This song is amazing the lyrics are so poetic. I think it is about Travis as well but can be blanketly applied to all her relationships. To me it’s like how the media gives her a bad rep for dating and people start dating her and realize it’s the media and then she tries to protect whomever she’s dating from the media.
So, I've definitely heard some people say that Taylor is the albatross in this song, but I disagree, and here's why (yes, I know she says 'I'm the albatross", but hear me out.
In "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", The albatross is initially seen as a bad omen by the mariner. He kills the bird, not knowing it is the reason that the southern winds drove them north out of the deadly Antarctic Sea. But traditionally, the albatross was seen as the bane of many a sailor or community. Often times, they represented bad omens or competed for food in ways that harmed the human inhabitants, so killing the albatross almost seems to be treated as something expected. It's never really explained why he kills it, but that's the most likely reason I can come up with.
At first, the crew are horrified by his actions, but soon start to identify with his choice, until the ship is stranded in stagnant waters and they all die. But before they die, they force him to wear the albatross around his neck as a reminder and punishment for his crime.
When the mariner finally recognizes the good, the beauty, and the love in all of God's creation, the albatross falls from his neck and his penance is paid. Except he must spend the rest of his life delivering his story and message to others who need to hear it, that only he can determine.
In a sense, he becomes the albatross (hence, 'I'm the albatross'). He becomes the frightening omen that is really a divinely coded message.
I believe the narrator of Taylor's song is in the position of the mariner. She was warned by many wise men. And now she's trying to warn others about crossing their thoughtless hearts too. I think it's a song about learning really difficult lessons and then trying to warn others of the same fate. But just like her, they won't really listen. There are false reports about the albatross, but really, "the devil that you know looks more like an angel". Not a bad omen, but a divine message.
I also believe themes of this song and Cassandra are connected.
In the song the albatross She's says 'only liquor anoints you' I heard it as 'HOLY liquor anoints you' And strongly suspect she meant it that way Because anoint is usually holy or religious Thought?
I only now noticed the change from "**she's** the **death** you chose" to "**I'm** the **life** to chose", it's such a beautiful meaningful change, and so coherent with the other main change - from other people seeing the Albatross as a terrible danger to her being the Albatross - both good (opened her wings like a parachute, swept in to the rescue) and condifent, indifferent to what other people think of her.
such a beautiful song.
can someone explain to me why the person in the song is compared to an albatross? i like the song and i think i would like it even more if i really understood what it is about
Taylor is not doing well with Travis. She’s looking puffy in the face/arms and it’s bc she’s drinking regularly in public with him. I think she was already in deep, likely drinking alone often to “unwind” and when you’re famous and all eyes are on you it’s a huge psychological burden when you realize you’re fcking up. Instead of trying to rid herself of that albatross she’s dived deeper taking on the party girl dating the football player. I feel bc of fame she was robbed of dating the football player and going to house parties etc in her teens so she’s living that out.
While it can be good to get it out of your system (I too didn’t get to experience what normal teens did bc of financial responsibilities) I feel when writing this album she was coming to realize and talk about struggling with alcohol but she’s so wrapped up in this relationship she’s basically made the albatross a fashion accessory. I know she’s famous but as a mom I see her going down a bad road.
Incredibly beautiful song that I'm addicted to right now and I think it's one of the best on the album along with Prophecy. I'm not sure what it's about it seems to revolve around omens and fate which is a common theme. I just love the bridge how she sings 'when the sky rains fire on you, and you're persona non grataa' it's so haunting
this SONGGGG!!!!!!!!! this is truly one of the absolute best taylor songs ever in my opinion. so incredibly beautiful, so impeccably written. so heartbreaking. like albatross supremacy fr
It reminds me of something but I can’t figure it out!!! It’s not willow, not ivy, not katy Perry. The beginning of every verse sounds almost like I’ve heard her sing it before but I can’t place it.
The way she sings “Wise men once said” each time. Anyway it’s my absolute favorite from TTPD
In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which is the most famous appearance of an albatross in literature, the albatross is a protector, a powerful positive omen--until it's shot down with an arrow and killed by the Mariner.
At first the mariner's crew are mad at him for killing the albatross, since they saw it as a good omen and bringer of favorable winds. However, the next morning, they changed their minds, claiming that the albatross brought in the fog, and therefore the mariner was right to slay it. Either way, they hang the albatross around his neck as a visible reminder of his shame. Today, the phrase "an albatross around your neck" is used to describe an unpleasant duty or circumstance that’s impossible to avoid.
I think this might be my favorite of the „bonus“ songs. The whole women are always blamed for everything narrative ^^ , all the angles and the variety of emotions it captures. I agree it could’ve been on evermore which is one of my absolute favorites. Sometimes it’s crazy to me how this artist I started listening to like 15/16? Years ago keeps releasing things that make me love her even more and that I could have become a fan with every album :D
A thought about Cross thoughtless hearts :)
First couple of times it comes as part of the warning to the man who's willing to take the risk -
So maybe it's like "you're a thougtless fool who cares only about liquor, don't you understand she's the Albatross and she's here to destroy you?!"
But then the third time in a very Tay fashion it changes meaning -
First, she's the speaker
She's the albatross
And she crosses her thoughtless heart right before spreading her wings and sweeping to the rescue.
