Mean (Taylor's Version)

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 a 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

'Cause 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?