"Dear John" | |
---|---|
Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Speak Now | |
Released | October 25, 2010 |
Genre | |
Length | 6:43 |
Label | Big Machine |
Songwriter(s) | Taylor Swift |
Producer(s) |
|
Licensed audio | |
"Dear John" on YouTube |
"Dear John" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). The title references the Dear John letter, which is a letter written to a man by his romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over. The lyrics describe a 19-year-old's toxic and inappropriate relationship with an older man. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Dear John" is a slow-burning power ballad combining soft rock, electric blues, and country pop; the production incorporates electric guitar licks.
In Speak Now album reviews, many critics praised "Dear John" for its emotional impact and unconventional subject matter, though some criticized the accusatory nature of the lyrics as shallow and shortsighted. In retrospect, critics have universally acclaimed the song and regarded it as one of Swift's best in her catalog for its songwriting and emotional impact. "Dear John" peaked at number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 66 on the Canadian Hot 100. Swift included the song in the set list to her Speak Now World Tour (2010–2011). A re-recorded version, titled Dear John (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of her third re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) on July 7, 2023.
Taylor Swift began work on her third studio album, Speak Now (2010), two years prior to its release. [1] According to Swift, the album is a collection of songs about the things she had wanted to but could not say to the people she had met in real life. [2] [3] In the liner notes for Speak Now, Swift explained that every song on the album is an "open letter" to someone in her life, "telling them what I meant to tell them in person", noting that one song in particular is addressed to "someone who made my world very dark for a while". [4] When Rolling Stone journalist Brian Hiatt asked about the track's "mercilessness", Swift said: "In every one of my relationships, I've been good and fair. [...] Chances are if they're being written about in a way they don't like, it’s because they hurt me really badly. [...] I don't think it's mean." [5]
In an interview with Brian Mansfield for USA Today (October 2010), she said that the subject behind "Dear John" was an ex-boyfriend of hers, who was also the subject behind "The Story of Us", another Speak Now track. [6] Whereas "The Story of Us" was inspired by their encounter at an awards show, "Dear John" was akin to "the last e-mail you'd send to somebody you used to be in a relationship with". [6] The song is track number five on Speak Now, which was released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. [7] Swift included the song on the set list of her Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012). [8] During the shows, as the song approached its end, fireworks exploded onstage to accompany the lyrics, "I'm shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town." [9] [10] At the June 24, 2023, show in Minneapolis, as part of the Eras Tour (2023–2024), Swift performed "Dear John" as a "surprise song". [11]
"Dear John" is a slow-burning power ballad produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman. [12] [13] At six minutes and forty three seconds (6:43), it is the longest track on Speak Now. [14] Music critics described the genre as soft rock, [14] electric blues, [15] country, [16] and country pop. [17] They found influences of blues styles such as blues rock, specifically due to the electric guitar licks; [18] [19] [20] Spin 's Marc Hogan and Slant Magazine 's Jonathan Keefe attributed the blues elements to a possible influence by the musician John Mayer, with Keefe thinking the "blues-pop" arrangement was reminiscent of Mayer's 2006 album Continuum. [19] [21] In the Los Angeles Times , Ann Powers wrote that Swift's vocals in "Dear John" expand considerably compared to those on her previous songs: "she opens up her throat so wide that she almost yells." [22] According to George Lang from The Oklahoman , "'Dear John' could be a broadside worthy of Polly Jean Harvey." [16]
The title of "Dear John" references the expression "Dear John letter", which refers to a letter written to a man by his romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over. [23] Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone summarized the lyrics as a "dissection of a failed quasi-relationship, with no happy ending, no moral, no solution, not even a lesson learned – just a bad memory filed away". [12] The narrator is a 19-year-old woman who is manipulated by an older man whose motives she describes as "dark" and twisted. [14] She describes the reasons why she became heartbroken, confronts the man ("Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?"), [24] recalls their tumultuous relationship ("You are an expert at sorry / And keeping lines blurry / And never impressed by me acing your tests / All the girls that you've run dry / Have tired, lifeless eyes / 'Cause you burned them out"), [25] and blames herself for their problems ("I should've known"). [12] [23]
