So Taylor Swift released a new album not too long ago, and it’s become one of my favorite album of hers. I was incredibly excited when she announced it at the Grammys, especially since I myself am a poet. I have one poem published here on my site, and believe it’s the peak of my writing ability lol. But I have at least 100 that I’ve written, half written, or are just a mess of scattered thoughts. You can see why I was SO EXCITED to hear this one, and the aesthetic being that dark and moody academia, with typewriters (something I’ve wanted to own for a while), feels like it was made for me and the tortured writers, artists, and creatives alike.
I thought it was only fitting then, to do one of my Taylor Swift lyrics posts. I’ll be breaking this one up into two parts, starting with the original album, then in part two, covering the rest of the anthology.
QUICK REMINDER: Please do not send any hate or mean comments to Matty Healy and Joe Alwyn, as well to anyone in general, no one deserves that. We don’t know them, and should always try to show kindness and understanding towards others. I personally hope they are doing well and I know from her own words and actions that Taylor feels the same.
So without further ado, here is my favorite lyric from each song off of The Tortured Poets Department!
FORTNIGHT
I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.
When I first heard this lyric, I immedicately saw what the music video would look like, and I was correct. We often do whatever we can to either ignore our feelings or just get over them quickly, But there’s never a quick fix. It takes time to move on, and sometimes you can’t. So you do what you can to forget the pain, yet those fixes are only temporary.
THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT
You’re not Dylan Thomas, I’m not Patti Smith, This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots
This was the song that made me realize that this album wouldn’t be what we all were thinking. This sounds straight off of 1989. If I had to describe this album that’s what i’d say; it’s 1989’s older sister. I wasn’t expecting it, but I think that’s why it ended up being one of my favorite albums of hers, because of how close it is to my other fave, 1989.
I love the callback to older actors, musicians, and writers, which will become a theme throughout this album. You can clearly see these two individuals that are very different, but seem to be drawn to each other like magnets. I can see the guy sitting there, comparing them to Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith, and now Taylor, looking back at the relationship, saying that they’re just modern idiots. Yet there’s still something in that cyclone, in that dance, that she is drawn to. Even if it is a mess, and they are crazy for trying to make the relationship work, it’s still a wonderful ride. You can look back at it, knowing now how it ended, with regret and Joy.
And I think we can all agree that Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist.
MY BOY ONLY BREAKS HIS FAVORITE TOYS
There was a litany of reasons why we could’ve played for keeps this time.
LITANY (n.) a sizable series or set
HOW DID THIS SONG NOT MAKE THE SETLIST???
More 1989 vibes, of course. I love how she flexes her vocab skills even more here. It was hard to pick a favorite lyric, but I just remember smiling when i heard the word litany, because i love it when she uses the big words. And it shows how much of a whirlwind this relationship was, that even with all of those danger signs you still decide to stay with someone who will only leave you.
And for my fellow etymology nerds, the use of the word litany is such a clever choice, especially if you look at the main meaning of the word.
LITANY (n.) a solemn prayer of supplication
Yes, she is using the more commonly known meaning of the word, but if you have listened to the whole album, you will see she uses a lot of religious metaphors, so a word that has a strong connection to pleading in prayer, is such a clever choice. Especially in the bridge, because it sounds like someone pleading with a significant other to stay and try to make it work, only for them to still leave.
Taylor, you are absolutely brilliant.
DOWN BAD
Now I’m down bad crying at the gym, everything comes out teenage petulance.
PETULANCE (n.) the quality or state of being petulant
PETULANT (adj.) insolent or rude in speech or behavior
AGAIN MORE VOCAB WORDS YAY!!!
Yeah I was nerding out HARD. I love words.
Anyways, I love this one, because the whole concept of this song is one big metaphor. She is comparing this relationship to being abducted by a UFO, only to be dropped off moments later. But that experience on the ship, with those otherworldly beings, was so intense and magical that you don’t want to be left all alone in a field. You want them to come back for you. That relationship was so wonderful and exciting that you don’t want it to just end so abruptly, and even feel slightly insulted that they just dropped you off and left in the blink of an eye.
And then the only real way to deal with that experience is to let that hurt out, even if it isn’t pretty. It’s so frustrating that all that can come out is teenage rage and angst and petulance. But after you let those emotions flood out, you can pick yourself up and start to heal.
SO LONG LONDON
You swore me you loved me but where were the clues, I died at the altar waiting for the proof.
Oof. This song was a sucker punch, but it’s nothing compared to another song later. I love how the songs that are obviously about Joe aren’t a vengeful hate song or a diss track. Rather, it’s about how they were in a relationship that was sick, and they should’ve both left sooner. The main sentiment seems to be ‘I’m angry and bitter at the situation, but don’t hate you and wish you the best’. We don’t know for sure, but it does look as if she holds nothing against him, which is nice to think about.
