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Taylor Swift told That's Country the story of this song, which she co-wrote this with her frequent collaborator Liz Rose. Said Swift: "I came into the writing session with Liz Rose and said, I've got this idea. I had overheard a friend of mine talking to his girlfriend and he was completely on the defensive saying, 'No, baby... I had to get off the phone really quickly... I tried to call you right back... Of course I love you. More than anything! Baby, I'm so sorry.' She was just yelling at him! I felt so bad for him at that moment. So I came up with the first line 'You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset, going off about something that you said,' and I ran that into the story line that I'm in love with him and he should be with me instead of her. It just became this whole picture. It was really fun for us to write the line, 'She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts.'"

Taylor explained to MTV News: "This song is basically about wanting someone who is with this girl who doesn't appreciate him at all. Basically like 'girl-next-door-itis.' You like this guy who you have for your whole life, and you know him better than she does but somehow the popular girl gets the guy every time."

The music video was shot at the Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee, where Taylor lives and her younger brother goes to school. It stars Lucas Till from Hannah Montana: The Movie. The singer-songwriter told MTV News: "I met him about a year back and just kind of reached out and was like, 'Hey, want to be in the video?' And he accepted and I'm just really happy to have him in the video."

Songs rarely find themselves in the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and Country Songs simultaneously. However this one did so in the charts for the week ending July 31st 2009 and repeated the feat the following week. The previous song to achieve this was Faith Hill's "Breathe," which over nine years previously, on Feb. 26, 2000, ranked at #5 on both charts.

The song's promo won the 2009 MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video, beating Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)" amongst others. Swift's victory apparently did not meet with the approval of Kanye West, who during her acceptance speech, jumped up onto the stage. He then cut the teen singer off, grabbed her microphone and announced: "Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!" A stunned Taylor was timed out and consequently unable to complete her acceptance speech. Later when "Single Ladies" won the show's top honor - Video of the Year, Beyoncé showed her class by calling back Swift to the stage to finish her speech. "I would like Taylor to come out and have her moment," she said.
Swift was asked afterwards by MTV News what her first reaction to seeing West join her onstage at Radio City Music Hall She replied: "I was really excited, because I had just won the award. And then I was really excited because Kanye West was onstage. And then I wasn't so excited anymore after that."

Billboard magazine reported on 24th September 2009 that with an audience of 117 million, this tune was the most heard song on US radio that week. The song was the first country crossover track to achieve that feat since tracking firm Nielsen Soundscan's started keeping records in 1990.

This reached #1 on Adult Contemporary chart, making Swift the first artist to place two chart-toppers on that chart, which previously reached the summit of the Country chart. Love Story also achieved the same feat.

Comments:

I've actually been to Pope John Paul II High School. It's a really near place. Oh and if there are any Lucas Teel fans you need to read this: Get over him, he's a total douchebag. My mom's boyfriend met him and said he was a total jerk.
- Katy, Pleasant View, TN

This is one of the few songs that I like of Taylor Swift's my friends always sing this randomly when their bored and the weird part is, some of them are guys.
- Breanna, Henderson, NV

this is a great song to listen to
- reagan, panama city, FL

I had a dream that was me and an ex-girlfriend of mine and Taylor was there. I picked Taylor over the ex-gal of mine just like in the video. And I also I love that lyric: "But she wears short skirts, I wear t-shirts She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers." That's so funny.
- Mike, Easton, PA

Anyone think this song has some similarities to Saving Jane's "Girl Next Door"?
- Malone, Chicago, IL

This song song describs me and one of my best guy friends he knows me pretty well and I konw him pretty well and I think we are ment for eachother.
- Amber, Halifax, NS

its like the clean, country version of "girlfriend" by avril lavigne [=
- Kennedy, Newport, WA

it is awesome it's like a real story
- Rhianna, sydney, Australia

i love this song!! i always dance to this song when i hear it!! lol wow. ..great song. [:
- Anita, Citrus HeIghts, CA

In the booklet that comes w/the CD, there are hidden messages in the lyrics. You take all the capital letters and put them in order to spell a phrase. You Belong With Me's message is: LOVE IS BLIND SO YOU COULDN'T SEE ME.
- Emily, Around Chicago, IL

LOVE the song... me and my friends sing it al the time...
- Melissa, The Acerage, FL

Talor always gets the most handsome boys to star in her videos!
- Mel, Everett, WA

haha great song. i can relate. 'im the one who makes you laugh when you know you're bout to cry
- hope, naperville, IL

This song rocks! It really relates to my life!
- brittany, wolfeboro, NH

i love this song it's tells a real story
- lauren, Nashville, TN

i agree with katie. thats a really good part of the song,but the whole song (as well as the whole album) rocks!!!!!!!
- Emily, Langhorne, PA

LOVE this song. Obsessed with the lines, "You say you're fine, I know you better than that. Hey whatcha doing with a girl like that?" Not only do I love the lines, but her voice is awesome there. Really shines. (:
- Katie, Cumming, Georgia