John Mayer Discusses “Paper Doll,” Rumored to Be About Taylor Swift 2023
John Mayer clarified a song.
The musician performed his 2013 song “Paper Doll” at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on April 8. “I wonder if people don’t like it because it sounds a little pissed off,” John said in a viral video as he strummed the opening notes.
“There’s something about ‘pissed off’ that’s a touch nasty,” he said.
The 45-year-old said he tries “not to provide bitchiness” in his music, but “happens occasionally” and labeled the song “sarcastic bitch.”
“It’s kind of bleh,” John said.
“Paper Doll,” the lead single from Paradise Valley, is said to be a reaction to Taylor Swift’s 2010 song “Darling John.” Fans have noticed parallels in their lyrics despite neither musician revealing their inspiration.
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“Paper Doll” chorus John sings, “‘Cause you’re like 22 females in one / And none of them know what they’re runnin’ from.”
“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 disregarded when they urged ‘go as quickly as you can,'” Taylor sings.
“Paper Doll” “didn’t get the respect it deserved” due of the rumors, John said in 2019.
“One of the fundamentals of being a singer-songwriter…is: We don’t talk about who the songs are either inspired by or reference,” he said on Instagram Live. “When ‘Paper Doll’ came out, 100% of the people felt it was about somebody and the person they thought it was about brought a certain degree of shallow pop culture back and forth.”
John stated he “had to destroy ‘Paper Doll’ to maintain the integrity of being a singer-songwriter,” refusing to reveal its significance.
“The music was underrated,” he said. I surrendered.
