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The Tortured Poets Department Is 100% About Joe Alwyn Here’s Why

Author Melanie Day

By now you know that Taylor Swift shocked the world by announcing her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department after her 13th Grammy win Sunday night. This came after she basically made the fans unhinged thinking she was planning on announcing Reputation (Taylor’s Version) that night or at least this week in Tokyo. Seriously there were signs and I’m still not counting out Tokyo it would be chaotic and I expect nothing less from Miss Taylor.

Besides, you know the shock of TS11 coming and coming during the Eras Tour (seriously how is that going to be handled?)I had some immediate questions and things stood out. First, Taylor notoriously writes about her life (perhaps even she says things are fictional) so a new album had to be about one of two things. Her new whirlwind, highly publicized, and hopefully “End Game” relationship with Kansas City Chief’s Tight End Travis Kelce. Or the breakup with Joe Alwyn who she dated for 6 years. And I’m here to tell you without a doubt The Tortured Poets Department is about Joe Alwyn. And don’t worry I’ll explain (in more detail than you ever wanted to know).

The Immediate Signs The Tortured Poets Department Is About Joe Alwyn

Let’s start with the first telltale sign- the title. It stood out instantly that this was a long title. Of the 10 studio albums Taylor has released in her 8 of those have had one-word titles (RED, Lover, Fearless, Folklore, etc). The two exceptions? One was simply her name. And the other was Speak Now. Just two words and a short phrase. The Tortured Poets Department it’s not like the others. So where did this come from? It’s a nod to Joe Alwyn and a group chat he had/has with Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott called “The Tortured Man Club”. That’s no coincidence- Taylor is a self-professed “Mastermind”.

The second thing that stood out almost instantly was Taylor saying this was a secret she had been keeping for two years. Two years pre-dates Midnights which was released in October of 2022. After the breakup fans speculated that perhaps Midnights was the breakup album. It certainly hinted at it. But the pair had been seen in public after the album’s release. Then in May, she dropped the track “You’re Losing Me” which was clearly about the end of the relationship. But it wasn’t until the track was released on streaming services in November that we learned WHEN “You’re Losing Me” was written. And it was much earlier than we thought. Jack Antonoff is the one who dropped the bomb that the heartbreaking song was written on 12/5/21. Just over two years ago. This is when the relationship seemingly began to show signs of going downhill.

Joe Reacts

Joe is also seemingly panicking already and doing damage control. The Daily Mail dropped this article yesterday. Their sources confirm Alwyn realizes the title is about him. It also states that he has stayed quiet about the breakup. That’s no surprise to anyone the man stayed quiet during the relationship and essentially hid her away and refused to speak about her. Taylor has admitted (more on that later) that she regrets the time she hid away. And she’s never been one to shy about writing about her life (unless you’re Calvin Harris). Alwyn got some incredible love songs, “You’re Losing Me” is one of the best breakup songs she’s ever written and looks like now he is getting an entire album.

From reading the Daily Mail article it sounds like he may be afraid of what is about to come out. It does seem like stuff went down and I can’t wait for all the tea.  ‘Regardless of what she does, he will still not respond because he has removed himself from her narrative and is very glad, he did.’ is what Daily Mail’s source says. Good for you Joe I hope that bodes well for you.

Then (thanks to it being leaked online) last night Taylor dropped the track list on us. I instantly sent it to half the people I communicate with on a daily basis. Reactions included “Holy S…” “So Joe will never be seen in public again” “RIP him” and “I cackled at ‘The Smallest Man That Ever Lived’. Even at first glance, you have to know The Tortured Poets Department is a breakup album and you have to know it’s about Joe Alwyn.

Here’s the Tracklist:

Side A
Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)
The Tortured Poets Department
My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
Down Bad

Side B
So Long, London
But Daddy I Love Him
Fresh Out the Slammer
Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)

Side C
Guilty as Sin?
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)
loml

Side D
I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived
The Alchemy
Clara Bow
Bonus Track: The Manuscript

 

Let’s delve into some of these now.

There are the obvious tracks that allude to a messy breakup and her being less than thrilled with him. “Guilty as Sin”, “I Can Fix Him”, “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”. Has witness protection already contacted Joe Alwyn? If not they need to. Jake Gyllenhaal is looking like he may have gotten off easy. But there are other tracks that even more specifically reference Joe.

First- “Fresh Out Of The Slammer”. At first glance, you may be asking who got arrested. Valid question. But I don’t think it’s that black and white (pun intended). Let’s take a look at some reputation lyrics.  “He can be my jailer” is a line from “Ready For It” a track widely believed to be about Alwyn. The pair got together when Taylor disappeared from the public eye, and they were very very private.

She spent most of their time together in London. The pair were rarely seen in public together. This changed post-breakup where she has been out and about living her best life. It seems he was keeping her locked up. Maybe she liked that at first, but clearly didn’t want that to be her life. She even mentioned it in her Time Person Of The Year article-  “Me locking myself away in my house for years- I’ll never get that time back” seemingly shading that time in her life and regretting him keeping her “jailed”.

