Taylor Swift adds humorous ad lib to 'Hey Stephen' in Eras Tour performance

Fans responded excitedly to Swift’s extra lyric during her Acoustic Set performance of ‘Hey Stephen’ in Germany.

During her Eras Tour show in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on July 18, Taylor Swift brought humour to her acoustic set. 

Performing a mashup of “Speak Now” and “Hey Stephen” on guitar, Swift cheekily added “Nope!” after singing the bridge lyric, “All those other girls, well, they’re beautiful, but would they write a song for you?” 

This playful ad lib delighted the audience. Swift also thanked the crowd for their support over the years, especially for their enthusiastic response to “Speak Now.”

In addition to the surprise song, Swift performed a mashup of “This Is Me Trying” from Folklore and “Labyrinth” from Midnights on the piano. Since the Eras Tour commenced in March 2023, Swift has performed two surprise acoustic songs at each show. 

While many songs from her discography have been played, some, like “So Long, London” and “London Boy,” are heavily speculated to be about her former partner, Joe Alwyn.

Certain tracks, such as “Soon You’ll Get Better” from Lover, are unlikely to be featured as surprise songs due to their personal nature. Swift had previously described the song as “hard to write. It’s hard to sing. It’s hard to listen to, for me,” in a 2019 Billboard interview.

As the tour nears its end, Swift confirmed that the final show will be on December 8 in Vancouver. 

Reflecting on the tour, she described it as “the most exhausting, all-encompassing, but most joyful, most rewarding, most wonderful” experience of her life. Swift acknowledged that the tour has become her central focus, replacing previous hobbies.