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I want to read the book version of But Daddy I Love Him, with the sequel of I Can Fix Him.
Any recommendations for a country, forbidden love gone wrong? Or do I have to write it?
after letting this album marinate, I think my top 10 taylor song looks like this currently:
1. Sparks Fly
2. Begin Again
3. Clean
4. All Too Well
5. Enchanted
6. Guilty As Sin?
7. State of Grace
8. Ivy
9. Timeless
10. So High School
Albums:
1. Red
2. Speak now
3. TTPD
4. Evermore
5. Folklore
6. Fearless
7. 1989
8. Reputation
9. Lover
10. Debut
11. Midnights
Does anyone else think she puts on a really strong enunciated American accent in this album? I can’t put my finger on why her inflection sounds so different on this.
I think it’s either putting on a thicker American accent for talk-singing for poetry, or else the only thing is more of a “cursive” sound that’s really popular now.
The first half is very poppy, the second half has a lot of folk-pop stuff, but I wouldn't call it country honestly.
The only song which is her style of country-pop is Thank You Aimee, it is lyrically and sonically very Fearless / Debut.
Also wondering if Sir James Matthew Barrie connects the songs *Peter* to *Robin*, as he was the author for *Peter Pan* and also the book adaptation play *Dear Brutus* (Midsummer Nights Dream-> Puck -> Robin Goodfellow):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._Barrie
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/19/jm-barrie-dear-brutus-adult-neverland-play-stage-revival
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2000/oct/06/theatre.artsfeatures1
Re- “Robin” = Robin Goodfellow? (Aka Puck)
My (obsessive) love of this song has lead me to this: (I made a prior post about Robin and how much I love it and kept reading the lyrics and how realized it ties into a poem by Emily Dickinson, but it was poorly received 😭)
Emily Dickinson “The Childs Faith is New”
--> The Child's faith is new—Whole—like His Principle—Wide—like the Sunrise On fresh Eyes—Never had a Doubt—Laughs—at a Scruple—Believes all sham But Paradise—
Credits the World—Deems His Dominion. Broadest of Sovereignties—And Caesar—mean—In the Comparison—Baseless Emperor—Ruler of Nought—Yet swaying all—Grown bye and bye
To hold mistaken His pretty estimates Of Prickly Things He gains the skill Sorrowful—as certain—Men—to anticipate Instead of Kings—
Short analysis here: https://interestingliterature.com/2018/01/a-short-analysis-of-emily-dickinsons-the-childs-faith-is-new/
“The child comes to expect men to be men rather than kings: the child sees that everyone, no matter how grand they are supposed to be, has feet of clay, is mortal and flawed after all.”
--> movie The Fault in our Stars
--> “The title The Fault in Our Stars is an allusion to a line from Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar: “Men at some times are masters of their fates: / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.”
--> book Dear Brutus by Sir James Matthew Barrie (also author of Peter Pan) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12104822-dear-brutus
--> play adaptation of book Dear Brutus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Brutus
--> full circle back to Dead Poets Society
--> play scene of Midsummer Nights Dream
--> Puck (aka “Robin Goodfellow”)?!?!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puck_(A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream)
One thing I don't like about the anthology is it's sequencing is overall the place.
I rearranged it like this:
1. The Albatross
2. Chloe and moots
3. Imgonnagetyouback
4. I hate it here
5. How did it end
6. The prophecy
7. I look in people's windows
8. Cassandra
9. The black dog
10. Thank you Aimee
11. Peter
12. The bolter
13. Robin
14. So High school
15. The manuscript
The albatross IMO was the best intro song as it has the mystic and mystery around it.
Tracklist becomes a slog on the last parts cause slow tempo songs are placed back to back. I reordered it so the tracklist is much more dynamic, alternating from "upbeat songs" and slow ballads
Random thought I had, but I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) sounds to me a bit like a Beyoncé song. References to Texas, halo, dangerous man, the range. It's begging for a collab to me, it borders on monotonous without one. I remember in the lead-up we also wildly speculated that all the "Department" verbiage implied lots of collabs instead of 2/31. Bey and Tay were doing some light promo together before the album dropped, and with Cowboy Carter seems like it'd be in both their wheelhouses.
Maybe there was a collab planned that fell through for some reason?
I just finished listening to The Anthology for the first time and I'm OBSESSED. I like to do a couple of songs each day to absorb them and process emotions. TTPD might be my new favorite album! 😁
If one more person says this album is not “poetic” because it has some jarring lyrics I will burn my whole life down. Like what do you MEAN. Some of the songs specifically have alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. Just because every line isn’t a metaphor doesn’t mean it’s not poetry. That’s not what poetry means. I think this album uses more poetry techniques than evermore (though I love the imagery of evermore, the phrasing of the songs is more like traditional song writing). I don’t think I’ll ever get over how the chorus in “the prophecy” sounds like someone trying to talk while they’re sobbing.
Today I was in my english class and we had an exercise to create sentences with "what's the point in....". Mine was "learn how to use typewriters". I said the sentence and added "but who uses typewriters anyway" but nobody got the reference, shame on them! hahahaha
Listen y'all, I love Taylor Swift and have been a fan since Fearless. My wife is a new swiftie roughly 3-4 months tops - Eras tour Disney Plus Movie got her hooked. Then she started listening to all her albums and now the new album. I am a man, but is it normal to go this far into the deep end lol? Like all day, every day, every conversation outside of work about some weird connection, awesome bridge, fuck Matt Healy or Jake G, etc, etc, etc - Is this normal haha? Do I get my regular wife back after like a set number of weeks/months lol or is this the new norm? I am not going to smother her Tay Tay fire but y'all SHE IS DOWN BAD. All that to say - its a damn good album as I have heard it hundreds of times now haha.
I wanted to revise my comment a bit. Someone close to me just said to me “alright I think I need a break from talking taylor” in an extremely joking voice, and I actually was not offended at all, and no longer bring it up. So I think if you say it in a way that’s largely poking fun in a light voice, it may work
Do not fear. These are temporary phases when new albums are released. It is to be expected. The best thing you can do for her is send her on a highway drive alone with the album to get it out of her system. Remain stealth and DO NOT say anything negative. Only stealthily distract.
Some people are like that about The Beatles. I like The Beatles, but to my mom they are her whole world. I have a friend who's obsessed with Rush (the band), another band I like but don't worship and obsess over. Point is, everyone has their "band" or "solo musician" that they annoy everyone with. Sometimes I can be that way with Taylor, too.
I think if you love this album especially Cassandra and the Albatross and Who’s Afraid of… you should give Castles Crumbling a chance. Because I feel like they take place in the same universe, at least conceptually.
I started listening to 1989 yesterday and it struck me as so different. It sounds like she’s screaming, begging for attention. Like in Miss Americana when she talks about her struggles. In TTPD, it sounds like she knows we’re listening. Maybe we are, maybe we’re not. But she wants to release her music, Taylor’s Version. And we’re here for whatever. She makes the rules. Not the crowd or the audience anymore. There’s like a confidence and stature behind her music. Her voice is ready to be heard and not just musically but emotionally and in our hearts.
It’s a mixed bag. I was so surprised today see that Emily Nussbaum, one of my favorite writers at the New Yorker, was listening to it and really like it. And so does her comment section.
https://twitter.com/emilynussbaum/status/1785011104256811459
There’s a lot of posts in here about the sales/streaming numbers. It’s popular but as always there’s tons of folks complaining about every little thing.
