Hey Stephen
"Hey Stephen" | |
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Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Fearless | |
Released | November 11, 2008 |
Genre | |
Length | 4:14 |
Label | Big Machine |
Songwriter(s) | Taylor Swift |
Producer(s) |
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"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" | |
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Song by Taylor Swift | |
from the album Fearless (Taylor's Version) | |
Released | April 9, 2021 |
Studio |
|
Genre | |
Length | 4:14 |
Label | Republic |
Songwriter(s) | Taylor Swift |
Producer(s) |
|
Lyric video | |
"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube |
"Hey Stephen" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her second studio album, Fearless (2008). It is a country pop and teen pop song about an unrequited love, inspired by a real-life infatuation. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Hey Stephen" features drums inspired by girl-group records, an upright bass that propels its groove, and a subdued Hammond B-3 organ. In reviews of Fearless, critics who picked "Hey Stephen" as an album highlight praised what they deemed a catchy melody and earnest lyrics about adolescent feelings. The song peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Swift included "Hey Stephen" in the set list of her first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010). Following the 2019 dispute regarding the ownership of Swift's back catalog, she re-recorded the song as "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" for her re-recorded album Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021). "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" charted in Australia and Canada. In retrospective rankings, some reviewers remained positive but others regarded the track as generic.
Background and writing
Taylor Swift wrote songs for her second studio album, Fearless, while touring as an opening act for other country musicians to promote her self-titled debut studio album during 2007–2008, when she was 17–18 years old.[1][2] Continuing the romantic themes of her first album, Swift wrote songs about love and personal experiences from the perspective of a teenage girl to ensure her fans could relate to Fearless. To this extent, Swift said that nearly every album track had a "face" that she associated with it.[3] The end product is a collection of songs about the challenges of love with prominent high-school and fairy-tale lyrical imagery.[4] Swift and the producer Nathan Chapman recorded over 50 songs for Fearless, and "Hey Stephen" was one of the 13 tracks that made the final cut.[5][6] They produced the track, and Justin Niebank mixed it at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.[7] In the album liner notes, the secret message for the song is "Love and Theft", referencing the eponymous group that opened shows for her in 2008.[8][a]
When asked by Rolling Stone's Austin Scaggs if Stephen was a real person, Swift replied, "I have no issue with naming names. My personal goal is for my songs to be so detailed that the guy the song is written about knows it's about him."[10] The song's inspiration was Love and Theft's member Stephen Barker Liles, with whom she had had a friendly relationship.[11] After Fearless was released, Swift texted him about the song.[12] She recalled it was "fun" to put a personal confession on the album, which she was "going to have to deal with",[13] and it was "interesting" to know what Liles had to say about it.[11] Liles spoke to The Boot (2009): "I was very relieved when it turned out to be a nice song, and it's actually one of the nicest things anybody's ever done for me."[14] He wrote "Try to Make It Anyway" as an answer song to Swift when they were touring together and released it for download and streaming in 2011.[15]
Releases
"Hey Stephen" was released as an album cut on Fearless, on November 11, 2008, by Big Machine Records.[16] It entered and peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart dated November 29, 2008.[17] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the song gold, denoting 500,000 units based on sales and streaming.[18] Swift performed the track live at her Australian concert debut at the Tivoli in Brisbane on March 5, 2009.[19] "Hey Stephen" was part of the mid-show acoustic session on Swift's first headlining tour, the Fearless Tour (2009–2010).[20] Midway through the performance, Swift would go down the aisle to greet and hug her fans.[21][22] She performed "Hey Stephen" as a "surprise song" outside the regular setlist on the September 18, 2018, St. Louis concert of the Reputation Stadium Tour[23] and the May 14, 2023, Philadelphia concert of the Eras Tour.[24]
After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[25] The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums which the label had released.[26][27] By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters.[28] Swift and Christopher Rowe produced the re-recorded track, which was recorded by David Payne at Black Bird and Prime Recording Studios in Nashville. Rowe recorded Swift's lead vocals at her home studio in London, and Serban Ghenea mixed the track at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[29]
