♪♪♪ >> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK.
LET'S SAY HELLO TO OUR FRIEND THE NOW BAFTA WINNING MR. JON
BATISTE.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW BAFTA, JON.
>> Jon: HEY!
MAN, I'M SO HAPPY.
IT'S SUCH AN HONOR.
THANK YOU.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M HONORED FOR TONIGHT IS
I GET TO TALK TO TAYLOR SWIFT.
DID YOU KNOW THIS, JON?
>> Jon: OH, YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU EVER HUNG WITH TAYLOR?
>> Jon: I HAVE NOT.
BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO IT ONE DAY.
SHE'S AN INCREDIBLE MUSICIAN AND SONG WRITER.
I LOVE THE ALBUM, TOO.
IT'S GREAT.
>> Stephen: I'M READY TO JOIN THE SQUAD.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S STILL A THING.
TAYLOR HAD A SQUAD, RIGHT?
OKAY.
WE'RE JUST GOING TO TALK IN JUST ONE MINUTE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY MUSIC THAT MIGHT BE A NICELY YEA SON INTO MY
CONVERSATION WITH TAYLOR?
>> Jon: YEAH, LET'S SEE.
SOMETHING ON THE VIBE OF -- ♪♪♪
>> Stephen: OH, HELL, YEAH.
♪♪♪ >> Stephen: JON BATISTE,
EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU, JON.
>> Jon: YES, INDEED.
>> Stephen: FOLKS, WE TALK ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS HERE, BUT
THERE'S ONE BIG STORY I HAVE YET TO ADDRESS: ON FRIDAY
TAYLOR SWIFT RELEASED THE RE-RECORDED VERSION OF HER 2008
ALBUM "FEARLESS," WHICH SHE'S CALLING "FEARLESS -- TAYLOR'S
VERSION."
WHY TAYLOR'S VERSION?
WELL, BACK IN 2019, TAYLOR'S FIRST SIX ALBUMS WERE SOLD TO
INVESTORS, WHICH MEANT THEY NOW OWNED THE RIGHTS TO HER MUSIC.
SO TO RECLAIM HER MASTERS, TAYLOR ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WOULD
RECORD ENTIRELY NEW VERSIONS OF HER OLD SONGS THAT SHE WOULD
OWN.
GREAT TO SEE A FEMALE ARTIST TAKING A POWERFUL STAND AGAINST
THE GREEDY MEN WHO WRONGED HER.
THAT WOULD MAKE A GREAT TAYLOR SWIFT SONG.
OF COURSE, I'VE ALWAYS FELT A VERY POWERFUL CONNECTION TO
"FEARLESS" EVER SINCE TAY-TAY, AS SHE'S ASKED ME NOT TO CALL
HER, SENT ME A SIGNED COPY BACK IN 2009.
TAKE A LOOK.
LOOK AT THIS CD.
THIS IS AN ACTUAL CD THAT TAYLOR ACTUALLY SENT TO ME AND SHE
ACTUALLY INSCRIBED "STEPHEN, MY FAMILY AND I ARE HUGE FANS.
LOVE, TAYLOR."
LOVE, OKAY!
L-O-V-E, THAT MEANS SHE'S MY SOULMATE.
YOU NEED MORE PROOF-- AND I HOPE YOU DO.
JUST LOOK AT TRACK FOUR, IT'S CALLED "HEY, STEPHEN."
THAT'S GOT TO BE ABOUT ME.
HOW MANY STEPHEN'S COULD THERE BE OUT THERE?
I STAND BY THAT THEORY!
"HEY STEPHEN" HAS GOT TO BE ABOUT ME.
JUST LIKE "LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS" HAS GOT TO BE ABOUT
LUCILLE BALL FLYING IN A PLANE WITH ALL HER JEWELRY.
TO BELIEVE ANYTHING ELSE, YOU'D HAVE TO BE ON ACID!
WELL, I'M SO HAPPY THAT "FEARLESS -- TAYLOR'S VERSION"
IS FINALLY HERE.
BECAUSE IT SENDS AN EMPOWERING MESSAGE AND ALSO BECAUSE IT
GIVES US A CHANCE TO FINALLY CLEAR THE AIR ABOUT THIS WHOLE
"HEY STEPHEN" BUSINESS.
SO JOINING ME NOW, FROM THE STUDIO WHERE SHE'S BEEN
RE-RECORDING HER ALBUMS, TAYLOR SWIFT!
TAYLOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
I'M A BIG FAN!
>> I'M A BIG FAN OF YOURS, TOO, STEPHEN.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME ON THE SHOW, FINALLY.
>> Stephen: WELL, ANYTIME.
LISTEN, I JUST WANT TO GET THIS OUT THERE.
YOU RECENTLY RECORDED "FEARLESS -- TAYLOR'S VERSION,"
SO I'VE GOT TO ASK, IS THE SONG "HEY STEPHEN" ABOUT ME?
>> NO, STEPHEN.
I -- I MEAN, I FIRST RECORDED THAT SONG IN 2008.
I THINK I WAS, LIKE, 18.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
I WAS -- ALSO A YOUNGER AGE.
>> RIGHT.
I MEAN, YOU WERE PROBABLY ABOUT 44 YEARS, 179 DAYS OLD, GIVE OR
TAKE SEVEN HOURS.
>> Stephen: WOW, THAT IS SHOCKINGLY SPECIFIC!
>> LIKE I SAID, I'M A BIG FAN.
>> Stephen: OH, THAT'S NICE.
