When they say Taylor Swift has a song catered to every listener and every situation, they’re absolutely correct, especially if your name happens to be Drew, John, Abigail, Dorothea, Marjorie, or, of course, Stephen.
Stephen King is the latest in a line of famous Stephens to single out “Hey Stephen” as their favorite Swift track, and if you think that’s already too many “Stephens” for one day, we’re only just getting started.
The “It” writer, who frequently provides political commentary on his X account, recently proclaimed his Swiftie-dom in light of Donald Trump’s outburst against the singer following her endorsement of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections. Unlike the former president who, like a frustrated kindergartner, took to his social media platform Truth Social to state that he hated Swift in all-caps, King expressed his love for the “Fortnight” musician saying “I love Taylor Swift. Her music makes me happy. End of story.”
While it’s hard to believe a pop star could have this much pull over an election, it’s a fact that Swift’s siding with the Harris-Walz campaign has caused quite the stir in American politics over the past few days. As for Stephen King’s favorite song, we have it on good authority — per the Grammy-winning artist herself — that “Hey Stephen” is, indeed, about the master of horror.
Back in 2021, in a hilarious sketch for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, much to the host’s disappointment, Swift revealed the song from her 2008 album Fearless was about King. “I’ve never revealed this before, to anyone, but ‘Hey Stephen’ is about Stephen King,” she told a dismayed Stephen Colbert, adding, “He’s amazing. The Dark Tower series changed my life, plus The Shining, The Stand, and don’t even get me started on his short stories. Absolutely luminescent.” Please, someone let King know that the love is mutual.
Okay, but who is “Hey Stephen” actually about?
If Stephen King just happens to be reading this, first of all, heyyy King! Second of all, please stop scrolling now if you want to avoid major heartbreak.
Taylor Swift’s “Hey Stephen” is not actually about the prolific American author but about Love and Theft’s Stephen Barker Liles. The country music duo consisting of Barker Liles and Eric Gunderson toured with Swift when she was writing Fearless in 2007/2008 and, according to the singer-songwriter, the two “got close” and “it was cool.”
In the upbeat love song, a bashful Swift confesses her crush on her muse as she sings about how he looks like an angel and how she wants to kiss in the rain. The most iconic bit, however, comes in the bridge (one of her most memorable parts), where she croons “Hey Stephen, I could give you 50 reasons / Why I should be the one you choose / All those other girls, well, they’re beautiful /But would they write a song for you?” — a verse that accurately summarizes the superstar’s career and would understandably make any Stephen (King, Colbert, or Barker Liles) blush when listening to it.
“Hey Stephen,” you will always be famous
Believe it or not, all this lore is not the full extent of “Hey Stephen”‘s fame. What is a seemingly unassuming b-side from Swift’s second album has conquered the hearts of many famous listeners, not all of them named Stephen. Funnily enough, “Hey Stephen” is also Matty Healy’s favorite Taylor Swift song, according to a fan who met him in a meet & greet.
The 1975 frontman also posted the country song to his Instagram stories once randomly in October 2022, months before he and the singer struck up a romantic relationship that turned both of their fanbases upside down. In May, with Healy in the audience next to Swift’s dad, Scott, the musician chose “Hey Stephen” as one of the surprise songs for the acoustic set of her Eras Tour concert in her home state of Pennsylvania. “I’ve had a few nice, fun people ask me to do this one,” she said. The song is also British singer and Wembley Eras Tour opening act Griff’s favorite track in Swift’s discography. “Hey Stephen” forever.
Published: Sep 17, 2024 10:47 am