Teardrops On My Guitar

"Teardrops on My Guitar"Single by Taylor Swift
General information
Artist	Taylor Swift
Released	February 13, 2007
Recorded	2006
Studio	Sound Cottage (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre	Country pop
Length	3:38 (original version) 3:24 (country single mix) 2:59 (pop single mix)
Albums	Taylor Swift Fearless (Japan Version)
Label	Big Machine Records
Writer(s)	Taylor Swift, Liz Rose
Producer(s)	Nathan Chapman
Singles chronology
Previous	"Tim McGraw"
Current	"Teardrops on My Guitar"
Next	"Our Song"
Taylor Swift track list
"Picture to Burn"
"Teardrops on My Guitar"
"A Place in This World"
Music video

"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift, alongside Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. "Teardrops on My Guitar" was released on February 13, 2007 by Big Machine Records, as the second single and the third track from Swift's eponymous debut studio album, Taylor Swift. The song was later included on the international release of Swift's second studio album, Fearless, and released as the third single from the album in the United Kingdom. It was inspired by Swift's experience with Drew Hardwick, a classmate of hers for whom she had feelings. He was completely unaware and continually spoke about his girlfriend to Swift, something she pretended to be endeared by. Years afterwards, Hardwick appeared at Swift's house, but Swift rejected him. Musically, the track is soft and is primarily guided by a gentle acoustic guitar.

A pop remix was released in 2008 as the 15th and final track overall on the album, replacing the phone call with Tim McGraw.

Critical reception

Critics have queried the song's classification as country music, with those in agreement (such as Grady Smith of Rolling Stone) citing the themes and narrative style as country-influenced and those opposed (such as Roger Holland of Popmatters) indicating the pop music production and instrumentation lack traditional country elements.

Critics received the track generally positively, complimenting Swift's vocal delivery and songwriting style. The song is considered to be Swift's breakthrough single, as it spread her popularity throughout the United States. "Teardrops on My Guitar" was commercially successful, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the best-charting single from Taylor Swift on the chart, and being Swift's debut entry on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 charts. The single was also certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy and features Swift as she sees her love interest develop a relationship with another female. The song was promoted through multiple live performances, some while supporting as opening act for various country artists' concert tours. She also performed "Teardrops on My Guitar" on her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–10)

In the UK, the song was released as the second single from her first album in that country, Fearless in June 2009.

Hidden message

Hidden message: He will never know.

This song mentions the name Drew. Drew Hardwick is the full name of the subject of the song. This hidden message is sarcastic, because it would be very obvious to Drew that the song was written about him, because his name is the first word in the song.

Music video

The video for "Teardrops on My Guitar" was directed by Trey Fanjoy. It was filmed at Hume-Fogg High School in downtown Nashville. In the video Taylor has fallen in love with her friend Drew (played by Tyler Hilton), but he is in love with somebody else. The video begins with Swift and Drew at their lockers when Drew starts telling Swift about a girl he met and then walks away. Later it shows the two in the library laughing and then being told by the librarian to be quiet. Another scene shows Swift in science class, doing what appears to be mixing chemicals. Drew surprises her, causing her to mess up and add too much powder to her beaker, making it overflow. Later in the music video, Swift is walking down the hallway and she sees Drew coming towards her. He passes her and walks over to his girlfriend and they kiss. When Swift sees this, she is heartbroken and stares at them, then walks away. Throughout the video are scenes of Swift wearing a green dress in what appears to be a bedroom, at first lying on the bed holding a guitar, and then standing up next to a fireplace. The pop mix of the video is played on VH1; however they often play the original version. The video was also nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to Tokio Hotel's song "Ready, Set, Go!".

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see
That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about
And she's got everything that I have to live without

Drew talks to me, I laugh 'cause it’s so damn funny
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night

[Chorus]
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

[Verse 2]
Drew walks by me, can't he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause

[Chorus]
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

[Bridge]
So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down and maybe
Get some sleep tonight

[Chorus]
Because he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

He's the time taken up, but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into

[Outro]
Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see

Chart performance

The song debuted at number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 on March 18, 2007. The song eventually went on to become her first of thirty-eight top twenty hits, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

A new remix of the song, with a drumloop added, the banjo removed, and the line "I laugh 'cause it's so damn funny" changed to "I laugh 'cause it's just so funny" was released to Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio in October 2007 and began charting in both formats soon after. The song has reached a new peak on the Pop 100 at number 11. The song re-entered the Hot 100 at 44.

Awards and nominations

“Teardrops on My Guitar” received three awards from four nominations.

Year	Organization	Award	Result
2008	BMI Country Awards	Song of the Year	Won
	MTV Video Music Awards	Best New Artist	Nominated
	SESAC Nashville Music Awards	Recurrent Country Performance Activity Awards	Won
2009	BMI Pop Awards	Award-Winning Songs	Won