That doesn’t mean this song is any less of a sucker punch though.
At some point you get to where you don’t know if a relationship is worth it. Even if you did love that place, and had a good run, it still may end up being better to leave. It hurts and is the hardest move to make, but in the end, it’s worth it. And now, you can look back at the good times and find a measure of peace.
BUT DADDY I LOVE HIM
Stay away from her the saboteurs protested too much, Lord knows the words we never heard, just screeching tires and true love.
SABOTEUR (n.) one that practices sabotage
(I’m not defining sabotage, ya’ll should know what that means)
Did anyone else think of Rory and Jess when she sang about telling him to floor it through the fences? Just me? Okay.
I LOVE THIS SONG. I was so happy to hear her say something about all the “fans” who were telling a GROWN WOMAN she doesn’t know how to live her life. Like, come on, we don’t know her and don’t have any right to say what she can and can’t do. It’s her name to disgrace, and she doesn’t have to cater to all the vipers dressed in empaths clothing. We don’t know these people, we only see what is put before us in the media. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her and Matty, but it wasn’t mine or anyone elses place to comment on it, because one, we don’t know them, two, it’s none of our business, and three, they are grown adults. And lets not even go into how this is a clear double standard, because I guarantee if she was a man this wouldn’t have been such a big deal.
I highly recommend watching Lauren Lipman’s video on this song, because it’s absolutely fantastic. She did such a great job at explaining how ridiculous it got, and that even though people are allowed to feel whatever they feel, at the end of the day, we don’t know her and it’s none of our business.
FRESH OUT THE SLAMMER
All those nights you kept me going, swirled you into all of my poems.
It took me a bit to figure out what the message/theme of this song was, but after a few listens I got it. And the production is SICK, I totally get why it’s Jack’s favorite.
Sometimes when you’re in a relationship that’s sick, or things are getting rough, it can almost feel as if you’re in the slammer. You try your best to get through it, and want to believe that things will work out, but after trying so long, you have to just let it go. You did your time, and now it’s going to be alright.
But even though it ended that way, doesn’t mean it wasn’t beautiful for the most part. You were in love with that person, and for the longest time, knew that after the hardest day you could go home to them. In fact, those feelings made their way into all of the songs, art, etc. that you created.
Maybe she stayed a little too long, but in the end, she learned from it and is determined to not make those same mistakes. And she can look back at those songs, poems, etc. with a new perspective.
FLORIDA!!!
Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine, well. me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a time.
(Again I’m not defining barricaded, it’s not an uncommon term)
I can’t tell you just how excited I was when I saw that FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE was going to be on a song with Taylor. I called it back when Dance Fever came out, because jack produced that whole album with her. AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. It’s my second favorite song on the album. And I understand why it’s not on the setlist, because you can’t perform it without Florence Welsh.
The whole song is about escaping from your problems, and feeling as if you just need a moment to fade away. Maybe those memories, issues, etc. you have will haunt you no matter where you go, and maybe the only way to deal with them right now is to go somewhere else and just get lost in the moment.
Maybe something happened and you need to run away from it, find a new life, and a new path to follow. After waiting out the storm, you need to find your way to somewhere stable.
Or maybe your friend Este’s cheating husband disappeared… 😆 (iykyk)
GUILTY AS SIN
Someone told me there’s no such thing as bad thoughts, only your actions talk.
I think that’s a really powerful line, because it is true. We can’t always control where our mind goes, but we can control if we act on them. This song is full of self reflection, recalling past actions and mistakes, and wether it was bad or not.
It’s rare that we hear her talk about this side of life, the one that’s messy, complicated, and not always black and white. This gray area that comes with love and living in this world can be hard. to navigate. But how we choose to move on, our next action, that’s what is telling. Even if we have those bad thoughts, or have made mistakes in the past; even if we are guilty as sin, what matters is what happens next.
WHO’S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME
I was tame I was gentle ‘til the circus life made me mean, don’t you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth. WHO’S AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD MEEEEEE, WELL YOU SHOULD BE!
And we have now reached my favorite song on the album. Listening to it, I immediately thought of one person and one person only: GWEN WILDER. I can’t not make it about my characters okay??? But it really is her song.
Gwen’s been through a lot, and eventually all of those memories, that hurt, and that trauma will catch up with you. You definitely wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised her, taught her, trained her, and called her crazy.
I would love to share more, but it’s kind of become a bit of a plot beat for my story…
hehehehehehehehehhehe…
I CAN FIX HIM (NO REALLY I CAN)
Trust me, I can handle me a dangerous man, no really I can.
My favorite post about this song is still a thread of a girl having her boyfriend listen to each track and giving his opinion, and him saying, No Taylor you can’t, no one can fix Matty Healy. I don’t know why but I thought that was funny.
