Taylor Swift showed her funny side Tuesday during a remote appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The 31-year-old pop superstar wore a trademark cardigan over a black top as she joined the CBS talk show from the studio where she’s been re-recording her albums.
Stephen, 56, noted that Taylor last week released the re-recorded version of her 2008 album Fearless and recalled that she sent him a signed copy of Fearless back in 2009.
Remote appearance: Taylor Swift showed her funny side Tuesday during a remote appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
He shared a throwback clip from The Colbert Report in which he showed off the signed CD while also claiming the song Hey Stephen on the album was about him.
Stephen then said he was happy that Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was released because it gave him a chance to ‘finally clear the air’ about the Hey Stephen song directly with Taylor.
‘You recently recorded Fearless Taylor’s Version, so I’ve got to ask, is the song Hey Stephen about me?,’ Stephen asked.
‘No, Stephen. I mean, I first recorded that song in 2008. I think I was, like, 18,’ Taylor replied.
Mood board: The 31-year-old pop superstar brought out an old ‘mood board’ filled with images of Stephen
Throwback clip: Stephen, 56, noted that Taylor last week released the re-recorded version of her 2008 album Fearless and recalled that she sent him a signed copy of Fearless back in 2009
That song: The talk show host believed that Hey Stephen was written about him
‘Yeah, I was also a younger age,’ Stephen said.
‘Right. I mean, you were probably 44 years, 179 days old, give or take seven hours,’ Taylor said with comic deadpan.
‘Wow, that is shockingly specific!,’ Stephen said.
Comic deadpan: ‘Right. I mean, you were probably 44 years, 179 days old, give or take seven hours,’ Taylor said with comic deadpan
‘Like I said, I’m a big fan,’ Taylor told him.
Taylor then proved it by reciting the address and specific second-floor office where she sent the Fearless CD in 2009.
‘Okay, so you know exactly where my office was in the building. Are you sure Hey Stephen isn’t about me?,’ Stephen asked.
Big fan: ‘Like I said, I’m a big fan,’ Taylor told Stephen after getting really specific about his age
‘It’s just the power of music, Stephen. Good songs they just make you feel like it’s about you,’ Taylor assured him.
Taylor said it’s been fun to re-record her songs and told Stephen that she ‘dug out my old mood board’ to help her get in the same head space.
She then pulled out a poster board filled with images of Stephen.
‘Taylor, those are all pictures of me,’ Stephen said.
‘No. This is a pizza,’ Taylor said pointing to a picture of a slice.
Pizza slice: ‘No. This is a pizza,’ Taylor said pointing to a picture of a slice after Stephen said all the pictures on her old ‘mood board’ were of him
‘Funny story,’ Taylor told him. ‘I was pretty hungry because I stayed up for three days making this vision board, and, so, I got pizza, and I ate it. So inaccurate statement on your part that it’s only pictures of you, because this is a pretty big picture’.
Stephen then told Taylor that it really seemed as if Hey Stephen was about him.
‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ Taylor said in a hushed voice. ‘Hey Stephen is not about you anymore than my album 1989 is about that year you spent waiting tables on the lunch shift at Scoozi, an Italian restaurant in the River North area of Chicago, that, by the way, serves a really incredible slice of pizza.’
Detailed knowledge: ‘Hey Stephen is not about you anymore than my album 1989 is about that year you spent waiting tables on the lunch shift at Scoozi, an Italian restaurant in the River North area of Chicago, that, by the way, serves a really incredible slice of pizza,’ Taylor said
‘How do you even know that?,’ Stephen wondered.
‘Please! Anybody who frequently checks your Wikipedia page would know that,’ Taylor told him.
‘How often are you checking my Wikipedia page?,’ Stephen bellowed.
Good question: ‘How often are you checking my Wikipedia page?,’ Stephen bellowed
‘You need to calm down, which, by the way, is also not a song about you,’ Taylor told him.
Stephen then demanded that Taylor tell him who Hey Stephen was really about.
‘I’ve never revealed this before to anyone, but Hey Stephen is about Stephen King,’ Taylor said, referencing the 73-year-old horror writer.
Horror writer: ‘I’ve never revealed this before to anyone, but Hey Stephen is about Stephen King,’ Taylor said, referencing the 73-year-old horror writer
‘Yes. He’s amazing. The Dark Tower series changed my life, plus The Shining, The Stand and don’t get me started on his short stories, absolutely luminescent,’ Taylor added.
Taylor suggested that Stephen process his feeling and then just ‘shake it off’ and then comically added, ‘But that song is about you’.
‘Hold on, I have to get this,’ Taylor said as she was interrupted by a call. ‘Oh, it’s Stephen King. I have to go. Hey, Stephen!’
Phone call: ‘Hold on, I have to get this,’ Taylor said as she was interrupted by a call. ‘Oh, it’s Stephen King. I have to go. Hey, Stephen!’