'The Manuscript' Lyrics: Taylor Swift Seemingly References John Mayer Relationship

Swifties think that Taylor Swift is referencing her relationship with John Mayer on her new album The Tortured Poets Department.

If you forgot, the pop star, 34, dated the 46-year-old “Your Body is a Wonderland” crooner for a year in the late ’00s.

The singer closes out her new album with a song called “The Manuscript,” where she seems to allude to her time with John.

Head inside to see what Taylor Swift had to say…

Taylor references an age gap in the song’s second verse, singing “In the age of him, she wished she was thirty / And made coffee every morning in a French press / Afterwards she only ate kids’ cereal / And couldn’t sleep unless it was in her mother’s bed.”

“She thought about how he said since she was so wise beyond her years / Everything had been above board,” she continues, adding, “She wasn’t sure.”

The hitmaker sings about how she went on to date boys “who were her own age” after this relationship ended.

Taylor has not confirmed that she’s singing about John on the song. However, fans are noting some apparent references to their relationship, notably due to the age gap.

Interestingly, the song is the 31st on the tracklist for The Tortured Poets Department. A song called “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” on her album Midnights, widely believed to be about John, was the 19th song.

It’s possible that the song number is a reference to John‘s age when they started interacting in early 2009. He was 32 by the time that they were romantically linked.

Swifties on social media were quick to call out John.

“the manuscript… john mayer you’ll forever be enemy #1 trust that,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“John Mayer thought he was finally safe but then Taylor came back with a double album, The Manuscript, and a metal chair,” another wrote.

If you missed it, Taylor seemingly had a message for her fans following the release of the album.

Last year, John addressed the rumor that one of his songs was about Taylor.