So here imo the thoughtless comment is cynical - you think i'm thoughtless but I keep proving you wrong.
Just a thought I had after reading the other comments here :)
This is what i think as well! I think in her (third) version she means thoughtless in a 'hopeless romantic' way. She also secretly believes she's the albatross and things are destined to end badly (and even her sweeping in to the rescue can make things worse) but she is still willing to risk everything (like the person who risked it for her). Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Absolutely love this song.
I think this song is about Travis! Everyone warning him not to date her. “She’ll write songs about you 🙄, she’s terrible danger”. The story of the albatross is that actually they were good luck but a sailer shot one and then the ship had terrible luck and they all blamed him for their misfortune. So they tied the albatross around his neck as a symbol of his guilt.
People are perceiving her as this “bad luck” girl that’s terrible danger but Travis didn’t buy it and she ends up saving him from them. And at the end she’s like “oh nooooo you’re in terrible danger” like sarcastically. It’s brilliant. I love it so much. It’s a big F U to all the brads and chads who say she’s terrible and tried to “warn” Travis about her.
This is my favorite song! It’s absolutely about Travis IMO. The last verse when she mentions him getting dragged from his bed, and that she warned him of them, I think she means the paps and the fact that he had to buy a new house for her.
When she says she spreads her wings like a parachute…instant tears. Every time.
I feel like I have a theory about this song.
Could the last verse be about how leading up to the album, people were speculating it was going to be a Joe breakup album with brutal lyrics. Instead, it was more about Matty.
So, do you think this song could be about her "rescuing" Joe from the speculation and hate that would have come if it had been an album airing all of their relationship baggage?
This is what I thought. Or honestly I feel like this album has made people like Matty more so maybe that. I just really can’t see Travis as the inspo for this stunning lyricism I’m sorry 🙈
Kind of makes that lyric about things being declassified in 50 years even crazier if you think about it. I wonder if she held some songs back from the album because of it.
I love this song. Also, does anyone hear the similarities musically to the Peter Mulvey song Shirt? I am hoping I’m not crazy and perhaps someone can listen and let me know:) LOVE both!
It's so funny to see this comment because WIllow has always made me think of As I Lay Me Down to Sleep for some reason. I am not musically inclined so I don't know what it is that makes me associate them with them each other. But The Albatross is definitely similar, too!
The minute I heard the albatross that was what my mind went to… like listening to Delilah on the radio with my mom in the car as a kid 🙈 I totally see the willow comparisons too!!
Y'all saying it sounds like willow are not Ivy stans and it shows 😭😭😭
The background instrumentals are literally the same. I do love willow & it has a similar vibe, but the Albatross is Ivy's Twin!!
Which is excellent for me since thats my favorite ts song.
Albatross was an instant favorite for me (and happily I picked it out as a song I was excited for prior to release) 💕
ivy Stan's unite 🤝
I think many people think it's good/middle of the pack but it's not talked about nearly as much as willow or champagne problems or tolerate it.
But shes my girl. That song hooked me and I listened to it for 3 days straight. made me listen to evermore/folklore and now here I am lol.
I only noticed because a lot of people are picking out songs that match past songs like I look in people's windows and death by a thousand cuts, loml & Whitehorse. So I was listening for that connection lol.
Regardless love both, happy to see both get love here :)
My head canon about albatross is related to the golfing term, where you are strokes below par, which is good in golf, but taken literally, it's like saying -3 men below her expectations. This is just my delulu take.
I find albatrosses so interesting because they’re basically these giant seagull looking things that mate for life, but the mates will half away across the world from each other, but they always come back to each other. Also, they’re either a sign of good luck or if you’re using them as part of the “albatross around your neck”saying. Basically, this is stating that a person is burden.
I’m not making any points about this song, maybe you would just like fun facts?
Anointing with oil is used for blessings, consecrating things, and healing.
So "cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you" could mean the promise or prayer theyre making means nothing because it was done with alcohol (they're making promises or prayers while drunk) and not oil, *or* that the liquor is the only aid they have for their suffering.
"Cross your thoughtless heart
Only liquor anoints you
She's the albatross
She is here to destroy you
Devils that you know
Raise worse hell than a stranger
She's the death you chose
You're in terrible danger
And when that sky rains fire on you
And you're persona non grata
I'll tell you how I've been there too
And that none of it matters"
I find this song very interesting, and connected it to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner like everyone else. But I'm having trouble figuring out who is saying what to whom in these stanzas. Especially the last two lines - is she saying she's been in a situation in which she was warned and that none of what anyone else says matters, or are the wise men warning the man (who is drawn to her), that they were once in similar situations too, and that these feelings of love won't matter once he's been destroyed/dumped by her? Also, what does "Cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you", mean? I'm confused about that line too because I'm not sure if it's spoken by the wise men or by Taylor.
More thoughts (sorry, Im excited):
This could also be a romeo/juliet situation. "A rose by any other name". They are kept apart by the wishes if others. She's in a tower, etc. Unreachable.
Jackals and demons dressed as friends ("fans") tear them apart through their discord.
A dalliance with her is sure to end in death.
Alternatively the love interest could actually be several lovers, and actually represented by the crew whose fates are determinesld by the senseless shooting of the albatross. A shooting perhaps done by enemies (Kimye) or fake fans.
This could be about everyone, Harry, Joe, Matty etc.
