Content
Background
“Teardrops on My Guitar” is the second single by Taylor Swift from her self-titled debut album, released on February 20, 2007. The song is about unrequited love and pining for someone who is dating someone else. It was inspired by Swift’s own personal experience with a high school classmate, Drew Hardwick.
“I used to have a huge crush on this guy, who would sit there every day talking to me about…another girl: how beautiful she was, how nice and smart and perfect she was. And I sat there and listened, never meaning it any of the times I said ‘Oh, I’m so happy for you.’ I guess this is a good example of how I let my feelings out in songs, and sometimes no other way. And I’ve never been afraid of using names. I love this song because of its honesty and vulnerability. To this day, they are still together and he has no idea about this song.”
Taylor Swift via her website
Composition
“Teardrops on My Guitar” is a country pop song ranging three minutes and thirty-five seconds long, later cut down and different instrumental arrangements used for the single release at three minutes and twenty-four seconds.
The lyrics speak of heartbreak and unrequited love and directly refer to the song’s subject by his first name, Drew. It describes having a fancy for someone who is in a relationship with someone else and keeping the sentiment to herself. She pretends to be happy for him and his relationship, all while lamenting and crying about it at home.
Upon its release as a single, the line “I laugh cause it’s so damn funny” is changed to “I laugh cause it’s just so funny.”
Music Video
The music video was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who Swift had worked with on the music video for her previous single, “Tim McGraw“. Despite urging from her label to set the film in a prior era and to film at a bigger location, Swift kept it simple and filmed in Nashville. American actor and singer Tyler Hilton was cast to portray the male lead. Swift admitted later during a segment of the behind the scenes of her “White Horse” music video that this was due to Hilton’s resemblance to the song’s subject. She also invited other high-school friends, cousins and her brother Austin to portray the fellow high-school students in the hall.
The video features scenes of Swift and Hilton in the library and in a science classroom while Hilton’s character discusses his girlfriend to her and Swift talks politely back while also looking away disheartened by it all when he’s not looking. Later on, the two run into each other and he walks past her to kiss his girlfriend, all while Swift watches despondently. These scenes intertwined with Swift in a long aquamarine evening gown, lying in a bed with an acoustic guitar or standing next to a fireplace. The video ends with Swift crying in the bed.
Charts, Accolades and Certifications
Weekly charts
Chart (2007-2008) | Peak Position |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) | 45 |
Canada AC (Billboard) | 21 |
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard) | 16 |
Canada Country (Billboard) | 6 |
Canada Hot AC (Billboard) | 16 |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 13 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 5 |
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) | 6 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 2 |
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) | 7 |
US Pop 100 (Billboard) | 11 |
US Pop 100 Airplay (Billboard) | 10 |
Chart (2009) | Peak Position |
UK Singles (OCC) | 51 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2007) | Peak Position |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 89 |
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) | 28 |
Chart (2008) | Peak Position |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 48 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 6 |
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) | 30 |
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) | 35 |
Accolades
Year | Organization | Award | Result |
2008 | MTV Video Music Awards | Best New Artist | Nominated |
2008 | BMI Country Awards | Song of the Year | Won |
2008 | SESAC Nashville Music Awards | Recurrent Country Performance Activity Awards | Won |
2009 | BMI Pop Awards | Award-Winning Songs | Won |
Certifications
Region | Certifications | Certified units/sales |
Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 80,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) | 3x Platinum | 3,000,000 |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Notes
- “Teardrops on My Guitar”, along with “Our Song” and “Should’ve Said No”, would be included on international releases of Fearless. The song would once again contain altered instrumentals and is shortened to three minutes and fourteen seconds.
- An acoustic version of the song would be released on the EP, Beautiful Eyes.
- A pop mix of the song would later be released on the 2008 reissue of her self-titled debut album.
- When released on the deluxe edition and 2008 reissue of her self-titled debut album, the song has been changed to its radio edit and do not use the original 2006 release, this would later be repeated on digital releases of the 2008 reissue.
- The song’s subject, Drew Hardwick, did try and get in touch with Swift after the song’s release as a single via a phone call but Swift did not respond, even after he left a voicemail as she felt it would be awkward. Two years later, he appeared at her driveway with a friend as she was leaving to attend a Nashville Predators hockey game with Kellie Pickler and Carrie Underwood. The two were civil and Swift conjured up two theories as to why he had appeared, the first to prove to his friend that he was the subject of the song and the other she theorized he had maybe hoped to rebuild their friendship or that Swift was still pining for him. She said it would have been poetic if Hardwick would have approached her upon the album’s release and she would have accepted but she had already moved on at that point. Hardwick would later go on to join the US Navy and in 2015 was arrested for aggravated child abuse.