Did Taylor Swift write 'Sparks Fly' on 'Speak Now' about Florida country singer Jake Owen?

Taylor Swift fans know the 33-year-old songstress for putting pen to paper when it comes to her emotions, especially on her 2010 album "Speak Now," where she was the sole songwriter.

"Sparks Fly," a single off the album, is believed to be about Vero Beach country crooner Jake Owen.

While Swift is tight-lipped about who the inspirations behind her songs, Swifties are like detectives at piecing together who she writes about, analyzing her lyrics to reach conclusions.

Who is Jake Owen?

Joshua Ryan Owen is a fraternal twin born Aug. 28, 1981, in Winter Haven, Florida. When he broke into the music industry, he began to go by Jake.

At 3 years old, his family moved to Vero Beach, where he grew up and attended Gifford Middle School and Vero Beach High School. During his time in high school, Owen developed a passion for golf, hoping to one day play professionally.

When is Jake Owen playing in Florida? Owen announces this year's hometown show lineup at Flamingo Jam in Vero Beach

After a wakeboarding accident as a Florida State University freshman in 2000, his professional golfing dreams were shelved.

"I had an accident, hurt my shoulder (and) had shoulder surgery and my dad said, 'Get a job'," Owen told NBC Sports on May 29. "So I grabbed a guitar and started playing on a barstool up at college and it kind of went from there."

In 2006, he signed with RCA Nashville, where he released his first album, "Startin' With Me," the same year.

Why do people think 'Sparks Fly' is about Jake Owen?

Swifties read between the lines and found lyrics, blog posts and liner notes pointing to when the pair first met.

Swift, 16, and Owen, 25, met Oct. 31, 2006, when she was an opener for him at a bar show in Portland, Oregon.

"Tonight was awesome. It was a show in Portland at a bar called Duke's, I opened up for Jake Owen," Swift wrote in a 2006 Myspace post. "...I got to walk in on his sound check and meet him. Turns out he's extremely cool and had bought my album on iTunes."

A draft of "Sparks Fly" shows the original lyrics: “You say my name for the first time, Baby, and I fall in love in an empty bar.” However, in the 2010 and 2023 Taylor's Version, these lyrics failed to make the final cut.

“I first made 'Speak Now,' completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20,” Swift posted to Instagram on May 5 when she announced "Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)." “The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it.”

While Swift has neither confirmed nor denied who inspired the song, Owen spoke to People magazine in July where he addressed the rumors.

“It’s a great song and the speculation has always been funny to me,” Owen told People. “I’m sure Taylor probably laughs at it all too, but I’m happy to even have my name in the discussion around it.”

While the two never dated, Owen recounts their friendship, having known her since she was 16 and finding her footing in the music industry.

“She’s an amazing girl and an amazing artist,” Owen continued. “It’s been incredible to see how she’s grown as a musician and what a global phenomenon she’s become.”

Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at gianna.montesano@tcpalm.com, 772-409-1429, or follow her on X (formerly Twitter) @gonthescene.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Who did Taylor Swift write 'Sparks Fly' about on 'Speak Now?'