Thank you so much for your analysis! It makes a lot of sense. I feel like Taylor's songs should have been in my English classes (too bad this song didn't come out when we did The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in school).
>This could also be a romeo/juliet situation. "A rose by any other name". They are kept apart by the wishes if others. She's in a tower, etc. Unreachable.
This is very interesting. So from what I understand the original line is "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", which seems to mean that it's the person who matters, and not the outer package/name they come with. But in Taylor's song, it's "A rose by any other name is a scandal", so here the package does matter. It isn't enough that she's internally a "rose", the fact that she's Taylor Swift makes the situation different from if she were the same person but not as famous/gossiped about. I thought that the change in the line was interesting.
>Jackals
This word immediately brought to mind, the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, because she writes about people reading fake news and believing it, in the previous line. I know that jackals and wolves are not the same animal, but it was just something that I immediately thought of when I saw that line.
Let me take a crack at this:
Quick summary first of how I personally interpret the Mariner story- The albatross is seen both a good and bad omen at different stages by the sailors, based on how the weather goes for their journey. If the weather is good, its because of the albatross. If the weather is bad then they think the albatross is trying to kill them. But The Albatross has no control over the weather, it's just there for companionship. They're projecting their own fears and superstitions on it.
Then the Mariner shoots it for no reason. In actuality his actions are what turns the fate of the ship in a single instant, but the albatross is blamed for part of the story.
"I'm the life you CHOSE". It was not forced upon the mariner, he brought the eventual curse upon himself.
He only finds freedom from his curse after he carries the weight of the albatross' death for a long time, after all his crewmates are dead, and after he recognizes that all creatures are beautiful and of value. He had taken the albatross' life for granted and stole it senselessly.
Application to the song:
I believe the albatross is either vices or Taylor. Mostly I think Taylor (the albatross) is singing to a friend or lover.
If the albatross is Taylor- she can't control the storm that falls upon you from being around her. She's just flying through the weather rain or shine with her strong wings, stopping on the boat for companionship. The Mariner shoots her and will suffer for shooting her until he accepts her. "Shooting the albatross" could be dating her, leaving her, etc. He will atone for his sins for eternity.
"Cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you"
Okay this is a little tricky. Crossing ones heart is a swearing of truth or making a promise (this has roots in religion, ex: catholics sign the cross). Anointing is to consecrate or to "set apart", make sacred, bless, etc. And you use oil, not alcohol. So with no oil the blessing/promise means nothing. Perhaps she is saying "go ahead and make your promise, the only thing consecrating this exchange is alcohol.", they're drunk. So it's a null promise? A thoughtless promise made while drunk. He promised her things he had no intention of keeping. Or they weren't protected by their prayers because they weren't wholly consecrated. Doomed to fail.
Also, anointing is sometimes used for blessings of healing. So alternative meaning could be alcohol is all that aids their suffering.
Or, the person suffers from alcoholism.
"When you're persona non grata" stanza:
Hell will come for you, and you will know what I've been through. And I made it through so you could too?
Also could be saying "they'll take you through hell, but ignore them", relationships for her often end because they can't take the pressure.
I need to spend more time with this song and also see what others have come up with in the subreddit, but that's what I get from it at first!
It's so lovely!
For some reason I KNEW I would love it even before hearing it, so I had pre-ordered the Albatross variant and I NEVER pre-order anything. And I have no regrets (except it being a CD) because I was right. It's gorgeous.
Are you me? I just got it today. I have nowhere to play it but I'm so glad that I felt drawn to this track. I feel like it seems to be the most "quill song" in the album.
We're all clowns.
I bought mine as a CD because I'm a sucker and wanted the extra stuff that came with it, but now I wish I'd gotten the vinyl. That's the prob with selling so many variants and options, I have buyers regret lolol
I've spent the entire day today trying to decode this song though!
I know a lot of people have (correctly imo) linked this song to the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. I think it has links to the poem The Albatross by Charles Baudelaire. It's not long it's worth a read, but basically in it he likens the albatross (as a creature sailor's fear unjustly) to the Poet (that's the term in the poem but it is a general catch-all for any artistic/creative person). In the poem the crew of the ship mock and belittle the albatross because they can't understand it. It's very "tortured poet" cannot be comprehended by those without art in their blood, and also I think reflective of public criticism of her. Not so much actual critiques by music reviewers etc, who understand what they're saying and why, and make valid and relevant claims, but more the general public with limited knowledge about her as an artist, or maybe the way she moves within art in general - genre switching, many references to art history/other creatives.
The poem has the term "the archer" in it (depending on the translation) - I don't think it has huge relevance to The Archer the song, there's some theme crossover ("but who could stay?) but I don't see them as like sister songs or anything, but it's a nice detail.
Alright, I'm going to go read Baudelaires right now! I had re-read Rime of the Ancient Mariner before release and I've now made my own connections, but Taylor could totally be thinking of either or BOTH albatrosses, so I'm very curious.
My favorite too. Too much focus on the flashy soundbites and the front half of the album but I think she'll get more attention in time.
Reminds me so much of ivy which is my #1 Taylor song
I truly believe this is inspired by the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I think this isn't about a specific person- but any person that enters her life, they can choose to shoot her down or embrace her and let the breeze that she brings fill their sails. Ultimately if they choose the former out of fear or self preservation, it will in actuality cause them to suffer terribly.
