The Tortured Poets Department was already the most pre-downloaded album in history, but it has far exceeded our expectations. It has been one month since Taylor Swift dropped the double album featuring 31 songs, with so many different feelings for us all to feel as we listened. This hasn’t come without controversy, many questioning some of the lyrics or even dismissing the album as a whole. So, here’s a run down on the month that we have had as members of The Tortured Poets Department.
As expected, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) dropped at 4:00pm NZT on the 19th of April, featuring 16 tracks. Without listening to the songs, I had a feeling that “Clara Bow” and “But Daddy I Love Him” were going to be my favs, so I was super excited to listen to them. However, I had another commitment at 5:00pm that night, so I was unable to listen to the album until after. ‘After’ also happened to be after she dropped another 15 songs, under The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology. This included the four bonus tracks that Swift had announced during various Eras Tour events, namely “The Bolter”, “The Black Dog”, “The Manuscript” and “The Albatross”.
And so, as any normal person would when their favourite artist drops new music, I was ecstatic. I had 31 new songs to listen to, analyse, and over-analyse. However, one issue with this is that I found it very overwhelming. The album was too long for me to digest at once, and all of the songs seemed to mix into one musical ball of playdough. However, after a double Fortnight of the album’s release (and after having it on repeat the entire time) I am able to give a solid evaluation of the tracks, with no shortage of my opinion.
“Fortnight” (6/10)
As the opening track, I assumed this feature would set the tone for the whole album. And on first listen, I immediately compared it to Swift’s most-recent album Midnights. As a person who didn’t really like the style of Midnights, I was prepared to be a bit disappointed. It wasn’t really the scream-in-the-car belter I hoped the album would feature, but nevertheless, it was still a good collaboration. Swift and Post Malone compliment each other very well, and at some points their harmony feels like it is massaging my brain. I also appreciate that Post Malone didn’t receive the infamous “Snow On The Beach” treatment that Lana Del Rey got. In other words, he actually got his own verse instead of just featuring as backing vocals. Another thing to mention is that “Fortnight” was the only track on TTPD to have a music video (so far). To me, this music video was essential in my perception of the album, just because it kind of sets the entire vibe around it. And, I have to say, it was very mental hospital vibes. It was entirely in black and white, and it portrayed a lot of “I’m going crazy” camera shots and symbols. Still, the video was good quality overall, as most of Swift’s visual productions are.
Favourite lyric:
“I love you, it's ruining my life”
“The Tortured Poets Department” (9/10)
I’m going to be honest right now, on first listen, the intro of this song reminded me of Phil Collins’ song “In The Air Tonight”, which I personally found quite humorous. However, I feel that the entire song kind of captured this early 80s vibe and combined it with Swift’s modern sound. And so, after many more listens, I declare this song a banger. It’s catchy, it’s got the feels, and it’s interesting. I feel like that’s all a song really needs to be, and so this one is definitely on my favourites list. I was a bit surprised about the Charlie Puth, Lucy (presumably Lucy Dacus—a mutual friend of Swift and her ex-partner Matty Healy), and Jack (which is very likely to be Jack Antonoff, a very close friend of Swift) name-drops, but this indicated to me that it was going to be a very raw (and somewhat chaotic album), so I was very intrigued by this. I don’t usually like to think too much about who Swift would be writing about in each song (mainly because I’m too vain to relate her songs to anyone’s life other than my own) but this album looks to be very in depth and exposing, as shown by my favourite lyrics of the song, which I have inserted below:
“At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger
And put it on the one people put wedding rings on
And that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding”
“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” (5/10)
As a 1989, upbeat song girly, I was kind of bored by this song on first listen, and I am still kind of bored by it now. As a vocab amateur, and as someone who likes very catchy and easy to understand songs, I feel like this one is just not for me. And, I also feel like it sounds similar to a lot of her other songs, which are better. I’ll give the bridge credit where credit is due, but that is probably the only praise I have for this song. As I said, I’m not an expert, but this song is just super boring to me. I think that that is one problem with releasing so many songs in one go—there are going to be skips. I feel like some of the songs on this album are just filler songs, and this is definitely one of them.
