From Harry Styles to Joe Alwyn, Here's Who Fans Think Taylor Swift's Songs Are About

The telling lyrics: "The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed the wine onto me / And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was / The mark you saw on my collarbone, the rust that grew between telephones / The lips I used to call home, so scarlet, it was maroon"

Who it's supposed to be about: Jake Gyllenhaal or Harry Styles

Why? Most glaringly, maroon is a deeper shade of red, which happens to be the name of the album that explored much of Swift and Gyllenhaal's ill-fated relationship — especially her single "All Too Well." The lyric "the mark you left on my collarbone" could be an allusion to the iconic red scarf Swift references in "All Too Well," which Swift said was a "metaphor" — not an actual scarf — at TIFF in September 2022. Alternatively, the song could be about Styles, with the line "the rust that grew between telephones" possibly representing their challenging long-distance 2012 relationship.

The telling lyrics: "I've been under scrutiny / You handle it beautifully" and "They're bringing up my history / But you weren't even listening"

Who it's supposed to be about: Joe Alwyn

Why? In a 7 Oct., 2022, Instagram video commenting on the inspiration behind "Lavender Haze," Swift revealed it was about ignoring all the speculation and rumours surrounding her and Alwyn's former relationship. "For six years, we've had to dodge weird rumours, tabloid stuff, and we just ignore it, and so this song is about the act of ignoring that stuff to protect the real stuff," she said. Throughout the song's lyrics, Swift sings about how Alwyn isn't "listening" to all of the noise and has borne it all "beautifully."

The telling lyrics: "I broke his heart cause he was nice / He was sunshine, I was midnight rain" and "He wanted a bride, I was making my own name / Chasing that fame, he stayed the same"

Who it's supposed to be about: Taylor Lautner

Why? Fans noticed immediately that "Midnight Rain"'s lyrics were filled with regret and Swift acknowledging she hurt the person the song is about, which gives off major "Back to December" vibes, a song that is widely believed to be about Lautner. The lyrics, "He was sunshine, I was midnight rain," seem to allude to "Midnight Sun," the title of the latest Twilight novel released in 2020 (Lautner famously starred as the werewolf character Jacob in the movie franchise). The lyrics, "I was making my own name / Chasing that fame, he stayed the same," suggest the song is about someone she dated in the early stages of her career when she was making a name for herself, which also tracks with her relationship with Lautner, who she dated in 2009.

The telling lyrics: "Someone told his white-collar crimes to the FBI"

Who it's supposed to be about: Scooter Braun

Why? These lyrics seem like a reference to Braun's involvement in a $200 million legal dispute in 2021 over the failed launch of a private equity fund called SCOPE Capital Management (a legal dispute Braun claimed was an "extortionate" ploy ahead of the $1.05 billion sale of his company, Ithaca Holdings). Whatever the case may be, in an Oct. 18 video shared on Spotify, Swift revealed one of the inspirations behind her "Midnights" songs was "fantasising about revenge" (via Billboard), and she certainly could have been fantasizing about getting revenge against Braun considering he infamously acquired Big Machine Records in June 2019 along with the masters to Swift's first six albums (which preempted Swift's decision to re-record them).

The telling lyrics: "Outside they're pushin' and shoving / You're in the kitchen hummin' / All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing"

Who it's supposed to be about: Joe Alwyn

Why? This track sees the reappearance of Swift's frequent songwriting collaborator William Bowery, which we all know is her ex-boyfriend, Alwyn's, pen name. Just the fact that Swift and Alwyn wrote "Sweet Nothing" together is enough to suggest its content was inspired by their six-year-long relationship. The chorus's lyrics, "Outside they're pushin' and shoving / You're in the kitchen hummin' / All that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing," suggest that in a world where Swift experiences so much noise from her status as an A-list celebrity, Alwyn and their quiet life together were an escape.