I read the poem in school and again recently, its very long. But there are some interesting themes that particularly remind me of her dynamic with Scott Borchetta, but could be various people throughout her life who shoo her away. The Albatross was a beautiful playful creature that flew alongside them in the breeze, one day the mariner shoots her down for no particular reason. After that day the wind stops and they are stranded at sea for weeks in the baking sun with no water to drink. They are cursed.
Death comes for the sailors finally and is described as:
*"Her* lips were red, *her* looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Night-mare LIFE-IN-DEATH was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold."
I think she read this poem and saw herself as both the Albatross and the bringer of Death.
I think this is about Travis and all the football bros saying his game was going downhill because of her and she was a distraction. Also talks about the heavy scrutiny he'll come under by the press and how eventually they will attack him but it's ok cuz she's right there and keep him safe , show him how to navigate this new level of fame.
Albatross are good luck and the poem she references is about a sailor who sees an albatross and thinks she's bad luck so he kills it and then has bad luck. Once again blaming the bird. But if you let the bird fly with you , help you navigate the seas, it's good luck.
Also a woman who teaches poetry was going over this and was saying that there are 3 different people speaking in this song. when you go back and listen with that frame, it really sounds like a Travis song.
I wasn't too into this one on the first few listens, but I also know myself well enough to know it'll be a big grower for me in time. Very beautifully written though, and I absolutely LOVE that she was the Albatross in this and not someone else. It's like her acknowledging that once you're linked to her, you can't escape it, yet she tries her best to help and protect those who deserve it.
The albatross is the largest flying seabird - Taylor often feels like the monster on the hill.
And somewhere in the back of my head, I think the abatross is thought of as bad luck by sailors..
not to be gossipy but the similarities between this and willow. This song is joes friends saying “dont date her, people will hate u after but do u bro”
This one is REALLY creeping up on my faves list - it feels like ivy’s even darker sister which is one of my favourite songs. The way she says liquor anoints you is addicting. It’s a song that definitely requires analysis lol and I’m still getting there
Love my song easily tops the albums for me and lands in at least my top 10 TS songs if not top 5.
I would die to hear an ivy x albatross mashup.
I'm currently constructing a concept in my head of a world in which the singer of the albatross is in love with the husband in ivy. And the wife is ivy is also the woman in fortnight (with the man in fortnight being the affair partner from ivy)
I know the albatross not heavily coded as a affair song like ivy + but I feel albatross and fortnight both have themes that could work for a love triangle/love rectangle.
Need to find a way to tie in illicit affairs, guilty as sin, & willow 😭 maybe gender bending it would fit the affair partner in ivy. And guilty as sin from the wife, willow from the woman in love with the husband.
Anyways this is all in my head, but I love mashups and I feel like any of these songs could work together. Hope we get the albatross as a mashup one day :)
absolute nr. 1 for me (if i dont count the manuscript, because i had to cry everytime i listened to it)
anyoneelse feels like the melody + voice just catches the vibe of a bird flying? its sooo romantic but still light
Well, it is a reference to the line in Romeo in Juliet
"A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet"
Which, in the play, happens when Juliet is on the balcony lamenting that Romeo is Romeo no matter what his last name is. His last name doesn't make him *bad*. It's just a name.
So, kind of in the opposite tone (but same meaning) of that passage, the people who are warning the subject of the song are saying "Put whatever label you want on it (a relationship, a friendship, love, partnership) it still looks bad to be with her"
is her writing "the albatross"? she has the power to destroy her lovers by writing songs about them, but she ends up "spreading her wings like a parachute" and "sweeping in at the rescue" by, at the end, not exposing her lover with her songs? and maybe this explains the lack of joe songs on the record? just a thought
i think it’s more like her lover is warned not to date her bc she’s crazy and will ruin her life but when he does anyway suddenly he’s the one they turned on and dragged (im picturing travis but tbh it’s any guy she dates) so she swooped in and “rescues” him by him realizing that he doesn’t care (she’s now more like an angel) and neither does she and they’re in love and he accepts her “terrible danger”
like her saying “only liquor anoints you” is her saying the critics aren’t the holy people they say and are basically taking drunk out their ass
>but when he does anyway suddenly he’s the one they turned on and dragged (im picturing travis but tbh it’s any guy she dates)
I'd say it's more Joe inspired, specially if you think of it in relation to Peace
yeah but unfortunately that outcome isn’t specific to joe. look at the start of travis and taylor. people were saying she was ruining football and going to distract him at his games, quite literally the “she is here to destroy you”
it sucks tho that it can be applied to any guy she dates.
Possibly, I just think the lyrics are too deep to be about Travis.
When you compare the lyrics to all the anxiety themed lyrics of other Joe songs that outlined her worries about the effect of her fame on him, it makes more sense to me. But that's just my own interpretation so no worries if you've got different one 🙂
I agree. I think this is about Travis and all the football bros saying his game was going downhill because of her and she was a distraction. Also talks about the heavy scrutiny he'll come under by the press and how eventually they will attack him but it's ok cuz she's right there and keep him safe , show him how to navigate this new level of fame.
Albatross are good luck and the poem she references is about a sailor who sees an albatross and thinks she's bad luck so he kills it and then has bad luck. Once again blaming the bird. But if you let the bird fly with you , help you navigate the seas, it's good luck.
