The Outside (Taylor Swift)

Hidden Message: You Are Not Alone

Written when Swift was just twelve, The Outside was one of her first original songs. It describes the difficult social situations she faced in school (in Pennsylvania) before moving to Tennessee. She credits much of her songwriting ability to the time spent as an observer "on the outside looking in." Swift describes herself as a "complete outcast" and remembers the time as one of the most lonely she has ever experienced. Swift has stated that The Outside is an example of "...why I even started to write songs" and that her life would be completely different if she had been "one of the cool kids."

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