Actual Tortured Poets | Graphic by Rose Taylor | The Wright State Guardian
On April 19, Taylor Swift dropped her eleventh studio album,“The Tortured Poets Department.” It is a double album, with the extended edition titled “The Anthology.” Focusing on her struggles over recent heartbreaks, “TTPD” may be Swift’s most vulnerable album.
Prologue
Since the October 2022 release of her album “Midnights,” Swift has been busy. She started her widely successful international Eras Tour and announced her breakup with her previous boyfriend of six years, Joe Alwyn, who is an actor. Shortly after their breakup was announced, which was known to be months after they had called things off, Swift had a brief relationship with Matty Healy, lead singer for the band The 1975. They never officially confirmed that they were together or that they broke up, but both were made obvious to the public.
Then, around July 2023, Swift began dating Travis Kelce, three-time Super Bowl winner and tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, after he stated publicly that he had failed in his attempts to gift her a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it. The two have since become a happy and beloved couple.
Swift announced “TTPD” when she won her thirteenth Grammy on Feb. 4, 2024, when “Midnights” won Best Vocal Pop Album, giving fans over a month to theorize what could be coming. She repeated the phrase “All is fair in love and poetry,” so fans knew that “TTPD” would likely give us some of Swift’s most specific and wordy lyrics of all time. It still does not give a specific timeline of events or who exactly each song is about, but in my opinion, it does not matter because it is all Swift’s work, meaning it will be a mixture of fiction and reality, left up for interpretation.
Dissecting every lyric from this album could be the work of English professors and Swifties for many years to come. In the meantime, here are the thoughts and opinions of one lifelong fan after a little less than a week of listening to nothing aside from “TTPD.”
1. “Fortnight” (feat. Post Malone)
The opening track and lead single for “TTPD,” this song perfectly set the tone for what kind of album this would be. With Swift, fans never know what genre they are going to get from her next album because she has experimented with so many. “Fortnight” opens with a slow pop beat, using the same type of lyricism that will be found throughout the rest of the album.
In the narrative of the song, Swift is in love with her neighbor after they had an affair for two weeks and then both returned to their spouses. Now, they are left with nothing but small talk, and Swift feels crazy for not being able to move on from their past. Post Malone enters near the end, singing about moving to Florida and the heartbreak that he also feels. The music video has stunningly haunting visuals, taking the asylum references from the track to the next level.
2. “The Tortured Poets Department”
When the tracklist dropped for this album, many fans were shocked to find that there was a title track. The titular phrase is sung twice in this song during the intro and outro and is the catchiest part of the song, declaring that the song’s subject left his typewriter at Swift’s place. The rest of the song recalls specific moments from their relationship and explains why Swift thought they were meant to be and sadly questions who else would know this person the way that she did. Despite this, it is upbeat and witty throughout and drops several names.
3. “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”
As the title suggests, Swift declares in this song that her ex only hurt her because he loved her so much, using metaphors of other types of toys throughout and painting the man as childlike in the ways that he treats things he loves. “There was danger in the heat of my touch. He saw forever, so he smashed it up,” she sings, calling out this man for the way he handles situations that scare him, like being with someone forever.
4. “Down Bad”
In an upbeat heartbreak song, Swift compares the relationship to having been abducted by aliens. In this metaphor, the aliens then put her back down in her town and she is expected to act as though nothing ever happened to her. “They’ll think I’m nuts if I talk about the existence of you,” which would be true if anyone were to talk about having been abducted and is also something that people often face when discussing their exes. This song is both upbeat and funny, but the lyrics have all the makings for a sad breakup song. What more could fans want?
5. “So Long, London”
Longtime Swifties know that track fives tend to be Swift’s most vulnerable track on the album, ranging from “You’re On Your Own, Kid” to “my tears ricochet” in their delivery. This song is no exception and falls somewhere between the two. It is mostly downbeat and slow, saying goodbye to a former love who lived in London, which drew Swift to spend much of her time there. “So Long, London” builds as it goes on as she processes her feelings, from sadness to anger, and says goodbye to London.
6. “But Daddy I Love Him”
A great example of Swift’s sense of humor in her songwriting, the first listen-through of this song had most fans in shock when they heard the lyric about “having his baby.” The track defends Swift’s right to love who she wants, even if her fans, or “Daddy” in the metaphor of this song, disapprove. Swift sings “I’ll tell you something about my good name, it’s mine alone to disgrace.” By the end of the song, however, everyone including Daddy approves, which suggests this song may be about Kelce.
7. “Fresh Out The Slammer”
Reminiscent of “Getaway Car,” this song’s verses are upbeat and beautiful, as she explains to someone that she has just gotten out of “the slammer,” which was the prison of her previous relationship. Now that she is free, she is running to the one who she sent letters to and wrote poems about, who she now knows better than to let go of. She uses her one call on this person and runs home to him in the end.