Favourite Lyric:
“Once I fix me, he's gonna miss me”
“Down Bad” (9/10)
I have seen a lot of people on the internet hating on this song, and I apologise, but that will not be tolerated here. This song was the first song that I defined as a banger the first time I listened to the album. The chorus is catchy, the sound is fun, and it was a good listening experience overall. I was surprised by the swearing in the chorus—it’s not something we see too much of from Swift (as was the rest of the internet), but I feel like we also need to realise that she is no longer the 15-year-old that wrote “Fearless” anymore. To me it symbolises the fact that this album is not meant to appeal to younger fans, and maybe not necessarily the charts either, as a lot of the songs aren’t really ‘car radio’ vibes, kind of like folklore and evermore. Either way, this song is still a belter to me.
Favourite lyric (the chorus of course):
“Now I'm down bad crying at the gym
Everything comes out teenage petulance
"What if I can't have him"
"I might just die, it would make no difference."”
“So Long, London” (9/10)
Every swiftie knows that track fives carry an additional meaning on Swift’s albums. They are the tracks that are like pages of her diary—they are the rawest, most heart-to-heart tracks you will find on each album. Other track fives include “Dear John”, “All Too Well”, “Delicate”, “The Archer”, “my tears ricochet”, “tolerate it”, and “You’re On Your Own, Kid”. All of these are somewhat gut-wrenching, so I had a feeling this song was going to be a bit depresso-espresso. Fans had a pretty clear idea about who this song was about, namely a blonde British man who Swift had dated for six years before a breakup last year. As I said, I try not to get too involved with the politics of songs, but this one is just too hard to avoid. After all, “So Long, London” is inarguably the sequel of “London Boy” and we all know who that one is about. So I kept all this in mind as I was listening to the song, and that made it so much worse. If every lyric is truly about their relationship, there is so much to unpack. To put it simply, it’s “tolerate it” but Joe Alwyn has stopped tolerating it. It’s very evermore-esk, and is a very interesting but enjoyable production. To me, it lives up to its title of a gut-wrenching track five. As shown by my fav lyrics below:
“And I'm just getting color back into my face
I'm just mad as hell cause I loved this place”
“But Daddy I Love Him” (9/10)
On first listen I knew that I would like this song, just because of the happiness and unpredictability it brung. Especially the “I’m having his baby” lyric. That made me scream and giggle and sweep my jaw off of the floor. This song is so fun, and it sends quite a nice message about judgement before real understanding. The vibe of this song is a road trip screamer with the girls. It is so girly and hype, and I think that’s my favourite part about it.
Favourite lyrics:
“Now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned
Screaming "But Daddy I love him!"
I'm having his baby
No, I'm not, but you should see your faces”
“Fresh Out the Slammer” (7/10)
At first, I wasn’t too sure how to feel about this song. It didn’t particularly stand out amongst the others, but now I occasionally find it rather catchy. However, as one not too stressed about deep diving into the meaning behind each song, I did ponder what this song was about. And then I realised that the ‘slammer’ was Taylor’s relationship with Joe, and that ‘Fresh Out the Slammer’ she’s running back home to Matty Healy. I’m going to be honest when this album was announced I expected all of the songs to be exclusively about Joe, I was not expecting Matty Healy to have such a prominent presence on the album, but here he is. I guess their relationship was more serious than we thought?
Favourite lyrics:
“Here, at the park where we used to sit on children's swings
Wearing imaginary rings”
“Florida!!!” (9/10)
This song is such a great use of the differing voices of Taylor Swift and Florence Welch. It has such a hype chorus, which if you’ve seen anything about the University of Miami you know is exactly what Florida is about. It has such a quick and exciting bridge, and is a really nice track to sing along to. When I think about the meaning behind this song, I just attribute it to how Florida and the lifestyle there can be kind of addicting like a drug, but a Cosmopolitan article took it that much further, stating that it could be about Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn’s or even Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas’s split last year. However, Swift herself described it as surrounding the idea of: “What happens when your life doesn’t fit or your choices you’ve made catch up to you and you’re surrounded by these harsh consequences and judgement, and circumstances did not lead you to where you want to be and you just want to escape from everything you’ve ever known. Is there a place you could go?” Florida is that place, and Florida!!! is that song.
Favourite lyrics:
“I need to forget, so take me to Florida
I've got some regrets, I'll bury them in Florida
Tell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivable”
“Guilty as Sin?” (6/10)
This song is really a node to all situationships out there, fantasising over a person who was never really yours. It’s a very nice sounding song, and Taylor’s voice sounds very angelic throughout it (which I guess suits the metaphor of the song). However, I don’t really have anything else to say about the song, it’s one that doesn’t particularly stand out to me, but I still enjoy it as a song.