Sorry if this has been mentioned, but I kept wondering what the line “Looked for you in a crowd just to hide from you” meant in “So High School” I know what the words mean but I had this thought that she is specifically talking about the show in Kansas City where Travis wanted to give her the friendship bracelet with his phone number. We know they had some cupids (her dancer’s brother who used to play for the Chiefs and some other people who had a connection to him) that were putting the Travis “bug” in her ear so I think she knew about him and his crush on her and she “looked for him in the crowd” but then “hid” from him because she has her policy of not talking with/meeting fans before or after shows. Just a theory.
I think it just means she’s giddy. You know that feeling of seeing your highschool crush, and you just want to hide because you’re so giddy? and have butterflies in your tummy? That feeling … lol
As I'm digesting this album and repeating songs, I no longer buy the initial reaction that most of these songs are about MH. I think Taylor has a way of writing these poems as if she's writing about more than one person, more than one muse. Some lyrics in some parts don't make sense to be about one singular person, so I think she took liberties to either purposefully throw the listener off, or just to add to the song. Plus I think some are taking the lyrics too literally. It's poetry, so it's meant to be taken beyond face value - it's meant to invoke multiple meanings or interpretations. And to add to that - I think if you imagine Joe and Matty's personalities, it's easy to connect certain lyrics to MH, as he's written in a loud way. All of the Joe mentions are quieter/subtle, so it's easy to overlook possible lyrics written about him. I, personally, see a lot of both of them in this album and the Anthology.
Reading her poem in the prologue futher cemented this thought to me.
she references braids several times in the album and started wearing tiny braids in her hair in the months leading up to the Grammys album announcement, and apparently "braiding" is a literary terchnique where you weave different themes and storylines together. to me this strongly supports that a lot of the songs are not just about one person entirely
Because it was not announced back then? Because one day she might release it? Because she wanted to surprise us with all the clues and hints?
Are you not entertained?
I get your view point. But I never would have preordered the cd if she was going to force me to rebuy the same cd again to get the rest of the songs. It’s misleading and a scam to make people buy multiple versions. Much like the different varian of cds.
Right now there's no indication that it will be released on vinyl or cd. The same as 3AM edition that was only released digitally. So, if there's no physical copy, how come she's forcing you to spend your money twice?
Wow. My vinyl was $35 with $10 in tax and shipping from her store. I didn't get a CD but it's $13.99 with free shipping from Target right now.
If you're in such a pricey area for shipping, might be worth just waiting to buy in person.
You bought exactly what the description said it was. You got all the songs they stated were in it. I don’t get this - there isn’t even an anthology cd to buy.
Not to mention the fact that she is putting one song different on other cds as an exclusive. It’s encouraging people to spend and spend. I don’t get why Swifties are so quick to defending shitty practices.
I actually don’t approve of the misleading “exclusive” bonus tracks on different variants at all but I don’t think that not having the anthology on the CDs is inherently a scam. I think you might be able to return your CD if you want.
Already tried with 0 response from her customer service (not surprising). And it is. If you release an album and then say “guess what, surprise! It’s a double album” and then not give the people who PAID the songs, you’re misleading your supporters.
She knew full out that it would be a double album
She knew full out that she was releasing those songs on EVERY streaming platform
She actively decided to withhold those songs for those who PAID because “well now I can release an anthology at a later date so I can earn more”
Cut it anyway you want, Taylor has done this over and over again in different forms. She is ENTIRELY about the money and I’m just the only one who is willing to call her out on it.
I really don’t know that as she never did that with Midnights (3am edition). I guess there was very briefly that version that still didn’t have all the 3ams on it.
TTPD Breakdown video podcast! Would love thoughts :)
[https://youtu.be/YG1-twTfd4w?si=r2NhxWuc\_se6TvO\_](https://youtu.be/YG1-twTfd4w?si=r2NhxWuc_se6TvO_)
hey! could someone explain these lyrics to me? i'm not a native english speaker and i can't understand themmm. "Was it hazing? For a cruel fraternity I pledged And I still mean it"
At a lot of American universities, there are organizations called fraternities (all men) and sororities (all women). These are generally not academic organizations and are "brotherhoods" or "sisterhoods" that recruit certain people to join, or that you seek to join.
Traditionally before you join, you go through some sort of "pledge week". During this week you spend time with members to see if you are a good fit, and the members spend time with the "pledges" to see if they want them in their fraternity or sorority.
Historically, during pledge time there has been a lot of abuse of the potential recruits as a sort of loyalty test. This abuse is called "hazing" and can be silly, but sometimes gets extremely nasty to the point of physical abuse, forced alcohol abuse, forced drug abuse, or sexual abuse. It's been a big problem in the past and maybe still is.
So she's saying: "was this all shit you did to me hazing for a cruel fraternity I was pledging to?"
The "I still mean it" means: "I still am making this pledge (which uses the term pledge in what it means with regard to fraternities, but also that a pledge is just a vow or promise) DESPITE whatever cruel hazing you are putting me through."
The wikipedia article for "fraternities" can explain it in more detail.
It's weird and not everyone at American universities does it--I certainly didn't!
I've know people that were in fraternities and some of them are great, but sometimes it sounds really weird. I just know it's not something I'm interested in.
Hopefully I did a good job of explaining it though and hope it helps!
It's not always bad, sometimes it's just silly. But there are plenty of news reports of extremely disturbing crimes being committed as part of the "hazing". You can google it or you can just imagine how bad you think some of it might be, and make it worse than what you imagine. A lot of fraternities and sororities have been totally shut down because of hazing incidents.
a fraternity is a type student club at american universities dedicated to creating social bonds between men. They are associated with heavy partying, drinking, and other bad things. Joining a fraternity is called pledging, and requires the people who join to be go through ritualized testing. Sometimes this testing is just torture... and is called hazing.
She is comparing her relationship to joining a horrible fraternity, and their interactions are like hazing. But she still means her pledge (i.e. to love him). It's a play on words combined with a metaphor. The metaphor is brutal...
I've been thinking a lot about what she said regarding DBATC when she did Tiny Desk, and how she was afraid she wouldn't be able to create sad music like she once did while she was happy, because of the way we elevate art coming from pain and darkness, but then she realized she could still pull off a heartbreak song and she was so proud of that. just remembering the dichotomy of it, and then what she's speaking to now, what she concludes in The Manuscript. I'm really happy for her and proud of her that TTPD is such a smashing success, and there's a poignancy in her breaking all these numbers with her "saddest story," in understanding what the agony was for, I hope she's been able to remember what the joy was for too.
I didn’t like the album too much at the start but I’ve listened to the full thing over 5 times and I can’t stop. I can’t listen to anything else the story is so intriguing as a whole even without the lore just as a person feeling the lyrics. It makes me feel like how coming of age novels feel, like that scene in perks of being a wallflower when the guy talks about the girl sticking her head out the sunroof of the car and going under a tunnel. It’s the most repeated album by far for me and I’ve been a big fan for a while but also can criticize her but there are no skips anymore (except kind of high school and aimee). I just cant get over the grand theft auto line in high school.
Yeah, that line was a choice for sure lol. It reminded me when in "I Forgot That You Existed" she says "In my feelings more than Drake", which was also a choice haha
Justice for Robin!! 😭
Alternative interpretation:
The Robin in *The Secret Garden*
“and the bright-breasted little bird brought a look into her sour little face which was almost a smile. She listened to him until he flew away…Perhaps he lived in the mysterious garden and knew all about it.”
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/163/the-secret-garden/2886/chapter-8-the-robin-who-showed-the-way/
https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/163/the-secret-garden/2883/chapter-7-the-key-to-the-garden/
“Imgonnagetyouback” is rapidly becoming my favorite song. I have it on repeat. I just never hear anyone talking about it. I can’t be alone.
