John Mayer Reveals Meaning Behind Song 'Paper Doll' That’s Rumored To Be About Ex Taylor Swift
Has John Mayer been reminiscing about the past?
On Saturday, April 8, at his show in Sacramento, California, the 45-year-old musician decided to perform his 2013 song "Paper Doll" that is rumored to be about ex Taylor Swift.
"I wonder if people don't like it because it sounds a little pissed off," Mayer explained before he started the song.
"I don't really like 'pissed off' as a song," he continued. "There's something about it that's a little b*****."
He elaborated saying he tries "not to give b*********" in his music, although, he admitted it "happens sometimes."
The singer-songwriter went on to say “Paper Doll” gives "sarcastic b****" vibes. "I guess it is sort a little bit bleh."
Ten years prior when the rock-pop track dropped, it was speculated to be a response to Swift’s emotional ballad "Dear John." Fans started the rumors after noticing lyrical similarities between the two.
"'Cause you're like 22 girls in one / And none of them know what they're runnin' from," Mayer’s lyrics read.
The blonde beauty’s song states, "And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand / And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said 'run as fast as you can.'"
Neither Mayer nor Swift have addressed whether either of these songs were inspired by one another.
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In 2019, the Connecticut native spoke about "Paper Doll" on his Instagram Live.
He revealed that the tune "didn't get the love it deserved" because of the gossip surrounding him and Swift.
"One of the tenets of being a singer-songwriter...is: We don't talk about who the songs are either inspired by or reference," he noted. "And when 'Paper Doll' came out, 100 percent of the people believed it was about somebody and the person that they thought it was about brought a certain amount of a superficial pop culture back and forth."
"[I] had to burn 'Paper Doll' to save the integrity of being a singer-songwriter," he added. "I had to let it go."
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The guitarist and the pop artist dated back in 2009 when she was just 19 and he was 32. The pair’s romance lasted about a year.