There Are Theories That Taylor Swift’s ‘Dorothea’ Is About Selena Gomez or Gigi Hadid’s Baby

Selena Gomez? Gigi Hadid’s baby? Swifties are desperate to know what Taylor Swift’s “Dorothea” lyrics mean, and as expect, the internet has answers.

“Dorothea” is the eighth track from Swift’s ninth studio album, Evermore, which she released on Friday, December 13, two days before her 31st birthday. (For those who aren’t swifities, 13 is Swift’s favorite number.) Evermore is Swift’s second surprise album of 2020 after July’s Folklore. While there are many cryptic songs from the 15-track LP (we dissected the lyrics to “Willow” and “Tolerate It”), one song that has received a ton of attention if “Dorothea.”

The first theory is that “Dorothea” is about Gomez, Swift’s best friend of more than 10 years. The first piece of evidence is that Gomez has said her favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, whose main character is named “Dorothy.” Likewise, Gomez’s character was also named “Dorothy” in the 2016 film, The Fundamentals of Caring. But there’s more. In “Dorothea,” Swift sings about how “Dorothea” is famous now and has a ton of “shiny friends.” “You got shiny friends since you left town,” Swift sings. Fans have interpreted the lyric as a reference to Gomez’s own squad of friends.

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Image: Courtesy of Republic.

In another lyric, Swift also sings about how the “tiny screen” is the “only place” she sees Dorothea nowadays. Fans think this lyric is a reference to how Swift appeared on FaceTime on Gomez’s HBO Max show, Selena + Chef. “A tiny screen’s the only place I see you now And I got nothing but well-wishes for ya,” Swift sings. There’s also a part in the song where Swift sings  that Dorothea must be “tired of being known for who you know,” which fans think if a reference to how Gomez is often associated with her ex-boyfriend, Justin Bieber.

But Gomez isn’t the only theory for “Dorothea.” Fans also think that the song’s title could be the name of Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik’s newborn baby daughter. Hadid and Malik welcomed their first child together in September, and as of writing this, the couple still hasn’t revealed the child’s name. In Folklore, Swift revealed the name of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds’ third daughter, Inez, in the song “Betty,” so it’s not too far off that she would do the same for another pair of celebrity friends in Evermore. If this is true, “Dorothea” could still be about Gomez, but the song could also be 100 percent fictional. Like Folklore, Swift has talked about how Evermore is only part biographical, with some songs and stories completely made up. Very intriguing

Read the full lyrics of Taylor Swift’s “Dorothea” below.

[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)

[Outro]
Ooh, ooh
Ooh-woo-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh-woo-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Dorothea (Ah-ah-ah)
Ah-ah
Ooh

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