Therapist Reacts To: You're On Your Own, Kid by Taylor Swift! 

The line, "You're on your own kid, yeah, you can face this," makes me tear up. It's a reminder I need. I'm no kid, but sometimes I still feel like one. Damn it Taylor, why do you this?

the very last “you always have been” i interpreted it as her saying that you’ve always been on your own from the start so look what you’ve already done during that time

This song gets me everytime. Tears constantly.

I love that the firsts “you’re on your own kid” are kinda sad, hard moments in her life where she realizes she only has herself; but the last one is hopeful, like she knows she can face whatever life throws her way because she has herself and I think that is a beautiful sentiment ❤

Taylor liked a tiktok saying that the bridge of the song is a flash foward through her discography that being: From sprinkler splashes: debut to fireplace ashes: fearless I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this: speak now I hosted parties: red and starved my body, like I'd be saved by a perfect kiss: 1989 The jokes weren't funny, I took the money, my friends from home don't know what to say: reputation I looked around in a blood-soaked gown and I saw something they can't take away: lover (probably related to the loss of her masters) 'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned: folklore/evermore Everything you lose is a step you take: the re-recorded albums (fearless tv and red tv) So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it, you've got no reason to be afraid: midnights

First verse sounds like she’s still in her hometown. And each verse is another stage of her life, where she’s learning to rely on herself.

I think the 'blood-soaked gown' line is actually quite revealing, and in a somewhat less flattering (yet profound) way. Though Taylor is an objectively lovely and wonderful human being (pretty much no one who's worked with her has said a bad thing about her), people in her position of fame and power don't often get to those places without getting 'blood' on their hands, so to speak. Based on the song's central theme of isolation, it's likely that she has sacrificed friendships and relationships that were meaningful to her in pursuit of the life she's always wanted, either because those people didn't support her vision/journey or because they couldn't accept the person she was becoming as a result of it. After accomplishing what she set out to do, she now wonders if it was worth it. Regardless of whether it was or not, she witnessed something very few people ever will, something they could never take away from her: she saw her dreams come true.

I love how active you've become with Taylor related reactions.

This song, out of all of them on Midnights, strikes me so hard. Nearly impossible not to cry. Her longing to belong and literally trying everything including starving herself and wearing some kinda mask to fit in. So relatable.

With the blood soaked gown in reference to Carrie, their was so much hope. She believed she had been chosen. In her innocence, she thought all what she desired at that point in time were coming true. She was set up to be humiliated and it was heartbreaking.

I’m over 50 and this song means so much to me. Especially the end where she says: “Yeah, you can face this.” I lost my husband to cancer a few years ago. I have needed to rebuild my life alone. And seeing how hard it was, but I still did it, it makes me tear up when I hear that line. Yes. I can face this.

I imagine you’re a very good therapist, you just come across as genuinely caring

While i agree that the phrase "starved my body" is about self image, i also think it has a double meaning in the context of the verse. "I gave my blood, sweat and tears for this I hosted parties and starved my body..." I think shes saying that she worked so hard for her career that she neglected herself in the process. She was gaining success, but her wellbeing and stability were slipping. That was my take on it but obviously there are lots of meanings.

Make the friendship bracelets take the moment and taste it makes me sob every time! She continues on to say “you’re on your own kid, yeah you can face this” is an encouragement to keep going even if it’s hard. These lyrics to me have helped me understand how my childhood friendships have change as I’ve become an adult, and how I can’t have that childhood relationship anymore, even though I still want to hold onto it.

“People throw rocks at things that shine.” Taylor, Ours, 2010

I think the “I took the money” is sorta how she went along with a lot of the “boys watch out” jokes for a while. Reminds me of some of her Ellen interviews. I also believe that the whole section from the “blood soaked gown” and on is referencing her time she “disappeared” between her 1989 and Rep albums. It was that time she describes as learning how to live a normal life again and was a time of great self discovery. What a beautiful song.

Seeing your reaction and breakdown, I feel like I hadn’t even fathomed this song yet. Amazing insights that made me love the song even more.

Another therapist here, I just found your channel and am enjoying your Taylor reactions. This one is stand out!

Excellent review. Taylor has transformed the concept of a self help book or a memoir into a song that is very honest, growth oriented and hopeful. Very much agree with you on this idea of learning that we are on our own and have to depend on ourselves.

