I can’t believe we’re finally here.
When she said she was a poet, she wasn’t lying.
As always, I just needed Taylor to show me the way.
We do get a handful of songs about him, that in fact rip my soul to shreds.
THAT is what I feel from a lot of this album.
I was also shocked to see not one, but two songs for Travis Kelce.
Honestly, just how it should be.
And of course, theKim Kardashan diss track.
As is tradition, I present to you my full and complete breakdown of all 31(!!)
songs and their lyrics, heavy on my personal favorite lines.
PS - all of the other news outlets/blogs/websites who already had their “breakdowns” out by now?
You either listened to the leak, or you half assed it.
This masterpiece deserved time, several listen throughs, and a lot of introspection.
I’m a massive Post Malone fan and I always love his sound on slow/sad songs.
He delivered with this one.
The fashion, the passion, the CHAOS OF IT ALL!
PS, Posty without tattoos?
Okayyyyyy hayyyyyyyy
Okay back to the song itself.
Who among us??
This is a near perfect way to describe trying to be in love while actually being extremely depressed.
These lines make a lot of the lobotomy cosplay in the video make a lot of sense.
(Who else is down for group lobotomies this summer????)
Great single choice, awesome feature, LOVE it.
The Tortured Poets Department
Album title tracks can go one of two ways - awesome, or try hard.
On first listen, I wasn’t a huge fan of this one.
I got what they were going for, but it didn’t hit right away.
What was wrong with me on the first listen?
This song is clever, pointed, and paints a perfect picture.
Right off the bat we’re making fun of the entire theme of the album.
Typewriters, who needs em?
I like Charlie Puth!
What’s wrong with him?
This bridge, devastating.
Playing around with pretend marriage proposals??
It’s hard to trust it, but its hard to brush it off, too.
Overall, this song is very “neither of us can stop love bombing each other.”
I’m happy to report - it is not!
Just another song about Matty Healy fumbling the fucking bag.
“He makes fun of you because he likes you!”
Taylor didn’t want to get out of it!
Like, she was full blown in love with him.
He could do no wrong while simultaneously doing absolutely everything wrong.
It’s a good song but definitely not top 10 for me.
Sounds good, but I’m starting to get Matty fatigue at this point.
Down Bad
BANGER, BANGER, BANGER.
I was all for the whirlwind romance thing!
You’d rather die than admit defeat (or, rather die than be rid of that excitement.)
Everyone thinks Taylor was crazy for picking this guy, but he was clearly a smooth operator.
Maybe even the smoothest of all time!
Fuck you, if I can’t have us.
I absolutely love this song - the honesty, the vulnerability, all shining through in the best ways.
So Long, London
Dear god.
This song is, undoubtedly, about Joe.
Even TAYLOR SWIFT can’t always keep a guy interested, which is somehow comforting while being super depressing.
How much sad did you think I had in me?
How long did you expect me to go on like this?
That’s what I get from this chorus.
So fucking relatable and sad.
Hearing this part of the song is what turned me into a puddle of tears.
They viewed their time together in completely different ways.
HE RUINED LONDON FOR HER.
London is so great.
He never cared that she was Taylor Swift, and that was always the problem.
But Daddy I Love Him
Here we are again, back to Matty.
Thank god its a banger.
about Prince Eric, a human man.
A relationship that was absolute BLASHPHEMY!
I’m not sure if she’s just recently gotten very existential, or what.
This entire album, while sad, really is full of a ton of dry, sarcastic jokes.
Gagging people with the thought of her having a baby with someone these people deem unseemly?
You don’t give a FUCK about what they have to say about you!
If you want to burn your life down, you’ll do it yourself!
You’re not fooled by these fake ass bitches.
Never let them forget it.
I think it still applies with the real lyrics being “empath’s clothing.”
TAYLOR DOESN’T CARE WHAT YOU THINKKKKK!!!!!!
In retrospect, it seems like a lot of grief.
But, again, she doesn’t give a fuck what we think!
Fresh Out The Slammer
Ah, yes.
A tale as old as time.
Swirling him into all of her poems!
In a twisted way, it’s pretty romantic.
I’m beginning to think Matty fake proposed to Taylor like, every single day.
All in all, great song.
(ft Florence + The Machine)
One of my favorites.
Florence + The Machine are incredible as always, and I foresee this one being a big summer song.
Taylor said in an interview that when writing this song, she had been watching a lot of Dateline.
More often than not, the people featured would flee to Florida and start a new life.
I can relate hard to this.
Florida is basically the Bermuda triangle that everyone wants to disappear into.
She has a way with words too!
We’ll be hearing a LOT of Florida.
Oh boy, here’s the sexy song we’ve all been looking for.
Wrestling with thoughts of insanity, the only way to process such strong emotions.
Here she goes fantasizing again!!!
Is she guilty, just for imagining it?