The telling lyrics: "At 19 / And the God's honest truth is that the pain was heaven / And now that I'm grown, I'm scared of ghosts / Memories feel like weapons" and "I damn sure never would've danced with the devil"

Who it's supposed to be about: John Mayer

Why? Fans think that "Would've, Could've, Should've" is a more mature version of "Dear John," Swift's 2010 track about Mayer off "Speak Now." The song is track 19 on the "Midnights (3am Edition)" and Swift was also 19 when she dated Mayer briefly around 2009. The line, "I damn sure never would've danced with the devil," may suggest that, now, looking back as a 32-year-old woman, she knows she would not have entered into that relationship knowing what she knows now.

The telling lyrics: "You're talking sh*t for the hell of it / Addicted to betrayal, but you're relevant," "Spider boy, king of thieves," and "Trick me once, trick me twice
Don't you know that cash ain't the only price?"

Who it's supposed to be about: Scooter Braun or Kanye West

Why? "Karma"'s opening lines, "You're talking sh*t for the hell of it / Addicted to betrayal, but you're relevant," reference someone who "talks sh*t" to be relevant and is fixated on betrayal, which could both arguably be seen as qualities of West, who often makes headlines for calling people out for betraying him on social media (his ex-wife Kim Kardashian is the latest target, unfortunately). The lines "Spider boy, king of thieves" and "Trick me once, trick me twice / Don't you know that cash ain't the only price?" could also refer to Braun, who many argue stole Swift's masters in his lucrative acquisition of Big Machine records.

The telling lyrics: "I bet you think about me when you're out / At your cool indie music concerts every week" and "You grew up in a silver-spoon gated community / Glamorous, shiny, bright Beverly Hills"

Who it's supposed to be about: Jake Gyllenhaal

Why? Gyllenhaal was the main victim of Swift's "Red" album after their pretty nasty breakup. In "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," Swift mentions indie records, and these lyrics match up with them. As for the second part, Gyllenhaal comes from a pretty influential family, as both his mother and father are accomplished film directors.

The telling lyrics: "How is it in London? / Where are you while I'm wonderin' (wondering') / If I'll ever see you again?"

Who it's supposed to be about: Harry Styles

Why? At the end of the "Red" era, Swift began dating Styles. It makes sense that this song was inspired by him, because he lived in London at the time and she had sung about him on the deluxe track "Come Back . . . Be Here."

The telling lyrics: "I remember the drive home / When the blind hope turned to crying and screaming 'Why?' / Flowers pile up in the worst way, no one knows what to say / About a beautiful boy who died."

Who it's supposed to be about: Ronan Thompson, a 4-year-old boy who died from cancer

Why? Ronan was a little boy who died from a rare form of childhood cancer. Swift read his story on his mother's blog and reached out to her about writing and recording a song based on his mom's words. It was a non-album track until the new version found a home on "Red (Taylor's Version)."

The telling lyrics: "'Cause I hear he's got his arm 'round a brand-new girl. I've been pickin' up my heart, he's been pickin' up her" and "Mr. Never Told You Why, Mr. Never Had to See Me Cry."

Who it's supposed to be about: Joe Jonas

Why? The "Fearless" era was about Swift's breakup with Jonas, so it's no wonder fans started to speculate this song was about him as well. Shortly after breaking things off with Swift over a 27-second phone call, Jonas moved on with Camilla Belle, while Swift was still healing from the breakup.

The telling lyrics: "Watched as you signed your name Marjorie / All your closets of backlogged dreams / And how you left them all to me."

Who it's supposed to be about: Swift's late maternal grandmother, Marjorie

Why? Swift's grandmother's name was Marjorie, and she is recounting all of the memories they had when she was a child and her grandmother was alive and the life lessons she taught her. Swift also mourns the fact that she lost her grandmother so young and wasn't able to fully know her.

The telling lyrics: "Betty, I won't make assumptions," "You heard the rumours from Inez," and "She said, 'James, get in, let's drive.'"