Loving this, I also think of ‘from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes’ as growing up. Going from running through sprinklers as a little kid to sitting around a firepit/bonfire at a party as a teenager/adult

I haven't commented on a video yet but I've been a subscriber for a good month or so. I appreciate you so much and just want to say please continue reacting to Taylor's songs, and contributing your astute and compassionate thoughts, because as cheesy as this sounds, I have begun to mend with mere.

This is my favorite song on Midnights. It really resonated with me for so many reasons. I loved the hopeful turn at the end. As someone who’s spent a lot of life feeling alone and different and bad, it does make me want to savor those good moments and remember how they helped me along the way.

My brother was giving me shit the other day for making friendship bracelets for when i go to see the film. And it honestly crushed my spirit a little bit. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, but life can get so fucking lonely. I'm fucking lonely. And this song just gives me hope. It's more than just "making bracelets" to me. It's about connection, and understanding. And realizing that even though I sometimes feel like i'm screaming into a void where nobody can hear me, we're never truly alone. There are other people out there going through their own battles and feeling all of the same isolating feelings. Idk, man. I'm just trying to cling to whatever brings me even an OUNCE of joy lately. And Taylor fills my soul with SO much joy. I'm so eternally thankful for her AND for this song.

I think that when she says "I went to parties with "better bodies"" it doesn't refer about physicality or not solely about it, but about the fact that she looked for better people (not just somebodies) to hangout, because she couldn't find her people before, and she herself talked about that struggle and how she tried to overcompensate those wounds. Like the "squad" she formed, just to learn that "her dreams aren't rare" aka the people that had her same dreams weren't rare. And she found herself on her own again.

This song is both motivating and depressing at the same time. I've been chasing the same dream for five years but I find myself in the same position now that I'm a step closer, my dreams aren't rare and I'm not special, it's a painful realization. I don't know how to grow out of this phase of confusion and fear and impatience and self hate...

I see this song about the bittersweetness of self-resilience. About how even though it sucks have to learn to be strong for yourself and that other people don't always care for you the way you want them to, being independent strong is how you survive. Being alone can sad, but it's better to be alone and strong and happy than it is to be with others who hurt you.

I am going through a divorce. I've been in love with him since I was 14. I'm 39. We got married at 25 after a bit of growing up. This song is actually encouraging to me.

not fair, this song already made me cry lots. the way you explain things- made me cry more.

this song is just as good as mirrorball, so honest, so vulnerable, so raw, i love it so much and it speaks so much to me, even if its about growing up in the show biz.

This is my favorite song on Midnights. Even after several listens, some of the other tracks I love more or less than the first listen, but this one is still my favorite. It hit me really hard, and I'm still trying to process why. It gave me huge body chills the first time (I actually thought I was getting sick it was so strong) and it still hits me every time, and I have had to have listened to it 30 times by now. I absolutely LOVE it, and I also think by the end its meant to be encouraging and hopeful. I loved your interpretation, thank you!

i would totally book a therapy session with you i’d feel so safe

I think so long daisy May refers to her throwing away her country/ sweetness & moving into her pop genre it was her “ great escape “ reinventing herself & when she had turned 21 she waited for Jake to show up to her party “ I waited ages to see you there” I think what happened with John & then Jake then spiraled into an eating disorder as she referenced at the same party waiting.. “ I searched the party of better bodies”

“The jokes weren’t funny” is a reference to Jake gyllendirt. She sings in Begin Again and all too well10min that he didn’t think her jokes were funny. “Took the money” is a reference to her Getaway song where she is explaining her breakup from Calsius and her rebound with Tom. The whloe song she is talking to her past self, explaining her hurdles. But it ends with a hopeful note, “you can face this”

This is my new comfort channel. Mere is so calm and relaxed and im def here for it

You are a joy to watch and listen to! I thoroughly relax hearing you talk and love how deeply you go into the lyrics. Taylor has seen me through 13, almost 14 years of life and I wouldn’t have made it this far without her. I wholeheartedly believe she’s magic. The emotional reactions her music pull out of me are so intense and specific I can’t understand how she can write like that. If my writing is ever 1/8th as good as hers, I’ll be a very happy woman.

This may be my favorite Taylor Swift song yet. I have yet to listen to it without getting choked up.

Thanks so much for reacting to this! One of my favourites from Midnights

I always relate this back to “You Belong To Me”.

Loved this reaction and this song! It's literally instant tears every time. The oxygen mask metaphor made me think of Two by Sleeping at Last. You should totally take a look at that one- brings me to tears!

