One Taylor Swift song has the power to comfort millions of fans. She revealed she enjoyed a certain rock song because it made her feel better when she was socially struggling at school.
Notably, the tune in question was written for someone who was getting bullied. During a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Swift named a few of the songs that impacted her the most.
Her choices were as varied as Kendrick Lamar’s “Backseat Freestyle,” Bon Iver’s “Blood Bank,” and Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.” She also displayed some love for the rock music of the 2000s, mentioning songs like “Hands Down” by Dashboard Confessional and “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World.
The “I Knew You Were Trouble” star elaborated on her love of “The Middle.” “I remember listening to this on the bus to school,” she said.
“I felt comforted by it, because I never felt like I really fit perfectly into any clique at school. I wish every kid who goes through those same feelings of loneliness could hear how Jim Adkins sings, ‘Don’t you worry what they tell themselves when you’re away.’”
During a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Adkins said “The Middle” was supposed to make a young person feel better. “It’s a completely literal song,” he said.
“There was a girl who wrote to the band’s AOL account, saying how she was getting picked on. She wasn’t being accepted by a clique of friends because she wasn’t punk enough. I thought that was ridiculous.”
“I was like, It doesn’t matter what you think is a big deal now. You don’t need these people’s validation anyway.”
Record producer Loren Israel revealed his reaction to “The Middle.” “When I first heard it, I thought it was a hit,” he recalled.
“It’s an anthemic song that’s about how the ride is not without its bumps, but that’s the fun of the ride when you’re in a band.”
He felt that the song would connect with people who weren’t necessarily interested in Jimmy Eat World’s style of music. In his opinion, the tune had the power to make people happy while they were having a bad time.
Producer Mark Trombino admitted that he had no handle on pop music and he didn’t really know how to create a hit. Despite this, Trombino knew the song was going to become a hit. Interestingly, the drums on “The Middle” were based on those of Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me.”
While Trombino didn’t know how to create a hit, Petty knew how to write hit songs in his sleep. “The Middle” became Jimmy Eat World’s only top-40 hit. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, lasting on the chart for 33 weeks.
It appeared on the album Bleed American, also known as Jimmy Eat World. Bleed American spent more time on the Billboard 200 than any of the group’s other albums. That record reached No. 31 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 70 weeks. “The Middle” was designed to uplift spirits and it worked its magic on Swift.
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Palmer McAllister
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Amy Cooper