8. “Florida!!!” (feat. Florence + the Machine)
Written by Swift and Florence Welch, “Florida!!!” is essentially a love song to the state, painting it as the place to go to get over things, when Swift repeats “I need to forget, so take me to Florida.” This song has a great beat with funny lyrics that are unexpected from a Swift song, as it compares Florida to a drug that both of the singers want to use. It is also a place where they can get away with crimes, as Welch sings “In my mind, they sink into the swamp. Is that a bad thing to say in a song?”
9. “Guilty as Sin?”
Swift is pondering whether if she ever acts on the thoughts she is having, she is still considered guilty. “I’m seeing visions, am I bad? Or mad? Or wise?” she wonders then explains the visions and her desires to fall into their trap. She explains that the thoughts she is having feel real and true, but she also says, “Someone told me there’s no such thing as bad thoughts. Only your actions talk.” Swift feels unsure throughout but chooses to continue her thoughts.
10. “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
Revenge seeps from every note of this song, describing Swift’s pain and comeback. She explains how she was caged and hurt, that people “took out all her teeth” in a circus metaphor, with further asylum references. Swift penned this song alone, and in it, she repeats many of the things the public has said about her and takes them in stride as she asks the titular question, “Who’s afraid of little old me?” and then declares that “you should be.” This is a beautiful revenge and comeback song and is already a fan favorite.
11. “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”
This track explains a “dangerous man” that Swift believes she can fix. She insists that people do not need to worry for her or try to protect her because she knows what she is doing. Despite her swearing that she knows exactly how to fix him and what she is doing, in the closing line, she realizes that she cannot fix him, after all.
12. “loml”
While this acronym usually means “love of my life,” which is an aspect of this song as it is something that the other party has said to her in this song, Swift closes with the line “You’re the loss of my life.” She calls the relationship many things from legendary to unnecessary, as she processes and leaves her feelings bare for fans yet again.
13. “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
Glittery and upbeat in delivery, this track outwardly talks about Swift’s depression and how she puts on a happy face and performs anyway. It references the breakups and heartbreak she experienced as she was performing on the Eras Tour, with the crowds expecting amazing things from her. The chorus explains that she knows that she is good at her job since she can do it even when she is in such a sad state, making for a hopeful track 13.
14. “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
Another devastating song, this track calls out a man who broke Swift’s heart and put on a show about the entire situation. Swift calls him out for his actions and explains all of his shortcomings as a partner to her. She explains that she does not want him back, but she wants someone to give him a message. In the bridge, she asks many hard-hitting questions, starting with “Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead? Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?” She continues to say that he will get away with everything and continue the cycle of treating people poorly but pretend to be a great guy. According to Swift, though, he is the smallest man who ever lived.
15. “The Alchemy”
In a hopeful and punny song that is her first released love song for her beau, Kelce, Swift discusses how the two of them would be wrong to go against their feelings and the chemicals causing their love. Swift uses a lot of football terms, giving them double meanings to paint the teamwork of their relationship and choosing each other.
16. “Clara Bow”
Swift loves to delve into the cycle of fame and what it does to herself and others. This track, the last one on the standard edition of the album, is named after actress Clara Bow, the first ‘it-girl’ in the 1920s. It starts with someone being told they look like Bow, complimenting her and explaining that she is going to become the next big star. In the next verse, it is similar, but with Stevie Nicks, an iconic singer from the 1970s. The outro of the song does the same thing but tells the next ‘it-girl’ “You look like Taylor Swift in this light, we’re lovin’ it. You’ve got edge she never did. The future’s bright, dazzling.”
17. “The Black Dog”
While it is not entirely clear whether the events of this song were before or after the breakup, this song describes Swift’s feelings when she saw that her partner went to a bar called “The Black Dog” and forgot to turn his location off. The lyrics explain Swift’s pain and longing and how she cannot understand how he does not miss her the way that she misses him. The song is slow, with a beat drop when she sings “Old habits die screaming,” which is Swift’s biggest conflict in this song: letting go.
18. “imgonnagetyouback”
Addressed to a recent ex whom Swift plans to get back, Swift insists that she is going to be getting them back. “Whether I’m gonna be your wife or gonna smash up your bike, I haven’t decided yet,” she sings and explains that she knows just about everything about this person, so she knows how to achieve her goal, which she is determined to.
19. “The Albatross”
Likely addressed to Kelce, “The Albatross” is a song about forbidden love, more specifically love where one person is advised not to be with the other by the public. “I’m the life you chose, and all this terrible danger,” Swift sings towards the end of the song, a twist on the chorus of “She’s the albatross, she is here to destroy you,” which is what the public was saying about her. By the end, though, the person chooses her and chooses the metaphorical danger that comes with being in a relationship with Swift.
20. “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”
“If you want to break my cold, cold heart, just say ‘I loved you the way that you were,’” Swift sings in this chorus and explains all the ways she changed herself to try to fit this person’s vision. Now, they are moving on with someone who could be anyone and Swift is left remembering how hard she tried to make things work. She is not ready to move on yet, as of this breakup song.