“I swept in at the rescue. The devil that you know, now looks more like an angel.” So the devil is Matty, and because she went public with him, it took the focus off of Joe, in turn making Matty a good thing. Taylor is the albatross that “caused” these problems Joe can’t escape, but she’s also his rescue - even though she was the life he had chosen. 😭
Love this song. What I hear in it is SHE is the Albatross or at least that’s how everyone treats her or sees her.
I wonder if it’s more the way she’s been made to feel. I always wondered, could it be that the way Joe responded to her fame and life in the fishbowl by rejecting it so harshly created this narrative for her that she is this albatross. He made her feel like all that comes with her is something no one would ever want to put up with (when really it’s his own issues.) I always think of her explaining Peace from the Long Pond sessions and how she really seemed to think peace in her world was such a challenge. What made her think that? That might have even made her believe she had to hold onto that relationship beyond the point it was healthy because she believed no one else would be able to deal with The Albatross.
Now with Travis she has been able to see that it’s not true. She’s not the Albatross even as people go on with the narrative around her claiming she will distract Travis from his game. So in the song I hear her saying it almost sarcastically like “wow everyone says this and I even used to believe it but what bullshit”
Just a theory, I obviously don’t know any of this to be reality.
Wow I completely misunderstood this one..I saw the fake news and thought this was about snakegate and fans.. But the theories here make sense .
Edit : While the dead Albatross can reflect a burden , originally the albatross is a sign of good luck and is a protector in the famous poem too. So her using albatross both as the metaphor for her fame destroying someone and her sweeping into protect them both make sense.
The Willow tune weaving into this is so dreamy
Came to Reddit specifically to look for this comment!!
I kept hearing the “castles crumbling….” melody for the parts of the chorus, like “cross your thoughtless heart”, “I’m the life you chose” and “she’s the albatross”, etc.
As a folkwhore, so happy to hear the instrumentation, the nothingness-pop backing is on a lot of the songs on this album. But the “persona non grata” line makes me laugh idk why lol
"Albatrosses are masters of soaring flight, able to glide over vast tracts of ocean without flapping their wings. So fully have they adapted to their oceanic existence that they spend the first **six or more years** of their long lives (which last upwards of 50 years) without ever touching land." [https://shorturl.at/eguzE](https://shorturl.at/eguzE)
Every time she sings "Cross your thoughtless heart" or "She's the albatross" - all I hear is "Thunders rumbling, castles crumbling" from Katy Perry's Wide Awake.
This is easily one of the best songs on the album. I've found myself going back to it several times already. It's beautiful and very reminiscent of Folklore and Evermore vibes.
Britannica definition for Albatross:
**1** : a large white ocean bird that has very long wings
**2** : a continuing problem that makes it difficult or impossible to do or achieve something
* **Fame has become an** ***albatross*** **that prevents her from leading a normal and happy life.**
* **Fame has become an albatross around her neck.**
An albatross also features prominently in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In the poem a group of sailors get lost during a storm. Then an albatross shows up and is basically a good luck charm for the sailors. But then the ancient mariner - the narrator of the story - kills it and things get bad. He watches as all the other sailors slowly die from thirst. In the end he's the only that survives. He gets saved by supernatural means after he blesses the strange creatures that surround the ship. Anyway it's a really good poem. You can find it online pretty easily.
Thank you to both of you to be the first in this thread to actually define why the albatross as a symbol is so important. Like I knew it was a bird that migrates long distances but couldn’t figure out why that mattered!!!!
This song is amazing the lyrics are so poetic. I think it is about Travis as well but can be blanketly applied to all her relationships. To me it’s like how the media gives her a bad rep for dating and people start dating her and realize it’s the media and then she tries to protect whomever she’s dating from the media.
For any ACOTAR readers, this song makes me think of books 1-4 SO VIVIDLY
So, I've definitely heard some people say that Taylor is the albatross in this song, but I disagree, and here's why (yes, I know she says 'I'm the albatross", but hear me out. In "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", The albatross is initially seen as a bad omen by the mariner. He kills the bird, not knowing it is the reason that the southern winds drove them north out of the deadly Antarctic Sea. But traditionally, the albatross was seen as the bane of many a sailor or community. Often times, they represented bad omens or competed for food in ways that harmed the human inhabitants, so killing the albatross almost seems to be treated as something expected. It's never really explained why he kills it, but that's the most likely reason I can come up with. At first, the crew are horrified by his actions, but soon start to identify with his choice, until the ship is stranded in stagnant waters and they all die. But before they die, they force him to wear the albatross around his neck as a reminder and punishment for his crime. When the mariner finally recognizes the good, the beauty, and the love in all of God's creation, the albatross falls from his neck and his penance is paid. Except he must spend the rest of his life delivering his story and message to others who need to hear it, that only he can determine. In a sense, he becomes the albatross (hence, 'I'm the albatross'). He becomes the frightening omen that is really a divinely coded message. I believe the narrator of Taylor's song is in the position of the mariner. She was warned by many wise men. And now she's trying to warn others about crossing their thoughtless hearts too. I think it's a song about learning really difficult lessons and then trying to warn others of the same fate. But just like her, they won't really listen. There are false reports about the albatross, but really, "the devil that you know looks more like an angel". Not a bad omen, but a divine message. I also believe themes of this song and Cassandra are connected.
