With her precision-engineered big sister persona and effervescent pop, it's no surprise that Taylor Swift has a loyal following among teenagers.

Less easily explained is the spell she apparently casts over middle-aged men. Ryan Adams, the 40-year-old alternative rocker, seems to speak for many in his cohort with his ongoing gushings over Swift's 1989 album – though he admittedly has ventured further than most in releasing a completely non-ironic, track-by-track re-recording of the LP, which he credited with pulling him through a depressive spell last Christmas.

He isn't the only bloke of a certain age in a swoon over the perky 25-year-old. Hours after Adams's internet-breaking retooling of 1989 saw daylight this week, 34-year-old indie strummer Father John Misty (not an actual priest) raised the ante with a no less impassioned reading of Swift's song Blank Space. Last month, meanwhile, Swift hauled Beck – the closest Generation X has to a Jesus figure – on stage in Los Angeles. Usually furtive and maudlin in his public appearances, the 45 -year-old father of two was practically vibrating with enthusiasm. As was Jamie Oliver (41) who last year participated in a "Bake It Off" skit with Swift for a Channel 4 telethon and, amid the chopped celery and canned banter, was visibly counting himself one lucky pukka.

What is it about Swift that whips men of a particular vintage into a tizzy? The lazy answer would be to attribute it to early-onset dirty old geezer syndrome. Swift has cheerleader good looks and isn't above dressing skimpily (having Cara Delevingne as bestie doesn't do any harm either). One plus one equals tongues on the floor.

But if this middle-age obsession with all things Taylor was a matter of straightforward sleaziness, surely other 20-something pop stars would likewise have a fanbase of beer-bellied wrinklies? Where, then, is the Bon Iver tribute to Cheryl Fernandez Versini? Why isn't David Grohl bursting for a selfie with Rita Ora? Would he even recognise the singer if trapped in a lift with her? (Hint: she has a tattooed armpit.)

Taylor Swift, Cheryl Fernandez Versini, and Rita Ora Credit: Roberto Cavalli / Rex Features

Swift's message of standing up for yourself in a quietly dignified manner and taking solace in the love of friends and family makes more sense the older you get

The truth of this struck me when I was tasked with reviewing a date on Swift's recent world tour. Being the far-side of 35, I feared I would stand out like a pilled-up raver at a chess club AGM. In fact, burly blokes who ought to know better were amply represented. Indeed, adolescent girls aside, they were arguably the most visible demographic at the concert, and while a few had clearly been dragged along by their significant others, they were clearly loving every moment. With all the spilt beer and chanting, it was like being back on the terraces, only with less chance of slipping on a discarded pie on the way to the loo.

The most striking aspect of the show was the degree to which Swift was determined to be more than eye-candy. At gigs by big name female pop stars, there are always those depressing moments where it feels as if you're attending a high-class pole dancing revue. Swift, in contrast, never sought to titillate. Her performance was a triumph of class over sass, crowned with a stirring speech about learning to love who you were and not letting the bullies get you down – a sentiment that will have resonated as much with the middle-managers sweating over whether they'll still have a job next month as with the 13-year-olds on the receiving end of Facebook hate.

Here we arguably arrive at the crux of the wrinkly bloke Taylor Swift fixation. Worn down by work, pummelled by familial responsibilities, could it be that we're fed up with fantasy-peddling rock stars urging us to behave like rebels and stick it to the man? The only thing we want to give to the man is this month's expenses sheet.

On the other hand, Swift's message of standing up for yourself in a quietly dignified manner and taking solace in the love of friends and family makes more sense the older you get. There's wisdom beyond Swift's years in her outwardly throwaway pop – and, as Beck and Ryan Adams would surely concur, it takes a certain amount of life experience to recognise the truth of this.