Me

Main Point: Our individuality comes from the One who created us, and knows us deeper than anyone ever could.

Vital Info Before You Get Started: The following info should help you contextualize this very popular song so you can have a great discussion about it with your kids.

• IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS: We at The Source for Youth Ministry believe that certain elements in our youth culture can serve as good discussion jump starters with students. At the same time, we would never hope to introduce teens to a negative influence that they haven’t already encountered. This balance is a delicate one. In our experience most teens, churched and unchurched, keep pretty current with music and music videos like this one. Thanks to YouTube, MTV.com, Spotify, and iTunes, the most popular music videos and songs are free to access only a click away. If you decide to use this, do so by catering it to fit your family’s needs.
• Taylor Swift is simply one of the most popular recording artists in the world. Born on December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Swift was singing at a variety of local events by the age of ten. She sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at a Philadelphia 76ers basketball game at the age of 11, and began writing her own songs and learning guitar at 12 years old.
• Her early hits including “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” appealed to a broad spectrum of fans and helped fuel the incredible success of her albums, which included the Grammy-winning Fearless (2008).
• Taylor continued to top the charts with her 2014 studio effort 1989, which won Grammys for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Her follow-up album, reputation (2018), also achieved immense commercial success.
• Much of discussion around Taylor’s personal life has historically involved the huge celebrities she has dated such as Tom Hiddleston, John Mayer, and Harry Styles. However, things have changed as Swift has been in a relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn since 2016.

Introducing the Song – Say Something Like This: Me is a release from Taylor’s seventh studio album which is expected to release in 2019. Considered to be in the bubblegum pop genre, Me is a collaboration with Brendon Urie from Panic! at the Disco. According to Swift, Me was designed to be a song that sticks in your head, and is about embracing your individuality and really owning it. She stated that she wants this to be a song that makes people feel better about themselves, and not worse.

The Music Video: The music video can be viewed for free at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuXNumBwDOM

Song Lyrics – Me

I promise that you’ll never find another like me

I know that I’m a handful, baby, uh
I know I never think before I jump
And you’re the kind of guy the ladies want
(And there’s a lot of cool chicks out there)
I know that I went psycho on the phone
I never leave well enough alone
And trouble’s gonna follow where I go
(And there’s a lot of cool chicks out there) 

But one of these things is not like the others
Like a rainbow with all of the colors
Baby doll, when it comes to a lover
I promise that you’ll never find another like 

Me-e-e, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I’m the only one of me
Baby, that’s the fun of me
Eeh-eeh-eeh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
You’re the only one of you
Baby, that’s the fun of you
And I promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me-e-e 

I know I tend to make it about me
I know you never get just what you see
But I will never bore you, baby
(And there’s a lot of lame guys out there)
And when we had that fight out in the rain
You ran after me and called my name
I never wanna see you walk away
(And there’s a lot of lame guys out there) 

‘Cause one of these things is not like the others
Livin’ in winter, I am your summer
Baby doll, when it comes to a lover
I promise that you’ll never find another like 

Me-e-e, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
I’m the only one of me
Let me keep you company
Eeh-eeh-eeh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
You’re the only one of you
Baby, that’s the fun of you
And I promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me-e-e 

Hey, kids!
Spelling is fun!
Girl, there ain’t no I in “team”
But you know there is a “me”
Strike the band up, 1, 2, 3
I promise that you’ll never find another like me
Girl, there ain’t no I in “team”
But you know there is a “me”
And you can’t spell “awesome” without “me”
I promise that you’ll never find another like 

Me-e-e (Yeah), ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh (And I want ya, baby)
I’m the only one of me (I’m the only one of me)
Baby, that’s the fun of me (Baby, that’s the fun of me)
Eeh-eeh-eeh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh (Oh)
You’re the only one of you (Oh)
Baby, that’s the fun of you
And I promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me-e-e

Girl, there ain’t no I in “team” (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
But you know there is a “me”
I’m the only one of me (Oh-oh)
Baby, that’s the fun of me
(Eeh-eeh-eeh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Strike the band up, 1, 2, 3
You can’t spell “awesome” without “me”
You’re the only one of you
Baby, that’s the fun of you
And I promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me-e-e

Three Questions to Ask in the Car (with thoughts to dive deeper with your kids):

Q: What do you think she means when she says “you’ll never find another like me”?
A:  Starts a low pressure conversation about what it means to be unique or different, and you can explore how your teenager perceives individuality.

Q: Why do you think she lists some of the bad or challenging things about her in the beginning of the song, and then emphasizes how unique she is?
A: A wild card question – could go many ways. Does Taylor feel insecure? Is she looking for someone who can love her in her faults (or has she found it?) Does she think those things make her unique? Could be a fun and enlightening question.

Q: What are the things that you think make you an individual, or different from others?
A: This could be a fun question, to explore with your teenager how they see themselves, and could allow you to speak into the things you see in them. Let them talk and gently probe them to share, but don’t miss the opportunity to encourage as well.

