It was a really lousy thing for her to do.” I’m pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2012, Mayer said the song had a big impact on him. While Mayer is not directly referenced in 'Dear John,' the track does make reference to a failed relationship with an older man. The last time Swift performed the song was in March 2012. Upon performing the song, Swift praised her fanbase for their 'kindness' but asked that that 'kindness and gentleness extend into our internet activities.' The song, which was released in 2010 and will be rereleased for the re-recorded version of Speak Now next month, has long been suspected to be a ballad about her relationship with ex-boyfriend John Mayer, whom she briefly dated from December 2009 to February 2010. Per Rolling Stone, Swift performed the Speak Now track for the first time in 11 years. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 except the songs I wrote,” Swift said before performing 'Dear John.' “So what I’m trying to tell you that I’m not putting this album out so you should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about 14 billion years ago.”