Should 've Said No - wikipedia Should 've Said No `` Should 've Said No '' Single by Taylor Swift from the album Taylor Swift Released May 18, 2008 Format CD single digital download Recorded 2006 ; Darkhorse Recording Studio ( Franklin, Tennessee ) Genre Country pop rock Length 4 : 04 Label Big Machine Songwriter ( s ) Taylor Swift Producer ( s ) Nathan Chapman Taylor Swift singles chronology `` Picture to Burn '' ( 2008 ) `` Should 've Said No '' ( 2008 ) `` Change '' ( 2008 ) `` Picture to Burn '' ( 2008 ) `` Should 've Said No '' ( 2008 ) `` Change '' ( 2008 ) `` Should 've Said No '' is a song written and recorded by American singer - songwriter Taylor Swift. The song serves as the fifth and final single from her self - titled debut studio album. The song is about Swift addressing her former lover who cheated on her. It became her second number - one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. In addition, `` Should 've Said No '' has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ). The song is included in the concert film Jonas Brothers : The 3D Concert Experience, and in the soundtrack to the movie. An alternate version of the song was released on her extended play Beautiful Eyes. As of November 2014, it has sold 1.4 million copies in the United States. Contents 1 Background 2 Critical reception 3 Live performances 4 Official versions 5 Charts 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 6 Certifications 7 References 8 Bibliography 9 External links Background `` Should 've Said No '' is an up - tempo song, in which Swift addresses a former lover who has cheated on her, telling him that he `` should 've said no '' to the woman who has taken her place in his life ( `` You should 've said no / You should 've gone home / You should 've thought twice before you let it all go / You should 've known that word ' bout what you did with her would get back to me '' ). Swift wrote the song when she was sixteen years old. She wrote the song because `` something really, really dramatic and crazy '' was happening to her, and she needed `` to address it in the form of music ''. According to the Country Weekly magazine, she was inspired to write it after she discovered that her boyfriend at the time had cheated on her. The first line that came to her was the title, and she wrote the chorus in five minutes. Swift has also said that many of the lyrics were based on actual words that she used when confronting her ex-boyfriend. She compared the song to her previous single `` Picture to Burn ''. While `` Picture to Burn '' has an `` angry and I 'm - done - with - him attitude '', `` Should 've Said No '' is `` more of a moral statement. It 's an ' I love you, we were awesome and great together, but you messed this up and I would still be with you ' kinda thing. You said yes, and you should 've said no. '' The song was a last - minute addition to Taylor Swift -- Swift wrote the song two days before the mastering was scheduled, and booklets were about to be printed. She then called her producer, and completed the song overnight. Critical reception Roger Holland of PopMatters said that `` Should 've Said No '' is `` a truly splendid pop - rock song wrapped up in an almost entirely spurious country arrangement. '' Chris Neal of Country Weekly believed `` Should 've Said No '' and her previous single `` Picture to Burn '', were the most immediately striking songs on Taylor Swift. Alison Bonaguro of the Chicago Tribune named the song along with `` Teardrops on My Guitar '' and `` Invisible '' as `` revenge songs, '' and commented that Swift 's themes stayed the same throughout the concert. Country music blog Engine 145 gave the song a `` thumbs down '' review. Reviewer Matt C. criticized the production as being `` too loud '', and thought that Swift 's vocals were overly reliant on pitch correction and `` not amenable '' to the song 's concept. Live performances Swift performed `` Should 've Said No '' at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards ; footage from the performance was later used as the song 's music video. She also performed the song with Jonas Brothers on the Burning Up Tour. The song is included on the set lists of Fearless Tour. Official versions Album Version -- 4 : 04 Alternate Version ( Beautiful Eyes Version ) -- 3 : 46 International Version -- 4 : 08 Karaoke Version -- 4 : 05 Charts Weekly charts Chart ( 2008 ) Peak position Canada ( Canadian Hot 100 ) 67 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 18 US Billboard Hot 100 33 US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) Year - end charts Chart ( 2008 ) Position US Country Songs ( Billboard ) 29 Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales United States ( RIAA ) Platinum 1,000,000 shipments figures based on certification alone References Jump up ^ `` Should 've Said No ( Single ) ''. Big Machine Label Group. Retrieved July 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Taylor Swift ( CD ). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2006. BMR120702. Jump up ^ `` Taylor Swift 's hit - packed career compressed into just 60 essential minutes ''. The A.V. Club. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2017. `` Should 've Said No '' is one of those classic country songs about cheating lovers Jump up ^ Spencer 2010, p. 54. Jump up ^ du Lac, J. Freedom ( February 28, 2009 ). `` Movie Review : `` Jonas Brothers : The 3D Concert Experience '' ``. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Spencer 2013, p. 2. Jump up ^ Trust, Gary ( November 11, 2014 ). `` Ask Billboard : All - Taylor Swift Edition ''. Billboard. Retrieved November 11, 2014. Jump up ^ Murphy 2013, p. 197. ^ Jump up to : Horner, Marianne ( October 20, 2008 ). `` Story Behind the Song : Do n't Cheat on a Songwriter ''. Country Weekly. 15 ( 21 ) : 14. ^ Jump up to : Scaggs, Austin ( January 25, 2010 ). `` Taylor 's Time : Catching Up With Taylor Swift ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Taylor Swift Says Yes To `` No '' ``. Great American Country. May 19, 2008. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Jump up ^ Mullins, Jenna ( November 13, 2014 ). `` 45 Things You Did n't Know About Taylor Swift Songs ''. E !. Retrieved July 15, 2015. Jump up ^ Holland, Roger ( November 9, 2006 ). `` Taylor Swift : Taylor Swift ''. PopMatters. Retrieved January 2, 2011. Jump up ^ Neal, Chris ( 4 December 2006 ). `` Taylor Swift review ''. Country Weekly. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2010. Jump up ^ Bonaguro, Alison ( February 4, 2008 ). `` Taylor Swift a prodigy who 's coming of age ''. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 15, 2011. Jump up ^ C., Matt ( May 14, 2008 ). `` Taylor Swift - `` Should 've Said No '' ``. Engine 145. Retrieved July 13, 2008. Jump up ^ Spencer 2010, p. 42. Jump up ^ `` Taylor Swift - `` Should 've Said No ( From the 2008 ACM Awards ) '' ``. CMT. Retrieved July 16, 2015. Jump up ^ Primeau, Jamie ( July 12, 2015 ). `` Nick Jonas Joins Taylor Swift Onstage & They 're Proof That Anyone Can Stay Friends -- VIDEOS ''. Bustle. Retrieved July 16, 2015. Jump up ^ Frehsee, Nicole ( August 28, 2009 ). `` Taylor Swift Performs a `` Fearless '' Set at Madison Square Garden ``. Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 16, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Taylor Swift -- Chart history '' Canadian Hot 100 for Taylor Swift. Retrieved January 12, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Taylor Swift -- Should 've Said No ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 12, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Taylor Swift -- Chart history '' Billboard Hot 100 for Taylor Swift. Retrieved January 12, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hot Country Songs Week of August 23, 2008 ''. Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Best of 2008 : Country Songs ''. Billboard. 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Taylor Swift -- Should 've Said No ''. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 6, 2011. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Bibliography Murphy, Ralph ( April 1, 2013 ). Murphy 's Laws of Songwriting. Murphy 's Laws of Songwriting. ISBN 978 - 0 - 615 - 41659 - 5. Spencer, Liv ( 2010 ). Taylor Swift : Every Day Is a Fairytale -- The Unofficial Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 55022 - 931 - 8. Spencer, Liv ( June 1, 2013 ). Taylor Swift : The Platinum Edition. ECW Press. ISBN 978 - 1 - 77090 - 406 - 4. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` All I Want to Do '' by Sugarland Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one single August 23, 2008 -- August 30, 2008 Succeeded by `` You Look Good in My Shirt '' by Keith Urban Taylor Swift songs Discography Taylor Swift `` Tim McGraw '' `` Picture to Burn '' `` Teardrops on My Guitar '' `` Should 've Said No '' `` Our Song '' Fearless `` Fearless '' `` Fifteen '' `` Love Story '' `` White Horse '' `` You Belong with Me '' `` Breathe '' `` You 're Not Sorry '' `` Forever & Always '' `` Change '' Speak Now `` Mine '' `` Sparks Fly '' `` Back to December '' `` Speak Now '' `` Mean '' `` The Story of Us '' `` Innocent '' `` Ours '' Red `` State of Grace '' `` Red '' `` I Knew You Were Trouble '' `` All Too Well '' `` 22 '' `` We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together '' `` The Last Time '' `` Everything Has Changed '' `` Begin Again '' `` Welcome to New York '' `` Blank Space '' `` Style '' `` Out of the Woods '' `` Shake It Off '' `` Bad Blood '' `` Wildest Dreams '' `` Wonderland '' `` New Romantics '' Reputation ``... Ready for It ? '' `` Look What You Made Me Do '' Collaborations `` Two Is Better Than One '' `` Half of My Heart '' `` Both of Us '' `` Highway Do n't Care '' Other songs `` Crazier '' `` Today Was a Fairytale '' `` Safe & Sound '' `` Long Live '' `` Eyes Open '' `` Ronan '' `` Sweeter Than Fiction '' `` I Do n't Wanna Live Forever '' `` You 'll Always Find Your Way Back Home '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Should%27ve_Said_No&oldid=800154546 '' Categories : 2008 singles Taylor Swift songs Billboard Hot Country Songs number - one singles Songs written by Taylor Swift Song recordings produced by Nathan Chapman ( record producer ) Big Machine Records singles 2006 songs Songs about betrayal Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Canada Singlechart called without song Singlechart making named ref Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Certification Table Entry usages for United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Беларуская Español فارسی Français Hrvatski Italiano Português Русский Slovenščina Svenska Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 11 September 2017, at 20 : 16. 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Question: who is should've said no written about
Answer: former lover who cheated on her