Favourite lyrics:
“If long suffering propriety
Is what they want from me
They don't know how you've haunted me
So stunningly”
“Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” (10/10)
Now that The Eras Tour has commenced again, this song is the main star of “Female Rage: The Musical”. During the set, Swift hovers around on a platform as if she is reigning terror over her suspects. It’s like we should be afraid of little old her. The song uses the idea of showbiz making her crazy, and turns it into a psychotic-screamer. I like it this way. It is so therapeutic to scream like a crazy woman about being a crazy woman. The Eras Tour performance is very effective this way, with certain note changes including the line “But what if they did?” which gives off this I-escaped-from-an-asylum vibe in the best way possible. This song is female rage, and that’s what makes it so effective.
Favourite lyrics:
“I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean
"Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"”
“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” (2/10)
This song is about Matty Healy. And it’s a really boring song. Sorry not sorry. There’s no exciting bridge or chorus and it is just a really big snore. There’s nothing more to say or unpack here except it’s probably my least favourite song on the album.
Favourite lyrics:
“I can fix him, no, really I can (no, really I can)
Whoa, maybe I can't”
“loml” (5/10)
This song is a really heartbreaking statement about long relationships, demonstrated but the gut-wrenching stab that is changing “loml” from meaning “love of my life” to “loss of my life”. It shows truly what it is like to have committed to life together with a partner just to split up in the end. One thing that I find about this album is the amount of references there are to weddings and children. The next steps that Taylor could have taken in her life with Joe fell from beneath her, and this just shows us the pain she was experiencing during her time of heartbreak. While I, as a person who appreciates fast and upbeat music, don’t really like the sound of this song, I can appreciate that the music that was put in place was supposed to embody sadness. And it does.
Favourite lyric:
“It was legendary
It was momentary
It was unnecessary
Should've let it stay buried”
“I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” (9/10)
This was the first song that really stood out to me on the album, and I really enjoyed listening to it. Academic validation girls will devour this song, as it perfectly represents how having high self-expectations can be. I thought that the upbeat tune with the really depressing lyrics was a really awesome way to combine the elements of living an exciting life with the downsides that come with it. It is funny, it is relatable and it is a nice song to listen to, which really checks all the boxes for me in determining my favourite songs on an album. The haters will say that this song is annoying and has a somewhat “Shake it Off” vibe, and I can see why. However, I also find it important to appreciate the fun tunes, as they can really balance out an album, especially an album filled with this much sadness. In saying this, this song also makes me feel really guilty. As an Eras Tour attendee, this song essentially demonstrates that while Swift is putting on the show of a lifetime, she was hurt. We were all in the stands shouting “MORE!” while she was genuinely going through something in her life. While she is treated differently because she is a celebrity, we all must remember that she is indeed still human.
Favourite lyric:
“I cry a lot but I am so productive, it's an art”
“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” (100/10)
This is easily the best song on the album. It starts off super slow and unassuming, and so on first listen, I instantly dismissed it. However, once I listened to it again I realised the intensity of the bridge. It was like her rent was due or something, because the lyrics just kept coming, stab after stab after stab. This son is an absolute belter, and is definitely a fine part of Female Rage: The Musical. It truly portrays the anger that someone holds after a crappy relationship, especially with the extent to which she has explored the feelings people have after they have been betrayed by someone they loved. When she included this song on The Eras Tour setlist, it was portrayed perfectly. Her outfit consisted of a soldier’s suit, and while she stomped forward screaming the bridge a marching band followed her. Then as the bridge progressed the lights start to flash red at the end of every line, symbolising the bullets that one bears when coming to that realisation. It is perfectly angry, and that’s why it’s the best song on the album and potentially Taylor’s entire discography.
Favourite lyric (the entire bridge):
“Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead?
Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?
Were you writing a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy?
In fifty years, will all this be declassified?