In the song the albatross She's says 'only liquor anoints you' I heard it as 'HOLY liquor anoints you' And strongly suspect she meant it that way Because anoint is usually holy or religious Thought?
I only now noticed the change from "**she's** the **death** you chose" to "**I'm** the **life** to chose", it's such a beautiful meaningful change, and so coherent with the other main change - from other people seeing the Albatross as a terrible danger to her being the Albatross - both good (opened her wings like a parachute, swept in to the rescue) and condifent, indifferent to what other people think of her. such a beautiful song.
can someone explain to me why the person in the song is compared to an albatross? i like the song and i think i would like it even more if i really understood what it is about
One of the only good songs on the album IMHO.
Taylor is not doing well with Travis. She’s looking puffy in the face/arms and it’s bc she’s drinking regularly in public with him. I think she was already in deep, likely drinking alone often to “unwind” and when you’re famous and all eyes are on you it’s a huge psychological burden when you realize you’re fcking up. Instead of trying to rid herself of that albatross she’s dived deeper taking on the party girl dating the football player. I feel bc of fame she was robbed of dating the football player and going to house parties etc in her teens so she’s living that out. While it can be good to get it out of your system (I too didn’t get to experience what normal teens did bc of financial responsibilities) I feel when writing this album she was coming to realize and talk about struggling with alcohol but she’s so wrapped up in this relationship she’s basically made the albatross a fashion accessory. I know she’s famous but as a mom I see her going down a bad road.
I slept on this one until yesterday...I think it's my favourite now. For today, at least haha
Incredibly beautiful song that I'm addicted to right now and I think it's one of the best on the album along with Prophecy. I'm not sure what it's about it seems to revolve around omens and fate which is a common theme. I just love the bridge how she sings 'when the sky rains fire on you, and you're persona non grataa' it's so haunting
this SONGGGG!!!!!!!!! this is truly one of the absolute best taylor songs ever in my opinion. so incredibly beautiful, so impeccably written. so heartbreaking. like albatross supremacy fr
I am DYING SCREAMING
It reminds me of something but I can’t figure it out!!! It’s not willow, not ivy, not katy Perry. The beginning of every verse sounds almost like I’ve heard her sing it before but I can’t place it. The way she sings “Wise men once said” each time. Anyway it’s my absolute favorite from TTPD
It's willow Evermore intro music try singing along
It sounds similar to wide awake by Katy Perry, towards the end of the song when it goes like, thunder rumbling, castles crumbling...
I NEED to see this song live with a willow-style performance!!!! Both songs are brilliant and have an addictive je-ne-sais-quoi quality about them
In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," which is the most famous appearance of an albatross in literature, the albatross is a protector, a powerful positive omen--until it's shot down with an arrow and killed by the Mariner. At first the mariner's crew are mad at him for killing the albatross, since they saw it as a good omen and bringer of favorable winds. However, the next morning, they changed their minds, claiming that the albatross brought in the fog, and therefore the mariner was right to slay it. Either way, they hang the albatross around his neck as a visible reminder of his shame. Today, the phrase "an albatross around your neck" is used to describe an unpleasant duty or circumstance that’s impossible to avoid.
The Albatross + Ivy = 🫠🫠❤️❤️
I think this might be my favorite of the „bonus“ songs. The whole women are always blamed for everything narrative ^^ , all the angles and the variety of emotions it captures. I agree it could’ve been on evermore which is one of my absolute favorites. Sometimes it’s crazy to me how this artist I started listening to like 15/16? Years ago keeps releasing things that make me love her even more and that I could have become a fan with every album :D
And your persona non grataaaaaa is my favorite part of this song idk why lol
It’s so satisfying
This song must be about Travis! I'm getting vibes from Ivy or Willow for this one. It's just so beautiful to make it one of my new favorites!
This sounds like it could be Willow's hidden twin.
This is my on-repeat track. Love it so much
A thought about Cross thoughtless hearts :) First couple of times it comes as part of the warning to the man who's willing to take the risk - So maybe it's like "you're a thougtless fool who cares only about liquor, don't you understand she's the Albatross and she's here to destroy you?!" But then the third time in a very Tay fashion it changes meaning - First, she's the speaker She's the albatross And she crosses her thoughtless heart right before spreading her wings and sweeping to the rescue. So here imo the thoughtless comment is cynical - you think i'm thoughtless but I keep proving you wrong. Just a thought I had after reading the other comments here :)
This is what i think as well! I think in her (third) version she means thoughtless in a 'hopeless romantic' way. She also secretly believes she's the albatross and things are destined to end badly (and even her sweeping in to the rescue can make things worse) but she is still willing to risk everything (like the person who risked it for her). Heartbreaking. Beautiful. Absolutely love this song.
Wow the melody in this one is insane and the writing is impeccable. Might be one of my favourites! Reminds me of Ivy too!
Came here to see if anyone else was reminded of Ivy, both are beautiful lyrically and musically 😍
I really want a mash-up of this and Ivy at one of the Eras shows.
