Other arrangements of Mean
Pick a learning view.
(C#m)You, with your (B)words like knives and (Asus2)swords and weap ons that you use a gainst me.
(C#m)You
have (B)knocked me off my feet a gain, got me feel ing like a noth ing.
(C#m)You, with your (B)voice like nails on a (Asus2)chalk board call ing me out when I’m wound ed.
(C#m)You,
(B)pick ing on the weak er man.
Well, you can take me down with just one (A)sin gle blow.
But you don’t know what you don’t know.
(E)Some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)liv ing in a big ole (A)cit y, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
(E)Some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)big e nough so you can’t (A)hit me, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why (CN.C.)you got ta be so mean?
(C#m)You,
with your (B)switch ing sides and your (A)wild fire lies and your hu mil i a tion.
(C#m)You
have (B)point ed out my flaws a gain, as if I don’t (CN.C.)al read y see them.
I walk with my head down, try’n’ to (A)block you out ’cause I’ll nev er im press you.
(C#m)I
just (B)wan na feel o kay a gain.
I bet you got pushed a round.
Some bod y (A)made you cold.
But the cy cle ends right now ’cause you can’t lead me down that road, and you don’t know what you (CN.C.)don’t know.
And I can (B)see you years from now in a bar,
talk ing o ver a (A)foot ball game with that same big, loud o pin ion, but no bod y’s (A)lis ten ing.
Washed up and rant ing a bout the (C#m)same old (B)bit ter (A)things,
(B)drunk and grum bling on a bout how (C#m)I (B)can’t (A)sing.
But all you are is mean.
(A)All you are is (E)mean, and a (B)li ar, and pa (C#m)thet ic, and a (A)lone in life, and (E)mean and (B)mean and (C#m)mean and (A)mean.
But (E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)liv ing in a big ole (A)cit y, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Oh,
(E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)big e nough so you can’t (A)hit me, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why you got ta be so...
(E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)liv ing in a big ole (A)cit y, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Oh,
(E)some day (B)I’ll be (C#m)big e nough so you can’t (A)hit me, and (E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why you got ta be so...
(E)all you’re (B)ev er gon na be is (A)mean.
Why you got ta be so mean?
Mean — Classic Piano Sheet Music
22 people have learned this song
Read "Mean" by Taylor Swift in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of E. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 150 BPM.
This arrangement is a great workout for your right hand's ability to hop between chord shapes quickly — at 150 BPM, transitions like E to C#m and B to Asus2 come up fast, so start hands-separate at around 100 BPM and build speed only once the shapes feel automatic.
Your left hand plays an octave bass pattern throughout, which sounds simple but demands consistent reach and steady timing; keep your wrist relaxed and let your arm weight do the work instead of squeezing.
Watch the jump to that C chord — it's outside the key of E and can catch you off guard if you're on autopilot, so flag those measures and loop them until the shift feels natural.
The Asus2 to A change is just one finger lifting, but at tempo it's easy to rush; stay locked to the beat.
Once this clicks, you'll have real confidence moving between natural and sharp-key chords, which opens up a huge chunk of the pop repertoire for you.
Try other practice modes:
About “Mean”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "Mean"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature E. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "Mean" by Taylor Swift played in?
- Mean is arranged in the key of E on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "Mean"?
- The arrangement plays at 150 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "Mean" easy to play on piano?
- This is a medium-difficulty arrangement. Most players can learn it within a few practice sessions using the speed control.
- Can I download sheet music for "Mean"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "Mean"?
- "Mean" was originally performed by Taylor Swift. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "Mean"?
- This arrangement uses 8 chords: A, Asus2, B, Bpow, C, C#m, D, E.
- What other songs by Taylor Swift can I play here?
- Try "GETAWAY CAR", "THE LAST TIME", "ENCHANTED". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "Mean" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature E, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 150 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.