\n Taylor Swift and John Mayer<\/span> Shutterstock; Matt Baron\/BEI\/Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Taylor Swift<\/strong><\/a> knows there\u2019s no better song inspiration than relationships \u2014 and she\u2019s seemingly written several tunes about her whirlwind romance with John Mayer<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Sparks flew between the two<\/a> after collaborating on Mayer\u2019s 2009 single \u201cHalf of My Heart.\u201d However, their relationship sparked some controversy for their large age gap as Mayer was 32 and Swift was 19 at the time.<\/p>\n Their age difference is something Swift not-so-subtly called out in her 2010 breakup track \u201cDear John\u201d off her album Speak Now<\/em>, singing, \u201cDear John, I see it all now, it was wrong \/ Don\u2019t you think 19\u2019s too young to be played by your dark, twisted games when I loved you so? \/ I should\u2019ve known.\u201d<\/p>\n Swift previously attempted to play coy when asked about penning the track about Mayer. \u201cHow presumptuous!\u201d she told Glamour<\/em><\/a> in October 2012. \u201cI never disclose who my songs are about.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2019, the \u201cShake It Off\u201d songstress announced she would be rerecording her first six albums<\/a> \u2014 Speak Now<\/em> included \u2014 after losing control of her masters<\/a> to music manager Scooter Braun<\/strong><\/a>. Ahead of the July 2023 release of Speak Now (Taylor\u2019s Version)<\/em><\/a>, Swift encouraged fans to spread kindness online instead of hate. \u201cI\u2019m not putting this album out so that you should go and feel the need to defend me on the Internet against someone you think I might have written the song about<\/a> 14 million years ago,\u201d she said during a June 2023 stop on The Eras Tour<\/em><\/a> before performing \u201cDear John.\u201d<\/p>\n The night before the rerecorded album\u2019s release, Mayer added fuel to the rumor fire by sharing a cryptic message<\/a> via Instagram<\/a>. In a slideshow of pics, he posted a snap of the words \u201cPlease Be Kind\u201d written in the sky at one of his concerts.<\/p>\n Keep scrolling for every song Swift has reportedly penned about her and Mayer\u2019s relationship:<\/p>\n \u201cDear John\u201d is perhaps Swift\u2019s most notable song about Mayer<\/a>, from the tune\u2019s title to its scathing lyrics about their 13-year-age gap to the pain she experienced following their 2010 split. Fans have even noted that the track\u2019s soft guitar sound is similar to that of Mayer\u2019s own music.<\/p>\n Released eight months after their February 2010 split, Swift sings, \u201cAnd you\u2019ll add my name to your long list of traitors who don\u2019t understand \/ And I\u2019ll look back and regret how I ignored when they said \u2018run as fast as you can.\u2019\u201d Prior to his romance with Swift, Mayer was linked<\/a> to Jennifer Love Hewitt<\/strong><\/a>, Jessica Simpson<\/strong><\/a>, Minka Kelly<\/strong><\/a> and Jennifer Aniston<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Mayer later said in a June 2012 interview with Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a> that the song \u201chumiliated him\u201d and made him \u201cfeel terrible.\u201d He continued: \u201cI didn\u2019t deserve it. I\u2019m pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. It was a really lousy thing for her to do.\u201d<\/p>\n The following year, he released the song \u201cPaper Doll,\u201d<\/a> supposedly about his relationship with Swift. \u201cAnd if those angel wings don\u2019t fly, someone\u2019s gonna paint you another sky,\u201d he sings, seemingly referring to the \u201cDear John\u201d lyrics \u201cYou paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain.\u201d<\/p>\n Swift previously told USA Today<\/em><\/a> that her muses for \u201cThe Story of Us\u201d and \u201cDear John\u201d were the same person. \u201c\u2019The Story of Us\u2019 is about running into someone I had been in a relationship with at an awards show, and we were seated a few seats away from each other,\u201d she explained. \u201cI just wanted to say to him, \u2018Is this killing you? Because it\u2019s killing me.\u2019 But I didn\u2019t. Because I couldn\u2019t. Because we both had these silent shields up.\u201d<\/p>\n The song seemingly details the aftermath of their awkward encounter at the 2010 CMT Awards in June 2010. \u201cNow I\u2019m standing alone in a crowded room and we\u2019re not speaking \/ And I\u2019m dying to know, is it killing you like it\u2019s killing me yeah,\u201d the lyrics state.