"Mine" is the lead single from Taylor’s third studio album Speak Now.
It tells the story of a girl whose parents' failed marriage has caused her to take a pessimistic view on love. Over time she falls in love with someone who convinces her to start believing in love again, but she still fears that something will go wrong.
This song is rumored to be about the late Glee actor, Cory Monteith. The pair hung out briefly between January and April 2010, and were pictured bowling with Selena Gomez.
The hidden message for the track is “Toby” which is in reference to her music video co-star, Toby Hemingway. The pair never had a romantic relationship, with Taylor stating that she picked him after spotting him wear her lucky number 13 on a t-shirt in his movie, The Covenant.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables
Left a small town and never looked back
I was a flight risk, with a fear of falling
Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts
[Pre-Chorus 1]
I say, "Can you believe it?"
As we're lying on the couch
The moment, I could see it
Yes, yes, I can see it now
[Chorus]
Do you remember, we were sitting there, by the water?
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine
[Verse 2]
Flash forward, and we're taking on the world together
And there's a drawer of my things at your place
You learn my secrets and figure out why I'm guarded
You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes
[Pre-Chorus 2]
But we got bills to pay
We got nothing figured out
When it was hard to take
Yes, yes
This is what I thought about:
[Chorus]
Do you remember, we were sitting there, by the water?
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine
Do you remember all the city lights on the water?
You saw me start to believe for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine
[Bridge]
And I remember that fight, 2:30 AM
As everything was slipping right out of our hands
I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street
Braced myself for the goodbye
'Cause that's all I've ever known
Then, you took me by surprise
You said, "I'll never leave you alone."
[Chorus 2]
You said, "I remember how we felt, sitting by the water
And every time I look at you, it's like the first time
I fell in love with a careless man's careful daughter
She is the best thing that's ever been mine"
Hold on, make it last
Hold on, never turn back
You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter
You are the best thing that's ever been mine
[Outro]
Yeah, yeah
Do you believe it? (Hold on)
We're gonna make it now (Hold on)
And I can see it
Yeah, yeah
I can see it now (See it now)