Who is Jeff Lang, the inspiration behind Taylor Swift's song?

Taylor Swift’s new song “Ruin the Friendship” isn’t about Blake Lively, as some fans first assumed. 

Instead, many believe it pays tribute to her late high school friend, Jeff Lang, whom she honored at his funeral in 2010. 

The track, from her latest album The Life of a Showgirl released Oct. 3, reflects on unrequited love and loss. 

“When I left school I lost track of you / Abigail called me with the bad news,” Swift, 35, sings. “It was not an invitation / But I flew home anyway … I whispered at the grave, ‘Should’ve kissed you anyway.’” 

Swift and Lang attended Hendersonville High School in Tennessee, where he was among the first to hear her early songs. 

After his passing at age 21, Swift performed at his funeral and later told the audience at the 2010 BMI Country Awards, “I used to play my songs for him first.” 

Lang’s mother, Susan, told The Tennessean that the two shared a rare friendship. 

“They hung out at her house a lot, always joking around,” she said, adding that she still keeps a photo of them together. 

Swift’s heartfelt track appears to immortalize the friend who inspired her long before fame arrived.