The re-recording of "Hey Stephen", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of Fearless's re-recording, Fearless (Taylor's Version).[30] Swift released a snippet of "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" on her Twitter account on April 8, 2021,[31] one day before Republic Records released Fearless (Taylor's Version).[32] "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" charted in Australia (86)[33] and Canada (68).[34] It peaked at number 105 on the Billboard Global 200.[35] In the United States, "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" peaked at number one on Bubbling Under Hot 100[36] and number 28 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart.[37]
Music and lyrics
"Hey Stephen" is a country pop and teen pop song.[38][39] It features a production that critics described as "smooth" and "playful".[b] Instruments on the song include a gut string guitar,[41] an upright bass that propels its groove,[6] and a subdued Hammond B-3.[42] The track incorporates a drum beat that Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone found reminiscent of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby" (1963),[43] and Maria Sherman of NPR Music said it evoked classic Motown girl-group records.[44] Swift uses ad-libs[45] and chuckles before the final refrain.[46] The track both starts and ends with Swift humming.[43] In the original 2008 song, the finger snaps are credited to country musician Martina McBride's children and their friends, who visited Swift one day when she was at the recording studio of McBride's husband, John.[6][47] The re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" features the same arrangement, which led to The New York Times journalist Joe Coscarelli commenting it sounded "more remastered than rerecorded".[48] Michael A. Lee, a professor in commercial music, identified some minor changes: Swift's voice is richer and less breathy, and the cymbals in the break are louder.[49]
The lyrics are about an unrequited love for a seemingly out-of-reach boy.[50][51] The title character is a boy in whom "all the girls" are interested, and although they toss stones at his window to get his attention, Swift's character tells Stephen that she is the only one "waiting there even when it's cold".[52] "Hey Stephen" incorporates some lyrical motifs that recur in many of Swift's other songs, such as rain ("Can't help it if I wanna kiss you in the rain so")[c] and waiting for somebody by the window.[d] At one point, Swift sings, "Hey Stephen, why are people always leaving/ I think you and I should stay the same". Biographer Liv Spencer attributed this lyric to the impact of Swift's touring that "sometimes means too many goodbyes".[8] In the bridge, Swift's character mentions the reason why Stephen should date her: "All those other girls, well they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you?"[13] Critic Ken Tucker found this lyric to showcase Swift's "confident sense of humor",[54] and musicologist James E. Perone commented that it aligned Swift with the 1970s singer-songwriter tradition of mentioning their songwriting profession in their own works.[55] In a 2021 article for Gigwise, journalist Kelsey Barnes said "Hey Stephen" was an example of Swift's songwriting tropes: the track reflected her desire to be "seen, understood, and loved by others", a recurring theme on many of her later songs. For Barnes, it offered a glimpse into Swift's personal life before it became sensationalized in the press.[13]
Critical reception
In album reviews of Fearless, many critics picked "Hey Stephen" as a highlight.[e] They positively remarked how "Hey Stephen" portrays universal teenage feelings towards love and infatuation[f]—Craig S. Sermon of the Telegram & Gazette said, "Swift's loose and playful confession is enough to make anybody blush."[59] Others praised Swift's songwriting for creating what they deemed a catchy melody.[g] Larry Rodgers in The Arizona Republic wrote the track was "hummable pop"[40] and Chris Richards in The Washington Post praised its "irresistible smile" that could "permanently [lodge] itself in your hippocampus".[38] Jody Rosen in a review for Rolling Stone selected the song as an example of Swift's songwriting that highlighted her "peculiar charm" on Fearless: "Her music mixes an almost impersonal professionalism—it's so rigorously crafted it sounds like it has been scientifically engineered in a hit factory—with confessions that are squirmingly intimate and true."[63] In Slant Magazine, Jonathan Keefe picked "Hey Stephen" as one of the album's most charming cuts and praised the emotional sentiments that resonated with Swift's main audience of teenagers, but he felt it lacked the sophistication that others credited her with.[39]