And you'll confess why you did it
And I'll say, "Good riddance"
'Cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden
I would've died for your sins
Instead, I just died inside
And you deserve prison, but you won't get time
You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars
You crashed my party and your rental car
You said normal girls were boring
But you were gone by the morning
You kicked out the stage lights
But you're still performing
And in plain sight you hid
But you are what you did
And I'll forget you, but I'll never forgive
The smallest man who ever lived”
“The Alchemy” (9/10)
On first listen, I was literally frown-smiling because of how adorable it is. If you haven’t listened to it already, “The Alchemy” is essentially a song about the one and only Travis Kelce and the Super Bowl. To me, this summarised what the crowds saw every time Taylor attended a Kansas City Chiefs game. It was so so cute, and I’m glad that this album isn’t just drenched with depression like washing left out in the rain. Another plus that comes with this song is that it is essentially a WAG anthem. Everyone can now fantasise about their life where they marry a professional football player or F1 driver (if that’s what you want to do) with just a song.
Favourite Lyrics:
“These blokes warm the benches
We been on a winning streak”
“Clara Bow” (9/10)
The privilege of having your whole life in front of you makes this song feel like a “I believe in you” from Taylor Swift herself. While there is speculation that this song could be about Sabrina Carpenter or Olivia Rodrigo who Swift is ‘passing the crown’ to, it is easy to relate to if you are a teenager. It’s almost like an “I believe in you, and you can make it” kind of speech, and it’s really exciting for someone who hopes to do big things in the world. This song does tend to be overlooked by many, but I think it’s one of the cutest on the album, and I find it to be a more enjoyable listen than many of the other songs, especially the more depressing songs. “Clara Bow” gives us hope on an album full of grief.
Favourite Lyrics:
"I'm not trying to exaggerate
But I think I might die if it happened
Die if it happened to me
No one in my small town thought
I'd see the lights of Manhattan"
“The Black Dog” (9/10)
This song, which is likely another dig at Joe Alwyn, is exactly how I expected this album to sound when I saw it. It’s a perfect way to kick off “The Anthology” especially because of how raw it sounds. To me, it represents freshly-grazed knees kind of pain, paired with the realisation that someone pushed you. This song hurts, and I feel like it accurately represents what it feels like to have to leave a relationship. Another thing I like about this song is that it is easily transferable into one’s life. Often Swift’s songs can be so specific it’s like you ripped a page out of her diary, but I feel like this song could have been ripped out of anyone’s diary. So, if I’m ever in a position of heartbreak, you best believe I’ll be listening to this song.
Favourite Lyrics:
“Even if I die screaming
And I hope you hear it”
“imgonnagetyouback” (8/10)
I found this song to be very suspiciously like another song on first listen, mainly because it uses the exact same concept. Olivia Rodrigo’s dual use of the concept of getting someone back in her song “get him back!” is explored in the exact same way in this new Taylor Swift song. It’s quite a funky song, and is a nice jam. Also, as an F1 girl, I screamed when I heard the “Aston Martin” lyric, as this basically means that the Taylonso (A Taylor Swift x Fernando Alonso relationship) rumours were true, right?
Favourite lyric:
“I'm an Aston Martin
That you steered straight into the ditch”
“The Albatross” (5/10)
This song is another one of the relatively unassuming songs on the album. I’m not going to say that it is over or underrated, because to be honest I don’t think much about it at all. The lyrics signify the relationship Swift has had with the media and her exes, and is similar to the song “peace” from folklore in that it's basically just educating her future partners about what life with the Taylor Swift is going to be like. It’s another song about how difficult it is to be placed under a lot of scrutiny, especially when you are currently one of the most famous people in the world. And so, while I do appreciate the meaning behind this song, it’s not one of my favourites just because it doesn’t really align with the style of music that I enjoy the most.
Favourite lyrics:
“The devil that you know
Looks now more like an angel
I'm the life you chose
And all this terrible danger”
“Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus” (3/10)
To me this song is just “cowboy like me” but on a different album. I feel like it’s somewhat unnecessarily slow and boring, and so it’s one of my least favourites on the album. Other than that I feel like there is not too much more to say.
Favourite lyrics:
“So if you want to break my cold, cold heart
Say you loved me
And if you want to tear my world apart
Say you'll always wonder”
“How Did It End?” (6/10)
This song, although a bit slow, explores social gossip so extremely well. It shows how rumours spread about ended relationships from person to person, and how that affects a person who is already trying to deal with grief. That’s what this song is: grief. It demonstrates the durability of Swift’s music yet again, where it could be applied to any situation ever. I feel like that’s something we all love about her music, is that it has the space to apply to all of us when needed. For example, many teenagers will cry listening to “Never Grow Up” from Speak Now when thinking about how to cope with the realities of adulthood. The same applies with this song, and so many people have this song to turn to during difficult times in their lives. It’s an “I’ve been there too” moment, and when this comes from a superstar like Taylor Swift, it can feel so supportive. This song, while feeling a bit like a knife, can also feel like a warm hug.
