| "Tim McGraw" | ||||
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| Single by Taylor Swift | ||||
| from the album Taylor Swift | ||||
| Released | June 19, 2006 | |||
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:54 | |||
| Label | Big Machine | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Nathan Chapman | |||
| Taylor Swift singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Tim McGraw" on YouTube | ||||
"Tim McGraw" is the debut single by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose for her 2006 self-titled debut studio album. Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on June 19, 2006. Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Tim McGraw" is an acoustic guitar–led country ballad that incorporates the '50s progression and elements of alternative rock. In the lyrics, Swift's character pleads with her ex-boyfriend to remember her every time he hears her favorite song by the country musician Tim McGraw, the song's namesake.
Music critics acclaimed Swift's songwriting on "Tim McGraw" for creating engaging and nostalgia-inducing sentiments. Retrospective reviews have regarded the single as a blueprint for Swift's songwriting. Rolling Stone featured it on their lists "100 Greatest Debut Singles of All Time" (2020) and "200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time" (2024). The single peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on Hot Country Songs, and the Recording Industry Association of America certified the track double platinum. It charted at number 10 on Canada Country.
The accompanying music video, directed by Trey Fanjoy, sees Swift's character and the ex-boyfriend both reminiscing about a past summer romance in rural Tennessee. Swift promoted "Tim McGraw" and her debut album with a six-month radio tour in 2006, and she performed the song at the 42nd Academy of Country Music Awards. She included "Tim McGraw" in the set list of her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010), and performed it on subsequent tours: the Red Tour (2013), the Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), and the Eras Tour (2023).