She wrote "Our Song" for a high school talent show during ninth grade and included it in the album after it became popular among her classmates.

Grandchamp argued that this became a motif that Swift frequently used in her later songs: framing romantic relationships as broader commentary on gender roles and popular music authorship.

[28] According to the BBC, the verses exemplify Swift's "one-note melody", which effectively conveys the narrative and becomes a staple in many of her subsequent songs.

[28] In the song, Swift sings with twangy vocals[23] and uses a Southern accent, brought about by her move from Pennsylvania to Tennessee as a teenager.

Freedom du Lac from The Washington Post and Nick Jones from Vulture thought that there are influences of hip-hop and rhythmic music on the phrasing and the final refrain's compressed drums.

[34] Grady Smith from Rolling Stone selected it as one of Swift's "countriest songs", noting the instruments and Southern accent.

[35] In an article for JSTOR, the linguist Chi Luu argued that Swift employed a Southern accent as a means to signify her authenticity in country music.

Because Swift came from an upper middle class background, which differentiated her from other female country musicians singing about overcoming hardships and poverty, the Southern accent was an important means for her early image as a country-music artist.

[31] The musicologist Nate Sloan pointed to the conversational lyrics drawing on mundane daily-life experience as Swift's embodiment of country songwriting tropes.

[37] Jeff Tamarkin of AllMusic and Seija Rankin and Lauren Huff from Entertainment Weekly picked it as a standout on Swift's debut album,[38][39] and Fiona Chua of MTV Asia selected it as one of the best tracks on the international version of Fearless.

Nate Jones of Vulture and Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine found the melody and hook captivating, noting them for incorporating pop and hip hop elements.

[33][40] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone wrote about the song, "The hit that made me a Swift fan, the first moment I heard it in 2007 [...] What a genius hook.

Sasha Frere-Jones in The New Yorker was impressed by the simple phrases "so conversational that on first hearing they fly by without registering" and said the song was Swift's first to "stop [him] in [his] tracks".

[20] Billboard's Deborah Evan Price deemed the conversational lyrics appealing to those who want to revisit the "tender memories of uncomplicated young love".

[42] In Pitchfork, Johnston selected the track as one of Swift's early songwriting demonstrations for earnestly portraying teenage sentiments.

[48] The success of "Our Song" on country radio turned Swift into a rising star in the genre, which had been predominantly dominated by adult male musicians in the early 2000s decade.

[50] The Recording Industry Association of America in August 2014 certified the track four times platinum for surpassing four million units based on sales and streaming.

[53] It peaked at number 30 on the Canadian Hot 100, the best-charting song from Swift's debut album,[54] and was certified platinum by Music Canada for 80,000 digital copies sold.

[57] Compared to the previous videos, "Our Song" does not feature a clear narrative and instead is a compilation of disparate scenes with vibrant colors and symbols.

[62] Many of the outfits are associated with mid-2000s fashion, such as pink lip gloss, layered tank tops with Soffe shorts, and black elbow-length arm warmers.

[62] According to Glamour, Swift's bright and feminine style without using designer clothing in "Our Song" helped shape her relatable image in her early career.

[65] It received a nomination for "Number One Streamed Music Video" at the web-hosted 2008 CMT Online Awards, but lost to Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl".

[75] A performance recorded at an Apple store in SoHo, New York, was released as part of an iTunes Store–exclusive live extended play on January 15, 2008.