<\/p>\n Swift goes on to compare their reunion to \u201ca contest of who can act like they care less,\u201d though she sings that she \u201cliked it better when you were on my side.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike some of her other tracks seemingly about Mayer, \u201cOurs\u201d sheds a happier look on their relationship as it tells the story of a couple whose love persists despite other people\u2019s objections. While the tune could be about Swift\u2019s other romantic connections featured on Speak Now<\/em> \u2014 such as Taylor Lautner<\/strong><\/a> or Joe Jonas<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 the song\u2019s lyrics feature a description reminiscent of Mayer\u2019s appearance.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Cause I love the gap between the teeth,\u201d Swift sings in addition to mentioning the guy in the song has tattoos. Not only does Mayer have a gap between his two bottom front teeth but also a sleeve of tattoos on his left arm.<\/p>\n Much like \u201cOurs,\u201d lyrics from the Speak Now<\/em> deluxe edition track \u201cSuperman\u201d feature a description many believe could be Mayer. \u201cTall, dark and beautiful,\u201d Swift sings in the song, seemingly describing the appearance of the tune\u2019s titular superhero.<\/p>\n The lyrics also state, \u201cHe\u2019s not all bad like his reputation.\u201d The same year as Speak Now<\/em>\u2019s release, Mayer was heavily criticized<\/a> after using the N-word and making misogynistic comments in interviews<\/a> with Playboy<\/em> and Rolling Stone<\/em>.<\/p>\n Swift continued to write about her past with Mayer on her fourth studio album, Red<\/em><\/a>. While talking about the track \u201cIKYWT\u201d on Good Morning America<\/em><\/a>, Swift described the song as about \u201ckind of being frustrated with yourself because you have your heart broken and you knew when you first saw that person you saw all these red flags and you just went for it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n In the song\u2019s chorus, she recalls that she knew someone \u2014 possibly Mayer \u2014 was trouble from early on in their relationship, and that she is ashamed for not recognizing it sooner.<\/p>\n More than a decade after the release of \u201cSpeak Now\u201d Swift dropped one of her most scathing songs about Mayer on her 10th studio album, Midnights<\/em><\/a>. \u201cAnd I damn sure would\u2019ve never danced with the devil \/ At 19, and the God\u2019s honest truth is that the pain was heaven \/ And now that I\u2019m grown, I\u2019m scared of ghosts,\u201d she sings in the tune\u2019s chorus<\/a>, referring to the age she was during their romance. \u201cMemories feel like weapons \/ And now that I know, I wish you left me wondering.\u201d<\/p>\n Perhaps the song\u2019s most gut-wrenching lyric comes in the bridge as Swift sings, \u201cIf clarity\u2019s in death, then why won\u2019t this die? \/ Years of tearing down our banners, you and I \/ Living for the thrill of hitting you where it hurts \/ Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first.\u201d<\/p>\n Throughout the song, the Grammy winner also states that her fling with Mayer is something she regrets \u201call the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Though \u201cFoolish One\u201d didn\u2019t make the track list of the original Speak Now<\/em> album, Swift released the track as one of many vault songs<\/a> on the album\u2019s July 2023 rerecording. Much like \u201cDear John,\u201d Swift continues to recall how she missed the red flags in her and Mayer\u2019s relationship. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll look back and regret how I ignored when they said \/ \u2018Run as fast as you can,\u2019\u201d she sings.<\/p>\n\u2018Dear John,\u2019 Speak Now (2010)<\/h3>\n
![\"Every](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Every-Song-Taylor-Swift-Has-Supposedly-Written-About-Ex-John-Mayer-2.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\u2018The Story of Us,\u2019 Speak Now (2010)<\/h3>\n
\u2018Ours,\u2019 Speak Now (2010)<\/h3>\n
\u2018Superman,\u2019 Speak Now (2010)<\/h3>\n
\u2018I Knew You Were Trouble,\u2019 Red (2012)<\/h3>\n
![\"Every](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Every-Song-Taylor-Swift-Has-Supposedly-Written-About-Ex-John-Mayer-3.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\u2018Would\u2019ve, Could\u2019ve, Should\u2019ve,\u2019 Midnights (2022)<\/h3>\n
\u2018Foolish One,\u2019 Speak Now (Taylor\u2019s Version) (2023)<\/h3>\n