{"id":4594,"date":"2010-10-25T09:23:38","date_gmt":"2010-10-25T15:23:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jesusneedsnewpr.net\/?p=4594"},"modified":"2011-05-03T16:59:45","modified_gmt":"2011-05-03T16:59:45","slug":"taylor-swifts-letter-to-john-mayer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesusneedsnewpr\/2010\/10\/taylor-swifts-letter-to-john-mayer.html","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Swift’s Letter to John Mayer"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

Taylor Swift’s Speak Now<\/em> new record releases tomorrow. It’s expected to be the biggest release this year. Some say it might sell Platinum (1 million) in its first week. If anybody can do it, Taylor probably can.<\/p>\n

I’ve heard most of the record and I must say it’s pretty amazing. At times, I have a hard time believing that Taylor is only 19 or 20. She writes like a 45-year-old. Well, mostly…but it’s good. Really good. (And I’ve never been much of a fan…)<\/p>\n

By now you’ve either heard or heard about the song “Dear John,” a tune that Taylor is believed to have written about a relationship? friendship? fling? with John Mayer. (Remember: Taylor sang harmony on one of the songs on John’s last record.)<\/p>\n

Here are the lyrics…<\/p>\n

Long were the nights
\nWhen the days once revolved around you
\nCounting my footsteps,
\nPrayin’ the floor won’t fall through, again
\nMy mother accused me of losing my mind
\nBut I swore I was fine<\/p>\n

You paint me a blue sky and go back
\nAnd turn it to rain
\nAnd I lived in your chess game
\nBut you changed the rules every day
\nWonderin which version of you
\nI might get on the phone, tonight,
\nWell I stopped pickin’ up
\nAnd this song is to let you know why<\/p>\n

Dear John,
\nI see it all now that you’re gone.
\nDon’t you think I was too young
\nTo be messed with
\nThe girl in the dress
\nCried the whole way home
\nI shoulda known.<\/p>\n

Well maybe it’s me
\nAnd my blind optimism to blame
\nMaybe its you and your sick need
\nTo give love then take it away
\nAnd you’ll add my name
\nTo your long list of traitors
\nWho don’t understand
\nAnd I’ll look back in regret
\nHow I ignored when they said
\nRun as fast as you can<\/p>\n

Dear John,
\nI see all it now that you’re gone
\nDon’t you think I was too young
\nTo be messed with
\nThe girl in the dress
\nCried the whole way home<\/p>\n

Dear John,
\nI see it all now it was wrong
\nDon’t you think nineteen’s too young
\nTo be played by your dark twisted games
\nWhen I loved you so
\nI shoulda known<\/p>\n

You are an expert at sorry
\nAnd keeping lines blurry
\nAnd never impressed by me
\nAcing your tests
\nAll the girls that you run dry
\nHave tired lifeless eyes
\nCuz you burned them out
\nBut I took your matches
\nBefore fire could catch me
\nSo don’t look now
\nI’m shining like fireworks
\nOver your sad empty town<\/p>\n

Oh woah oh<\/p>\n

Dear John,
\nI see all it now that you’re gone
\nDon’t you think I was too young
\nTo be messed with the girl in the dress
\nCried the whole way home
\nI see all it now that you’re gone
\nDon’t you think I was too young
\nTo be messed with
\nThe girl in the dress
\nWrote you a song
\nYou should’ve known
\nYou shoulda known
\nDon’t you think I was too young
\nYou shoulda known.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Either way, it’s a good song. It’s an amazing song in some ways: Honest, melodic, a bit gritty…<\/p>\n

So let’s assume the song is about John Mayer.<\/p>\n

Is Taylor’s upfront, in-your-face honesty a good thing?<\/p>\n

Does the fact that John Mayer is a celebrity make a difference? Is sometimes “honesty” better with a little ambiguity?<\/p>\n

If the song, in fact, is about John Mayer, can it transcend the same way a song about a nameless jerk of a boyfriend might relate to Taylor’s audience?<\/p>\n

Again, I like the song. I admire Taylor’s guts to put it out there. But honesty can backfire sometimes. Sometimes honesty can be seen as bitterness or gimmicky or even dishonest.<\/p>\n

What do you think?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Taylor Swift’s Speak Now new record releases tomorrow. It’s expected to be the biggest release this year. Some say it might sell Platinum (1 million) in its first week. If anybody can do it, Taylor probably can. I’ve heard most of the record and I must say it’s pretty amazing. At times, I have a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":412,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media","category-music"],"yoast_head":"\nTaylor Swift's Letter to John Mayer - Jesus Needs New PR<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesusneedsnewpr\/2010\/10\/taylor-swifts-letter-to-john-mayer.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taylor Swift's Letter to John Mayer - Jesus Needs New PR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taylor Swift’s Speak Now new record releases tomorrow. 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