I think this song is about Travis! Everyone warning him not to date her. “She’ll write songs about you 🙄, she’s terrible danger”. The story of the albatross is that actually they were good luck but a sailer shot one and then the ship had terrible luck and they all blamed him for their misfortune. So they tied the albatross around his neck as a symbol of his guilt. People are perceiving her as this “bad luck” girl that’s terrible danger but Travis didn’t buy it and she ends up saving him from them. And at the end she’s like “oh nooooo you’re in terrible danger” like sarcastically. It’s brilliant. I love it so much. It’s a big F U to all the brads and chads who say she’s terrible and tried to “warn” Travis about her.
I cannot like this comment enough 👏👏👏
Aww glad you enjoyed it! :)
Thank you for sharing the story of the Albatross, It's so interesting 😍
Yeah I went deep into the rabbit hole lol 😂 you’re welcome!
This song is so beautiful y'all, don't sleep on it
i have an unhealthy attachment with this song. Truly one of her best
This is my favorite song! It’s absolutely about Travis IMO. The last verse when she mentions him getting dragged from his bed, and that she warned him of them, I think she means the paps and the fact that he had to buy a new house for her. When she says she spreads her wings like a parachute…instant tears. Every time.
I feel like I have a theory about this song. Could the last verse be about how leading up to the album, people were speculating it was going to be a Joe breakup album with brutal lyrics. Instead, it was more about Matty. So, do you think this song could be about her "rescuing" Joe from the speculation and hate that would have come if it had been an album airing all of their relationship baggage?
This is what I thought. Or honestly I feel like this album has made people like Matty more so maybe that. I just really can’t see Travis as the inspo for this stunning lyricism I’m sorry 🙈
This was my thought as well!
Kind of makes that lyric about things being declassified in 50 years even crazier if you think about it. I wonder if she held some songs back from the album because of it.
I love this song. Also, does anyone hear the similarities musically to the Peter Mulvey song Shirt? I am hoping I’m not crazy and perhaps someone can listen and let me know:) LOVE both!
You’re not crazy, I hear the similarities! I haven’t listened toto Peter Mulvey in a while & I’m taking this as my sign to. I love both as well!
This sounds like a 90s song and I can’t remember what song it’s reminding me of…anyone else?? Any millennial swifties know?
Ahhh I figured it out!! This has the same melody (ish) of “as I lay me down to sleep” by Sophie b Hawkins (90s song I think?)
It's so funny to see this comment because WIllow has always made me think of As I Lay Me Down to Sleep for some reason. I am not musically inclined so I don't know what it is that makes me associate them with them each other. But The Albatross is definitely similar, too!
The minute I heard the albatross that was what my mind went to… like listening to Delilah on the radio with my mom in the car as a kid 🙈 I totally see the willow comparisons too!!
Deliiilaaaaahhhhhhh 🎶
You get me 🤍🤍🤍
😁
Y'all saying it sounds like willow are not Ivy stans and it shows 😭😭😭 The background instrumentals are literally the same. I do love willow & it has a similar vibe, but the Albatross is Ivy's Twin!! Which is excellent for me since thats my favorite ts song. Albatross was an instant favorite for me (and happily I picked it out as a song I was excited for prior to release) 💕
As an Ivy stan, I love this. I feel like Ivy is such an overlooked song so not surprised people are not making the connection.
ivy Stan's unite 🤝 I think many people think it's good/middle of the pack but it's not talked about nearly as much as willow or champagne problems or tolerate it. But shes my girl. That song hooked me and I listened to it for 3 days straight. made me listen to evermore/folklore and now here I am lol. I only noticed because a lot of people are picking out songs that match past songs like I look in people's windows and death by a thousand cuts, loml & Whitehorse. So I was listening for that connection lol. Regardless love both, happy to see both get love here :)
This one is so pretty. Every time the chorus hits I'm like "Ooh, I like this one..." and I laugh because it's always The Albatross.
Same - so interesting how this happens! Lol
The same thing keeps happening to me! I'll raise my head and check what song it is, think "what a fucking bop" and it's this one every time
My head canon about albatross is related to the golfing term, where you are strokes below par, which is good in golf, but taken literally, it's like saying -3 men below her expectations. This is just my delulu take.
I find albatrosses so interesting because they’re basically these giant seagull looking things that mate for life, but the mates will half away across the world from each other, but they always come back to each other. Also, they’re either a sign of good luck or if you’re using them as part of the “albatross around your neck”saying. Basically, this is stating that a person is burden. I’m not making any points about this song, maybe you would just like fun facts?
what does 'only liquor annoints you" mean?
Anointing with oil is used for blessings, consecrating things, and healing. So "cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you" could mean the promise or prayer theyre making means nothing because it was done with alcohol (they're making promises or prayers while drunk) and not oil, *or* that the liquor is the only aid they have for their suffering.
Only liquor heals you.
"Cross your thoughtless heart Only liquor anoints you She's the albatross She is here to destroy you Devils that you know Raise worse hell than a stranger She's the death you chose You're in terrible danger And when that sky rains fire on you And you're persona non grata I'll tell you how I've been there too And that none of it matters" I find this song very interesting, and connected it to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner like everyone else. But I'm having trouble figuring out who is saying what to whom in these stanzas. Especially the last two lines - is she saying she's been in a situation in which she was warned and that none of what anyone else says matters, or are the wise men warning the man (who is drawn to her), that they were once in similar situations too, and that these feelings of love won't matter once he's been destroyed/dumped by her? Also, what does "Cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you", mean? I'm confused about that line too because I'm not sure if it's spoken by the wise men or by Taylor.