Favourite lyrics:
“Say it once again with feeling
How the death rattle breathing
Silenced as the soul was leaving
The deflation of our dreaming
Leaving me bereft and reeling
My beloved ghost and me
Sitting in a tree
D-Y-I-N-G”
“So High School” (8/10)
This song is very similar to “The Alchemy” in that it is a cutesy little love song dedicated to Travis Kelce. There is a lot to unpack here, with lyrics about Grand Theft Auto and Aristotle, but in summary it is a song about a relationship feeling like teenage love. This just confirms that Taylor is so in love with Travis, further proven by this song’s inclusion in The Eras Tour. It’s almost a sequel to “You Belong With Me” and it is the perfect anthem for any teenager in love.
Favourite lyrics:
“Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle”
“I Hate It Here” (8/10)
This song is definitely for the book lovers of the world. In summary, it explores the idea of finding escapisms from reality, because sometimes reality can be pretty hard. It is really good at representing feelings of being excluded, bullied or just undervalued. It should probably have a dedication to all of the kids who found it hard to make friends at school, no matter how nice they may be. The actual song sounds really nice, with a kind of evermore-like vibe. However, there was some controversy around one of the lyrics, which described Taylor saying her favourite decade was the 1830s “but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid”. This was controversial as it was seen as ignorant to all of the other cruelties that were happening in the 1830s, and how during that time as a woman, Swift would not likely have any rights whatsoever. However, what I find important with this lyric is context. Her stating the 1830s as her favourite decade is more to do with the artists and poets that were in circulation at that time, as this was seen as the “romantic period” in the arts. The next lyrics that come after this state how nostalgia tricks our minds into thinking that previous times were better than they actually were, and if she had been there she would hate it. And so when this song first came out, the internet hyper fixated on the one lyric without looking at the rest of the song.
Favourite lyrics:
“I'll save all my romanticism for my inner life and I'll get lost on purpose
This place made me feel worthless”
“thanK you aIMee” (7/10)
When I first listened to this song I thought it was genuinely about a high school bully (metaphor = missed). However, fans were quick to notice that the capitalised letters in the song title spell out K-I-M, otherwise known as Kim Kardashian. And so, this song is basically a thank you to Kim for bullying Swift, as it has made her stronger and more successful. After the whole Kanye-Taylor-Kim drama that started way back in 2009, it’s nice to see that Tayor is making amends basically by saying that she won. And in all fairness, she did. I feel like everyone needs a song to dedicate to their bully. Most people can relate to having had at least one person pick on them continuously, and being resilient from that can often shape our success. And so yet again Miss Swift has created an extremely relatable song for most, like she has taken footage from our security cameras and used it to write songs about us.
Favourite lyrics:
“Everyone knows that my mother is a saintly woman
But she used to say she wished that you were dead”
“I Look in People’s Windows” (1/10)
From the title of this song, you can tell that it is really creepy. And to be honest, it is! It combines the feelings of sadness with the feelings of wanting to stalk down your ex, taking it as far to watch people inside of their own homes? Maybe I don’t understand it, but the whole concept of the song is just weird to me. The actual sound of the song has this really creepy someone’s-watching-you vibe, which I don’t particularly appreciate either. Overall, I think this song is just another one of the few duds that come with producing such a lengthy album, as it kind of feels like it was included just for the sake of inclusion. Taylor, this song could have easily been left in the vault.
Favourite lyric:
“What if your eyes looked up and met mine
One more time”
“The Prophecy” (7/10)
This song hits hard. Have you ever felt wanted by nobody? Ever felt like you’ll never be loveable? Ever wanted to scream and cry until someone gave you attention? This song is for you. While you sat on the sidelines watching all of your friends get into relationships and be wanted, listened to and loved, Taylor Swift watched you (and possibly herself) and wrote a song about it. I feel like this song touches a mood that not many people have struck effectively before. While many breakup songs focus on revenge or mourning the person you lost, this song is more about acceptance of losing partners, but a grievance over losing soulmates. It is about feeling alone even when you shouldn’t. It is about being misunderstood. And what I love so much about this song is that Swift has yet again found a way to make it relatable to anyone’s personal situation, so that people from everywhere can appreciate and confide in another one of her songs.
