Taylor Swift’s ‘You’re On Your Own Kid’ is my early 20s anthem

Taylor Swift’s Midnights release has indisputably swept the entire music industry off its feet. From its pop tunes, lyrical madness, and mellifluous instrumentals, it bagged countless feats, like becoming the most-streamed album on Spotify in a single day. As a Swiftie, it has been an absolute delight to hear Midnights for the first time. After hearing them once, some songs immediately became my favorite, like You’re On Your Own Kid – a song about life, hardships, and successes, which has been so relatable that I deem it as my early 20s anthem.

Why Taylor Swift’s “You’re On Your Own Kid” is my early 20’s anthem

The message

What awed me the most in this song is its message. The title itself, “You’re on Your Own Kid” hints at a song about being by yourself all along. Initially, that could sound sheerly intimidating and fearsome, but the more that you listen to it, it could turn into something to look forward to. That’s what the song yearns to convey.

In fact, in her graduation speech at NYU last May 18, she mentioned a similar line:

“The scary news is, you’re on your own now. But the cool news is, you’re on your own now.”
Taylor Swift in her NYU Speech

In retrospect, it could actually be an easter egg to her Midnights album. That’s really awesome. Moving on, though, I really needed that message, especially with all the doubts circulating in my head as of late. I don’t even know if I’m doing things right as I transition to adulthood. This song felt like a warm hug.

The lyrics

Taylor Swift is known for her lyrical genius, and this song portrayed that fact as clearly as day. Here are some of the lines that struck me the most:

Line 1

Action movies to watch that are under 90 minutes!

I love how she emphasizes the implications of societal standards on women. She subtly implied how she had to do a lot of things just to be valued, like hosting parties and starving one’s body, which are toxic checklists for women nowadays. The “like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss” indicated how we, women, somehow always have to be dependent on men for things. As a girl in her early 20s, I do experience all of these as well. It’s overwhelmingly asphyxiating how the patriarchy wants us to do all these for men.

Line 2

The lyrics made me look back on all of the bonds I had to cut. Amazing bonds restored them right after, and I’m grateful for that. “Everything you lose is a step you take” is a motivational line about how losing your path is essentially just being redirected to the correct way.

Line 3

This line felt like a sister holding you reassuringly. It’s like a poetic version of “YOLO” or “you only live once.” As somebody who’s afraid of taking the hardest first steps towards something, this is urging me to just do it – to go beyond my comfort zone and bring your cherished people along with your growth, hence the “make the friendship bracelets.”