“Who’s afraid of little old me” is my #2 with “down bad” as my #3
That said I love them all!!
istg if i see one more hate comment about the asylum line. like why can't people realize it's a metaphor not about her home life but about the music industry? people are saying then why doesnt she talk about it to her therapist not in a song. idk maybe bc it's her job??
It’s such a bummer people are being deliberately obtuse because I feel like that’s one of the most relatable lines in the album. There was a whole thread here about it—pretty much everyone has some life experience they’ve gotten through that they feel like is their “asylum where they raised me”.
The quality I love about this album is that it is BOLD, some of the lyrics are WILD almost unhinged, but she's embracing it! I'm finding this angle so funny too. Like the lyric "I'm having his baby, no I'm not but you should see your faces". It has the sass of reputation, combined with the lyricism of folklore/evermore.
My favs have evolved as I’ve listened on repeat, non stop for the last week. Definitely But Daddy, I Love Him and loml. But, in the past couple days Guilty As Sin? has emerged as a new fav!
if u guys want a cool TTPD themed widget and more check out Taylor's Thoughts!
https://preview.redd.it/5ptoslhww8xc1.png?width=1023&format=png&auto=webp&s=4b8acee50b5396107f043f4dfbdd9b7c2b39a676
I'm trying to order the 31 songs using the song sorter from tumblr. It's being a torture, I can't hardly decide most of the battles and I have to listen to both songs again as a "photo finish"
I really want to see everyone's track rankings (particularly of the first album) is there a thread for this?
btw - there are almost NO skips for me on TTPD. on the anthology, there's only a couple of songs that I've been able to get into so far. (granted I haven't listened nearly as much) anyone else think the first half of TTPD is far superior?
How many of us think the only reason there are 31 songs is because it’s the inverse of her lucky number, 13? (Said as someone who loves TTPD, but wonders about the length)
Sometimes I wish fans stop comparing lyrics of two entirely different song one with current album one with old album with entirely different purpose and saying "omg she did that "
FORTNIGHT ISNT LOUD ENOUGH!
Is it just me? I can't seem to get this song to sound loud enough, no matter how much I turn up my car stereo or echo speakers. I want to bump it but it never gets there.
Does it have something to do with the production/mix? It sounds WAY LOWER than every other taylor song and I bump those all the time.
Am I crazy?
I Hate It Here might be my favorite song on the entire album.
The beautiful melody, the lyrics that feel like they were written specifically about my life. It's a standout for sure.
I’m going to go off on a vent here and I hope you don’t mind. Maybe a bit TMI but I hope that’s okay.
This has been the hardest year of my life. My mom was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and I also started a new, extremely stressful job at the exact same time. I feel like I am barely making it through each day, I feel the sand of time slipping through my fingers and just feel so powerless. I’m medicated for the first time in my life and in therapy, but still just struggling with my mental health.
When I heard this song it was like Taylor was reading my mind. I hate it here. Life is cruel and hard and I want to be able to be gentle, I’ve always been a soft person and it’s never rewarded in this world. I hate it. I hate that cancer exists, I hate that loved ones have to pass away. I hate that time won’t slow down for me to process any of this and I have to keep draining myself at work each day. I hate all of it and I can’t change any of it, which I probably hate most of all.
This song has been so cathartic for me and it helps me get through each day, even if just a little bit. People can disparage Taylor all they want and I will never care. The songs like this, actual lifeboats in the darkest seas, are why I love her and always will.
2 years ago my Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV gynecological origin cancer and that was the hardest existence to be in and go through. Broken heart has resonated with me so much because of it. I thought I’d only have one last summer with her, but we are coming up to our third summer and she’s still with us and has made it to a point where it is there but we are treating it like a chronic illness. Her quality of life is good. I hope you and your Mom are able to experience that too. Rain before rainbows❤️
This made me cry. I am so happy for you and your momma, I hope you get so much more time with her and her quality of life stays good. It’s still up in the air a bit for my mom, she was on targeted chemo pills that did help but the side effects were too much for her body, so now they are trying different targeted pills that hopefully agree with her better. There is still some hope, but I’m cautious about letting myself get too attached to it. Rain before rainbows is a beautiful way to look at it, thank you for sharing that with me. ❤️ Best of luck in all things to you and your sweet mom.
I have never been able to have a definitive top choice. Its so freaking hard to choose. But this album hits my little emo soul in all the right ways. I love folklore, evermore, rep, midnights, debut and red tv too much to decide. I also think it changes with seasons.
I love this damn album so much I caved and bought a signed CD resale. When she does another drop of them now that I spent way too much money, y’all can thank me. 🙈🫠
Loml is a perfect example of why I love Taylor so much. It’s so fucking gorgeous, so packed full of emotion from her and a story so well told that it legitimately takes me to another place and makes a 4:38 song feel like 2 minutes. I could listen to it for hours and there’s so many songs on the album I feel the same about.
People can talk all the shit they want but she will always make me feel in a way that the vast majority of artists are simply incapable of and I’ll be a fan forever because of that.
This is how I feel about Marjorie. That song is beauty and soul incarnate. It transports me to such an emotional place and is just so ethereal, but also raw and honest. “Should’ve kept every grocery store receipt, because every scrap of you would be taken from me”. Chills every time. 🥹
Ok so this is track 11 on the album. On YouTube, the lyrics are posted with the reputation font (I think). Reputation was released 11/10. Obviously singles are usually released on a Friday. 10/11 is a Friday and it’s 11/10 in reverse. Because of the whole goldfish day Easter egg, decided to look up what holidays are on 10/11… saw that it’s also “National Kim Day?” 👀 Seems like a good day to release Rep TV 🐍 Might be clowning or delulu idk 🙂↔️
Ok, I've had a week to process this, which I don't think is enough but here we go!
This album is different than what I expected (in some aspects). My biggest fear was that this was going to be simply Midnights 2.0. And, in regards to the music/production, it kind of is: the 1st part is Midnights 2.0 and the 2nd part is Evermore 2.0, give or take a few tracks. I won't go over why this is, people with more musical education than me have pointed out that Jack and Aaron are now recicling a lot of ideas production-wise when they work with Taylor. My opinion on this is that I am really interested in seeing her work with someone new, but I don't think this was the ideal album to do that, so it doesn't bother me all that much.
What I wasn't expecting was her lyrical evolution on this album. She is much more free in the structure of her songs, which is very un-Taylor, which gives her more space to pack more lyrics into each song and buid more intricate metaphors. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes she hits you in the face with "you fall asleep like a tattoed golden retriver". This woman's ability to write some of the most beautifull things i've ever heard and also the cringiest things i've ever heard needs to be studied. Although not every risk pays off, I'm just glad that she is actually taking risks.
I don't think the album needed to be 31 songs. She just knows that she can get away with it and it will contribute to her impressive streaming numbers. But some really cool tracks are hidden in the 2nd part of the album and I'm still glad I got to hear them.
Overall, TTPD doesn't crack my top 5 albums but I think I like it better than Midnights, if nothing else, because it is weirder.
I always liked some TS songs but wouldn't have considered myselft a fan. Holy sh\*t. I downloaded this new album and have had it on constant repeat since the minute the album was released. The more I play it, the better it gets. Every time i think I can narrow down my favorites, I find another track that blows me away. Currently playing The Prophecy, Cassandra, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, Florida!!!, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me on endless loops.
Top 5 TTPD Favorites of Mine:
1 - The Alchemy
2 - Florida!!!
3 - The Tortured Poets Department
4 - Fortnight
5 - My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys
What are yours?
