Summer went away, still, the yearning stays / I play it cool with the best of them / I wait patiently, he's gonna notice me / It's okay, we're the best of friends / Anyway," it read, per Genius. And then it touched on how she left town and how she had gotten over the one-sided love through songwriting. "I picked the petals, he loves me not / Something different bloomed, writing in my room."
Swift gets even rawer in the bridge, in which she tackles her ascent to fame, including the sacrifices she made along the way. "I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this / I hosted parties and starved my body," the lyrics read, seemingly referencing her past issues with an eating disorder. In her "Miss Americana" Netflix documentary, she admitted how online criticism led her to have an unhealthy relationship with food. She confessed the commentary would "just trigger me to just starve a little bit — just stop eating," per Variety. But the track ended on a good note, with Swift alluding to how she got through it. "Everything you lose is a step you take / So, make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it," she sings. "You've got no reason to be afraid / You're on your own, kid / Yeah, you can face this."
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who is, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).