So i agree with most of what you said, just wanted to add some thoughts. First verse- i think is about Jake. It started with him towards the end of summer as being friendly then picked up and they dated from September to December. She talks about him smoking with his boys. She has made other mention about how he made her feel 2nd best to his friends. Sprinkler splashes to fire place ashes in this first course is literal from summer to winter. The “i waited ages to see you there. I searched the party for better bodies, just to learn you never cared” she had previously mentioned how they had “stopped talking” and then he had reached back out to her and she invited him for her 21st bday. So she felt like it was forever since the last time she saw him. In All Too Well 10 min version she talks about looking for him the whole night and her dad telling her turning 21 is supposed to be fun! So the search the party, of better bodies (better choices of men that she didn’t notice cause she only had eyes for him) just to learn that you never cared is the let down of him not showing up. Second verse- she realized she needed to get away and pursue what she wants for herself. She did more writing and felt her feelings coming out differently than her previous country style. “So long daisy Mae”- her nod to like Grease “so long to Sandra Dee”. Sprinkler to ashes in this seems like young and innocent to ‘damaged and burnt’. She left home in Nashville to Hollywood or whatever and realized there were people doing the same thing as her and she felt less than them. Like she wasn’t good enough. So she had to ‘improve’ herself to be good enough so she could get the life she wanted. The fame and love. More specifically love from a man. The jokes weren’t funny, i took the money- instead of blowing up and causing a scene I’m sure she was given hush money so that all the people talking about her love life could save face. The blood soaked gown- she’s comparing herself to Carrie. She finally thought she was making her way and had friends in the business and then she turned into the butt of the jokes and even the people she thought were her friends hurt her so again she was on her own to figure it out. Her friends from home don’t know what to say because they don’t know how the lifestyle of a famous person is. That you can’t just not see the girl who just cut you so deep because you are both to be at the same award show next week where you know you will be ridiculed but if you don’t go you’re giving up on the career you are working your a-s-s off for. This is when she realizes how amazing she is and that it all happened for a reason. All the times she felt she was “on her own” was just a lesson that she had to learn to be her best self. This is when she officially started speaking up for herself. So the ending- she recaps it all, everything you lose is a step you take. by referencing friendship bracelets and seizing the moment she’s saying no matter what age you are, little kids making bracelets or adults taking big risks, there’s nothing to be afraid of because you will overcome the bad things that happen and will heal from the hurt like you always have. Thanks for doing this video. It helped me really appreciate this song more than i already did as a true #5 track lover.

"I starved my body" also is a tribute to 1989 era, where she said she would just starve after looking at pictures of herself

People think the chorus could be about her albums and her life. It sounds like she’s taking to herself. Through each album

YOYOK holds such a special place in my heart. "You can face this" gets me every single time I listen to this song. I really like your channel! Please let me know if you'd like to add Spanish subtitles to your content, I would absolutely love to do that! Love from an Argentinian Swiftie 💕

she truly makes it difficult to choose your favorites! this one definitely in my top 5 🦋🙌🏻

The first time I heard "blood soaked gown" I immediately thought "Carrie" and because of how similar it was. Carrie was made a spectacle of on stage and everyone laughed at her. Taylor confessed that when Kanye interrupted on her on stage she thought everyone was booing her. I think she felt horrified and kind of related to Carrie.

God! This song is the closest to my heart in the Midnights album. It always gives me hope and makes me want to cry. I feel like it is a love letter to the little girl who didn’t understand why she was not accepted and telling her that it’s ok, it’s just so beautiful. Just watched two of your videos and subscribed, love the content your creating. ♥️♥️✨✨

This song, is her life.

I wanted to know the meaning behind "you're on your own kid" because it really spoke to me. Now that I know, I'm so devastated how relatable it is.

The way I relate is that it's always just been her. on. her. own. because somewhere along the line I have always been "miss indepedent" because not many have always been there for me.

OMG, I love your explanation. I understand the song well now.

Totally agree with you on not having to know the "why" behind life. I've been telling myself lately that I don't have to agree or understand to accept things as they are. :)

To me the “blood soaked gown” is pain, trauma. I have ptsd and that’s what it represents to me. It will always be there no matter what I do - I’ve learned from that pain - and it came at such a cost that It will never be forgotten.