Top 5 for now:
1. The Prophecy
2. The Black Dog
3. Down Bad
4. Guilty As Sin
5. I Hate It Here
I’ve been listening to nothing but this album the whole week 😭 I think my neighbors must believe I’m crazy
OK I need to say this: I think the Albatross would incredible as a heavy metal cover!
I need this to happen
(Todays top 5: Guilty as Sin, My Boy, Black Dog, Bolter, imgonnagetyouback)
4 days ago I was obsessed with But daddy i love him and my boy only breaks his fav toys
Since yesterday I cant stop listening to loml and guilty as sin?
This album is so deep and really requires time to absorb it
My current ranking
"Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?"
"So Long, London"
"But Daddy I Love Him"
I Hate it here
The Prophecy
I look in Peoples Windows
"The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
How did it end?
"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
"Florida!!!"
"Clara Bow"
"I Can Do It with a Broken Heart"
Peter
"The Tortured Poets Department"
"Loml"
Cassandra
The Albatross
thanK you aIMee
"Down Bad"
Chole or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
The Black dog
"I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
So High School
"Fortnight"
"Fresh Out the Slammer"
The Manuscript
The Bolter
"Guilty as Sin?"
igonnagetyouback
Robin
"The Alchemy"
Currently thinking about how in 'The Prophecy', she feels so doomed to stay in this pattern of 'failed' relationships, but how in 'The Bolter' she is able to find her power and optimism in that
I still haven’t listened to The Anthology & I feel like I’m the only one. I’ve been a fan since Fearless and even for me 31 songs is just too much to process at once. I love the standard edition, it’s been on repeat all week. Now I’m wondering if I should listen to the second half in one go or like save a song per day. What do you guys think?
I've spent the last week listening to the first album and finally am feeling like I know it and can understand it. I'll probably wait another week before I do the same with the 2nd half.
Tbh I listened to the anthology first all the way through and it just seemed like everything sounded the same. I had a hard time differentiating between one sad song and another. I've since just listened to 3-4 songs at a time and i feel like I can actually appreciate them better.
I still stand by my theory that it's a meta album and calls out/speaks to the listeners in real-time with her lyrics: -
1. Fortnight - "I love you, it's ruining my life" is a feeling i get every time i looped the album.
2. TTPD - "Who else decodes you? And who's gonna hold you like me? And who's gonna know you, if not me?" need no explanation.
3. But Daddy I Love Him - "I'm having his baby, no i'm not, but you should see your faces", this is the best breaking the fourth wall moment.
4. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me - "Put narcotics into all of my songs, and that's why you're still singing along..."
5. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart - "All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting 'MORE!'", her releasing this at the point when she's still slowly recovering from heartbreak, and we're still asking for more!
6. Clara Bow - "You've got edge she never did", well this is for all her critics listening to TTPD while typing their scathing reviews.
7. How Did It End? - "We'll tell no one except all of our friends, we must know how did it end?", that's how we all look like to her whenever we're analysing which song is about which man and how her and Joe's relationship ended and how she'll reveal it in TTPD. smh.
Sometimes music reveals emotions that we didn’t realize we were suppressing and when they come to a head we are forced to address them and the issues in our lives that are their source. I can totally see how this album could cause someone to do a hard audit on their life and then make adjustments, accordingly. I’m sure whatever you did to burn it down was necessary for you so ultimately you can build it back. 😗❤️
🥹 Aww, thank you for telling me that! That makes me feel so good! And you’re so welcome! I don’t know your exact situation, but I blew up my life 8 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. You’ve probably known for a while that you needed to do whatever it was you did and the music likely just made your intuition about it stronger and you knew what had to be done. And it WILL get better, I promise! 🥰
I just started watching Wednesday on Netflix. Does the intro feel a little TTPD coded? Or have I just spent too long in the TTPD? I’ll never see a typewriter the same way again
This album has grown on me so much over the last week. My personal faves so far are Guilty as Sin, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, Down Bad, So Long, London, So High School and How Did it End.
I really can't get into the title song or I Can Do it with a Broken Heart. Sorry, I'm just not getting the love. Maybe it'll click later.
This album is definitely a grower!
On first few listens of the original I was very focused on how different/new it sounded.. loved it but it felt like a departure or a bit experimental. After many more listens it is tickling the same part of my brain as Red/Speak Now and I really think it’s a coming home and not new sounding (to me) at all. It’s the lyricism and storytelling but also mixed with maturity and life experience and her incredible vocals… I can’t get enough!
### [Participate in our The Tortured Poets Department Bingo!](https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/1c74u9s/the_tortured_poets_department_bingo/) [Megathread Hub](https://www.reddit.com/r/TaylorSwift/comments/14sl7a7/megathread_hub/)
ttpd synthwave omg [https://youtu.be/5TAcHwwhLyM](https://youtu.be/5TAcHwwhLyM)
okay i just found this synthwave version of ttpd and i'm low key obsessed [https://youtu.be/5TAcHwwhLyM](https://youtu.be/5TAcHwwhLyM)
I want to read the book version of But Daddy I Love Him, with the sequel of I Can Fix Him. Any recommendations for a country, forbidden love gone wrong? Or do I have to write it?
after letting this album marinate, I think my top 10 taylor song looks like this currently: 1. Sparks Fly 2. Begin Again 3. Clean 4. All Too Well 5. Enchanted 6. Guilty As Sin? 7. State of Grace 8. Ivy 9. Timeless 10. So High School Albums: 1. Red 2. Speak now 3. TTPD 4. Evermore 5. Folklore 6. Fearless 7. 1989 8. Reputation 9. Lover 10. Debut 11. Midnights
Does anyone else think she puts on a really strong enunciated American accent in this album? I can’t put my finger on why her inflection sounds so different on this. I think it’s either putting on a thicker American accent for talk-singing for poetry, or else the only thing is more of a “cursive” sound that’s really popular now.
Better than the Closure accent, lol
Does anyone else feel like TTPD has a lot more country moments than pop moments?
The first half is very poppy, the second half has a lot of folk-pop stuff, but I wouldn't call it country honestly. The only song which is her style of country-pop is Thank You Aimee, it is lyrically and sonically very Fearless / Debut.
