Did Vanessa Carlton Write 'A Thousand Miles' About Jessica Chastain?

There's no denying the cultural impact of Vanessa Carlton's hit track "A Thousand Miles." Twenty years after its release, it's still played in movies, sung terribly in karaoke venues around the world, and the source of plenty of TikTok and Twitter memes. 

But have you ever wondered who the song is about? Or if it's about a woman?

In a recent Vice documentary about the song, Carlton revealed "A Thousand Miles" was inspired by someone who's now a famous actor.

"It's about a crush I had on a Julliard student," she said. "I can't say the person's name because they're like a famous actor and I don't wanna say..."

She goes on to reveal the actor has no idea the song is about them. While media outlets speculated on male actors she could've been referring to, LGBTikTok knows she's a "proud bisexual woman." 

This is where @thebaldridges stepped in with some options. When 14-year-old Carlton was lurking around the campus in the late 90s, Sara Ramirez, Rutina Wesly, and Jessica Chastain attended the school. Could it be about any of them? 

Supplying even more damning evidence that the song is gay, the TikToker also included her own lyrical analysis. "Making my way downtown, walking fast," the first line so infamously goes. 

"Straight people don't walk fast," @thebaldridges points out, acknowledging LGBTQ+ folks' superior striding speeds. "Staring blankly head? This is queer culture."

After hearing the evidence, we think it's very likely Carlton wrote the song about a woman. At least it's as likely as it is being written about a man. 

See the evidence for yourself: