Introduction
"Anti-Hero" is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released as the lead single from her tenth studio album, Midnights, in 2022. Written by Swift with her long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff, the song is a painfully honest look at self-loathing, insecurity and the fear of being too much for the people around you. Driven by a pulsing synth-pop beat, its brutally self-aware hook, "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me", became one of the most quoted lines of the year and turned Anti-Hero into one of the biggest hits of Swift's career. On this page you will find the complete Anti-Hero lyrics in English, the song details, its meaning and the official music video.
The Song
Anti-Hero was released on October 21, 2022, alongside the album Midnights. Built on retro drums, shimmering synths and a steady, looping groove produced by Swift and Antonoff, it is a synth-pop and pop-rock track that hides a dark confession inside a catchy melody. Swift has described it as one of her favourite songs she has ever written, a guided tour through everything she tends to hate about herself: her depression working the "graveyard shift", ghosting people, and feeling like a monster on the hill. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks, becoming the longest-running number one of her career at the time.
The Artists
Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, known for turning her personal life into sharp, story-driven songwriting across country, pop and indie-folk. From Fearless and 1989 to folklore and Midnights, she has repeatedly reinvented her sound while keeping her pen at the centre. Jack Antonoff, the song's co-writer and co-producer, is a Grammy-winning musician and the frontman of Bleachers who has shaped the sound of modern pop through his work with Swift, Lorde and Lana Del Rey.
The Music Video
The official music video of Anti-Hero was written and directed by Taylor Swift herself and premiered on October 21, 2022. It visualises her intrusive thoughts with dark comedy: several versions of Taylor torment her at home, a giant-sized Taylor squeezes into a dinner party, and a dream sequence shows her future family fighting over her will at her funeral. The video, which features comedians Mike Birbiglia, John Early and Mary Elizabeth Ellis, was praised for matching the song's self-deprecating humour shot for shot.
The Music Label
Anti-Hero and the album Midnights were released by Republic Records, the Universal Music Group label that has been Swift's home since 2018 and the label behind many of the biggest pop releases of the decade. The official music video is available on Taylor Swift's official YouTube channel.
Song Details
| Song Name | Anti-Hero |
| Singer | Taylor Swift |
| Lyrics | Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff |
| Music | Jack Antonoff, Taylor Swift |
| Album | Midnights |
| Language | English |
| Release Date | October 21, 2022 |
| Duration | 3 Minutes 20 Seconds |
| Music Label | Republic Records |
Anti-Hero Lyrics in English
[Verse 1]
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)
[Chorus]
It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
At tea time, everybody agrees
I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
[Verse 2]
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 favourite city
Pierced through the heart, but never killed
Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism
Like some kind of congressman? (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)
[Chorus]
It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me)
At tea time, everybody agrees
I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero
[Bridge]
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"
[Outro Chorus]
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 tea (Tea) time (Time), 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
Lyrics Meaning
Anti-Hero is a confession disguised as a pop song. Taylor Swift casts herself not as the hero of her story but as its problem: older but never wiser, awake at midnight while her depression works the graveyard shift, haunted by everyone she has ghosted. The famous chorus turns self-criticism into a catchy introduction, "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me", admitting she can face anything except her own reflection. The verses swing between comedy and dread: she feels like a monster on the hill, too big and awkward among everyone else, and even dreams her future daughter-in-law will kill her for the inheritance. Beneath the jokes, the song is about living with the fear that your flaws will eventually drive everyone away, and about how tiring it must be for the people who keep rooting for you anyway.
The Song Video
Conclusion
Anti-Hero stands as the defining song of the Midnights era: a chart-dominating pop record that is really a mirror held up to its writer. With its complete lyrics, meaning, song details and official video above, this page is your one-stop guide to the song. If you enjoyed it, explore more from the same album and artist in the links below.
Also Read: Lavender Haze Lyrics - Taylor Swift | Bejeweled Lyrics - Taylor Swift | Snow On The Beach Lyrics - Taylor Swift Ft. Lana Del Rey
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sang the song Anti-Hero?
Anti-Hero is sung by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the lead single from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022).
Who wrote the lyrics of Anti-Hero?
The lyrics of Anti-Hero were written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff, who also produced the song together.
Which album is Anti-Hero from and when was it released?
Anti-Hero is from Taylor Swift's album Midnights. Both the album and the single were released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records.
What is the meaning of Anti-Hero?
Anti-Hero is about self-loathing and insecurity. Swift admits her own flaws, from depression and ghosting people to fearing she will drive loved ones away, summed up in the line "It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me."
Who directed the Anti-Hero music video?
The official music video of Anti-Hero was written and directed by Taylor Swift herself, and it premiered on October 21, 2022.
