lyrical comparisons of ‘The Tortured Poet’s Department’ and beyond – Annenberg Media

Taylor Swift’s latest album is anything but simple. From rolling out a secret double release to candid name drops, Swift has once again given her fans countless songs to think about and remember. Here’s a look into her lyrical web, with each song a thread connecting thematic elements of the past and present.

“This is why we can’t have nice things” and “thanks, aIMee”: Burned bridges remain scorched

“Reputation” is widely considered Swift’s magnum opus for the way it revitalized her public image. In ‘This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things’ she alludes to enemies who are far past the point of forgiveness.

‘And to you / Because forgiveness is a nice thing to do. / I can’t even say it with a straight face.’

In “thanK you aIMee,” with its striking capitalization spelling out “KIM,” the lyrics read like a follow-up to the “reputation” jab.

“But I dreamed that one day I could say / All this time you were throwing punches, I was building something / And I can’t forgive the way you made me feel.”

Swift once again touches on the theme of forgiveness, but dismisses the possibility of it – but this time she’s seven years on the right track, having made a massive recovery from the controversial events, rumors and gossip that fueled the ‘reputation’ in the first place .

“The Lucky One” and “Clara Bow”: the price of celebrity, heartbreaking glory

‘Red’ is largely characterized by its catchy radio bops, but the album features the underrated gem The ‘Lucky One’, a quiet piece compared to the previous songs.

“And all the young things are lining up to take your place / Another name goes up in the lights / Like diamonds in the sky / And they’ll tell you now that you’re the lucky one.”

Fast forward over twelve years later to “Clara Bow,” where Swift sings:

“They all wanna say / This town is fake, but you’re real / Fresh air through smoke rings / Take the glory, give it your all / Promise to be dazzling.”

Both songs criticize the entertainment industry’s exploitative attitude towards young female stars. Both songs use a second-person perspective as if they’re putting you, and only you, in the spotlight. Swift’s ambiguous third party “she” encourages this acceptance of fame, viewing it as a unique honor and evidence of a rising name.

“They” see you as the shiny new thing, rinse and repeat.

However, ‘Clara Bow’ takes the theme one step further. While “The Lucky One” remains vague and refers only to old celebrities, the TTPD song refers to Clara Bow herself, a heavily scrutinized “It Girl” from the early 20th century with publicized mental health issues. Later, Swift names herself as the model people discredit to uplift the rising generation.

So she’s alluding to this cyclical nature of fame and how it largely assigns an expiration date to stars.

‘Clean’, ‘Daylight’ and ‘The Black Dog’: I love a flawed relationship

From three different eras, these three songs point to imperfections in a relationship that the singer just won’t push away.

“Beautiful”: “The rain came pouring down as I was drowning, and then I could finally breathe.”

“Daylight”: “I wounded the good and I trusted the bad / I cleared the air and breathed the smoke.”

“The Black Dog”: “Old habits die screaming / Six weeks of breathing clean air / I still miss the smoke.”

Swift’s natural imagery suggests that even if you are aware of a difficult relationship, there is an enduring bond that transcends the struggle.

“right where you left me” & “I look in people’s windows”: Periods of stagnation

In December 2022, Variety ranked the “evermore” bonus track “right Where You Left Me” as Swift’s eighth best song of all time. Overshadowed by the smash quarantine hit “folklore” and relegated to the “extras” section, “Right Where You Left Me” describes a narrator stuck in time and unable to move forward in her life.

“Help, I’m still in the restaurant / I’m still sitting in a corner and ghosting around / Cross-legged in the dim light / They say, ‘What a sad sight.'”

“I Look in People’s Windows” takes a similar perspective. The narrator cannot let go of the grip of her past. The song follows her as she watches other people live their lives. Yet she remains fixed and always the spectator.

“So I look through people’s windows / Like I’m a deranged lunatic / I attend Christmas parties from outside.”

‘Speak Now’, ‘Mirror Ball’, ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?’: Being Seen and Heard

Swift is no stranger to spectacle, and especially not to its embodiment. From the ‘Speak Now’ era to the present, she has broadened her horizons.

“Speak Now” is a sharp statement about interrupting a wedding to profess love for the groom. She only addresses him, even though her actions arouse disgust among the wedding guests.

“I stand up with shaking hands, all eyes on me / Shocked looks from everyone in the room / But all I’m looking at is you.”

Swift evolves into a more traditional, expected “mirror ball” spectacle. She is aware of her achievements, but the only person she cares about is that one individual.

“When they sent the horses home / And the rodeo clowns / I’m still on that tightrope / I’m still trying everything to laugh at you.”

The singer continues the circus motif four years after “folklore,” the duration of which has kept her in the spotlight after releasing the most music ever.

“Crash the party like a record scratch while I’m screaming / Who’s afraid of little old me? / I was tame, I was gentle until circus life made me mean.”

However, she refuses to glorify her role as a circus performer. Swift sees herself as the unwanted, awkward party crasher.

“cardigan” & “Peter”: No heroes here

“cardigan,” and its folkloric bigger picture, emerged from the COVID lockdown, with Swift imagining fictional worlds, characters, and places that never existed.

“I knew you / Tried to change the ending / Peter lost Wendy.”

In “Cardigan,” Swift – albeit from the fictionalized perspective of Betty in high school – laments a lover who fell into the Peter Pan trope and chose eternal adolescence over all else.

TTPD’s “Peter” is a direct response to the song. With the title, Swift compares her lover to Peter Pan from Neverland.

“Said you were going to grow up. Then you would come looking for me / Words from the mouths of babies / Promises oceans deep.”

Swift repeats the theme of growing older, but the “words of babes” are now meaningless.

“You Belong with Me” & “So High School”: Adolescent Love

The most popular song in Swift’s discography is probably “You Belong With Me,” a wistful tune that transports listeners to high school, where falling in love is unique. It is strengthened and narrowed at the same time. It’s embarrassing and heartbreaking, totally.

“She’s a cheer captain, and I’m standing in the stands / Dreaming about the day you wake up and find out / That what you’re looking for has been here all along.”

More than 15 years have passed since the song “Fearless” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts. Now, Swift’s claim to being the girl next door is a little more difficult at this stage of her life. But there is something about middle school and high school love that is magical and worth remembering forever.

“I try to suppress my sighs / Cause I feel so high school / Every time I look at you / But look at you.”