Ex-Factor: Taylor Swift’s Best Songs About Former Boyfriends

Like a new generation’s Carly Simon, Taylor Swift has played fun games with her fans in leaving clues and hints — both ambiguous and blunt — about the many male muses for her break-up songs. From high school crushes to Academy Award-nominated beaus, she’s apparently experienced the full spectrum of relationship joys and woes and has used her songs as a public diary to share her lessons and aches with her millions of fans. In an attempt to decode the lyrics and references, here are some of her best-known songs with clear inspirations for the subject matter.