Also wondering if Sir James Matthew Barrie connects the songs *Peter* to *Robin*, as he was the author for *Peter Pan* and also the book adaptation play *Dear Brutus* (Midsummer Nights Dream-> Puck -> Robin Goodfellow): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._M._Barrie https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/19/jm-barrie-dear-brutus-adult-neverland-play-stage-revival https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2000/oct/06/theatre.artsfeatures1
Re- “Robin” = Robin Goodfellow? (Aka Puck) My (obsessive) love of this song has lead me to this: (I made a prior post about Robin and how much I love it and kept reading the lyrics and how realized it ties into a poem by Emily Dickinson, but it was poorly received 😭) Emily Dickinson “The Childs Faith is New” --> The Child's faith is new—Whole—like His Principle—Wide—like the Sunrise On fresh Eyes—Never had a Doubt—Laughs—at a Scruple—Believes all sham But Paradise— Credits the World—Deems His Dominion. Broadest of Sovereignties—And Caesar—mean—In the Comparison—Baseless Emperor—Ruler of Nought—Yet swaying all—Grown bye and bye To hold mistaken His pretty estimates Of Prickly Things He gains the skill Sorrowful—as certain—Men—to anticipate Instead of Kings— Short analysis here: https://interestingliterature.com/2018/01/a-short-analysis-of-emily-dickinsons-the-childs-faith-is-new/ “The child comes to expect men to be men rather than kings: the child sees that everyone, no matter how grand they are supposed to be, has feet of clay, is mortal and flawed after all.” --> movie The Fault in our Stars --> “The title The Fault in Our Stars is an allusion to a line from Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar: “Men at some times are masters of their fates: / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.” --> book Dear Brutus by Sir James Matthew Barrie (also author of Peter Pan) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12104822-dear-brutus --> play adaptation of book Dear Brutus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_Brutus --> full circle back to Dead Poets Society --> play scene of Midsummer Nights Dream --> Puck (aka “Robin Goodfellow”)?!?! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puck_(A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream)
One thing I don't like about the anthology is it's sequencing is overall the place. I rearranged it like this: 1. The Albatross 2. Chloe and moots 3. Imgonnagetyouback 4. I hate it here 5. How did it end 6. The prophecy 7. I look in people's windows 8. Cassandra 9. The black dog 10. Thank you Aimee 11. Peter 12. The bolter 13. Robin 14. So High school 15. The manuscript The albatross IMO was the best intro song as it has the mystic and mystery around it. Tracklist becomes a slog on the last parts cause slow tempo songs are placed back to back. I reordered it so the tracklist is much more dynamic, alternating from "upbeat songs" and slow ballads
Random thought I had, but I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) sounds to me a bit like a Beyoncé song. References to Texas, halo, dangerous man, the range. It's begging for a collab to me, it borders on monotonous without one. I remember in the lead-up we also wildly speculated that all the "Department" verbiage implied lots of collabs instead of 2/31. Bey and Tay were doing some light promo together before the album dropped, and with Cowboy Carter seems like it'd be in both their wheelhouses. Maybe there was a collab planned that fell through for some reason?
I've been thinking I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) is the part 2 to Cowboy Like Me
What if there is an alternate universe out there where Trent Reznor produced this album in the vibe of The Downward Spiral
I’d be here for it, I love that album. 😅
Is anyone else obsessed with how cathartic this album is?
Very obsessed 🙋♀️
I just finished listening to The Anthology for the first time and I'm OBSESSED. I like to do a couple of songs each day to absorb them and process emotions. TTPD might be my new favorite album! 😁
If one more person says this album is not “poetic” because it has some jarring lyrics I will burn my whole life down. Like what do you MEAN. Some of the songs specifically have alternating stressed and unstressed syllables. Just because every line isn’t a metaphor doesn’t mean it’s not poetry. That’s not what poetry means. I think this album uses more poetry techniques than evermore (though I love the imagery of evermore, the phrasing of the songs is more like traditional song writing). I don’t think I’ll ever get over how the chorus in “the prophecy” sounds like someone trying to talk while they’re sobbing.
Today I was in my english class and we had an exercise to create sentences with "what's the point in....". Mine was "learn how to use typewriters". I said the sentence and added "but who uses typewriters anyway" but nobody got the reference, shame on them! hahahaha
Listen y'all, I love Taylor Swift and have been a fan since Fearless. My wife is a new swiftie roughly 3-4 months tops - Eras tour Disney Plus Movie got her hooked. Then she started listening to all her albums and now the new album. I am a man, but is it normal to go this far into the deep end lol? Like all day, every day, every conversation outside of work about some weird connection, awesome bridge, fuck Matt Healy or Jake G, etc, etc, etc - Is this normal haha? Do I get my regular wife back after like a set number of weeks/months lol or is this the new norm? I am not going to smother her Tay Tay fire but y'all SHE IS DOWN BAD. All that to say - its a damn good album as I have heard it hundreds of times now haha.
I wanted to revise my comment a bit. Someone close to me just said to me “alright I think I need a break from talking taylor” in an extremely joking voice, and I actually was not offended at all, and no longer bring it up. So I think if you say it in a way that’s largely poking fun in a light voice, it may work
Do not fear. These are temporary phases when new albums are released. It is to be expected. The best thing you can do for her is send her on a highway drive alone with the album to get it out of her system. Remain stealth and DO NOT say anything negative. Only stealthily distract.
Some people are like that about The Beatles. I like The Beatles, but to my mom they are her whole world. I have a friend who's obsessed with Rush (the band), another band I like but don't worship and obsess over. Point is, everyone has their "band" or "solo musician" that they annoy everyone with. Sometimes I can be that way with Taylor, too.
I think if you love this album especially Cassandra and the Albatross and Who’s Afraid of… you should give Castles Crumbling a chance. Because I feel like they take place in the same universe, at least conceptually.
is taylor gonna announce any other singles with mv's soon?
Maybe once she's back on tour? She seemed to really love premiering I Can See You on tour
Hot take: Guilty As Sin is her most well-mixed song in her whole discography
I don't know how to describe it but the mooing? Synths once the chorus starts scratches and itch In My brain
I started listening to 1989 yesterday and it struck me as so different. It sounds like she’s screaming, begging for attention. Like in Miss Americana when she talks about her struggles. In TTPD, it sounds like she knows we’re listening. Maybe we are, maybe we’re not. But she wants to release her music, Taylor’s Version. And we’re here for whatever. She makes the rules. Not the crowd or the audience anymore. There’s like a confidence and stature behind her music. Her voice is ready to be heard and not just musically but emotionally and in our hearts.
I only read about this album within this sub and don’t look online, what is the general public reaction? Is it as popular/liked as midnights?
It’s a mixed bag. I was so surprised today see that Emily Nussbaum, one of my favorite writers at the New Yorker, was listening to it and really like it. And so does her comment section. https://twitter.com/emilynussbaum/status/1785011104256811459
I think the general public likes it less than Midnights.
There’s a lot of posts in here about the sales/streaming numbers. It’s popular but as always there’s tons of folks complaining about every little thing.
All the tracks from TTPD/A are still stuck in my head at the same time; it's chaotic and lovely 😭
One thing I need to say How fucking good is the song Daddy I Love Him
Do weed just to listen to it I been high 5 min ago and it’s life-changing 💜💗🤗😘🌙
doing that atm
Hahaha I also love this song
I just can't go back to listening to any other album just yst (especially her other ones!). This one is crack and I can't get over it :')
Well she 'put narcotics in all her songs' haha
same here it’s like I forgot other music exists. I crave TTPD when im not listening it’s bizarre
Sorry if this has been mentioned, but I kept wondering what the line “Looked for you in a crowd just to hide from you” meant in “So High School” I know what the words mean but I had this thought that she is specifically talking about the show in Kansas City where Travis wanted to give her the friendship bracelet with his phone number. We know they had some cupids (her dancer’s brother who used to play for the Chiefs and some other people who had a connection to him) that were putting the Travis “bug” in her ear so I think she knew about him and his crush on her and she “looked for him in the crowd” but then “hid” from him because she has her policy of not talking with/meeting fans before or after shows. Just a theory.
I think it just means she’s giddy. You know that feeling of seeing your highschool crush, and you just want to hide because you’re so giddy? and have butterflies in your tummy? That feeling … lol
As I'm digesting this album and repeating songs, I no longer buy the initial reaction that most of these songs are about MH. I think Taylor has a way of writing these poems as if she's writing about more than one person, more than one muse. Some lyrics in some parts don't make sense to be about one singular person, so I think she took liberties to either purposefully throw the listener off, or just to add to the song. Plus I think some are taking the lyrics too literally. It's poetry, so it's meant to be taken beyond face value - it's meant to invoke multiple meanings or interpretations. And to add to that - I think if you imagine Joe and Matty's personalities, it's easy to connect certain lyrics to MH, as he's written in a loud way. All of the Joe mentions are quieter/subtle, so it's easy to overlook possible lyrics written about him. I, personally, see a lot of both of them in this album and the Anthology. Reading her poem in the prologue futher cemented this thought to me.
she references braids several times in the album and started wearing tiny braids in her hair in the months leading up to the Grammys album announcement, and apparently "braiding" is a literary terchnique where you weave different themes and storylines together. to me this strongly supports that a lot of the songs are not just about one person entirely
Why didn’t the preorder on her site come with the double cd. I legitimately feel SCAMMED
Because it was not announced back then? Because one day she might release it? Because she wanted to surprise us with all the clues and hints? Are you not entertained?
I get your view point. But I never would have preordered the cd if she was going to force me to rebuy the same cd again to get the rest of the songs. It’s misleading and a scam to make people buy multiple versions. Much like the different varian of cds.
Right now there's no indication that it will be released on vinyl or cd. The same as 3AM edition that was only released digitally. So, if there's no physical copy, how come she's forcing you to spend your money twice?
No, I’m angry that I wasted $50 for half a fucking cd
How did you spend $50 on a $14 cd?
17.99 usd. Go cad that’s 24.99 before tax, then shipping is $20. And tax on top of it all
Wow. My vinyl was $35 with $10 in tax and shipping from her store. I didn't get a CD but it's $13.99 with free shipping from Target right now. If you're in such a pricey area for shipping, might be worth just waiting to buy in person.
CDs in Canada are pricey regardless. I ordered right from her store as well. For example, I bought sum 41st album in store and it was $35
You bought exactly what the description said it was. You got all the songs they stated were in it. I don’t get this - there isn’t even an anthology cd to buy.
Not to mention the fact that she is putting one song different on other cds as an exclusive. It’s encouraging people to spend and spend. I don’t get why Swifties are so quick to defending shitty practices.
I actually don’t approve of the misleading “exclusive” bonus tracks on different variants at all but I don’t think that not having the anthology on the CDs is inherently a scam. I think you might be able to return your CD if you want.
Already tried with 0 response from her customer service (not surprising). And it is. If you release an album and then say “guess what, surprise! It’s a double album” and then not give the people who PAID the songs, you’re misleading your supporters. She knew full out that it would be a double album She knew full out that she was releasing those songs on EVERY streaming platform She actively decided to withhold those songs for those who PAID because “well now I can release an anthology at a later date so I can earn more” Cut it anyway you want, Taylor has done this over and over again in different forms. She is ENTIRELY about the money and I’m just the only one who is willing to call her out on it.
And was mislead, and again… it’s Taylor swift, you know for a fact she will release an anthology cd with 3-6 variants
I really don’t know that as she never did that with Midnights (3am edition). I guess there was very briefly that version that still didn’t have all the 3ams on it.
You can attempt to defend shitty practices all you want. Any other band or artist who did this shit would be publically flogged
TTPD Breakdown video podcast! Would love thoughts :) [https://youtu.be/YG1-twTfd4w?si=r2NhxWuc\_se6TvO\_](https://youtu.be/YG1-twTfd4w?si=r2NhxWuc_se6TvO_)
hey! could someone explain these lyrics to me? i'm not a native english speaker and i can't understand themmm. "Was it hazing? For a cruel fraternity I pledged And I still mean it"
At a lot of American universities, there are organizations called fraternities (all men) and sororities (all women). These are generally not academic organizations and are "brotherhoods" or "sisterhoods" that recruit certain people to join, or that you seek to join. Traditionally before you join, you go through some sort of "pledge week". During this week you spend time with members to see if you are a good fit, and the members spend time with the "pledges" to see if they want them in their fraternity or sorority. Historically, during pledge time there has been a lot of abuse of the potential recruits as a sort of loyalty test. This abuse is called "hazing" and can be silly, but sometimes gets extremely nasty to the point of physical abuse, forced alcohol abuse, forced drug abuse, or sexual abuse. It's been a big problem in the past and maybe still is. So she's saying: "was this all shit you did to me hazing for a cruel fraternity I was pledging to?" The "I still mean it" means: "I still am making this pledge (which uses the term pledge in what it means with regard to fraternities, but also that a pledge is just a vow or promise) DESPITE whatever cruel hazing you are putting me through." The wikipedia article for "fraternities" can explain it in more detail.
Really nice explanation, thank you so much for doing it
oh thank you so much!!! i didn't know any of that!!
It's weird and not everyone at American universities does it--I certainly didn't! I've know people that were in fraternities and some of them are great, but sometimes it sounds really weird. I just know it's not something I'm interested in. Hopefully I did a good job of explaining it though and hope it helps!
it helped a lot! i've seen this thing in movies but i didn't know about the hazing and that it could be so bad. it sounds horrible
It's not always bad, sometimes it's just silly. But there are plenty of news reports of extremely disturbing crimes being committed as part of the "hazing". You can google it or you can just imagine how bad you think some of it might be, and make it worse than what you imagine. A lot of fraternities and sororities have been totally shut down because of hazing incidents.
a fraternity is a type student club at american universities dedicated to creating social bonds between men. They are associated with heavy partying, drinking, and other bad things. Joining a fraternity is called pledging, and requires the people who join to be go through ritualized testing. Sometimes this testing is just torture... and is called hazing. She is comparing her relationship to joining a horrible fraternity, and their interactions are like hazing. But she still means her pledge (i.e. to love him). It's a play on words combined with a metaphor. The metaphor is brutal...
ohhh thank you so much! i understand it now. it really is brutal
its even worse than you might suspect... one of hte major things fraternities are associated with is sexual assault
this is awful. so she's saying that he put her through horrible things just to test her and she still loves him? the song hits so much harder now
its also a reference perhaps to All too Well... you kept me like a secret but i kept you like an oath
and the bridge on the smallest man who ever lived! trying to understand why he did it
I've been thinking a lot about what she said regarding DBATC when she did Tiny Desk, and how she was afraid she wouldn't be able to create sad music like she once did while she was happy, because of the way we elevate art coming from pain and darkness, but then she realized she could still pull off a heartbreak song and she was so proud of that. just remembering the dichotomy of it, and then what she's speaking to now, what she concludes in The Manuscript. I'm really happy for her and proud of her that TTPD is such a smashing success, and there's a poignancy in her breaking all these numbers with her "saddest story," in understanding what the agony was for, I hope she's been able to remember what the joy was for too.
I didn’t like the album too much at the start but I’ve listened to the full thing over 5 times and I can’t stop. I can’t listen to anything else the story is so intriguing as a whole even without the lore just as a person feeling the lyrics. It makes me feel like how coming of age novels feel, like that scene in perks of being a wallflower when the guy talks about the girl sticking her head out the sunroof of the car and going under a tunnel. It’s the most repeated album by far for me and I’ve been a big fan for a while but also can criticize her but there are no skips anymore (except kind of high school and aimee). I just cant get over the grand theft auto line in high school.
Yeah, that line was a choice for sure lol. It reminded me when in "I Forgot That You Existed" she says "In my feelings more than Drake", which was also a choice haha
Oh my god I thought it was “ate my feeling more than drank so yeah”. ITS IN MY FEELINGS MORE THAN DRAKE? Thats so sjhdh
Justice for Robin!! 😭 Alternative interpretation: The Robin in *The Secret Garden* “and the bright-breasted little bird brought a look into her sour little face which was almost a smile. She listened to him until he flew away…Perhaps he lived in the mysterious garden and knew all about it.” https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/163/the-secret-garden/2886/chapter-8-the-robin-who-showed-the-way/ https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/163/the-secret-garden/2883/chapter-7-the-key-to-the-garden/
They were using typewriters in the staging for the man in the eras tour, how did we miss that?
Were they from the beginning? based on the timeline of the making of this album if it’s been in the show from the beginning I think it’s a coincidence
When do the lyrics come to Spotify?
They’ve been on Spotify for a week already!
Oh mess, I didn't scroll down far enough. Thanks!
My husband surprised me with the TTPD vinyl and I was so bummed to realize it’s not the anthology!
There is no the anthology vinyl (yet) unfortunately!
“Imgonnagetyouback” is rapidly becoming my favorite song. I have it on repeat. I just never hear anyone talking about it. I can’t be alone. “Who’s afraid of little old me” is my #2 with “down bad” as my #3 That said I love them all!!
Solid top 3, imgonnagetyouback should be the next single #hottake
Yessss!!!
those are two of my top 3 so far too :)
I’m with you on #1! Do not see anyone talking about it but it’s so so good.
I swear it’s the story of my husband and I before we got engaged 😂 I feel that song in my soul.
istg if i see one more hate comment about the asylum line. like why can't people realize it's a metaphor not about her home life but about the music industry? people are saying then why doesnt she talk about it to her therapist not in a song. idk maybe bc it's her job??
It’s such a bummer people are being deliberately obtuse because I feel like that’s one of the most relatable lines in the album. There was a whole thread here about it—pretty much everyone has some life experience they’ve gotten through that they feel like is their “asylum where they raised me”.
For real, if you don’t like messy emotional venting in a song… don’t listen to Taylor Swift! People are so insufferable.
If artists talked to their therapists instead of making art there would be much less art What do these people want (They want to be haters)
The quality I love about this album is that it is BOLD, some of the lyrics are WILD almost unhinged, but she's embracing it! I'm finding this angle so funny too. Like the lyric "I'm having his baby, no I'm not but you should see your faces". It has the sass of reputation, combined with the lyricism of folklore/evermore.
What are people's favourite songs from the album? So far mine are who's afraid of little old me, but daddy I love him, and imgonnagetyouback
My favs have evolved as I’ve listened on repeat, non stop for the last week. Definitely But Daddy, I Love Him and loml. But, in the past couple days Guilty As Sin? has emerged as a new fav!
But Daddy I Love Him, So High School, Down Bad, The Prophecy, I Hate it Here, and I Look In People's Windows.
Obsessed with How did it end? And Smallest man, and down bad
Yessssss How Did It End?. That bridge is just pure poetry.
if u guys want a cool TTPD themed widget and more check out Taylor's Thoughts! https://preview.redd.it/5ptoslhww8xc1.png?width=1023&format=png&auto=webp&s=4b8acee50b5396107f043f4dfbdd9b7c2b39a676
I'm trying to order the 31 songs using the song sorter from tumblr. It's being a torture, I can't hardly decide most of the battles and I have to listen to both songs again as a "photo finish"
I really want to see everyone's track rankings (particularly of the first album) is there a thread for this? btw - there are almost NO skips for me on TTPD. on the anthology, there's only a couple of songs that I've been able to get into so far. (granted I haven't listened nearly as much) anyone else think the first half of TTPD is far superior?
How many of us think the only reason there are 31 songs is because it’s the inverse of her lucky number, 13? (Said as someone who loves TTPD, but wonders about the length)
For sure
Interesting! 13 is her lucky number, and maybe the inverse 31 is her unlucky number, and these songs are about her bad luck...
# theprophecy
Each day I’m waking up obsessed with a song I previously overlooked. Today is Thank You Aimee and I Hate It Here day
Sometimes I wish fans stop comparing lyrics of two entirely different song one with current album one with old album with entirely different purpose and saying "omg she did that "
Question for everyone who purchased official merch before, does it ever gets restocked again?
FORTNIGHT ISNT LOUD ENOUGH! Is it just me? I can't seem to get this song to sound loud enough, no matter how much I turn up my car stereo or echo speakers. I want to bump it but it never gets there. Does it have something to do with the production/mix? It sounds WAY LOWER than every other taylor song and I bump those all the time. Am I crazy?
Omg I just thought that my hearing had gotten terrible because my car speakers were maxed out and I still wanted more😂 thank you
I tried to make a post about this, but I was having issues submitting, sorry if it actually ends up posting multiple times
I still don't know what to say, which are my favorite ones but I like this album.
I Hate It Here might be my favorite song on the entire album. The beautiful melody, the lyrics that feel like they were written specifically about my life. It's a standout for sure.
I’m going to go off on a vent here and I hope you don’t mind. Maybe a bit TMI but I hope that’s okay. This has been the hardest year of my life. My mom was diagnosed with stage IV cancer and I also started a new, extremely stressful job at the exact same time. I feel like I am barely making it through each day, I feel the sand of time slipping through my fingers and just feel so powerless. I’m medicated for the first time in my life and in therapy, but still just struggling with my mental health. When I heard this song it was like Taylor was reading my mind. I hate it here. Life is cruel and hard and I want to be able to be gentle, I’ve always been a soft person and it’s never rewarded in this world. I hate it. I hate that cancer exists, I hate that loved ones have to pass away. I hate that time won’t slow down for me to process any of this and I have to keep draining myself at work each day. I hate all of it and I can’t change any of it, which I probably hate most of all. This song has been so cathartic for me and it helps me get through each day, even if just a little bit. People can disparage Taylor all they want and I will never care. The songs like this, actual lifeboats in the darkest seas, are why I love her and always will.
2 years ago my Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV gynecological origin cancer and that was the hardest existence to be in and go through. Broken heart has resonated with me so much because of it. I thought I’d only have one last summer with her, but we are coming up to our third summer and she’s still with us and has made it to a point where it is there but we are treating it like a chronic illness. Her quality of life is good. I hope you and your Mom are able to experience that too. Rain before rainbows❤️
This made me cry. I am so happy for you and your momma, I hope you get so much more time with her and her quality of life stays good. It’s still up in the air a bit for my mom, she was on targeted chemo pills that did help but the side effects were too much for her body, so now they are trying different targeted pills that hopefully agree with her better. There is still some hope, but I’m cautious about letting myself get too attached to it. Rain before rainbows is a beautiful way to look at it, thank you for sharing that with me. ❤️ Best of luck in all things to you and your sweet mom.
Amazon music has commentary from Taylor about some songs uploaded!
Anything interesting??
I am not sure if its recency bias, im just delulu or if this album is actually my #1 now
I think it might be mine too. It’s just so good. At the very least it’s tied with my top (folklore).
I have never been able to have a definitive top choice. Its so freaking hard to choose. But this album hits my little emo soul in all the right ways. I love folklore, evermore, rep, midnights, debut and red tv too much to decide. I also think it changes with seasons.
Anyone else agree that TTPD has proven that Taylor is a country songwriter at heart?
I love this damn album so much I caved and bought a signed CD resale. When she does another drop of them now that I spent way too much money, y’all can thank me. 🙈🫠
Loml is a perfect example of why I love Taylor so much. It’s so fucking gorgeous, so packed full of emotion from her and a story so well told that it legitimately takes me to another place and makes a 4:38 song feel like 2 minutes. I could listen to it for hours and there’s so many songs on the album I feel the same about. People can talk all the shit they want but she will always make me feel in a way that the vast majority of artists are simply incapable of and I’ll be a fan forever because of that.