Daisy Mae in the comic strip was always pining after a guy who didn’t really notice her, I believe

There is a very strong connection between this song and "The Lucky One"

Taylor has this song, an unreleased one from way before she make it in the industry, it's called Who I've always been and she talks about a lot of thing that reflected on this lyrics. I feels like the two songs talk to each other, Young Taylor and grown Taylor. I love this channel , keep going ❤️

im 13 and have had many therapists and none have helped but watching your videos make me feel like you actually understand ❤

Makes me think of my younger self and how I wish I could heal her, then she mentions starving herself and I used to do the same thing for days. I'm healing bit by bit thanks to Taylor

this song hits me so hard every time. i’m so glad you’re doing more videos about Taylor’s songs because she is great at representing feelings w her art. thank you so much 🫶

WOW. So, I found your page tonight and I’ve been spending hours watching. I’m a huge Taylor fan. So many of her songs are up for personal interpretation (which is a huge part of her wide appeal), but I love hearing your take on them!!! I’d love to see you do an analysis and reaction video to Bigger Than The Whole Sky. There is a lot of speculation that it is a song about a miscarriage. I think it’s very open to interpretation, could be about any type of loss. It hits me as a loss of my former self after a toxic relationship. I was not only grieving that relationship, but coming to terms with the fact that I’m permanently changed from those experiences. I have a friend who recently ended an engagement and it hit home for her, too. I’d love to hear your thoughts! I liked the reaction video of your first time hearing Forever Winter because that song is SO emotionally raw and I experiencing the emotion it drew out of you right along with you felt so honest and real. Subscribed and immediately hooked! Cannot wait for more!

This is so a family members story this fall. She is from the Midwest, earned herself a spot in an Elite college on the East Coast. Loved a friend group, one of the boys liked her, then dumped her, resulting in her losing the whole friend group. When she returns this semester needs to move from her dorm as she is so traumatized by these people. She continues with big goals and aspirations. Her friends from home couldn't believe what happened to her.

The way you break down the lyrics is so clean and so on point. And I'm so glad that you always pause at the right place.

I love this song. It’s my favourite off of Midnights.

This is my favorite TS song, always makes me emotional when I listen to it. But it gives me hope, and permission to love what I love and not worry about what others think ❤

“I took the money” might be a nod to the bleachers song “don’t take the money “ by jack antonoff (also) meaning we all chase money (or career aspirations) sometimes to the detriment of our relationships or well-being. We all have to tell ourselves what’s truly important to us, because we can forget momentarily in the pursuit of our “big” dreams.

The name Daisy is derived from the Old English word 'daes', which means 'day's eye'. This name was given to the daisy flower because its petals open up in the morning as if to greet the day. The name Mae is of Latin origin and means 'bitter' or 'grief'

The part "I hosted parties and starved my body" made me think of her Eating Disorder (that she once talk about it in The Miss Americana Film on Netflix) & FAT scence in Anti-Hero MV. Maybe you should react to the Anti-Hero MV & Miss Americana Film too. :)

I love your analysis of this song! This song is my favorite from midnights and I was finding it difficult to understand what some parts of it meant. Your analysis is very insightful.

I cry every time hearing the last verse

Could “blood soaked gown” possibly be talking abt the line in maroon “when you splashed your wine into me”. What I’m trying to say is maybe it was that she was wearing a gown at a party and then she got splashed with wine. I’m probably wrong but it just sounded related.

Thank you so much for reacting to this beautiful inspiring song. It’s my favorite from Midnights album. 🙏❤️

maybe my favorite from the album, and i love that at the same time she says you are on your own, i feel so glad and lucky to have her songs in every moment of my life. she is grace, and you too! thanks for the video ❤

This is august and my tears ricochet combined.

The daisy on your palm 🥺😍

I love this reaction!! This song always makes me feel that loneliness of being on your own and knowing that the only person you can really rely on is yourself…but comfort comes with those feelings too. If you haven’t already heard Anti-hero I would love to see your reaction to that! The lyrics are extremely relatable, self-aware, and well written. (Nothing new for Taylor, haha!) but Anti-hero really resonates with me and I would love to see your perspective on the song.

This song makes me cry. I used to have an eating disorder and i think this song really shows how insecucities can lead to that and during tjat time everyone around me left so i really always felt alone in my struggles. When i finally chose recovery i felt like i could now face things myself and that i dont always need others to depend on.

