The Meaning Behind “I Bet You Think About Me” by Taylor Swift, Featuring Chris Stapleton (2024)

As with every one of Taylor Swift’s re-recordings, Red (Taylor’s Version) saw a suite of previously unreleased songs find their way into Swifties’ ears for the first time. Particularly “Nothing New” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, her version of the Little Big Town recorded “Better Man” and a countryfied duet with Chris Stapleton, “I Bet You Think About Me.”

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The latter has become a fan favorite since its release with allusions to her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal and callbacks to her country music roots. If “All Too Well” saw Swift deep in the depression stage of her relationship grief, “I Bet You Think About Me” is her at her angriest.

But what exact beef does Swift have with her ex-lover? We’re going through the meaning of Taylor Swift and Chris Stapleton’s “I Bet You Think About Me,” below.

Meaning Behind the Lyrics

In “I Bet You Think About Me,” Swift calls out her ex, who hasn’t been able to move on from her after leaving her for surface-level issues, like different upbringings. Like much of the album, it’s safe to speculate that this track is about Jake Gyllenhaal, whom Swift dated around this time.

The actor couldn’t be more different from Swift. While she grew up on a family farm in Pennsylvania before moving to Tennessee, Gyllenhaal was born into a family deeply entrenched in the entertainment industry.

You grew up in a silver-spoon gated community
Glamorous, shiny, bright Beverly Hills
I was raised on a farm, no, it wasn’t a mansion
Just livin’ room dancin’ and kitchen table bills

Though Swift handles the verses alone, Stapleton joins in on the chorus, adding a raspy harmony. In the refrain, they sing about the way her ex decided to leave her at the drop of a hat, but is now realizing the decision was a bit more nuanced than he gave it credit for.

But now that we’re done and it’s over
I bet you couldn’t believe
When you realized I’m harder to forget than I was to leave
And I bet you think about me

The end of the song sees the most overt allusions to Gyllenhaal and his “upper-crust” background. Like in “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” she references feeling “lame” compared to her ex’s indie music and his well-to-do idiosyncrasies.

I bet you think about me when you’re out
At your cool indie music concerts every week
I bet you think about me in your house
With your organic shoes and your million-dollar couch

Origins

Swift released the original version of Red back in 2012 with 16 tracks. The “Taylor’s Version” of the album nearly doubled the tracklist, taking the final tally up to 30. The “from the vault” tracks were a part of the sweeping list of songs that didn’t make the album the first go around, but Swift always wished she could’ve released them.

During an interview with Seth Myers, Swift said, “Essentially, there are songs on this album that I’ve called ‘from the vault’ tracks, because in my mind, there’s a symbolic vault of songs that I love that I’ve written. I write a lot of songs for an album, and then I pare it down. But these were songs that didn’t make it on the album because I wanted to save them for the next album.”

She continued, “And then, it turned out, the next album was, like, a whole different thing, and so they get left behind. And you always think back on these songs, and you’re like, ‘What would’ve happened? I wish people could hear this.’ But it belongs in that moment in time. So now that I get to go back and revisit my old work, I’ve dug up those songs from the crypt they were in, and I’ve reached out to artists that I love and said, ‘Do you want to sing this with me?'”

Music Video

In the accompanying music video, Swift attends her ex’s wedding, lingering around like a memory he can’t escape. Miles Teller plays the titular ex opposite his bride-to-be, played by his real-life spouse Keleigh Sperry.

Dressed in all red, Swift plays along with the wedding band, ruins their cake, takes over best-man speech duties, and generally wreaks havoc on the day. Directed by close-friend Blake Lively, the video is one of Swift’s most fun visuals to date.

Check it out below.

Screenshot from Taylor Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me” music video

The Meaning Behind “I Bet You Think About Me” by Taylor Swift, Featuring Chris Stapleton (2024)

FAQs

What song did Chris Stapleton write for Taylor Swift? ›

"I Bet You Think About Me" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift featuring harmony vocals from the American singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton.

What is the meaning of the song "Speak Now" by Taylor Swift? ›

American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift wrote all tracks on her third album, Speak Now (2010), by herself. The title track was inspired by a story of Swift's friend parting ways with her high-school boyfriend in hopes that they would rekindle in the future, but later learning of the ex-boyfriend's new engagement.

Why did John Mayer and Taylor Swift date? ›

The songwriters were linked in 2009 and 2010 after collaborating on Mayer's single “Half of My Heart.” At the time, Swift told Elle that she'd “been such a big fan of John for such a long time” and was “really excited” about teaming up with the critically acclaimed artist.

How old was John Mayer when he dated Taylor Swift? ›

John Mayer and Swift were romantically linked from late 2009 to early 2010, when Swift was 19 and Mayer was 32. Swift's 2010 Speak Now track, "Dear John," is the singer's most infamous alleged reference to the much-discussed relationship.

What does Taylor Swift write songs about? ›

One aspect of Swift's songwriting that has remained consistent throughout her career is the incorporation of love and relationship-themed lyrics. Virtually every song in her collection of Hot 100 top 10 hits revolves around the theme.

Who was Taylor Swift's song "I Bet You Think About Me" about? ›

Meaning Behind the Lyrics

In “I Bet You Think About Me,” Swift calls out her ex, who hasn't been able to move on from her after leaving her for surface-level issues, like different upbringings. Like much of the album, it's safe to speculate that this track is about Jake Gyllenhaal, whom Swift dated around this time.