Where to Take It from Here: Wherever it feels natural. If these questions lead to a longer discussion on the topic, wonderful!  (There is a guide just after this paragraph that helps you do just that.) If your kids are barely uttering grunts, don’t get discouraged – the next time it feels right, try out another song. Keep engaging them.

For Deeper Discussion:
(If your kids seem into diving in deeper and looking at what the Bible has to say on the subject, the following discussion guide can help take you there.)

Want help getting your teenager engaged in conversation? CLICK HERE for a helpful article from our “Parenting Help” page providing you with 3 Essentials to Talking with Today’s Teens.

Transition Statement – Say Something Like This: In this fun, upbeat song, Taylor Swift and Brandon Urie sing about embracing your individuality. When we hear someone say we should embrace who we are, it can be interpreted in many ways, and can raise the question of who we really are. During our time together, we will look to the Bible and see what God has to say about our individuality and how we can embrace who He created us to be.

Discussion Questions:

1. ASK YOUR WHOLE FAMILY: What is a song that every time you hear it, it gets stuck in your head?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What do you think of Taylor swift, both as a musician and a role model? (the idea here isn’t to get judgmental, but to have good discussion on how they view a very popular artist)
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What do you think the song means when it says, “I promise that you’ll never find another like me”?

4. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: Taylor’s character in the song lists some challenges she brings to a relationship ( I know that I went psycho on the phone. I never leave well enough alone and trouble’s gonna follow where I go) But then says you’ll never find another person like her. How do you think this character in the song feels about herself? Do you think she has a positive self-image or not? Explain why you think the way you do.

5. ASK ALL FAMILY MEMBERS: Taylor Swift has said this song is about individuality, and embracing who you are. Based on this song, what are the characteristics about themselves the characters in the song are saying should be embraced?

6. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What are some things that you would say make you who you are, things that make you an individual as opposed to being like everyone else?
7. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: Do you think people your age want to be just like everyone else or do they want to be different? What about you? Explain why you think the way you do.
8. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: If anyone would be willing to share, what is something about you that has been hard for you to embrace as part of your individuality – maybe something that you struggled to accept, but is part of who you are?

Read the following passage:

Psalm 139:13-16
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

9. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: Read Psalm 139:1-16 as a group. Share some things you observe from these verses.

10. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: As we look specifically at verses 13-16 in light of what we read in verses 1-12, why do you think David (author) is writing about how God created Him?

11. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What does it mean for you when you consider that God knit you together in your mother’s womb?

12. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What do you think it means to be fearfully and wonderfully made?

13. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: In verse 14 David writes, “your works are wonderful.” Think back to earlier when we talked about things about ourselves that are hard to embrace. What does this verse mean that could help us when we struggle to embrace those things?

14. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: If God made us in secret (nobody could see what He was doing) but David says God could see us completely (my frame was not hidden from you), how do you think God feels about you – the person He created?

15. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: Why is so hard for us to remember how valued we are by God?

16. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: Verse 16 says “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” What do you think this says about how invested God is in our lives?

17. ASK ALL FAMILY MEMBERS: What do you think God has created you to achieve?

Wrap Up – Say Something Like This: The song “Me” is a fun song, it’s catchy and has a great beat. The message of the song is to embrace our individuality – but the question to be asked is, “How is our individuality determined? What makes us who we are? Is it our faults, our accomplishments, or our personalities”? 

During this time we talked about whether or not people want to be like everyone else or if they want to stand out, to be different. Wherever a person stands on that question, each of us has been created by a God who not only creatively designed us, but whose works are called wonderful. You and I are His works, and He intentionally made each of us to bear His likeness, as Genesis 1 says, God made us in His image. If this is true, then it means our individuality not only comes from God, but that He loves us as we are. It also means He delights in our differences. Take a moment and consider some of the things that make you an individual – those you like and those you struggle to embrace – and talk to God about them in a spirit of thankfulness. 

(Pause and give them a quiet moment to pray silently.) 

God knows you and I better than anyone else ever could. He knows our deepest successes and failures. He knows our thoughts and motives. He sees us and He is deeply invested in our lives. While you and I might have different thoughts at times on who we should be or how we should be wired, God sees it all and works things for our good. You and I might think we have value because of who we are, but the truth is that we have value because of WHOSE we are. Our value comes from being created by such an awesome God. Take a moment and reflect to God your thoughts on how invested He is in your life – and what it means for you to have a God who is so deeply interested in you personally. 

(Pause and give them a few moments to pray silently.) 

Our individuality should be embraced, though it should be embraced as coming from the One who created us and knows us deeper than anyone ever could. Every one of us has traits and characteristics that contribute to who we are, but our deepest sense of identity comes from the truth that we were intentionally and purposefully designed by a God who wants us to know Him, and walk with Him in this life. Let’s be people who take steps to draw near to Him as we recognize how much He wants to be involved in helping us embrace the person He created us to be.

CLOSE IN PRAYER