But it’s kind of true. It’s alright to see someone’s potential, and be there for them when things get rough. But there’s also cases where you have to recognize that they need to work on themselves first. Relationships go both ways, and sometimes, the other person really isn’t ready for one, despite what they may tell you.
LOML
If you know it in one glimpse, it’s legendary, what we thought was for all time was momentary.
And we’ve made it to the song that actually made me cry. This is another one of the songs about Joe, with a few lyrics also talking about Matty. I think that makes sense, since Matty was literally a rebound from Joe. She would still be heartbroken about what happened, and just speculating here, but could be comparing the two and the relationship with each.
I think it’s clear from everything we do know, and yeah we still don’t know everything, but from her actions, her words, and her music, I think (again an opinion because we don’t know all the details) that Joe will be the loss of her life. Six years with someone you truly loved, that you thought was the one (is this the end of all the endings) only for it to end.
Yeah I cry every time I hear it, because it’s one of her saddest songs, right up there with You’re Losing Me. Because her saddest songs aren’t the ones where it’s clear someone hurt her, rather the ones where what you wanted more than anything, something that was so good and right, just doesn’t work out.
I’M EVEN CRYING EDITING THIS IN THE STARBUCKS DANG IT.
I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART
I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art. You know you’re good when you can even do it with a broken heart.
Something Taylor has always done well is song placement. For example, on Red, after the heart-wrenching All Two Well comes the fun and bouncy 22. And again, we see the same trend: after the devastating LOML, we have the fun and self-deprecating I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.
I love how the song sounds like the backstage of the eras tour. The sets being placed, the backing singers warming up, the choreographer directing the dancers, her getting her makeup and hair done etc. And when that MORE hits, she comes up the lift, and goes into the setlist like normal. Because she was able to put on a show despite the heartbreak.
Dan Povenmire had some amazing commentary on this song, especially since he himself just went through a separation, while in the middle of working on the new season of Phineas and Ferb. I wholeheartedly recommend giving the video a watch, and I’ll share the link below, because he said it better than I could.
I think this is one of the most relatable songs she has ever released. Even if we haven’t been in a romantic relationship, we all have to deal with heartbreak. It could be the loss of someone close, unfulfilled dreams, things we want that seem so far away from us, and feelings of loneliness or just getting by in a world we don’t feel is made for us. Yeah, you can tell I relate to this song a lot. Because no matter what it is, we all have to deal with a broken heart. But we can do it, even if we just have to fake it ‘til we make it.
I also love that after three albums, we finally got the return of the laugh (iykyk). To me, that’s a sign that she’s doing better now, and I personally think this song might have been written later on in the process of making the album, because you can hear it in her voice.
And now she is doing better than she ever was.
THE SMALLEST MAN WHO EVER LIVED
I’m going to skip this one because I personally just don’t like it and don’t listen to it. But if you like it then great, I’d love to hear what your favorite lyric is. I just personally don’t like it.
THE ALCHEMY
HOW DO I PICK A FAVORITE LINE??????
Where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me.
You can’t help but smile ear to ear while listening to this song. She sounds so happy, and i love it for her. All those blokes were warming the benches, and now she can move on from all of them with her head held high and date the boy on the football team. Things really do come full circle sometimes.
AND THEN FOR HIM TO SHOW UP ON STAGE WITH HER AND HER CALL HIM HER MAN… like how can that not make you smile?
(But of course I couldn’t help but think of Gwen and Thomas because no matter what happens, even if the writer tries to put them with other people, you can’t fight the alchemy and they just belong together. They refuse to not be together and it’s just so beautiful and perfect and i don’t care that I make it about them every time cause I love them so much… now if only I could convince them of that fact…)
CLARA BOW
You look like Taylor Swift; you’ve got edge she never did.
This feels like one of her most honest songs as well, again a part two to another song: The Lucky One. Instead, she’s the one who the story is speaking of.
The world loves to compare and pit women against each other. It can be hard when people say ‘oh you’re the next insert female name here’. You have to move past that, and do your own thing. You can learn from the ones who came before you, and use them for inspiration. But at the end of the day, you are your own person and that’s what matters.
I love this line because it does apply to all of the newer female artists, but there is one in particular (one of my faves actually) who is still being directly compared to Taylor. In fact they say she has the edge Taylor never did. Olivia Rodrigo has done what I hope more younger artists do, and that’s realize that they aren’t the people who came before them, but that those people are ones to look up to and learn from. And we all can take that same advice, learning from others in our creative fields, but ultimately, knowing that it’s our own unique voice that matters.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the post! I had a lot of fun writing this one, and delving into the lyricism and storytelling within this album. I’d love to know, what are your favorite lyrics from The Tortured Poets Department? Let me know in the comments!
I have some more TTPD content in the works, including the second part of this post where we cover the rest of The Anthology. Make sure you follow me on social media to stay updated on the latest posts.
Until next time 🙂
Recent Comments