In retrospective reviews of the song, Sheffield[43] and Nate Jones from Vulture complimented its catchy melody. Jones wrote: "Swift is in the zone as a writer, performer, and producer on this winning deep cut."[45] Jon Bream of the Star Tribune described "Hey Stephen" as "perfect high school pop" and picked it as a highlight on Fearless.[64] Reviewing the re-recorded "Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)", Exclaim!'s Heather Taylor-Singh said it retained the original's earnest emotion[65] and The Line of Best Fit's Ross Horton wrote it remained "superb" as it was before.[66] Some others were not as complimentary. Hazel Cills of Pitchfork said the track's "extreme specificity", which felt like "a copy of Swift’s yearbook we're somehow privy to", was too much for an already personal album.[67] Mary Siroky in Consequence called "Hey Stephen" a catchy song but wrote its "repetitive melody" and "cliched" lyrical motifs make it the album's least compelling.[68] For Perone, although the lyrics are conventional and generic, "Swift's performance and her melodic writing make the song enjoyable and engaging anyway".[52]
Personnel
"Hey Stephen" (2008)[7]
- Taylor Swift – writer, producer
- Nathan Chapman – producer
- Drew Bollman – assistant mixer
- Chad Carlson – recording engineer
- Justin Niebank – mixer
- Andrew Bowers – finger snaps
- Burrus Cox – finger snaps
- Carolyn Cooper – finger snaps
- Lauren Elcan – finger snaps
- Delaney McBride – finger snaps
- Emma McBride – finger snaps
- Nicholas Brown – instruments
"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)" (2021)[29]
- Taylor Swift – writer, producer, lead vocals
- Christopher Rowe – vocal recording, producer
- Max Bernstein – vibraphone
- Matt Billingslea – drums, finger snaps
- Caitlin Evanson – background vocals
- Derek Garten – additional engineer
- Serban Ghenea – mixing
- John Hanes – engineer
- Amos Heller – bass guitar
- Mike Meadows – acoustic guitar, Hammond B3, finger snaps, background vocals
- David Payne – recording
- Lowell Reynolds – assistant recording engineer
- Jonathan Yudkin – fiddle, fiddle recording
Charts
"Hey Stephen"
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"Hey Stephen (Taylor's Version)"
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Certification
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[18] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
- ^ The "secret messages" of Swift's songs are decoded by arranging certain capitalized letters in each song's lyrics, printed in the album booklet, in the order they appear to spell out a certain word or phrase.[9]
- ^ Attributed respectively to Larry Rodgers for The Arizona Republic[40] and Jonathan Keefe for Slant Magazine[39]
- ^ This imagery features on songs such as "Fearless" ("There's something 'bout the way the street looks when it just rained"), "Forever & Always" ("It rains when you're here and it rains when you're gone"), and "Sparks Fly" ("Drop everything now/ Meet me in the pouring rain").[53]
- ^ This imagery features on songs such as "Our Song", "Love Story", and "Come In with the Rain".[8]
- ^ Attributed to reviews by Darryl Sterdan for The Edmonton Sun,[56] Joe Breen for The Irish Times,[57] and Rob Sheffield for Blender[58]
- ^ Attributed to reviews by Craig S. Sermon for the Telegram & Gazette,[59] Katie Hubbard for The Charleston Gazette,[60] and Thomas Kintner for the Hartford Courant[61]
- ^ Attributed to reviews by Hubbard,[60] Ash Amanda for the Edmonton Journal,[62] and Chris Richards for The Washington Post[38]
References
- ^ Kawashima, Dale (February 16, 2007). "Special Interview (2007): Taylor Swift Discusses Her Debut Album, Early Hits, and How She Got Started". Songwriter Universe. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2010.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (March 26, 2008). "The Billboard Q&A: Taylor Swift". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2011.
- ^ Graff, Gary (March 26, 2010). "Living Fearless Taylor Swift Talks About Her Whirlwind Rise to the Top". The Oakland Press. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
- ^ Perone 2017, p. 20.
- ^ Aswad, Jem (April 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift Reveals to Stephen Colbert Who 'Hey Stephen' Is Really About". Variety. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Ganz, Caryn (October 2, 2008). "Fall Music Preview: Taylor Swift's Fearless". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ a b Fearless (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Big Machine Records. 2008.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c Spencer 2010, p. 66.
- ^ Strecker, Erin (October 24, 2014). "Taylor Swift's 13 Best Liner Note Secret Messages – So Far". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ Scaggs, Austin (November 27, 2008). "Q&A: Taylor Swift". Rolling Stone. No. 1066. p. 38. ProQuest 220199620.
- ^ a b Oliveira, Michael (November 10, 2008). "Country Singer Taylor Swift, 18, Becoming a Tabloid Target, Top Star with New CD". The Canadian Press. ProQuest 359962569.
