This song was written by Mayer as response to Taylor Swift's song "Dear John", allegedly about her relationship with Mayer. Mayer mentioned in an interview that he was humiliated by "Dear John". Mayer said "I will say as a songwriter that I think it's kind of cheap songwriting" in the sense that it was so direct, calling him out on how he "gave love and took it away" and how she "regretted when they said run as fast as you can" away from Mayer because of his reputation, which Mayer responds in "Paper Doll" by saying "my love didn't cost a thing", he does not regret what they had. Most importantly she says in "Dear John" "you PAINT me a blue SKY then go back and turn it to rain", in Mayer's "Paper Doll" he writes "And if those angel wings don’t fly, Someone’s gonna PAINT you another SKY", ultimately saying she will move on and so will he. His response is a more sensitive action to contradict Swift's so emotional and finger pointing art.
This song was written by Mayer as response to Taylor Swift's song "Dear John", allegedly about her relationship with Mayer. Mayer mentioned in an interview that he was humiliated by "Dear John". Mayer said "I will say as a songwriter that I think it's kind of cheap songwriting" in the sense that it was so direct, calling him out on how he "gave love and took it away" and how she "regretted when they said run as fast as you can" away from Mayer because of his reputation, which Mayer responds in "Paper Doll" by saying "my love didn't cost a thing", he does not regret what they had. Most importantly she says in "Dear John" "you PAINT me a blue SKY then go back and turn it to rain", in Mayer's "Paper Doll" he writes "And if those angel wings don’t fly, Someone’s gonna PAINT you another SKY", ultimately saying she will move on and so will he. His response is a more sensitive action to contradict Swift's so emotional and finger pointing art.