Your reactions and interpretations are so nice and helpful to listen from another perspective, btw it makes me be more aware of situations. Thank for your videos, really!! They help me with your lessons/advices too. Could you react to "The Archer"? Sending love 💞

U are an inspiration for me because I want to study psychology and love watching ur analysis ❤

You just described everything I felt with this song 🥹

This song reaply hit me recently, Her words at the end OMG. My husband passed last year, I feel so lonely and lost. Her song reminded me that I accomplished all the things in my life. I'm capable even with him gone, I'm still able and strong. I know he's still supporting and cheering for me now more than ever. Taylor's song, ugh she really hit my heart yet gave me hope that I've got this.

in the daisy mae and the comic strip, daisy mae was actually unrequitedly in love with abner so it most likely means that she's saying goodbye to being that girl who was pouring all her love to this guy who doesn't feel the same aka the guy who could have made her stay

The part where she says “I didn’t choose this town, I dream of getting out” reminds me of white horse where in the chorus she basically blames herself for having dreamed of this fairytale with the guy and by the end of it it turns into “this is a big world, that was a small town there in my rear view mirror disappearing now, and it’s too late for you and your white horse to catch me now” and then she goes “try and catch me now” because part of her still hopes that he’ll try

"The bad news is, you're on your own now. But the cool news is, you're on your own now!" - Dr. Taylor Allison Swift

You’re amazing, Mere!!! ❤ Thanks a lot for your beautiful analysis of Taylor’s spectacular songs ❤❤️ This song is a great message ❤

Maybe I'm just projecting but I saw the line "I search the party of better bodies just to learn that my dreams aren't rare" as talking about body image issues, like the dream that isn't rare is to have a "perfect" body

The line you’re on your own kid you can face this gets me every time because my ex-husband used to call me kid o . And my divorce was so insanely mentally rough . But I made it

Last 3 weeks im having flashbacks of last 15 years. All those traumas linked to each other coming and coming on me. I kept singing this song all this week unconsciously and now i noticed. İdk why but i understand all "why this song" with this video but also that fact made me sad more than ever

I’m sooo glad I found your channel, thank you a lot

Oh now I wanna to cry, didn't knew this song was that sad till now 🥺

Lol! I might be too late for this! But as a teenager who's always anxious with almost everything, especially with school (always worried about not doing enough, not being a competent group leader and stuff) this song always gets me😭. Lately I've been so anxious to the point where I would suddenly feel a heavy feeling to the point where I would have breakdown even at noon time. So yeahh that is the reason why this song resonates to me in so many ways. Also, I haven't been watching any vlogs from any RU-vidr I just really didn't have the energy. But your videos have helped me so much, especially in coping with my anxiety 🤍. Thank you Mere!

I also think as like an overarching message the whole song is like Taylor was so worried about always trying to look cool, like even when she was looking "uncool" it still had to be very calculated to still come off like effortless and cool, especially dating a lot of older industry men that she lost a lot of her childhood to trying to act sophisticated and now she's reclaiming that part of herself and she's like healing that inner child, cause she really was so young when her career took off

this makes me cry

Taylor and her words of wisdom 👏. "Take the moment and taste it. You got no reason to be afraid. You're on your own kid. Yeah, you can face this." Not only words of encouragement but also there's some hope there. Though you're stepping into the unknown, you'll never know what lies ahead if you don't try. Like Arya from Game of Thrones. She's always wondered what lies beyond the West where the maps of the known world ends. People have always told her they don't know, no one does. What does she do? She goes and tries to find out what is out there and discover it. It's not her to be a princess or a lady. She wants to be more than that. More than what people expect from her. And the girl decided to leave it all behind and find her way. Her true self. Hey Mere, quick question: did you dye your hair? It's looking darker than your previous vids. I like it. Get it girl! 👏. Also, everytime I hear her say the great escape, I think of Boys Like Girls' "The Great Escape". Give it a listen if you've never heard it before.

Your reaction videos are seriously my favorite - especially Taylor ones 💖💖💖 I feel like I learn so much from you in each video thank you so much

Did you react Bigger than the whole sky from the 3am edition of Taylor?

Wow, great analysis 👏🏻

I want so bad to connect this song with Forever Winter and for both songs to be about the same friend. I can't make enough of the puzzle pieces fit together but I think I am going to try to keep this alive at least in my own mind. This reaction video did give me one more connection I hadn't made: Sprinkler splashes--I'll be summer sun for you forever Fireplace ashes--Forever winter if you go.

"ppl throw rocks at things that shine"

Better bodies in the later verse could also be about bodies of work like everyone else at these Nashville parties, regardless of wether they've quite "made it" yet or not, had better connections & at least had some important people already intrested in their music so she might have started worrying that the songs she wrote as a teenager weren't actually good enough for her to get noticed in this new place.

You are so wise! Great analysis!

Such an amazing song. Just found your channel and love all your insights ❤️❤️