Miss Swift bitter? Nah. Gimmicky? It’s showbusiness,it’s all gimmick. Dishonest honesty? Just glad only God know our hearts. Aren’t you?

Dang John, did you really have to go dating a teenager in your early 30′s? Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

I’ve never listened to her. She wrote that? Wow. What talent for being so young. The story behind it will certainly help sell it.

It’s funny to me how many of these kinds of songs are nothing more than self-indulgent hypocrisies. The entire song, to me, is explaining how she didn’t like the relationship and how “John” took advantage and how she was a fool for going along with it. It’s a song about a mistake and the accompanying guilt.
Then, in the end, she says

“But I took your matches
Before fire could catch me
So don’t look now
I’m shining like fireworks
Over your sad empty town”

Wait…that doesn’t make sense. Did you end up being hurt from all this or didn’t you?
How can you sing an entire song about loss, heartbreak, and regret, just to end it with such a sense of self-worth?
It’s as nonsensical as writing a song called “Indescribable” containing over 200 insubstantial words and empty attempts to do just that…describe something.

heart breaking honesty there in that song

Knowing what I know of John Mayer, from some secondhand (not published) info, this sounds exactly like him. I didn’t know she had any relationship with him, but if so, this song hits the nail on the head. And yes, it totally transcends…I can see LOTS of girls/women identifying wholly with these lyrics. She’s an artist, nothing wrong with honesty. Heck, maybe it’s about a different guy altogether.

I always want to like Taylor Swift more than I do. This song just strikes me as plodding, overwrought and sappy. It might be because I feel that way about most modern country music.

It’s definitely about John Mayer, though. I’m a huge Mayer fan and some points she hits on are far too close to be coincidence. The problem is the way she describes the whole situation seems like she could have just read WAY too much into their relationship.

Taylor Swift just bothers me for some reason.

//AW

I like it! I dig honesty. I think we need the straight forward songs like this one and the kind that are hidden but always guessed about, songs like Your So Vain, that is one of the best.

I think Taylor Swift is an extremely talented song writer, but her live performances are terrible.

However, I do think it’s gutsy to call out people on an album. Whether or not “Dear John” is actually written to Mayer is merely speculation until confirmed by Swift explicitly.

I enjoyed Mayer’s Crossroad’s episode with Keith Urban and especially the interview portion where Mayer talked about needing somebody in his life to hold him accountable and not let him be the selfish jerk (I think) we’re all inclined to be.

Many artists wear their bleeding hearts all open like this. Is it only the young ones? I remember young heartbreak. She captures it well. Anyone dating Taylor should know by now he’s gonna end up in a song if he doesn’t behave. She’s quite talented. I wish her a long career.

I have been a fan of Taylor’s work since she released her first album. As she comes out with each new album, her writing matures more and more. I loved each transformation and look forward to future albums! I know that she’ll mature even more as a singer and songwriter- I honestly can’t wait.

Great job, Taylor!

I have never liked Taylor Swift. I don’t think her music is good. This song seems like a vague attempt at writing about loss & difficulty when really it’s just a girl right out of her teens writing sappy lyrics that r overly obvious. She’s being too whiny. I understand she is good & I understand she sells lots of albums. But I don’t think her songwriting is “unreal”. I prefer John’s “WHO SAYS?”. Taylor shouldn’t listened 2 those lyrics. “I don’t remember u looking any better,then again… I don’t remember u.”

I meant Taylor SHOULD HAVE listened 2 those lyrics-
“I don’t remember u looking any better, then again…I don’t remember u.”

“WHO SAYS”
from Battle Studies

I wouldn’t give her much credit for putting the song out there, I’m sure the record label was begging for it and the hype it’d get. I’d bet it was all very calculated.

Whether it is about John Mayer or it’s too honest or questionably gimmicky, it is unfortunately very relevant, because he isn’t the only man like that out there and whether you are 19 or almost 30, these men have a way of making you believe you know what you are doing and in the end like Taylor says “And I’ll look back in regret, How I ignored when they said
Run as fast as you can.”

So while I pass on my hard learned wisdom in more discrete ways, as with her other songs Taylor seems to believe that there is no point in being quiet about issues that almost every young woman will confront. If she can be at peace with herself about it, then go for it.

You ask an interesting question about honesty, that I can’t help but fixate on. How much honesty is the right amount? I know I’ve been “punched in the gut” with truth with someone behind it saying, “I’m just being honest.” Truth/Honesty without Grace is never okay.