Who it's supposed to be about: Fictional characters based on Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds's daughters

Why? Swift is friends with Reynolds and Lively, and Betty, Inez, and James are the names of their three daughters. Even though the song is fictional, it's a touching tribute to her friends.

The telling lyrics: "Keep your helmet, keep your life, son" and "Just a flesh wound, here's your rifle."

Who it's supposed to be about: Swift's late paternal grandfather, Dean

Why? He fought in the Battle of Guadalcanal during World War II, and this song is about a soldier fighting through a war. It honours not only her grandfather but also every soldier who has fought in a war. It also draws the connection to people who worked through the COVID-19 pandemic and had to care for sick and dying patients.

The telling lyrics: "You hear my stolen lullabies" and "Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe / All the hell you gave me?"

Who it's supposed to be about: Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun

Why? Big Machine Records and Braun kept ownership of the masters for Swift's first six albums despite her desire and efforts to purchase them when she moved to a new label. So the "stolen lullabies" in these lyrics are all the songs she wrote and recorded that she'll unfairly never own, and "all the hell they gave me" could be about Borchetta and Braun putting up a fight against letting her buy ownership of her masters.

The telling lyrics: "Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train. It was sunny."

Who it's supposed to be about: Rebekah West Harkness

Why? Swift bought a Rhode Island house, Holiday House, from a woman named Rebekah, which she still owns to this day, as reported by Vogue. The story tells the legacy of the woman who owned the house before her and ties into Swift's own story.

The telling lyrics: "And I hate to make this all about me / But who am I supposed to talk to? What am I supposed to do / If there's no you?"

Who it's supposed to be about: Swift's mom, Andrea Swift

Why? Swift revealed that her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and later a brain tumour. This song is about how Swift is dealing with her mother's illness and everything they went through. Plus, The Chicks are Andrea's favourite band, so Swift had to include them.

The telling lyrics: "I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all."

Who it's supposed to be about: Joe Alwyn

Why? This one is pretty obvious. The lyrics indicate that in 2019, she and Alwyn had been together for three summers already, but she wants to spend all of her summers with him. Since they met at the Met Gala in 2016, the lyrics add up.

The telling lyrics: "Got out some popcorn / As soon as my rep starting going down, down, down / Laughed on the schoolyard / As soon as I tripped up and hit the ground, ground, ground / And I would've stuck around for ya / Would've fought the whole town, so yeah / Would've been right there, front row / Even if nobody came to your show / But you showed who you are, then one magical night."

Who it's supposed to be about: Swift's former friends and enemies, including maybe ex boyfriend Calvin Harris and Kim Kardashian

Why? Swift's 2017 album, "Reputation," was all about revenge and getting back at the people who hurt her, including her ex and Kardashian. The first song off "Lover" is about moving on into a new era defined by love.

The telling lyrics: "I recall late November, holdin' my breath / Slowly, I said, 'You don't need to save me / But would you run away with me?'"

Who it's supposed to be about: Joe Alwyn

Why? Even though Swift has been extremely private when it comes to her romance with Alwyn, the lyric appears to be a nod to when she attended the screening of Alwyn's film "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" in November 2016.

The telling lyrics: "Younger than my exes, but he act like such a man"

Who it's supposed to be about: Joe Alwyn

Why? In addition to the lyrics, Swift made it crystal clear that the track was about Alwyn when she dropped hidden references to the actor in the accompanying music video for the song. Not only did she include his name in Chinese characters on one of the walls in the video, but she also included a quote that reads "I Love You in Secret," which seems like a nod to their private relationship.

The telling lyrics: "I don't like your little games / Don't like your tilted stage."

Who it's supposed to be about: Kanye West

Why? Swift's feud with West and Kardashian isn't a secret. After Kardashian famously published videos on Snapchat of Swift's phone call with West discussing his song lyrics for "Famous," Swift hit back at West with this scathing track.