Favourite lyrics:
“A greater woman has faith
But even statues crumble if they're made to wait
I'm so afraid I sealed my fate
No sign of soulmates”
“Cassandra” (1/10)
This song is probably the worst on the album. The chorus (I’m sorry to say) sounds like it was written by an eight year old. It has a very eerie vibe, and I think it’s just a bit weird. As I said before, when an artist produces an album with so many songs, not all of them are going to be good. And this is one of them. It’s kind of an icky song, with no real feelings attached to it. I don’t feel sad or excited when listening to this song, making it just kind of blah. I feel like an important part about songs is emotional attachment, and there is just none here. This is a skip (sorry not sorry)
Favourite lyrics:
“You can mark my words that I said it first
In a morning warning, no one heard”
“Peter” (10/10)
This is another one of my favourite songs on the album, mainly because of the catchiness and construction of the bridge. The song is essentially an ode to an old friend and lover, and I think it is very perfect in representing what it is like to miss someone who you used to be so close with. The sound of this song with the effective use of the piano makes it feel so much more authentic to Taylor, again like we have ripped a page out of her diary. I also would like to take time to appreciate the similarities between this song and “Cardigan” specifically with the lyric “Peter losing Wendy”. This song explores the folklore love triangle in more depth, and kind of makes songs like “Cardigan” sadder. For me, this makes me appreciate Taylor’s storytelling abilities and the intricate stringing together of her discography, which is one thing that I appreciate so much about her as an artist.
Favourite lyrics:
“I hoped you'd return
With your feet on the ground
Tell me all that you'd learned
Cause love's never lost when perspective is earned”
“The Bolter” (6/10)
As always, when Swift releases new music, we often look for parallels in other songs in her discography. And because her discography is so widespread, this is usually pretty simple. And so when I first heard this song, the character she is describing as being ‘the bolter’ seems to me like a friend of Emma from the Speak Now song “When Emma Falls in Love”. Sure, that might be a bit of a reach, but that is just how I usually react to new songs when they are released. To me the song itself is quite fun and catchy, and I like the idea behind finding escape in escaping relationships. I think this song is very well written (as per usual) and is one of the many good songs on the album.
Favourite lyrics:
“But, none of it is changin'
That the chariot is waitin'
Hearts are hers for the breakin'
There's an escape in escaping”
“Robin” (3/10)
This song is similar to that of “Never Grow Up” and “You’re On Your Own Kid” in that it is essentially giving advice about growing up. However, while the other two songs have me curling up on the floor clutching my childhood teddy with waterfalls flowing out of my eyes, this song doesn’t have the same effect. I don’t particularly understand the purpose of this song either. I feel like it is about childhood innocence, but I also feel like you should feel something when you listen to it. No five year old is going to listen to this song and suddenly realise their innocence, and no fifteen year old is going to listen to this song and cry over the fact that they are growing up. To me this song is really ineffective and the purpose that I perceive it to have, and therefore it is unfortunately one of my least favourite songs on the album.
Favourite lyrics:
“You got the dragonflies above your bed
You have a favorite spot on the swing set
You have no room in your dreams for regrets
You have no idea
The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean
You'll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline”
“The Manuscript” (4/10)
This is another (and the final) sad and slow song on the album, and I suppose if you have read this far this album really isn’t that much for me. As someone who enjoys very passionate and exciting music, some of these songs just really don’t excite me, and this is another one of them. As I’ve said before it’s difficult to have such a large album that has absolutely no skips. While all of these songs are well written and well crafted, they just aren’t for everyone. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I do feel like if some of the slower and somewhat unnecessary songs were dropped from the album it would be more enjoyable. This song is one of the ones that I would have dropped, as to me it’s just like every depressing break up song ever, except break up songs can be much more exciting than this.
Favourite lyrics:
“And the years passed
Like scenes of a show
The Professor said to write what you know
Lookin' backwards
Might be the only way to move forward”
And so, while The Tortured Poets Department may not be my favourite Taylor Swift production, you should still definitely give it a listen, as it is a very nicely written and crafted album that shows the complexity and maturity of Swift’s recent projects.
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