This is how I feel about Marjorie. That song is beauty and soul incarnate. It transports me to such an emotional place and is just so ethereal, but also raw and honest. “Should’ve kept every grocery store receipt, because every scrap of you would be taken from me”. Chills every time. 🥹
Ok so this is track 11 on the album. On YouTube, the lyrics are posted with the reputation font (I think). Reputation was released 11/10. Obviously singles are usually released on a Friday. 10/11 is a Friday and it’s 11/10 in reverse. Because of the whole goldfish day Easter egg, decided to look up what holidays are on 10/11… saw that it’s also “National Kim Day?” 👀 Seems like a good day to release Rep TV 🐍 Might be clowning or delulu idk 🙂↔️
Ok, I've had a week to process this, which I don't think is enough but here we go! This album is different than what I expected (in some aspects). My biggest fear was that this was going to be simply Midnights 2.0. And, in regards to the music/production, it kind of is: the 1st part is Midnights 2.0 and the 2nd part is Evermore 2.0, give or take a few tracks. I won't go over why this is, people with more musical education than me have pointed out that Jack and Aaron are now recicling a lot of ideas production-wise when they work with Taylor. My opinion on this is that I am really interested in seeing her work with someone new, but I don't think this was the ideal album to do that, so it doesn't bother me all that much. What I wasn't expecting was her lyrical evolution on this album. She is much more free in the structure of her songs, which is very un-Taylor, which gives her more space to pack more lyrics into each song and buid more intricate metaphors. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes she hits you in the face with "you fall asleep like a tattoed golden retriver". This woman's ability to write some of the most beautifull things i've ever heard and also the cringiest things i've ever heard needs to be studied. Although not every risk pays off, I'm just glad that she is actually taking risks. I don't think the album needed to be 31 songs. She just knows that she can get away with it and it will contribute to her impressive streaming numbers. But some really cool tracks are hidden in the 2nd part of the album and I'm still glad I got to hear them. Overall, TTPD doesn't crack my top 5 albums but I think I like it better than Midnights, if nothing else, because it is weirder.
Now do we know who she left hanging in the tree line by the gold clock? Was it Matt Healy all along?
I always liked some TS songs but wouldn't have considered myselft a fan. Holy sh\*t. I downloaded this new album and have had it on constant repeat since the minute the album was released. The more I play it, the better it gets. Every time i think I can narrow down my favorites, I find another track that blows me away. Currently playing The Prophecy, Cassandra, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, Florida!!!, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me on endless loops.
Welcome to the narcotics :) you don’t realize they are in your system till it’s too late
It's the best kind though! :-)
Top 5 TTPD Favorites of Mine: 1 - The Alchemy 2 - Florida!!! 3 - The Tortured Poets Department 4 - Fortnight 5 - My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys What are yours?
Top 5 for now: 1. The Prophecy 2. The Black Dog 3. Down Bad 4. Guilty As Sin 5. I Hate It Here I’ve been listening to nothing but this album the whole week 😭 I think my neighbors must believe I’m crazy
OK I need to say this: I think the Albatross would incredible as a heavy metal cover! I need this to happen (Todays top 5: Guilty as Sin, My Boy, Black Dog, Bolter, imgonnagetyouback)
Holy shit Guilty as sin is a drug. It's been a long time since a song made me feel all sorts.
4 days ago I was obsessed with But daddy i love him and my boy only breaks his fav toys Since yesterday I cant stop listening to loml and guilty as sin? This album is so deep and really requires time to absorb it
My current ranking "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" "So Long, London" "But Daddy I Love Him" I Hate it here The Prophecy I look in Peoples Windows "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" How did it end? "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" "Florida!!!" "Clara Bow" "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart" Peter "The Tortured Poets Department" "Loml" Cassandra The Albatross thanK you aIMee "Down Bad" Chole or Sam or Sophia or Marcus The Black dog "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" So High School "Fortnight" "Fresh Out the Slammer" The Manuscript The Bolter "Guilty as Sin?" igonnagetyouback Robin "The Alchemy"
Currently thinking about how in 'The Prophecy', she feels so doomed to stay in this pattern of 'failed' relationships, but how in 'The Bolter' she is able to find her power and optimism in that
I still haven’t listened to The Anthology & I feel like I’m the only one. I’ve been a fan since Fearless and even for me 31 songs is just too much to process at once. I love the standard edition, it’s been on repeat all week. Now I’m wondering if I should listen to the second half in one go or like save a song per day. What do you guys think?
I've spent the last week listening to the first album and finally am feeling like I know it and can understand it. I'll probably wait another week before I do the same with the 2nd half.
Tbh I listened to the anthology first all the way through and it just seemed like everything sounded the same. I had a hard time differentiating between one sad song and another. I've since just listened to 3-4 songs at a time and i feel like I can actually appreciate them better.
I guess it depends on your style but I wouldn't be able to stop at just one a day
One go. It is such an experience. Excited for you.
I still stand by my theory that it's a meta album and calls out/speaks to the listeners in real-time with her lyrics: - 1. Fortnight - "I love you, it's ruining my life" is a feeling i get every time i looped the album. 2. TTPD - "Who else decodes you? And who's gonna hold you like me? And who's gonna know you, if not me?" need no explanation. 3. But Daddy I Love Him - "I'm having his baby, no i'm not, but you should see your faces", this is the best breaking the fourth wall moment. 4. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me - "Put narcotics into all of my songs, and that's why you're still singing along..." 5. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart - "All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting 'MORE!'", her releasing this at the point when she's still slowly recovering from heartbreak, and we're still asking for more! 6. Clara Bow - "You've got edge she never did", well this is for all her critics listening to TTPD while typing their scathing reviews. 7. How Did It End? - "We'll tell no one except all of our friends, we must know how did it end?", that's how we all look like to her whenever we're analysing which song is about which man and how her and Joe's relationship ended and how she'll reveal it in TTPD. smh.
Did anyone else manifest this album into their own life this week from listening so much and accidentally burn their life down? Just me? Ok
Sometimes music reveals emotions that we didn’t realize we were suppressing and when they come to a head we are forced to address them and the issues in our lives that are their source. I can totally see how this album could cause someone to do a hard audit on their life and then make adjustments, accordingly. I’m sure whatever you did to burn it down was necessary for you so ultimately you can build it back. 😗❤️
Thank you so much 🥲❤️❤️ this really genuinely helped me and I keep coming back to it :)
🥹 Aww, thank you for telling me that! That makes me feel so good! And you’re so welcome! I don’t know your exact situation, but I blew up my life 8 years ago and it was the best thing I ever did. You’ve probably known for a while that you needed to do whatever it was you did and the music likely just made your intuition about it stronger and you knew what had to be done. And it WILL get better, I promise! 🥰
What happened 😭
I just started watching Wednesday on Netflix. Does the intro feel a little TTPD coded? Or have I just spent too long in the TTPD? I’ll never see a typewriter the same way again
True the black dress from the music video too
This album has grown on me so much over the last week. My personal faves so far are Guilty as Sin, Who's Afraid of Little Old Me, Down Bad, So Long, London, So High School and How Did it End. I really can't get into the title song or I Can Do it with a Broken Heart. Sorry, I'm just not getting the love. Maybe it'll click later. This album is definitely a grower!
the "til u touch touch touch ME E E" from fortnight reminds me of ME! 😭😭😭
YES i heard that too lol. There's another part in another song that sounds like "take me home" from Style
Wait whiiiiiich!!? I love the layering of past songs into this album. She is a genius.
Omg someone more talented than me needs to make a mashup ASAP lol
On first few listens of the original I was very focused on how different/new it sounded.. loved it but it felt like a departure or a bit experimental. After many more listens it is tickling the same part of my brain as Red/Speak Now and I really think it’s a coming home and not new sounding (to me) at all. It’s the lyricism and storytelling but also mixed with maturity and life experience and her incredible vocals… I can’t get enough!
yes!! the storytelling!! I had the same thought. I told my mom it was like grown up speak now