FLORIDA

If Taylor and Joe lived in London why is there a track called “Florida” on this list? That seems random at first glance, right? Wrong. Did you forget who we are dealing with? Tampa Florida was the first place Taylor played on The Eras Tour after the breakup was announced. A few weeks earlier in Arlington Texas, she replaced “Invisible String” (about her relationship with Alwyn) on The Eras Tour setlist with “The One”.

So Long London And Other Love Song To Breakup Song Parallels

“So Long London” is pretty obvious. What scares me and excites me all at the same time is that this seems to be track 5. A spot reserved for the most emotional and vulnerable song on an album. I’m seemingly not ready and can’t wait to hear this one.  Taylor had a track on 2019’s Lover called “London Boy”. It was one of only a handful of songs she never sang as a surprise song on the first leg of The Eras Tour. Something tells me she never will.

Alchemy is another track that stood out to me. For one you can’t convince me this isn’t a track Aaron Dessner this title just screams the two of them. But what is alchemy you ask? The Webster Dictionary definition says it is “a medieval chemical science and speculative philosophy aiming to achieve the transmutation of the base metals into gold”.  In simpler terms trying to make fake gold or something into gold that isn’t. Let’s revisit a lyric from “Daylight”- ‘I used to think love was burning red, but now it’s golden’. Perhaps it wasn’t true gold, but instead an attempt at alchemy?

April 19th

Albums come out on Fridays so while Swifties often speculate about strategic release dates there is always a practicality to it as well. But if this is a coincidence it’s one for the ages. Post breakup Taylor publicly went to dinner with numerous of her friends. One of the most notable dinners was on April 19th with Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds who immediately unfollowed Joe Alwyn on Instagram. This kicked off what is known as the great unfollowing where other friends like the Haim sisters, Gigi Hadid, her brother, Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner, and more said goodbye publically to Joe. This was again on April 19th. Whatever happened between the pair was divulged to her friends on April 19th, 2023, and will be to the rest of the world on April 19th, 2024.

If you need your head to spin just a tad more April 19th was the start of the American Revolution between the Americans and the British. Dare I say ‘Mastermind” again? You can’t deny The Tortured Poets Department is about Joe Alwyn. We are 1500 words in and I could go on for another 1500 but I’ll leave you with this- “Alls fair in love and poetry” -Taylor Swift (The Chairman of the Tortured Poets Department).

The 13 Best Lyrics From Taylor Swift's "Lover" Album

I’ve said it and known it for close to 17 years – Taylor Swift is the songwriter of our generation. From a young age, Taylor Swift could craft lyrics well beyond her years. But even more important than clever, witty lyrics that evoke emotion is her ability to write relatable songs. I’ve said since we were both teenagers that Taylor could say what I barely knew how to feel. And there are countless examples of this in her discography of more than 240 released tracks (and the vast library of unreleased songs I have as well).  It’s why she became my favorite artist years and years ago and she has only gotten better as time has gone by. But what are the best lyrics she’s written? Oh how happy I’d be to tell you. Today I’m going to do a deep dive into the best lyrics from Taylor’s 2019 Lover album.

I debated the order in which to tackle each album. I didn’t want to start with Taylor Swift (her debut album) as we have yet to get Taylor’s Version of that album. Which means there are new tracks coming. And if some of the songs I expect to be included as vault tracks are, then they are contenders for the best on the album. So, why not go in order of the works that she owns? Which leads us to Lover the first album released on Republic Records. The first album she owned in its entirety.

Lover gets overlooked to some degree for numerous reasons. It never got a designated tour thanks to the pandemic. RIP Loverfest. The “era” was cut short due to the same circumstances and the surprise release of Folklore (2020). Until “Cruel Summer” shot up the charts this summer, it didn’t have a massive single the way other albums did. And no it’s not the songwriter album that pandemic projects Folklore and Evermore are. But even still, this pop album showcases Swift’s songwriting. So here are what are in my personal opinion the 13 best lyrics from Taylor Swift’s Lover album. These are in order of the tracklist. I tried to keep it to a minimum of one lyric per song- but I had to break that rule for a couple of tracks.

  • Devils Roll the dice angels roll their eyes what doesn't kill me makes me want you more

    The song of the summer of 2023 includes of the best bridges Taylor has ever written, so this pop smash had to be included on this list. There is nothing like screaming the lyrics to “Cruel Summer” at the top of your lungs. And the highlight of that bridge? This line devils roll the dice angels roll their eyes, what doesn’t kill me makes me want you more. I love that reference and the emotion that in conveyed by a relationship that takes everything but someone is still so desirable. The classic bad boy concept.

  • All's well that ends well to end up with you, swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover

    The verses of the title track of this album “Lover” mirror wedding vows. This song is about Taylor’s previous 6 year relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. I love the thought behind using the common phrase alls well that ends well, but adding the “to end up with you”. And anyone who not only self-describes as overdramatic but also swears to continue to be that person is someone I respect.

