Like many of her other romances, both short and long-lived, Taylor Swift has sung about actor Jake Gyllenhaal a few times in the past. There are quite a few songs that are thought to be about their courtship, which lasted from sometime in late 2010 through early 2011.
Though the timeline is a bit fuzzy, and the two were very secretive about their relationship, fans of the singer (who call themselves Swifties) have identified which of her hits refer to Gyllenhaal. Here’s are five of them which charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
‘We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together’
Swift’s first single off her 2012 album Red was titled “We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together” the song was a massive hit, peaking at No. 1 and spending 24 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was her first No. 1 single, and, what’s more, it held that top spot for multiple weeks.
On the track, Swift sings about someone she’s broken up and gotten back together with a couple of times. She explained in a webcast (as reported by ABC) that she conceived the concept after sharing details from a recent relationship in 2011.
‘Red’
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The title track off the album was eventually released as its the fifth and final single. But before that, it entered country music radio and was available for purchase as a promotional single. “Red” spent 22 weeks on the Billboard chart, peaking at No. 6.
Swift didn’t go into great deal describing this track, merely telling ABC‘s Good Morning America that she “wrote this song about the fact that some things are just hard to forget because the emotions involved with them were so intense.” However, the album liner notes hint was “SAG,” as in Screen Actors Guild, or Gyllenhaal’s astrological sign, Sagittarius.
‘State of Grace’
Speaking of astrology, that was also the clue as to who “State of Grace” is about. In the first track on Red, Swift sings about falling in love with someone new, and its power. The lyrics “twin fire signs and four blue eyes” clearly indicate Gyllenhaal, as the exes both have mid-December birthdays.
“State of Grace” was released as the fourth promotional single and fourth official single off Red. However, it did not perform as well as other singles, spending just one week on the chart at No. 13.
‘All Too Well’
This Red track was not a single but has become a favorite of Swifties over time. The artist performed “All Too Well” at the 2014 Grammy Awards, and has gone on to play it on subsequent tours. Due to the fan love for the song, it managed to creep onto the chart for just one week, landing at No. 80.
Again talking to Good Morning America on ABC, Swift said it was “the hardest to write” on Red. This was due to it initially being 10 minutes long, so obviously, she had a lot to say. The fall theme of the track, coupled with the liner-notes hint, all point directly to Gyllenhaal.
‘The Moment I Knew’
Finally, “The Moment I Knew” is a track off the deluxe version of Red. Because of this, it’s a little less talked-about, though it was a promotional single. And Swifties did manage to make it chart for a week, landing at No. 64 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Talking to Yahoo! Music, Swift said, it “was a song about my 21st birthday party, which was the worst experience ever.” Swift sings that her significant other didn’t attend the event, and that’s when she knew it was over. She turned 21 in December 2010, which lines up with Gyllenhaal.