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“Dear John” is an ode to Taylor’s short-lived relationship with fellow singer-songwriter John Mayer. Taylor conveys her feelings of frustration over the way she was treated by John and how she disregarded the warnings from others.
Besides the obvious song title, there are multiple references to Mayer directly, including the mention of their almost ten-year age gap. Sonically, Taylor purposefully added guitar slurring to the background instrumentals, a guitar playing technique seen all throughout Mayer’s music.
The two notably collaborated on Mayer’s 2010 song “Half of My Heart,” which was released 4 months before “Dear John”.
Besides John’s public statement to Rolling Stone in 2012, Mayer also replied to “Dear John” three years later, in his 2013 song “Paper Doll.” In the song, John directly replies to Taylor’s line, “you paint me a blue sky then go back and turn it to rain” with, “and if those angel wings don’t fly, someone’s going to paint you another sky.”
Notably, “Dear John” was the third song to contribute to Taylor’s streak of 5th song of the album “emotional vulnerable” ballads.
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Long were the nights when My days once revolved around you Counting my footsteps Praying the floor won't fall through... again My mother accused me of losing my mind But I swore I was fine You paint me a blue sky Then go back and turn it to rain And I lived in your chess game But you changed the rules everyday Wonderin' which version of you I might get on the phone, tonight Well I stopped pickin' up and this song is to let you know why
[Chorus]
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone Don't you think I was too young to be messed with The girl in the dress cried the whole way home I shoulda' known
[Verse 2]
Well maybe it's me And my blind optimism to blame Or maybe it's you and your sick need To give love and take it away And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors Who don't understand And I look back in regret how I ignored when they said "Run as fast as you can"
[Chorus]
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone Don't you think I was too young to be messed with The girl in the dress cried the whole way home Dear John, I see it all now it was wrong Don't you think nineteen's too young To be played by your dark, twisted games When I loved you so? I shoulda' known
[Bridge]
You are an expert at sorry And keeping the lines blurry Never impressed by me acing your tests All the girls that you've run dry have tired lifeless eyes 'Cause you burned them out But I took your matches Before fire could catch me So don't look now I'm shining like fireworks Over your sad empty town, yeah Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
[Chorus]
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone Don't you think I was too young to be messed with The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
[Outro]
I see it all now that you're gone Don't you think I was too young to be messed with The girl in the dress Wrote you a song, you shoulda' known You shoulda' known Don't you think I was too young You shoulda' known
