Seems the only one who doesn't see your beauty
Is the face in the mirror looking back at you
You walk around here thinking you're not pretty
But that's not true 'cause I know you

[Chorus]
Hold on, baby; you're losing it
The water's high, you're jumping into it
And letting go, and no one knows
That you cry; but you don't tell anyone
That you might not be the golden one
And you're tied together with a smile
But you're coming undone

I guess it's true that love was all you wanted
'Cause you're givin' it away like it's extra change
Hoping it will end up in his pocket
But he leaves you out like a penny in the rain
Oh, 'cause it's not his price to pay
It's not his price to pay

[Chorus x2]

You're tied together with a smile
But you're coming undone, oh
Goodbye, baby
With a smile, baby, baby



Lyrics submitted by queenvictoria_14, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Track duration: 04:08

"Tied Together with a Smile" as written by Rose/swift

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Tied Together with a Smile song meanings
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58 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Taylor Swift spoke to Great American Country regarding this song about a friend who suffered from anorexia: "I wrote the song 'Tied Together With a Smile' the day after I found out that one of my best friends who, a little back story on her, she's gorgeous. All the guys want to date her and all the girls want to be her. She is literally a pageant queen. I wrote this song the day I found out that she was bulimic and, you know, that is one of those moments when your heart kinda stops. How can somebody that seems so strong have such a horrible, horrible weakness? Something that is killing her. Luckily, I have talked to her about it and she has gotten help and she is fine now."
    Flag musicrocks13on November 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Taylor Swift spoke to Great American Country regarding this song about a friend who suffered from anorexia: "I wrote the song 'Tied Together With a Smile' the day after I found out that one of my best friends who, a little back story on her, she's gorgeous. All the guys want to date her and all the girls want to be her. She is literally a pageant queen. I wrote this song the day I found out that she was bulimic and, you know, that is one of those moments when your heart kinda stops. How can somebody that seems so strong have such a horrible, horrible weakness? Something that is killing her. Luckily, I have talked to her about it and she has gotten help and she is fine now."
    Flag musicrocks13on November 11, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:This song reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, which could sound really conceited but oh well.
    'Seems the only one who doesn't see your beauty
    Is the face in the mirror looking back at you
    You walk around here thinking you're not pretty
    But that's not true 'cause I know you'
    This is the only part that I don't see relates to me.

    'Hold on, baby you're losing it
    The water's high, you're jumping into it
    And letting go, and no one knows'
    I've been depressed for a while and no one knows but my mom and I've contemplated suicide a lot so the jumping into the high water reminds me of that.
    'That you cry, but you don't tell anyone
    That you might not be the golden one
    And you're tied together with a smile
    But you're coming undone'

    The only time I ever cry is when I'm by myself, and I cry a lot because of things that have happened in my past to cause my depression, and people are always expecting this greatness out of me that I don't believe I have and everyone is always disappointed when I mess up and I just smile and laugh it off like I don't care but that keeps getting harder to do.

    'I guess it's true that love was all you wanted
    'Cause you're givin' it away like it's extra change
    Hoping it will end up in his pocket
    But he leaves you out like a penny in the rain
    Oh, 'cause it's not his price to pay
    It's not his price to pay'

    Because of my difficult past, I was always desiring this love from someone but always one guy in particular who never had any interest in me which broke my heart because I've loved him for 6 years, but I know it isn't his fault that he just doesn't see me like that.

