I Bet You Think About Me

Album: Red (Taylor's Version) (2021)
Charted: 22
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Taylor Swift recorded Red while trying to process her emotions following a painful breakup. The actor Jake Gyllenhaal, whom she dated for three months in late 2010, is believed to be the subject of many of the tracks. While several other songs, such as "All Too Well" and "The Moment I Knew" find her venting about their split, this one is more lighthearted, albeit still piercing.
  • Swift wrote the song with singer-songwriter Lori McKenna for her Red album. They penned it in McKenna's home when she was playing Foxboro Stadium on the Speak Now tour. "We wanted this song to be like a comedic, tongue-in-cheek, funny, not-caring-what-anyone-thinks-about-you sort of breakup song, because there are a lot of different types of heartbreak songs on Red - some of them are very sincere, some of them very stoic and heartbreaking and sad," she told Apple Music. "We wanted this to be like the one where you're like, 'I don't care about anything!' And we wanted to kind of make people laugh with it and we wanted it to be a drinking song. I think that's what it ended up being."
  • Sonically, this yee-haw country bop doesn't fit with the other pop tracks on Red, which is probably why it didn't make it onto the album. But "Bet You Think" landed on Red (Taylor's Version) after the superstar re-recorded her first decade of songs as a countermeasure against the changed ownership of the masters for her first six albums.
  • Swift co-produced the harmonica-drenched new version with her Folklore and Evermore collaborator Aaron Dessner. "I Bet You Think About Me" also features bluesy harmony vocals by Chris Stapleton.
  • The actress Blake Lively co-wrote and directed the song's music video, which sees Swift crashing an ex's big wedding day. Miles Teller (War Dogs, Divergent, Whiplash) stars as the former boyfriend, and there's a cameo from Aaron Dessner too.

    "I Bet You Think About Me" marks the first collaboration between the singer and her close friend Lively.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Donald Fagen

Donald FagenSongwriter Interviews

Fagen talks about how the Steely Dan songwriting strategy has changed over the years, and explains why you don't hear many covers of their songs.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.