21. “How Did It End?”
This track gives fans the many true reasons why Swift’s past relationships have ended: they simply fizzled out and drifted apart. It also calls out all of the people who relentlessly ask the question this song’s title asks and poetically discusses the way that contributed to the heartbreak Swift was left in, being pummeled with questions she did not know how to answer.
22. “So High School”
This is another love song for Kelce, also cheesy, but with fewer references to football, apart from “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle,” which is the most perfect lyric to describe Swift and Kelce. “So High School” captures Swift’s feeling of teenage-like giddiness as the two of them fall in love and hang out doing mundane yet goofy activities. This adorable song has already gained many edits of the beloved couple on social media.
23. “I Hate It Here”
In another song using comedic lyrics, Swift explains her longing to escape reality. “I hate it here, so I will go to secret gardens in my mind,” she sings, saying that is where she spends most of her year. She expresses that she feels like she is not fun to be around because she views things with a more realistic lens than those around her but also has a more active imagination. All of these factors contribute to her feelings of loneliness, which is why she is forced to retreat to her gardens.
24. “thanK you aIMee”
Big sister of “Mean,” this song is addressed to a woman named Aimee, although Swift says in her lyrics that this is a fake name. Swift explains her anger at Aimee and the way that she tore her down. “All that time you were throwin’ punches, I was buildin’ something,” Swift sings in the chorus. Throughout the bridge and the verses, the song builds and more pieces of information are revealed, and Swift comes to thank Aimee. Fans believe, based on history and the capitalization of the song’s title, that it is about Kim Kardashian. Regardless, it is a beautiful song about moving on and healing.
25. “I Look in People’s Windows”
Swift cannot bear not knowing what someone she used to know is up to, so she goes around looking in windows in case they are in there. “Does it feel alright to not know me? I’m addicted to the ‘if only,’ so I look in people’s windows, like I’m some deranged weirdo,” Swift sings, in one of the funniest lyrics she has ever sung about herself. While this song is obviously, or at least hopefully, fictional, it is poignant, as she longs to meet this person’s eyes just once more.
26. “The Prophecy”
This song contains many references to sorcery, spells and, of course, prophecies. Swift declares that she was cursed and explains that she has been begging for the prophecy to be changed. “Don’t want money, just someone who wants my company,” she sings in the chorus, desperate to find a love who will stick by her. Unfortunately, the song ends with her still begging and hoping for a better fate. Fortunately, the song is upbeat and extremely catchy.
27. “Cassandra”
Here, Swift takes on the role of a fortune teller who spins dreams and nightmares, but no one ever believes her. “When the truth comes out, it’s quiet,” she says, after explaining that violence is loud and screaming. This song is a reflection on some event in which Swift predicted something bad would happen, but she or others decided to proceed, only to find that Swift was right, like the character Cassandra from Greek mythology, who was cursed to know the truth but was never be believed.
28. “Peter”
By referencing Peter Pan, Swift writes a beautiful ballad from the perspective of Wendy, who was always waiting by the window for Peter, who kept promising to grow up but never followed through. She calls out her Peter for not being able to keep promises and asks him for answers. In the end, she apologizes and asks for forgiveness for moving away from the window and turning out the light, giving up her remaining hope and putting it to an end.
29. “The Bolter”
Another great example of Swift’s storytelling, “The Bolter” tells the tale of a girl who nearly died as a child when she fell through the ice. When she grew up, her friends gave her the nickname “the Bolter” because she would run away from people when they got too close. Swift explains that this girl has had many different lives, and every time she runs away, they all flash before her eyes, and she recalls falling through the ice. The titular character will then repeat this cycle with the next guy who falls for her charms, and then she will inevitably bolt from him as well.
30. “Robin”
This song is addressed to a child, cheering them on. Swift hopes this child will remain curious and wild, even as she knows that the world will beat it out of them. She references a lot of animals, saying “Long may you roar at your dinosaurs.” She wishes to keep the darkness of the world from the child, similar to her feelings in songs like “Never Grow Up.”
31. “The Manuscript”
A reflection on what could be any period of Swift’s life, “The Manuscript” refers to Swift’s story, metaphorically written out, that she goes back to and rereads. It contains references to several previous relationships and crossroads that she has faced throughout her life. “Looking backwards might be the only way to move forward,” Swift sings before closing by saying her story is not hers anymore.
Epilogue
While not surprising, it is impressive that Taylor Swift has done it yet again. In the week since it has been out, “TTPD” has already smashed records, being the first album in Spotify history to have over 300 million streams in a single day and the first to surpass one billion streams in a single week.
These songs are still open for interpretation and likely always will be. They are all must-hears, and each listener has their unique thoughts and opinions on each track.
“TTPD” is yet another amazing Taylor Swift album with hopefully at least one more music video to come from this exciting new era.
