10:02 PM PDT 4/13/2021
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Trilby Beresford
The singer appeared on ‘The Late Show’ on Tuesday, scaring the late-night host with her fandom.
Taylor Swift appeared on The late show on Tuesday night to set the record straight about who Stephen is in her song “Hey Stephen” of hers Undaunted album, which is part of the songbook that is being rerecorded by the singer.
Colbert believed the song to be about him and pushed Swift for confirmation. “I recorded that song in 2008, I think I was about eighteen,” she said, rejecting the proposal. “That’s right, and I was a younger age too,” said the late night host. Swift then told him exactly how old he was that year: 44 years old, 179 days old, a few hours give or take.
“Like I said, I’m a huge fan,” the singer told Colbert. He then thanked her for sending a signed CD. “Oh, yes, you know I signed it to you, Stephen with a PH, I sent it to the Colbert Report, 513 West 54th St, New York, 10019, second floor office on the street side.”
Colbert pressed the singer again, “Are you sure ‘Hey Stephen’ isn’t about me?” Swift replied, “It’s just the power of music Stephen, good songs make you feel like it’s about you.” About going back to the “correct headspace” to authentically re-record the song, Swift pulled out her old mood board, which consisted of photos of Colbert.
Still, she continued to explain how the song was not written about him. “Hey Stephen is no more about you than my 1989 album is about the year you spent waiting tables on the lunch shift [an Italian restaurant] in the river north of Chicago, where you can eat an incredible slice of pizza by the way. She pointed to a picture of pizza on her mood board.
At this point Stephen demanded to know who the number is about. ‘If you really want to know who it’s about, and that seems to be the case. I’ve never revealed this to anyone before, but ‘Hey Stephen’ is about Stephen King, ”Swift said.
The singer went on to say, “He’s great. The dark tower series changed my life, plus The shining The score, and don’t even get me started on his short stories. Absolutely luminous. “
As the two went back and forth, Swift explained what a real song about Stephen Colbert would look like. “It’s too obvious to call it Hey Stephen … Songwriting is all about the details, so you’re going, ‘Hey Stephen, I love you on the TV, and all the things you did on the daily show and that time you on Law & Authority, you’re 5’11, your middle name is Tyrone, Social Security number is 3 … ‘After cutting her off calling out numbers, Colbert exclaimed,’ It doesn’t matter how much you say ‘Hey Stephen’ isn’t about me I always get the strong feeling that it is so. “
“That seems like something of yours, for you to process. But the thing about that feeling that you might have to address in yourself; I think it’s something that you have to process and then take the feeling that you feel and just shake. It’s out, right? Which song, is about you. “
When Swift’s cell phone starts to ring, she answers the call. ‘Oh, it’s Stephen King. I have to go.’
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