In this case, I know this is nothing more than a simple pop song about a girl finding her strength in overcoming heartache. I can’t fault her for that…a lot of people relate, thus, a lot of people will buy her album.

Even so, in her honesty she also seeks a little revenge, which is never the right answer. Ultimately, her honesty was probably a bit too much for my taste…in general, her writing is mostly like this too. A bit too revealing.

Proverbs 10:19 reminds me (and trust me, I need to be regularly reminded) that the more talk there is, the less truth there will be…the wisest among us watch our words closely. Heck, and I’m long winded, so this is as tough for me as it is for Taylor, apparently!

Well maybe it’s me
And my blind optimism to blame
Maybe its you and your sick need
To give love then take it away
And you’ll add my name
To your long list of traitors
Who don’t understand
And I’ll look back in regret
How I ignored when they said
Run as fast as you can.

WAIT. WAIT A MINUTE. This makes no sense. WHO is the traitor in this section? “You’ll add my name” sounds like notches on a bedpost, but then it follows “to your long list of traitors.” Sooooo….is the girl the one who betrayed the guy here? If so, then what the heck is this song about? There’s no real way that “traitors” makes sense here except as a contradiction to the rest of the song.

Same thing with the fireworks line: “I didn’t catch fire” but now “I’m a firework exploding.” WHICH IS IT?

Sloppy writing is sloppy.

Disclaimer: To quote another musician: “Hate is a strong word, but I really really really don’t like [Taylor Swift].” She perpetuates the madonna/whore dichotomy feminists have been working for years to overcome – this idea that there are only two types of women: the angel and the witch. Either you’re a saint or you’re a slut, and there is no in between, which is what Taylor tends to write – all the girls in her song are sluts, and she comes across as the pure angel. So instead of doing what feminists have been trying to do for years and make others realize that we are real people who quite frequently make distinct, informed, and rational decisions about our relationships and our sexuality, she shames those who made those decisions and paints herself as the pure angel who would never ever touch a boy. Urgh.

We need more honesty and raw emotion in songs. I am sick of the shallow crap that has been on. (Bitter mood at life today as you can tell)

I can’t stand Taylor’s music. I’ve never liked it…but that probably has something to do with the fact that I’m in my 30s and don’t relate anymore to teenage drama, which is all she seems to write about. Plus, she can’t sing live to save her life.

Also, I’m a huge Mayer fan. The guy’s songwriting & guitar playing is simply unparalleled. Whenever he comes out with something new, it’s like he’s been picking my brain. However, I do realize he’s a giant douche. It’s not a secret. And if this whole relationship is true, Taylor simply comes off, to me, as a nothing but a stupid, little naive child who shouldn’t have been messing around with a guy with that reputation over 10 years her senior anyway.

The whole thing with naming names after writing & releasing songs is just horribly immature. I mean, I’m all for expressing your feelings in order to deal with things, but keep your mouth shut. I mean, what guy is going to want to touch her with a 10 foot pole now if she’s just going to turn around an write a song about it for the whole world to hear?

Thanks for posting this, I keep listening to it, might buy the CD now. The sound even sounds like John Mayer. My daughter keeps saying “oh my gosh! She even says his name in it!”

What Taylor lacks in vocal strength, she makes up for in her writing ability. I love what she writes. And I love the honesty. It’s refreshing to me.

I find it funny that everyone assumes John is John Mayer. Historically we’ve used the name John for a fill-in when we don’t know someone’s name. There is also the term “dear john” letters that women used to write to men serving overseas to break up with them. Why can’t she just be imitating that phrase? When I heard of the song I did think it was just a spin off of a dear john letter basically telling a guy why she can’t be with him anymore. I think people want to see controversy so much nowadays they create it themselves. My first boyfriend fit that song perfectly and I too am glad I got away when I did. Society cracks me up!

If this song is about John Mayer, a few things:

1. John Mayer’s reputation is well documented and it should come as no surprise that this would happen.

2. John Mayer’s reputation is well documented and Taylor, prior to falling head over heels for him (which it certainly sounds like she did), should have known better.

3. It’s extremely mature of Taylor to take it as a learning experience and write a (what’s sure to be) Grammy nominated song about.

4. We should all count ourselves as fortunate that #3 is true so that we can enjoy what really is a great song (and I have NEVER been a Taylor Swift fan… as was stated above I have always found her music too commercial for my tastes), and really does seem to be a very honest tune.