  • And they would toast to me oh let the players play I'd be just like Leo in St Tropez

    No this lyric from “The Man” is far from the deepest Taylor has ever written. But it still tells a story and perfectly conjures an image you can see in your mind- good ole Leonardo DiCaprio on a boat in the islands surrounded by girls significantly younger than him. I agree with so much of “The Man” which highlights the double standards Taylor has had to deal with throughout the entirety of her career. So much of that has been about her dating life. And much of that wouldn’t be said if she was a man, Leo perhaps. I was thrilled that this track was included on the Eras Tour setlist because screaming this one- very fun!

  • All of my heroes die all alone help me hold on to you

    I will never forget the first time I heard “The Archer” and how obsessed I became in that moment. It was the Taylor song I had been waiting for for years. The Archer is “track 5” which is the most emotional often times sad track on a Taylor album. This lyric echoes a fear I myself have often- dying alone so it resonates deeply with me. Then she pleeds to him, to herself, to God or whomever “help me hold on to you”.

  • who could ever leave me darling but who could stay?

    The second of three lyrics from “The Archer” is this self-reflecting line. “Who could ever leave me darling, but who could stay”. Taylor has been vocal about her fears an insecurities that whomever she is with has to deal with the fact that she is one of the most famous people in the world. She can’t live a normal life, meaning that person can’t either. Who could leave Taylor Swift? But who could stay with that life? Joe Alwyn couldn’t. But perhaps she has finally found “The One”.

  • Cause all of my enemies started out friends

    And finally “The Archer” gives us this line- “cause all of my enemies started out friends”. Think about how true that statement is, but I bet you’ve never thought about it that way. The people that can hurt you the most, are almost always people that you once cared deeply about it. This line is a perfect example of what I referenced earlier- her ability to say what I barely even know how to feel. I bet you have some people that come to your mind when you hear this lyric as well. That’s the mark of a great songwriter.

  • As if the street lights pointed in an arrowhead leading us home

    Would this line from “Cornelia Street” have stood out to me a year ago as much as it does today? I truly can’t answer that. Cornelia Street was written about Joe Alwyn and titled after the house she was renting when the pair fell in love. It was one of the most heartbreaking tracks to listen to after the breakup as it discusses her fear of losing him. But in a world where Taylor is now dating Travis Kelce it takes on a new meaning. Arrowhead is the name of the stadium Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs play at. This foreshadowing of street lights pointing in an arrowhead leading “us” or her home, sends my mind in a spiral.

  • Scared new beginnings that became my religion

    I adore “Cornelia Street” especially this live version. And this line, “sacred new beginnings that became my religion” describes to eloquently the delicate nature of the beginning of a relationship and how it grows over time to become your whole life. It just gives me all the feels. I’m glad she got to experience this again, after the heartbreak.

  • You said it was a great love one for ages, but if the story's over why am I still writing pages?

    This line from “Death By A Thousand Cuts” is so unequivocally Taylor. The entirety of this song is so well-written and heartbreaking. But it’s this line about being unable to let a person go, “still writing pages” that stands out to me. Shockingly the song is not autobiographical. It’s said to be written about the film Someone Great which was a Netflix romantic comedy.

  • Gave you too much but it wasn't enough but I'll be alright it's just a thousand cuts

    I couldn’t pick just one from DBATC. I just couldn’t. This line from the chorus has to be recognized. One for the imagery it/the title of the songs conveys- the small “cuts” that build up over time destroying a relationship. It’s almost better and easier to handle when it’s one big blow-up fight that ends things. Instead in this case, it’s a build-up of small things that ultimately spell demise. Also the “gave you too much but it wasn’t enough” yeah I felt that one.

  • I know delusion when I see it in the mirror

    Taylor said she’d never be able to perform this heartbreaking track about her mom’s years-long battle with cancer. She did perform it once during the pandemic as a part of the “One World: Together At Home” concert put on in 2020 by Global Citizen. If you’ve ever dealt with the health battle of a loved one this track hits home. But the line “I know delusion when I see it in the mirror” can be related to so many aspects of life. I love the self-awareness presented in this. And might possibly feel a little attacked by it.

  • They say the road gets hard and you get lost when your led by blind fate

    I captioned an Instagram photo with this line soon after the release of Lover. So it’s safe to say this line from “False God” has always resonated with me. As someone who has admittedly gone off course because of blindly trusting a person, I shouldn’t have, I get the sentiment. It’s so easy to do especially when you’re in your twenties as Taylor was when she penned this track.

  • I'll tell you the truth but never good bye

    “Daylight” is the closing track of Lover. It also was in the running to be the title track. There was a parallel universe were we may have had both Daylight and Midnights as album titles and I think about that from time to time. I love the line “I’ll tell you the truth but never goodbye”. To me it insinuates the closeness of Swift and Alwyn and that she could tell him anything, except that she wanted out. Who ultimately ended that relationship? I have my theories but unless Taylor tells us through music, she won’t tell us.

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.

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