20 songs that were inspired by famous people

Taylor Swift – “Dear John”

When it comes to musicians taking inspiration from other celebrities (and people in general), look no further than Taylor Swift. Here is a singer who is definitely known for writing about the people in her life, particularly the men she has dated. And the fact that she is going to show up more than once on this list should come as no surprise.

Up first, we have to mention “Dear John,” which directly references the person she wrote about in the title. We have to admit, it makes it very easy to confirm that this is in fact a song inspired by her relationship with none other than John Mayer. And the fact that the singer has never denied this (and has in fact said that her relationships inspire her music) makes it hard to dispute the fact that “Dear John,” is Mayer’s song.

While Swift has said that she never reveals who her songs are about, she rarely denies rumors, leaving many of us to take that as a sign that we have nailed the inspiration, even if she won’t say one way or the other. And of course, when Mayer heard the song, he seemed very convinced that “Dear John” was about him and not only spoke about it with the media, but released his own rebuttal song called “Paper Doll.” Though he never fully confirmed the song was about Swift, he has never refuted those claims either.

With lyrics like, “Dear John, I see it all now that you’re gone. Don’t you think I was too young to be messed with?” and “Maybe it’s 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,” it is hard to deny that these two did not end their relationship on a positive note (at all).