The verdict says: no.
We’ve all been there, girl.
Sometimes your mind gets away from you!
To me this sounds like a self fulfilling prophecy, which sometimes adds unnecessary pressure to something.
You’ve already resigned yourself to the fact that, this is going to happen.
It’s a runaway train.
In this scenario, Taylor is Jesus Christ!
The whole song gives that vibe - I’m guilty, no matter what.
Why not lean into it?
Now that I think about it, there are rumors that the song “SLUT!”
was a duet with Matty until this blowup happened and Taylor redid the song for herself.
kind of has the same vibes!
Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?
My current #1.
Don’t test her!!!
“You should be
Obsessed.
And, yes, you should be afraid of it.
“No one likes a mad woman, you made her like that.”
Honestly, it’s remindIng me of shaved head Britney Spears beating up the paparazzi with an umbrella.
Very, ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?
Another Matty special about a fuckboy who just won’t change his stripes.
We’ve all been there.
Thinking we’re the one and only person who can actually change someone for the better.
Spoiler - it never works!
I love a delusional anthem.
loml
This is the first time I finally have a little sympathy for the situation.
It’s a little unclear who this song is about, though.
People really think it’s about Joe, and it could be.
I get Matty vibes, again.
The feelings were just SO INTENSE and that really comes through on this track.
Especially when you’ve already decided it’s…kind of a crock of shit.
A perfect way to describe “too good to be true.”
Nothing comes that easily.
This is where the conflict comes in.
Either way, there’s definitely exasperation here.
The bland goodbye/cowardly lion lines make me think of Joe.
So much time, such a “loving relationship” totally gone to waste.
A loss, indeed.
I Can Do It With A Broken Heart
ANOTHER BANGER ALERT!!!!!
I was dancing in the shower to this today.
TAYLOR SWIFT CAN DO ANYTHING!
Nobody does it like Taylor.
Even at her worst, she’s giving us her best.
We don’t deserve her.
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
“Hi, police?
I’d like to report a murder.”
Matty Healy needs to enter witness protection after this one.
Don’t believe me?
This man fucked up BAD.
Even friends of friends don’t fuck with you anymore.
Do we think anyone has delivered this message yet?
I sure hope so!
RIGHT THROUGH THE MUD!
Sounds like she kind of fucking hates this guy.
Also, the line of “you crashed my party” reminds me of Betty.
Was Matty Healy just James all along?
The Alchemy
Finally, some sunshine and rainbows!!
This is the song about Travis, and their undeniable chemistry.
A little on the nose with “touch down,” leaving little to the imagination.
Karma is my boyfriend!
GUSHING!!!!
He just comes runnin' over to me
A perfect song for Travis.
Even if it means ignoring the Super Bowl trophy just to give her a big fat smooch.
Clara Bow
This one is very intense.
Taylor likens herself to this, obviously.
This time she isn’t buying a house, she’s checking into the psych ward.
But can she handle it?
The parallels are real.
It’s a fickle thing, as we all know.
An extremely smart song.
The Black Dog
This one is a big favorite.
The Black Dog is a bar that Taylor’s old love is at, but she isn’t there.
First off, sharing your location is insanity.
That being said, we’ve all been there.
Finding out things we technically shouldn’t because of technology.
Two, she’s throwing a little shade at whoever “he” is with now.
She’s too young to even know the song that’s playing at the bar.
We’ve all been made a fool of before.
It hurts just as bad every time.
imgonnagetyouback
This one is a direct shot at Matty Healy (again.)
Smash up that bike girl!
This song sounds sassy to me, like “maybe I will, maybe I won’t.”
But definitely a little angry flirting.
If anything, she’s consistent!
PROGRAMMING NOTE: It’s 11:26pm, and I’ve just smoked a little weed.
The following reviews may reflect that.
The Albatross
I really love this one.
In this instance she’s obviously using the Albatross as a metaphor but it’s still amazing.
Cross your thoughtless heartOnly liquor anoints youShe’s the albatrossShe is here to destroy you
Hell yes.
Am I the Albatross?
Taylor likes to refer to herself as the awful person that people paint her to be.
Albatross here kind of feels like another way to say “Maneater.”
A much more poetic way, if you will.
Here I think she’s trying to paint herself as “the problem” again.
She’s the one who will make you question yourself and maybe lose your moral compass.
Girl, you’re taking on way too much blame!
I really loved this one.
Very sad, very self loathing, very misunderstood.
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE?
That’s what everyone is asking, but I think they are truly just random names.
They watch each other with other people, and do nothing about it.
Immediate tears for me on this one.
What a cruel thing to say.
Essentially, “you’ve changed.”
Or the equivalent to, “you aren’t who I married.”
PUKE ON THE FLOOR.
First Cardigan, now this??
SAY IT AIN’T SO!!
Was all of Folklore about Matty Healy?