After the bridge, she tells him, "I'm shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town", declaring her decision to move on. Some critics remarked that this part is the climax. [26] [27] The final line switches from "I should've known" to "You should've known", holding the man accountable for his wrongdoings. [12] [28] Eric R. Danton from the Hartford Courant considered the lyrics both a continuation of the "wistful teenage puppy-love mindset" of Swift's previous albums and an exploration of more grown-up perspectives. [29] Sociologist and criminologist Laura L. Finley considers the narrator a survivor of sexual abuse when she was too young. [30]
Due to Swift's high-profile, short-lived relationship with the singer-songwriter John Mayer, the media surmised that "Dear John" might have been inspired by him. [6] [14] In an interview with Rolling Stone (June 2012), Mayer said the song "humiliated" him and dismissed it as "cheap songwriting". [31] Swift never confirmed nor denied the association, saying in an interview with Glamour (October 2012): "How presumptuous! I never disclose who my songs are about." [32] Musicologist James E. Perone compared "Dear John" to John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" (1971), allegedly about fellow musician Paul McCartney, in how both were open letters directed at another celebrity that affected their personal lives. [14] Sharing the same idea, Chris Willman from Yahoo! wrote that not since the Lennon–McCartney affair "has a major pop singer-songwriter so publicly and unguardedly taken on another in song", and he argued that "Dear John" was "braver... and more cutting" because of its "vulnerability and woundedness". [26] Perone and Taffy Brodesser-Akner from The Paris Review commented that the song alludes to many of Mayer's supposedly egoistical and controversial traits; to this extent, the latter considered it a "master class in passive-aggression". [14] [33]
Many critics selected "Dear John" as Speak Now's best song for its production and emotional impact. Such critics include Jon Caramanica in The New York Times (lauding the blues production for expanding beyond Swift's country-music comfort zone), [15] Mikael Wood in Spin (saying it was "epic pop-country poetry"), [17] and Willman in The Hollywood Reporter (underscoring the "chills-inducing climax"). [34] Rolling Stone's Brittany Spanos and Vulture 's Nate Jones highlighted the production's perceived similarities to Mayer's music, and Spanos deemed it superior to any of his work. [35] [36]
Several critics also praised the vivid and detail-heavy lyrics [17] [19] [34] —Dan DeLuca of The Philadelphia Inquirer said "Dear John" was a sign of Swift's "growing confidence" in songwriting. [13] Hogan wrote that this quality, alongside the song's deliberate pace, made "Dear John" a "devastating takedown for the ages". [19] Meanwhile, Perone thought the track's length is a weak point because it pads the album's runtime. [14] Other critics deemed the lyrics shallow and shortsighted, including The Morning Call 's John J. Moser (criticizing Swift as "a bitter brat swimming in self pity"), [37] Fort Worth Star-Telegram 's Preston Jones (labelling the song "self-indulgent"), [20] and Keefe (deeming it self-righteous). [21] Billboard ranked "Dear John" at number 18 on its list of the "100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars", and its editor Jason Lipshutz lauded how "each bruised syllable is essential, every seething accusation methodically rolled out". [38]
Critics have considered "Dear John" one of Swift's best songs. It was ranked among her best 10 tracks by Sheffield (2021), [12] Song (2019), [28] and The Independent 's Roisin O'Connor (2019). [25] For Sheffield, though the song might sound like a spontaneous vent, "it takes one devious operator to make a song this intricate feel that way". [12] Clash (2021) included "Dear John" among Swift's top 15 songs—writer Lauren DeHollogne cited how the narrator's naivete makes the song simultaneously excruciating and beautiful to listen to. [23]
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [39] | 68 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [40] | 54 |
US Country Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [41] | 4 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [42] | Gold | 35,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
"Dear John (Taylor's Version)" | |
---|---|
Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) | |
Released | July 7, 2023 |
Length | 6:45 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) | Taylor Swift |
Producer(s) |
|
Lyric video | |
"Dear John (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube |
After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020. [43] The decision came after the public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released. [44] [45] By re-recording her catalog, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs, devaluing the Big Machine-owned masters. [46] A re-recorded version of "Dear John", titled "Dear John (Taylor's Version)", was released on July 7, 2023, via Republic Records as part of Speak Now (Taylor's Version) , Swift's third re-recorded album. [47]
Adapted from Speak Now (Taylor's Version) digital album inline notes [48]
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [49] | 26 |
Canada (Canadian Hot 100) [50] | 35 |
Global 200 ( Billboard ) [51] | 28 |
Greece (IFPI) [52] | 90 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [53] | 27 |
Philippines ( Billboard ) [54] | 7 |
UK Streaming (OCC) [55] | 49 |
US Billboard Hot 100 [56] | 26 |
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [57] | 9 |
Taylor Swift is the eponymous debut studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Under Big Machine Records, it was released in North America on October 24, 2006, and elsewhere on March 18, 2008. Swift had signed with Sony/ATV Tree publishing house in 2004, at age 14, to pursue a career as a country musician. Her contract with Big Machine Records in 2005 enabled her to work on the album during her second year of high school.
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Fearless is the second studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Under Big Machine Records imprint, it was released in the U.S. and Canada on November 11, 2008, and elsewhere on March 9, 2009. Written predominantly by Swift while she was promoting her 2006 self-titled debut album in 2007–2008, Fearless features additional songwriting credits from Liz Rose, Hillary Lindsey, Colbie Caillat, and John Rich. Swift wrote seven of the standard edition's 13 tracks by herself and, in her debut as a record producer, co-produced the album with Nathan Chapman.
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Speak Now is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 25, 2010, through Big Machine Records. Swift wrote the album entirely herself within two years while touring to promote her second studio album, Fearless (2008).
"Speak Now" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the title track for her third studio album of the same name (2010), and was released for digital download as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Speak Now" is an acoustic guitar-driven country pop song with its refrain incorporating the 1950s rock chord progression. Lyrically, the track is about a protagonist interrupting a wedding in an attempt to win her ex-lover back. Swift was inspired to write it after learning that an ex-boyfriend of her friend would marry someone else.
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"Better than Revenge" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the electric guitar-driven pop punk song is about Swift's plea for vengeance against a romantic rival. Swift included the song on the set list of her Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012).
"Long Live" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Long Live" is a heartland rock song featuring girl group harmonies and chiming rock guitars. The lyrics are about Swift's gratitude for her fans and bandmates, using high-school and royalty imagery to describe the accomplishments in the narrator's life.
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"State of Grace" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fourth studio album, Red. To promote the album before its release, Big Machine Records released the song for download on October 16, 2012. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "State of Grace" is an arena rock song that uses chiming, feedback-drenched guitars and pounding drums. An acoustic version features as a deluxe-edition bonus track. The lyrics are about the tumultuous feelings evoked by the first signs of love.
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"Enchanted" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album, Speak Now (2010). Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, the song is a power ballad combining pop, rock, and country. The production begins with gentle acoustic guitars and crescendos after each refrain, leading to dynamic electric guitars, a steady drum beat, and a vocal harmony-layered coda. In the lyrics, a narrator is infatuated with someone after meeting them for the first time, and she worries about whether the initial feeling will be reciprocated.
"Treacherous" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, taken from her fourth studio album, Red (2012). Swift wrote the track with its producer Dan Wilson. Blending styles of country and pop, "Treacherous" is a slow-burning ballad that builds up into a finale. Its lyrics are about a narrator's attempt to protect a fragile and dangerous relationship. A demo of the song was included in the track-list of Red's deluxe edition.
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