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There's a lot of lore around the decades-long best friendship of Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift. The two, who have been pals since they dated Nick and Joe Jonas, respectively, have been by each other's side through it all, and now Gomez has confirmed that a long-running fan theory about their friendship is indeed true.
In a new episode of the podcast Friends Keep Secrets, hosted by Gomez's husband Benny Blanco, she revealed that Swift's song “Dorothea,” from Evermore, is about her. That joyful shriek you just heard? It's millions of Swifties yelling, “We knew it!” in the background.
What is the Taylor Swift song “Dorothea” about?
Like many of the songs on Folklore and Evermore, “Dorothea” is allegedly a story song about a fictional character Swift created, Dorothea, with additional elements drawn from real life. In the song, the narrator sings to a long-lost friend who left their small town to become a star ("A tiny screen's the only place I see you now").
Fans have long thought “Dorothea" was inspired by Gomez, including the name of the song itself, as Gomez loves The Wizard of Oz. The song also nods to Gomez's beauty line, Rare Beauty, with the lyric, “You'rе a queen sellin' dreams, sellin' makeup and magazines"; the pageants Gomez did as a child; and her superstar status ("And if you're ever tired of bеing known for who you know…").
What did Selena Gomez say about “Dorothea”?
Gomez didn't give a complete lyrical breakdown on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, though she did confirm that the song was inspired by her friendship with Swift, and how Swift has watched Gomez evolve through the years.
“Well, ‘Dorothea’ is about me, one of her songs," Gomez explained. "And I feel like a lot of moments… huge moments that were self-defining, from relationships to family to love to hate, all of it in between, we were figuring it out, because I was 15 and she was 18, and we didn’t really know what was going on. And so we’ve never seen each other any differently. When I listen to it, I’m so impressed how it’s eloquently put.”
What are the complete lyrics to “Dorothea”?
Verse 1
Hey, Dorothea, do you ever stop and think about me?
When we were younger down in the park
Honey, making a lark of the misery
You got shiny friends since you left town
A tiny screen's the only place I see you now
And I got nothing but well-wishes for ya
Pre-Chorus
Ooh, this place is the same as it ever was
Ooh, but you don't like it that way
Chorus
It's never too late to come back to my side
The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo
And if you're ever tired of bеing known for who you know
You know, you'll always know me, Dorothea (Uh-uh)
Dorothea (Ah-ah)
Post-Chorus
Ooh, you'rе a queen sellin' dreams, sellin' makeup and magazines
Ooh, from you I'd buy anything
Verse 2
Hey, Dorothea, do you ever stop and think about me?
When it was calmer, skipping the prom just to piss off your mom and her pageant schemes
And damn, Dorothea, they all wanna be ya
But are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers? Well...
Pre-Chorus
Ooh, I guess I'll never know
Ooh, and you'll go on with the show
Chorus
But it's never too late to come back to my side
The stars in your eyes shined brighter in Tupelo
And if you're ever tired of being known for who you know
You know, you'll always know me, Dorothea (Uh-uh)
Dorothea (Ah-ah)