My brain is exploding.
Despite all this, I fucking loved this song.
How Did It End?
Fans think it’s about Joe and I agree.
Very much a “how did we end up here?”
I have a feeling this song was simply a poem that she put a tune to.
Right now we’re looking back on a relationship that is now dead, and what happened.
Otherwise, they’ll have to prepare for all the questions.
This is where I really get got.
Who among us hasn’t been wandering around, wistfully lost and longing for a past love?
A very descriptive painting of death, a heavy handed metaphor for the death of this relationship.
The opposite of K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
This is some smart stuff, Tay.
So High School
Let’s lift us back up with another sweet Travis Kelce song!!!!
And a BOP at that.
Normally I’m not a fan of a nostalgic/high school style track, it’s just not my vibe.
I do actually like this one, though.
It’s cute, fun, casual, lots of shoutouts to him and his friends.
LOL IF SO
Are you gonna marry, kiss or kill me?
He chose to kiss Taylor and marry Katy, so it’s even funnier looking back.
Also, these backseat lines?
He knows ball, she knows Aristotle.
He’s going to LOVE that.
All in all, a great song.
Underneath the surface, they’re just two kids having fun.
I Hate It Here
Another depression anthem.
SAD GIRLS ARE EATING TONIGHT!!!
Dissociating, a classic trauma response.
I am NOT really a nostalgia girl.
Or, I should say, I’m very selective with what I want to remember.
All in all, this is a sad song coupled with a slightly upbeat tune.
thanK you aIMee
A masterpiece from top to bottom.
I went in on thisseparately already.
And now, we have shirts on sale!
I Look In People’s Windows
I love this one and it hits home for me.
The song makes me feel really lonely, which I’m sure is intentional.
Ugh, totally heartbreaking.
Feeling lost, looking for one more glimpse of a time where you felt like you were grounded.
ITS SO SAD!!!!!
It never feels good to be left out in the cold!
VERDICT: A perfect sad song.
It always is, girl!
ANOTHER STAB IN THE HEART.
I don’t want money, just someone who wants my company???
LONELY GIRLS STAND UPPPPP.
So am I, girl.
So am I.
Cassandra
This may or may not be another Kim/Kanye diss.
It certainly seems so.
The common theme is that Taylor was caught off guard by something terrible, and everyone came after her.
Sounds a lot like real life!
The call that her shit was about to get ROCKED by a couple of liars.
Kim/Kanye made a lot of noise but when it came time for the truth, they were quiet.
And so was their family!
Snake references, so K/K.
How does anyone know if they’re able to weather a storm?
“blood’s thick, but nothin' like a payroll.
A shame, too.
We all know they’re all fans.
A good song, cutting, sad for sure.
Or, just not being able to find a middle ground.
Taylor waited around for this person to get with it, but they just didn’t.
Now, she’s confused and sad, seemingly blaming herself a bit for how it all turned out.
Or was I made to be a fool, again?
Whether its Joe, Matty, the public - nobody wants to keep there word to Taylor.
A lot of so close, yet so far.
It certainly sounds like Taylor has reached that point.
She’s apologetic, but she’s doing it for the both of them.
SHE, is The Bolter.
Heading into a night lying to yourselves, “nothing’s going to happen!”
when you know where it’s going to go.
Which means you also know when it’s going to get bad, so you…BOLT.
Oh, and that it feels great to do!
We love running away from our problems in this Haus Of Swift!
It must’ve been a HUGE fight.
I mean, yea.
He called her a whore!
I’d be pissed!
Before things get too real, LEAVE.
Abandon ship, literally.
That’s where Taylor’s head had been at.
Old habits die screaming!
“There’s escape in escaping.”
What I hear, is that there is CONTROL in escaping.
That’s a hard habit to kick.
I’d say all in all, this song is pretty chaotic in a whirlwind romance kind of way.
Kind of back to our homies Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton again.
This time though, I don’t think it’s about Joe.
Or, could it be?
The entire thing is basically a message to a younger version of yourself, while protecting it, too.
That lack of care, the freedom to be yourself.
Not wanting anything to get in the way of that innocence.
We all had something hanging above our beds like that!
Ugh, what a time too.
PS - I also had a trampoline.
Right into the “automatic tears” file.
The Manuscript
Holy shit, I can’t believe we’re on the last one.
The Manuscript may be the most important track on the entire album.
It’s the final chapter, the end, the summary of events.
Not just in this album, but in all of Taylor’s life.
It all feels very “smooth talkin' older guy.”
“The Manuscript” is the story of her life, that she gave to us.
She’s moved on.
It’s ours now.
I don’t think there’s a better way to end this blog.
A complete masterpiece from top to bottom, one that will only grow with time.
Taylor Swift, as always, you are a Goddess among mortals.
And let’s add a few more words for Taylor so we hit that lucky number…13.
