In 2007, Taylor Swift released “Teardrops On My Guitar”. Her second single, and first Top 15 hit, “Teardrops On My Guitar” followed “Tim McGraw”, her debut single.
Swift wrote “Teardrops On My Guitar” with Liz Rose. The song, like much of Swift’s music, is very autobiographical, about a boy she liked in high school. Only 17 years old when “Teardrops On My Guitar” was released, it is about a boy named Drew, later revealed to be Drew Hardwick, whom Swift mentions multiple times in the song.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Teardrops On My Guitar” says in part, “Drew walks by me / Can he tell that I can’t breathe? / And there he goes, so perfectly / The kind of flawless I wish I could be.”
Swift later reveals that not only was “Teardrops On My Guitar” about a boy, Hardwick, whom she had a crush on, but it actually propelled him to eventually reach out to her. Unfortunately for him, it was too late, as by the time he connected with Swift, the spark had already passed for her.
What Taylor Swift Says About the Boy Who Inspired “Teardrops On My Guitar”
Hardwick was dating someone else when this song came out. Two years later, he was suddenly single, but it was too late for Swift.
“About two years after the album came out in the States, he showed up in my driveway,” Swift recalled. “Apparently he and his girlfriend had broken up, so that was his first stop when he was back in town. I was like, ‘You are so late, you know. If you’d stopped by right after the album came out then that would be one thing, but…’ I remember reading on his MySpace page one time, ‘My name’s Drew, and I have a famous song written about me. Email me, and I’ll give you details.’ I was like, right, wow, note taken.”
Swift later admits the timing of him dropping by seems a bit suspicious to her.
“I have theories about what he was doing,” Swift later shared. “He had his friend with him, so maybe he was trying to prove to people that the song really is about him or whatever. Or maybe he was really trying to be friends. Or maybe he thought I was still pining away from him. Whatever!”
If “Tim McGraw” put Swift on the proverbial map, it’s “Teardrops On My Guitar” that showed just how autobiographical Swift would go in her music. After this song, she released “Our Song”, “Picture To Burn” and “Should’ve Said No”, all personal songs.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
More Behind The Song
-
American Country musician Kenny Rogers (1938 – 2020) performs onstage at Brendan Byrne Arena (later Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, October 20, 1988. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images) -
(MANDATORY CREDIT Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) Aerosmith Steven Tyler live at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, June 1988. (Photo by Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images) -
Ohio Rock and funk group Wild Cherry (best known for their huge hit "Play That Funky Music") pose for a publicity still circa 1976. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
HOLLYWOOD – SEPTEMBER 18: Members of Fleetwood Mac from left: John McVie, Stevie Nicks, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and Lindsey Buckingham on the SECOND ANNUAL ROCK MUSIC AWARDS. Image dated September 18, 1976. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
1986: Singer Mick Hucknall of Simply Red performing. (Photo by BSR Agency/Gentle Look via Getty Images) -
British pop and soul singer Dusty Springfield (1939 – 1999) performing on the music TV show, 'Ready Steady Go!', at the Rediffusion studios in Kingsway, London, 14th February 1964. (Photo by Frank Martin/BIPS/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
American funk band Cameo (American singer Charlie Singleton, American singer and musician Larry Blackmon, and American singer and musician Tomi Jenkins) in the press room of the 1987 Soul Train Music Awards, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, 23rd March 1987. Cameo won the awards for 'Album of the Year (Group, Duo, or Band)' for 'Word Up!' and 'Best Single (Group, Duo, or Band)' for 'Word Up'. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images) -
American Rock musician John Cougar (born John Mellencamp) performs onstage at Byrne Arena (later known as Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, October 7, 1982. It was the first concert of the 'American Fool' tour, in support of headliners Heart. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)