BY THE WAY, I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO THANK YOU FOR SENDING ME THAT
SIGNED C.D.
>> OH, YEAH!
YOU KNOW, I SIGNED IT TO YOU, STEPHEN, WITH A P-H.
I SENT IT TO THE COLBERT REPORT, (RECITING ADDRESS).
>> Stephen: OKAY, SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE MY OFFICE WAS IN
THE BUILDING.
ARE YOU SURE "HEY STEPHEN" ISN'T ABOUT ME?
>> IT'S JUST THE POWER OF MUSIC, STEPHEN.
GOOD SONGS JUST MAKE IT FEEL IT'S ABOUT YOU.
>> Stephen: "HAY STEPHEN" IS DEFINITELY A GOOD SONG.
>> IT'S FUN TO RECORD IT AGAIN.
TO GET ME BACK IN THE SAME HEAD SPACE, I WANTED TO AUTHENTIC, SO
I DUG OUT MY OLD MOOD BOARD.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
UM -- TAYLOR, THOSE ARE ALL PICTURES OF ME.
>> NO.
THIS IS A PIZZA.
FUNNY STORY -- I WAS PRETTY HUNGRY BECAUSE I STAYED UP THREE
DAYS MAKING THIS VISION BOARD, AND, SO, I GOT PIZZA, AND I ATE
IT, SO INACCURATE STATEMENT ON YOUR PART THAT IT'S ONLY
PICTURES OF YOU, BECAUSE THIS IS A PRETTY BIG PICTURE --
>> Stephen: IT'S NOT THAT INACCURATE.
IT REALLY SEEMS LIKE -- REALLY -- AND THIS IS NOT VANITY
THAT THIS SONG IS ABOUT ME.
>> DON'T FLATTER YOURSELF.
"HEY STEPHEN" IS NOT ABOUT YOU ANYMORE THAN MY ALBUM 1989 IS
ABOUT THE YEAR YOU SPENT WAITING TABLES IN AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT
IN THE NORTHERN AREA OF CHICAGO THAT BY THE WAY SHARES A REALLY
INCREDIBLE SLICE OF PIZZA.
>> Stephen: HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?
>> PLEASE!
ANYONE WHO FREQUENTLY CHECKS YOUR WIKIPEDIA PAGE KNOWS THAT.
>> Stephen: HOW OFTEN ARE YOU CHECKING MY WIKIPEDIA PAGE?
>> YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS NOT A SONG ABOUT
YOU.
>> Stephen: WELL, YOU SEEM TO KNOW A SUSPICIOUS AMOUNT ABOUT
ME AND THAT SONG IS ABOUT A GUY NAMED STEPHEN SPELLED WITH A PH
THE WAY I SPELL IT SO IF IT ISN'T ABOUT ME WHO'S IT ABOUT?
>> I WASN'T PREPARED FOR THIS TO BE AN EXTREMELY HARD HITTING
INTERVIEW -- >> Stephen: IT'S WHAT I DO,
TAYLOR!
I'M SORRY!
I CAME TO GET TO THE TRUTH!
>> I CAME HERE TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.
>> Stephen: SO DID I.
O IF YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHO IT'S ABOUT.
>> Stephen: I DO.
THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CASE.
>> Stephen: YEAH.
I NEVER REVEALED THIS TO ANYONE BEFORE BUT HEY STEPHEN IS
ABOUT STEPHEN KING.
>> Stephen: STEPHEN KING, MASTER OF HORROR STEPHEN KING
REALLY.
>> YES, HE'S AMAZING THE DARK TOWER SERIES CHANGED MY LIFE,
THE SHINING, THE STAND AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ON HIS SHORT
STORIES, ABSOLUTELY LUMINESCENT.
>> Stephen: I AGREE.
BUT, TAYLOR, EVEN IF THAT'S THE CASE, YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY
MAYBE I THOUGHT THE SONG WAS ABOUT ME.
>> I MEAN, NOT REALLY, TO BE HONEST.
YOU KNOW, IF I WAS GOING TO WRITE A SONG ABOUT YOU, I WOULD
JUST P BE, LIKE -- IT'S SO OBVIOUS TO CALL IT HEY STEPHEN.
YOU WOULD CALL IT SOMETHING MORE DETAILED.
SONG WRITING IS ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS SO YOU GO HEY STEPHEN I
LOVE YOU ON THE TV AND ALL THE STUFF YOU DID ON THE DAILY SHOW
AND THE TIME YOUR OPINION ON LAWEN ORDER AND YOUR NAME IS
TYRONE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IS 335 --
>> Stephen: DOORNT SAY MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER!
I GET THE STRONG FEELING IT IS ABOUT ME!
>> THAT SEEMS LIKE A YOU THING FOR YOU TO SORT OF PROCESS, BUT
THE THING ABOUT THAT FEELING THAT I THINK THAT MAYBE YOU
SHOULD ADDRESS WITHIN YOURSELF, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU
SHOULD PROCESS AND THEN TAKE THE FEELING THAT YOU'RE FEELING.
>> Stephen: YES, MY VALID FEELING.
>> AND JUST SHAKE IT OFF, RIGHT.
BUT THAT SONG IS ABOUT YOU.
( RINGING ) >> HOLD ON, I HAVE TO GET THIS.
OH, IT'S STEPHEN KING.
I HAVE TO GO.
HEY, STEPHEN!
>> Stephen: TAYLOR SWIFT, EVERYBODY!
I KNEW IT!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!
♪♪♪