    'You're tied together with a smile
    But you're coming undone, oh
    Goodbye, baby
    With a smile, baby, baby'
    This would be like if I did end up committing suicide, because I think everyone would be shocked because they always thought I was so happy since I'm always smiling and laughing.
    Flag LondonLoveon August 22, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is like my theme song my ex told me that i never think of my self in good ways but all he ever sees is great this song really hits home cause i do cry and no one knows and i dont see pritty when i look at my self but some how others do but im the strong one every one tells me so i dont cry dont whine i just tell every one that everythings fine and i am tide together with a smile and only a smale one but i love to be this person i am thats why i love this song it descrides just what i am but i dont mind being this girl because even though i dont like what i see on the out side i love what i see on the inside to me being the one that gets every one through tough times and there crying sad days i love being the person described in this song thats why this song means so much to me
    Flag ToniMaireon March 30, 2012   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:this song is like my life. i'm hiding behind a smile and every1 expects something else from me other than who i really am
    Flag maskedgurl01on December 27, 2011   Link
  • -1
    Song Meaning:Taylor wrote this song for her friend with an eating disorder. :)
    Flag BlackWinter98on July 23, 2011   Link
  • -1
    Memory:This song is beautiful, so raw and sweet. Full of emotion. I love it. I have two different things to say about it, as in, memories.

    1 - This song always reminds me of my friend, Gemma. She's actually the prettiest girl I've ever met, and possibly the nicest person, too, but she really doesn't think she's pretty at all and it's sad. She never had boyfriends, for some reason they never saw just how much she was worth, and she acted like she was fine with that - but then, Gemma fell in love. This guy, George - her first real boyfriend, and, oh, they were so cute! And Gemma fell so heavily it was adorable. And we all thought George did, too - of course, we were all wrong. George left Gemma, and way faster than you'd have thought, (as in, less than a day. Yah, you heard meh!), he was with one of her 'best' friends. Not good, huh? And it really reminds me of her - the verse, "I guess it's true that love was all you wanted 'cause you're giving it away like it's extra change, hoping it would end up in his pocket, but he leaves you out like a penny in the rain, oh, 'cause it's not his price to pay." Gemma always acted like she was fine with not being with George, and she acted happy for her friend, but... Well, I was really close with Gemma at the time. I could tell.

    That was a while ago, now, but... Still!


    2- Strangely, this reminds me of myself. You know your first love? The one that you really fall for? Well, I fell for a boy who had been my best friend for two years - it was really sweet, admittedly. He'd liked me since the first day he met me and I'd never seen him as more than that, but something changed and we got together. It was real sweet, but it didn't last. He broke up with me, - heck, I never found out why, and I was really upset when I found out. He couldn't even tell me himself, got my friend Holl to do it - and when she did... Well, there were tears, and I blamed myself. I remember saying, "Am I not pretty enough? Is that what it is?"

    A while ago Holl and I were listening to Taylor Swift's album, (We're big fans, obviously,), and she said, "Hey, remember when you and * broke up? I heard this song and it reminded me of you soo much."
    I thought about it and I thought, heck, I see what she means. I don't think I'm some drop-dead-gorgeous person, but I can see what she means...

    Wow, big comment, haha!
    Flag HaHson September 26, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:we can all relate to this at one point or anotherr. you try to be all happy and not to let everyone see that youre really hurting. and then you like a guy who doesnt seem to like you either, and it doesnt help your self esteem. this applys to the "popular" girls too. cause everyone thinks theyre the golden ones, but inside they know theyre not. and everyone thinks theyre beautiful, except the person themself.
    Flag numberoneleftyon August 13, 2010   Link
  • -3
    General Comment:seems the only one that doesn't see your beauty,
    is the face in the mirror looking back at you
    you walk around her thinking you're not pretty,
    but that's not true,
    'cause I know you,

    hmm sounds like shes trying to say that there's this girl and shes fake and taylor knows that shes fake she acts like shes all that 'cause shes pretty but, taylor is explaining that in the inside shes actually a horrible person and she knows this because she know that girl.
    Flagged WakeupItsRealityon July 28, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:I think this song is about someone who is beautiful, and every sees her life to be perfect because she hides her feelings and everything, and shes 'tied together with a smile' because no one can see whats really behind her beauty. Really, she is struggling so badly on the inside, but just wont tell anyone, and no one will ask if shes ok, because they think beautiful people have it all, which they dont.
    Flag gagalove27on July 07, 2010   Link

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