"The Story of Us" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift alongside Nathan Chapman, the song was sent to mainstream radio in the United States on April 19, 2011, as the fourth single from Speak Now. Swift composed "The Story of Us" regarding the time when she encountered an ex-boyfriend of hers at the 2010 CMT Music Awards. At the event, the two attempted to ignore each other, which inspired Swift to compose the song.

"The Story of Us" was met with generally mixed reviews from critics, some of whom suggested that Swift is strongest when she lets her country roots shine. Prior to its single release, the song debuted and peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 70 on the Canadian Hot 100 due to strong digital sales. It re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 98 after its single release.

The music video of the song was directed by Noble Jones which took place in Vanderbilt University. It premiered on May 24, 2011. The music video was met with mostly positive reception among music critics for its departure from the usual high school setting of Taylor Swift's previous videos. "The Story of Us" was performed live in The Ellen DeGeneres Show and it was also included in the Speak Now World Tour set list. The performance from the tour was included on Swift's first live album, Speak Now: World Tour Live.

At the 2010 CMT Music Awards, held in June, Swift encountered an ex-boyfriend of hers. The two were seated a couple of seats away from each other, but were unwilling to speak to each other, although they both had much to say. As a result, they both pretended to be heavily engaged in conversations with those surrounding them, individuals who Swift noted to be practically strangers. Swift had the desire to confront him and ask him if the experience was as painful for him as it was for her. However, she did not do so because they both had "silent shields up". "We're sitting six seats away from each other and just fighting this silent war of ‘I don't care that you're here.' I don't care that you're here.' It's so terribly, heartbreakingly awkward", she said. She recalled it to be a miserable experience. When Swift arrived home, she spoke to her mother about the encounter, sitting at her kitchen table and said, "I felt like I was standing alone in a crowded room." She then stood up and ran towards her bedroom to compose "The Story of Us", something Swift's mother was already accustomed to. "The Story of Us" was the last track Swift composed for Speak Now, claiming that upon completing the song she knew she was done with the album. The song's subject was revealed by Swift to be the same for "Dear John", which in an interview musician John Mayer confirmed that he was the song's subject. Furthermore, Swift and Mayer both attended the 2010 CMT Awards.

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