Taylor Swift left visibly flustered by lyric question, triggers fan theory

It’s not too often Taylor Swift is caught off-guard, but one particular question about her most famous lyric left the pop star fumbling.

You don’t even have to be a Taylor Swift fan to know about her famous “scarf” lyric.

The 32-year-old US pop star re-released one of her most beloved hits, All Too Well, in November last year, gifting fans with a 10-minute version of the heartbreak anthem long rumoured to be about her short-lived romance with US actor Jake Gyllenhaal in 2010.

One particular line in the song has since become a viral anecdote, in which Swift sings: I left my scarf there at your sister’s house / And you’ve still got it in your drawer even now.

Gyllenhaal’s sister, US actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, has even been asked about the accessory in various interviews, pleading ignorance to the scarf’s whereabouts.

Now, speaking about the short film she directed for the track at the Toronto International Film Festival, Swift has revealed the scarf was not so much a physical reference, but a “metaphor”.

Swift, 32, was asked about the infamous "scarf" from her smash hit, All Too Well.

“Basically, the scarf is a metaphor. And we turned it red [in the video] because red is a very important colour in this album, which is called Red.

Things then got a little awkward as Swift attempted to elaborate.

“And I think when I say it’s a metaphor … I’m just gonna stop,” Swift concluded.

Her hesitation to explore the topic further triggered a fan theory that the scarf is actually a symbol of Swift’s virginity.

US singer Taylor Swift attends "In Conversation With … Taylor Swift" during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Picture: VALERIE MACON / AFP

Swift is widely reported to have written All Too Well about Jake Gyllenhaal. Picture: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

At the time the high-profile pair dated, tabloids ran wild with a rumour Swift lost her virginity to Gyllenhaal, who reportedly broke things off with the singer around her 21st birthday after three months of dating.

Other lyrics in the song that reference the scarf include: But you keep my old scarf from that very first week / Because it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me.

And it’s safe to say the diehard Swift fandom, affectionately dubbed ‘Swifties’, are losing their minds over the loose confession:

Wait, so #TaylorSwift confirming the red scarf was a metaphor and not the Gucci scarf we all thought it was, does that mean "you keep my old scarf from that very first week" mean that she lost her v card on the first week of dating Jake??

— Rachel Loweth🕛 (@LowethRachel) September 16, 2022

Taylor swift pretty much confirming the scarf is a metaphor for her virginity is NOT something I expected

— Olivia (@liviolives) September 10, 2022

taylor swift really let us believe for 10 years she was talking about an actual scarf… pic.twitter.com/6mpv4ic5Sh

— matt (@emotionaIpilot) September 10, 2022

The “I left my scarf there at your sisters house, and you’ve still got it in your drawer even now” line in All Too Well haunts me every night now that I know the metaphor #TaylorSwift

— Makayla !!! (@TooRareMakayla) September 12, 2022

Maggie Gyllenhaal (2022) hearing Taylor Swift confirm the scarf is a metaphor and what the line “at your sisters house” really means. pic.twitter.com/HqsvAPESqT

— KATastrophe (she/her) (@kattitude_) September 11, 2022

Swift is now in a long-term relationship with British actor, Joe Alwyn.

There have been rumours for the past year the pair have secretly wed though it is yet to be confirmed.

At the MTV Video Music Awards in late August, after winning Video of the Year for All Too Well, Swift dropped the exciting news that she would be releasing her 10th studio album, titled Midnights, on October 21.

Swift has been busy re-recording her past albums in recent years, but hasn’t released brand new music since evermore in late 2020.