John Mayer, 45, has addressed his 2013 song "Paper Doll," which has been widely speculated to be about his ex, 33-year-old Taylor Swift, fresh from her split from Joe Alwyn.
The pair reportedly dated between December 2009 and February 2010, when John was 31 and Taylor was 19. The relationship ended on sour terms, with Taylor's song "Dear John" believed to be about the singer.
During his John Mayer Solo live show on Tuesday, the hitmaker opened up about "Paper Doll," stating: "I wonder if people don't like it because it sounds a little pied off. I don't like 'pied off' as a song. I think it was more hurt."
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He continued: "Is there something about it that's a little by? I try not to give b-ness in the song, and that happens sometimes. I guess I don't do it very well - sarcastic bs."
John’s candid comments come just days after Taylor Swift's split from her boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn.
In 2019, Mayer had previously mentioned on his Instagram talk show that the song was not about what people assumed.
Taylor and John initially met when they collaborated on John's song "Half of My Heart," which led to their brief, three-month romance from December 2009 to February 2010.
Although the popstar never confirmed it, "Dear John" is widely believed to be about their turbulent relationship, given the timing of the song's release in October 2010 and lyrics referencing Taylor's age during the relationship.
"Dear John" provided insight into how the romance between Taylor and John went wrong, with lyrics such as: "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."
John’s lyrics in "Paper Doll" seemed to respond to Taylor's statements, further fueling the fire.
In a 2012 Rolling Stone interview, John expressed feeling "really humiliated" about the song and "really caught off-guard."
Taylor later responded to Mayer's Rolling Stone comments in a Glamour magazine interview, saying: "How presumptuous! I never disclose who my songs are about."
She continued: "If you go too far down the rabbit hole of what people think about you, it can change everything about who you are."
Meanwhile, in early April 2023, ET first reported that Taylor and Joe broke up in March 2023.
The pair's split was reportedly "amicable" and "not dramatic," sources told the entertainment news website, before going on to say that "the relationship had just run its course."
The article also claimed that the split was "why [Joe] hasn't been spotted at any shows."
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