After releasing the summer’s biggest breakup anthem — “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” — Taylor Swift is now ready to “Begin Again” with her new single, a slow-tempo ode to starting over, post-breakup.
Swift traditionalists will be happy to note that the song ditches the Avril Lavigne-type repetition of “Never Ever” and instead embraces the young singer’s country roots and long-winded wordplay.
The country-pop superstar croons, “I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ’cause he never did/ I’ve been spending the last 8 months thinking all love ever does/ Is break and burn and end/ But on a Wednesday in a cafe I watched it begin again.”
But which of Swift’s former beaus could her newest tell-all single be about?
As the song notes, “Begin Again” follows the start of a new relationship — “on a Wednesday in a cafe” — eight months after her last breakup left her heartbroken.
“It’s about when you’ve gotten through a really bad relationship and you finally dust yourself off and go on that first date after a horrible breakup, and the vulnerability that goes along with all that,” the singer-songwriter told Good Morning America on Monday.
Of course, the talented songwriter also throws a few subtle digs at the guy who broke her heart. “He didn’t like it when I wore high heels, but I do,” Swift softly laments. “Turned the lock and put my headphones on/ He always said he didn’t get this song but I do.”
Thankfully, Swift has this mysterious new guy to help her get over her heartache. “You pulled my chair out and helped me in/ And you don’t know how nice that is/ But I do,” she sings.
But which two of Swift’s former flames could the singer-songwriter be alluding to? Let’s investigate.
Swift began dating actor Jake Gyllenhaal in late-October 2010, and the two were often spotted grabbing coffee in Brooklyn. Therefore, Gyllenhaal would be the obvious choice as the man Swift meets in a cafe. You know, the nice one who pulls out her chair and talks about “James Taylor records” and Christmas movies.
Not to mention that before she dated Gyllenhaal, Swift had a brief fling with singer John Mayer in early-2010. The relationship left her so distraught, Swift penned the song “Dear John” for the “Shadow Days” singer.
Is “Begin Again” another dig at Mayer? Or could it be her long-awaited dig at Gyllenhaal? Looks like we’ll have to wait until Red drops on Oct. 22 — and we can properly inspect the liner notes — to find out the full story.
Who do you think Swift’s new song is about? Sound off in the comments! For help deciphering the clues, check out “Begin Again’s” full lyrics at Direct Lyrics.
