Gilmore Girls and Taylor Swift would seem to be obvious companions. Both conjure up a cozy, comforting sense of Fall and a small-town American charm that brings with it its own unique set of problems (in particular in Taylor Swift’s earlier albums, as well as folklore and evermore). Each tells tales of love that are both witty and heartbreaking, are made for curling up with a cup of coffee, and Lorelai Gilmore gives Swift a run for her money when it comes to a turn a phrase (“oy with the poodles already” obviously holds up against the singer-songwriter’s best lyrics).
Do those similarities extend to Swift actually writing songs about the hit 2000s show? It’s easy to see why parallels could be drawn between her lyrics about relationship problems and her hometown could be applied to Lorelai, Rory, and Stars Hollow, and in particular with Swift’s songs and Rory’s main boyfriends in Gilmore Girls. That’s really where the belief that two songs – “Mine” from Speak Now (2010) and “Champagne Problems” from evermore (2020) – were influenced by Gilmore Girls comes from.
Why Some People Think Taylor Swift’s “Mine” & “Champagne Problems” Are About Gilmore Girls
Did Rory Gilmore Inspire The Speak Now And Evermore Hits?
There are various Taylor Swift songs that could fit Gilmore Girls, but “Mine” and “Champagne Problems” are specifically cited not only because of their lyrics, but due to viral posts that they were written about the show from @thinkergilmore on X (formerly Twitter; h/t Vulture).
“In a recent interview, Taylor Swift reveals she wrote her song ‘Mine’ about fictional characters, Rory Gilmore and Jess Mariano, from ‘Gilmore Girls’.”
“In a recent interview, Taylor Swift reveals she wrote her song ‘Champagne Problems’ about fictional couple, Rory and Logan, from TV show ‘Gilmore Girls’.”
Neither of these posts were true, but they did catch on – and it remains persistent to this day. As someone whose Instagram Explore tab is filled with a ridiculous amount of Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls content (alongside a lot of dogs and pizza, of course), I regularly see posts about Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls together, and have seen the song claims multiple times from different accounts. The “Champagne Problems” one especially seems to regularly pop up, and it’s easy to see why the idea remains.
“Mine” Lyrics That Fit Rory & Jess
“Mine” is the opening song for Taylor Swift’s third album, Speak Now, and documents a girl’s crush on a boy in her small town, with a few lyrics that connect to Rory’s second boyfriend, Jess Mariano.
“working part-time, waiting tables / Left a small town, never looked back.”
Jess works part-time waiting tables in his uncle Luke’s diner. He also leaves Stars Hollow on a couple of occasions, though it can’t exactly be said he doesn’t look back.
“Do you remember, we were sitting there, by the water? / You put your arm around me for the first time”
Rory and Jess sat together by the lake in Stars Hollow on two significant occasions (the same lake that Luke pushed Jess in at one point). Firstly, after he purchased her lunch basket, ostensibly just to annoy Dean, but also because of his attraction to Rory. This is where she loses the bracelet Dean had made for her, which becomes a notable sign that their relationship is approaching its end. Then, after the dance marathon where Rory and Dean break-up, it’s that same spot where she and Jess admit their feelings and decide to give being a couple a go.
“You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter.”
Christopher could well be described as careless on occasion, but it’s turning a careful daughter into a rebel that really fits Rory and Jess. Rory was the careful daughter, the one who did everything right. But dating Jess got her into multiple scrapes, including a car crash that put her in the hospital, and skipping school to visit him in New York.
How “Champagne Problems” Fits Rory & Logan
It’s not just that one or two specific lyrics apply to Rory and her final boyfriend of the show’s original run, Logan Huntzberger (though some do), but more that the story of the song seems to describe what happens to them in Gilmore Girls season 7. “Champagne Problems” is about a woman turning down her boyfriend’s proposal, which is what happens with Rory and Logan as he proposes when she’s graduating from Yale.
It’s even more fitting because the song is about a couple who started dating in college, with lyrics such as “this dorm was once a madhouse.” It’s also reflective of Rory’s reaction to Logan’s surprise proposal:
“Sometimes you just don’t know the answer / ‘Til someone’s on their knees and asks you.”
It also applies to Logan leaving Rory behind when she rejects his proposal, saying that it’s either they get married or they break-up:
“I never was ready, so I watch you go.”
Even the title, “Champagne Problems,” feels like it could well be about Rory and Logan, not only because of the party and proposal, but the great wealth and privilege both of them shared.
There’s No Evidence Taylor Swift Wrote Songs About Gilmore Girls
Swift Is Confirmed To Be Aware Of The Show And Nothing More
Although there’s a fun, compelling case for these Taylor Swift songs being about Gilmore Girls, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting to think that, there’s also no evidence that’s the case. Despite seeming like they’d go together as perfectly as, well, Lorelai and a cup of coffee, Swift has never spoken about Gilmore Girls in any capacity, let alone confirmed she’s a fan of the show. The closest is an interview with Lauren Graham [via @monicamendoza on TikTok] where she says she met Taylor Swift, who “knew about Gilmore Girls.”
Besides that, Swift herself has confirmed what “Mine” and “Champagne Problems” are about. For the former, she told Rolling Stone:
“I was reflecting back on a boy I liked at a certain time. The song is about what it would be like if I actually let my guard down.”
Swift hasn’t as directly said who “Champagne Problems” is about, but that’s sort of the point. Folklore and evermore are, in a departure from her usual autobiographical style, supposed to be more fictional, fantastical stories, blending in some facts but existing more in their own imaginary world.
That theoretically could have been about Gilmore Girls, sure, but it’s very much of a piece with the lyrics and themes of love and heartbreak found across both albums. It’d be cool if it was, and hopefully it not being so doesn’t leave people crestfallen; there may not be purposeful links between Taylor Swift and Gilmore Girls, but they can exist in interpretation nonetheless.
