Posted by When Taylor Swift released her album Midnights in October 2022, we all knew it would become one of the most viral listenings of the year. And that’s indeed what happened: the album’s tracks conquered all top positions of the most streamed songs of the week, and fans analyzed all lyrics thoroughly (they started even before the album’s release, through the lines that appeared on the billboards worldwide). Of course, her songs became viral on TikTok too. One line, in particular, has been reused heavily: the one stating, “it’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me,” appreciated by those who can relate to human insecurities. The line comes from the single Anti-Hero: this article will explore the song’s meaning, and you’ll also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can watch the official music video of Anti-Hero below.
“It’s me, hi, I’m the problem”: Anti-Hero, the lyrics & their meaning
Anti-Hero is a song about human insecurities. In the lyrics, Taylor Swift goes through all the ways she sees herself, exposing her weaknesses and dark sides. From this point of view, the chorus comes as a sort of confession, starting with the line that became famous on social networks.
It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me
At teatime, everybody agrees
I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
Confessing “I’m the problem” doesn’t necessarily mean that the singer feels she’s a bad person. Identifying and recognizing our weaknesses is a sign of intelligence, and this is the meaning of these lyrics: I’m not perfect, although you all worship me. I struggle in many ways (the song talks about depression, narcissism, ghosting, and insomnia, all signs that something is not entirely in harmony inside our psyche), and I can recognize that the problem is inside myself. I can be brave and stare at the sun without fear, but I’m scared to watch inside myself (the mirror). For this reason, I have a revelation for you: I’m not a hero; you are worshipping an anti-hero, a personality with many weaknesses.
The line “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me” has been quoted massively in the social network, both ironically (TikTok is full of women “training” their boyfriends to say those words and being prepared for when they will have to repeat them, in future misunderstandings) and seriously (by people who relate with Taylor Swift’s self-analysis and exposure of insecurities).
The full lyrics are fascinating, as they show how Taylor Swift sees her weaknesses, labeling them with modern psychological terms and explicitly saying that fans should not consider her a hero. The music video above, written and directed by Taylor Swift herself, is the perfect transposition of this message into images. You can find the complete lyrics below.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
Midnights become my afternoons
When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people
I’ve ghosted stand there in the room
I should not be left to my own devices
They come with prices and vices
I end up in crisis
(Tale as old as time)
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day, I’ll watch as you’re leaving
‘Cause you got tired of my scheming
(For the last time)
It’s me, hi
I’m the problem, it’s me
At teatime, everybody agrees
I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
Sometimes, I feel like everybody is a sexy baby
And I’m a monster on the hill
Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite city
Pierced through the heart, but never killed
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism
Like some kind of congressman?
(A tale as old as time)
I wake up screaming from dreaming
One day, I’ll watch as you’re leaving
And life will lose all its meaning
(For the last time)
It’s me, hi
I’m the problem, it’s me (I’m the problem, it’s me)
At teatime, everybody agrees
I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money
She thinks I left them in the will
The family gathers ’round and reads it and then someone screams out
“She’s laughing up at us from Hell”
It’s me, hi
I’m the problem, it’s me
It’s me, hi
I’m the problem, it’s me
It’s me, hi
Everybody agrees, everybody agrees
It’s me, hi (Hi)
I’m the problem, it’s me (I’m the problem, it’s me)
At teatime (Teatime), everybody agrees (Everybody agrees)
I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