Who is Taylor Swift's best friend? ›

You'd think being part of Taylor Swift's “squad” of A-list pals is something you'd want to shout about, but the singer's long-term bestie Ash Avignone has tended to keep their friendship low key and out of the spotlight over the years.

How many boyfriends has Taylor Swift had? ›

Out of Taylor Swift's exes, her relationship with Joe Alwyn was the longest (7 years). How many boyfriends has Taylor Swift had? Taylor Swift has 12 publicly known exes.

How long did Taylor and Jake date? ›

A Fall Romance (October 2010 - January 2011)

Captured by paparazzi, they enjoyed cozy coffee dates and a Thanksgiving outing in New York City. However, by the end of the year, reports confirmed their split. While the exact duration remains unknown, it appears their time together lasted roughly three months.

How old was Taylor Swift Red? ›

Red (2012)

Swift released Red at age 22. The album focuses on her personal life, exploring what happens when romance fades. It added some rock influence to her country pop style and made Swift the first female artist to achieve three straight albums atop the Billboard 200 for at least six weeks.

Who did Taylor Swift date at 23 years old? ›

Taylor Swift's song 'Begin Again' seems to have been the inspiration of her romance with Conor Kennedy, whom she dated in 2012. Despite not dating for too long, Taylor Swift got her connection to the Kennedy family by dating Conor. Swift was criticized for dating Conor when he was 18 and she was 23 years old.

Who did Taylor Swift date when she was 17? ›

Joe Jonas (July—October 2008)

The first major public relationship of Swift's life was with musician Joe Jonas, whom she briefly dated in 2008.

What song did John Mayer write about Taylor Swift? ›

Three years later, Mayer fired back with his own song about Swift, titled “Paper Doll.” In the lyrics, John sings about a “l*ttle paper doll” who is too fragile to handle being in a relationship while also making references to her song “22,” a scarf, and the color red.

Who is Taylor Swift's oldest ex? ›

Joe Jonas (2008)

Taylor dated the former Jonas Brother and now lead frontman of DNCE from July 2008 to October 2008. This was Taylor's first public breakup, and possibly most brutal being that Joe decided to do the heartbreaking over a 27-second phone call.

Did Taylor Swift and Zac Efron date? ›

As reported by Billboard, at the beginning of 2011, Swift started dating actor Zac Efron for a few months, when the two were promoting their 2012 animated musical movie, The Lorax. However, both Taylor Swift and Zac Efron always denied being involved in any kind of romantic relationship.

What was the age gap between Jake Gyllenhaal and Taylor Swift? ›

Furthermore, Swift referenced the age gap between Gyllenhall and Swift in the lyric, “You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine.” Swift was twenty when she dated Gyllenhaal, who was nine years her senior.

Does Chris Stapleton sing in "I Bet You Think About Me"? ›

Stapleton, who grew up in Staffordsville, duets with the pop star on "I Bet You Think About Me," the first single from "Red (Taylor's Version)."

Did Taylor Swift ever sing on American Idol? ›

When was Taylor Swift on American Idol? - Taylor Swift - Quora. Taylor Swift free audio documentary. When was Taylor Swift on American Idol? Never, though Katy Perry and Taylor Swift might be doing a collaboration project on American Idol in the near future.

How did Blake Lively and Taylor Swift meet? ›

Taylor Swift and Blake Lively's friendship just keeps getting sweeter. The singer and actress first connected in 2015 after Lively shared a photo from a L'Oréal campaign that cheekily referenced Swift's star-studded "Bad Blood" music video in the caption.

What song did Harry Styles write about Taylor Swift? ›

Is "Two Ghosts" by Harry Styles About Taylor Swift? "Ever Since New York" wasn't the only track on Styles's self-titled debut album that seems to be about Swift. The first couple lines of the song "Two Ghosts" seem to clearly riff off Swift's song "Style," which is widely believed to be about — you guessed it — Styles.

What happened with Katy Perry and Taylor Swift? ›

Though the origins of Swift and Perry's feud were murky at first, fans later learned that tension between the two stars sparked after Perry re-hired several of her former backup dancers — who were working at the time for Swift — to join her on her Prismatic World Tour, which launched in May 2014.

What song made Taylor Swift famous? ›

She signed with Big Machine Records in 2005 and achieved prominence as a country pop singer with the albums Taylor Swift (2006) and Fearless (2008). Their singles "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Love Story", and "You Belong with Me" were crossover successes on country and pop radio formats and brought Swift mainstream fame.

Who has Chris Stapleton wrote songs for? ›

Here, we look at some of the top songs Stapleton has written for other artists.
  • Dierks Bentley, "Diamonds Make Babies" ...
  • Tim McGraw, "Whiskey and You" ...
  • Alan Jackson, "Talk Is Cheap" ...
  • Thomas Rhett, "Crash and Burn" ...
  • Lee Ann Womack, "There's More Where That Came From" ...
  • Kenny Chesney, "Never Wanted Nothing More"
Aug 10, 2023

Did Chris Stapleton win American Idol? ›

Was Chris Stapleton on The Voice or American Idol? Though it seems like a lot of our favorite artists nowadays were featured on one of the modern singing competitions, Chris Stapleton was never a contestant on shows like The Voice or American Idol.

What song did Chris Stapleton write for Adele? ›

4. If It Hadn't Been for Love. This gem recorded by Adele was originally written and performed by Stapleton and the SteelDrivers on their 2008 debut album. Adele put her own spin and booming vocals to this 2011 release from her album 21.

How many biological children does Chris Stapleton have? ›

Stapleton and his wife have five children: a son born in 2009, a daughter born in 2010, twin sons born in 2018, and a son born in 2019.

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