- ^ Hirschberg, Lynn (November 23, 2009). "Little Miss Sunshine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ a b c Barnes, Kelsey (April 15, 2021). "The Story of Us: 'Hey Stephen'". Gigwise. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Gilcrease, Grayson (May 5, 2011). "Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Inspiration Returns the Favor". The Boot. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
- ^ Conaway, Alanna (April 28, 2011). "Love and Theft's Stephen Barker Liles Pens Song About Taylor Swift". Taste of Country. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Spencer 2010, p. 58.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – Hey Stephen". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Sennett, Sean (March 9, 2009). "Swift Mania Has Arrived". The Australian. p. 30. ProQuest 356693717.
- ^ Vena, Jocelyn (August 28, 2009). "Taylor Swift Brings Fearless Tour to Madison Square Garden". MTV News. Archived from the original on November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
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- ^ Iasimone, Ashley (November 20, 2018). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far)". Billboard. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
- ^ Mier, Tomás (May 16, 2023). "Taylor Swift Reflects on 'Most Magical' Hometown Eras Tour Shows". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
- ^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^ "Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits". BBC News. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Finnis, Alex (November 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained". i. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ^ Shah, Neil (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Fearless (Taylor's Version) (CD liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records, an imprint of Universal Music Group. 2021. B0033578-02 (catalog no.).
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Lipshutz, Jason (February 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Announces Re-Recorded Fearless Album: Updated 'Love Story' Out Tonight". Billboard. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
- ^ Ginsberg, Gab (April 8, 2021). "Taylor Swift Recruits Olivia Rodrigo & Conan Gray to Help Tease Re-Recorded Fearless Songs: Hear Multiple New Snippets". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 22, 2022). "How Taylor Swift's Recent Album Releases Tell a Story of the Midnights Rollout". Billboard. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 19 April 2021". The ARIA Report (1624). Australian Recording Industry Association: 4. April 19, 2021.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ a b c Richards, Chris (November 11, 2008). "Taylor Swift, Fearless and Full of Charm". The Washington Post. p. C01. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- ^ a b c Keefe, Jonathan (November 16, 2008). "Taylor Swift: Fearless". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 15, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Rodgers, Larry (December 7, 2008). "Fearless". The Arizona Republic. p. E4. ProQuest 239095110.
- ^ Bonaguro, Alison (November 10, 2008). "Taylor Swift Shows Her Fearless Side". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
- ^ Gardner, Tom (November 11, 2008). "Taylor made: Swift's Writing Continues to Improve on New CD". Chicago Tribune. p. 27 – via Associated Press.
- ^ a b c Sheffield, Rob (October 26, 2021). "'Hey Stephen' (2008)". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ "Still Fearless: Re-Recording The Past On Taylor's Version". NPR. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Jones, Nate (January 11, 2021). "Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked From Worst to Best". Vulture. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Willman, Chris (April 9, 2021). "Review: Taylor Swift Turns On a Facsimile Machine for Fearless (Taylor's Version) and Its Ingenious Recreations". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Spencer 2010, p. 65.
- ^ "Taylor Swift Remade Fearless as Taylor's Version. Let's Discuss". The New York Times. April 9, 2021. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Huff, Lauren (April 13, 2021). "Taylor Swift's New Fearless Album Sounds Different—We Got An Expert to Tell Us Why". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Perkins, Dennis (April 14, 2021). "Taylor Swift's 'Hey Stephen' Isn't About Stephen Colbert, No Matter What Her Vision Board Says". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
- ^ Greenblatt, Leah (November 5, 2008). "Fearless (2008)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
- ^ a b Perone 2017, p. 21.
- ^ Thompson, Erin (November 25, 2011). "Taylor Swift's Speak Now Track 'If This Was A Movie' Is Better Than Her Upcoming New Single". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Tucker, Ken (November 15, 2008). "Fearless". Billboard. Vol. 120, no. 46. p. 41. ProQuest 227228330.
- ^ Perone 2017, p. 22.
- ^ Sterdan, Darryl (November 23, 2008). "CD Reviews". The Edmonton Sun. p. E13. ProQuest 2177680410.
- ^ Breen, Joe (March 9, 2009). "Roots". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
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- ^ a b Sermon, Craig S. (November 30, 2008). "Teen Phenom Swift Sings with Fearless Sincerity". Telegram & Gazette. p. G4. ProQuest 269016248.
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- ^ Rosen, Jody (November 13, 2008). "Fearless". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
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Sources
- Perone, James E. (2017). The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. The Praeger Singer-Songwriter Collection. ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1440852947.
- Spencer, Liv (2010). Taylor Swift: Every Day Is a Fairytale – The Unofficial Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1550229318.