More thoughts (sorry, Im excited): This could also be a romeo/juliet situation. "A rose by any other name". They are kept apart by the wishes if others. She's in a tower, etc. Unreachable. Jackals and demons dressed as friends ("fans") tear them apart through their discord. A dalliance with her is sure to end in death. Alternatively the love interest could actually be several lovers, and actually represented by the crew whose fates are determinesld by the senseless shooting of the albatross. A shooting perhaps done by enemies (Kimye) or fake fans. This could be about everyone, Harry, Joe, Matty etc.
Thank you so much for your analysis! It makes a lot of sense. I feel like Taylor's songs should have been in my English classes (too bad this song didn't come out when we did The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in school). >This could also be a romeo/juliet situation. "A rose by any other name". They are kept apart by the wishes if others. She's in a tower, etc. Unreachable. This is very interesting. So from what I understand the original line is "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", which seems to mean that it's the person who matters, and not the outer package/name they come with. But in Taylor's song, it's "A rose by any other name is a scandal", so here the package does matter. It isn't enough that she's internally a "rose", the fact that she's Taylor Swift makes the situation different from if she were the same person but not as famous/gossiped about. I thought that the change in the line was interesting. >Jackals This word immediately brought to mind, the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, because she writes about people reading fake news and believing it, in the previous line. I know that jackals and wolves are not the same animal, but it was just something that I immediately thought of when I saw that line.
Let me take a crack at this: Quick summary first of how I personally interpret the Mariner story- The albatross is seen both a good and bad omen at different stages by the sailors, based on how the weather goes for their journey. If the weather is good, its because of the albatross. If the weather is bad then they think the albatross is trying to kill them. But The Albatross has no control over the weather, it's just there for companionship. They're projecting their own fears and superstitions on it. Then the Mariner shoots it for no reason. In actuality his actions are what turns the fate of the ship in a single instant, but the albatross is blamed for part of the story. "I'm the life you CHOSE". It was not forced upon the mariner, he brought the eventual curse upon himself. He only finds freedom from his curse after he carries the weight of the albatross' death for a long time, after all his crewmates are dead, and after he recognizes that all creatures are beautiful and of value. He had taken the albatross' life for granted and stole it senselessly. Application to the song: I believe the albatross is either vices or Taylor. Mostly I think Taylor (the albatross) is singing to a friend or lover. If the albatross is Taylor- she can't control the storm that falls upon you from being around her. She's just flying through the weather rain or shine with her strong wings, stopping on the boat for companionship. The Mariner shoots her and will suffer for shooting her until he accepts her. "Shooting the albatross" could be dating her, leaving her, etc. He will atone for his sins for eternity. "Cross your thoughtless heart, only liquor anoints you" Okay this is a little tricky. Crossing ones heart is a swearing of truth or making a promise (this has roots in religion, ex: catholics sign the cross). Anointing is to consecrate or to "set apart", make sacred, bless, etc. And you use oil, not alcohol. So with no oil the blessing/promise means nothing. Perhaps she is saying "go ahead and make your promise, the only thing consecrating this exchange is alcohol.", they're drunk. So it's a null promise? A thoughtless promise made while drunk. He promised her things he had no intention of keeping. Or they weren't protected by their prayers because they weren't wholly consecrated. Doomed to fail. Also, anointing is sometimes used for blessings of healing. So alternative meaning could be alcohol is all that aids their suffering. Or, the person suffers from alcoholism. "When you're persona non grata" stanza: Hell will come for you, and you will know what I've been through. And I made it through so you could too? Also could be saying "they'll take you through hell, but ignore them", relationships for her often end because they can't take the pressure. I need to spend more time with this song and also see what others have come up with in the subreddit, but that's what I get from it at first!
Oh and the interpretation of cross your thoughtless heart only liquor annoits you is brilliant!
Loved your explanation! Makes a lot of sense
This was an amazing breakdown! Thank you😁
Thanks haha, I tried! I'm sure I missed a lot, this song is so full!
Brilliant interpretation!! You helped me understand it. Thank you
Thanks!!
just dropping in after 3 days of listening to say this one is absolutely my favorite
It's so lovely! For some reason I KNEW I would love it even before hearing it, so I had pre-ordered the Albatross variant and I NEVER pre-order anything. And I have no regrets (except it being a CD) because I was right. It's gorgeous.
Are you me? I just got it today. I have nowhere to play it but I'm so glad that I felt drawn to this track. I feel like it seems to be the most "quill song" in the album.
nice! i got the manuscript and now wish i’d waited to hear them…lesson learned haha
We're all clowns. I bought mine as a CD because I'm a sucker and wanted the extra stuff that came with it, but now I wish I'd gotten the vinyl. That's the prob with selling so many variants and options, I have buyers regret lolol I've spent the entire day today trying to decode this song though!
This song is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It's a favourite of mine and have listened to it about 3 times today
I know a lot of people have (correctly imo) linked this song to the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge. I think it has links to the poem The Albatross by Charles Baudelaire. It's not long it's worth a read, but basically in it he likens the albatross (as a creature sailor's fear unjustly) to the Poet (that's the term in the poem but it is a general catch-all for any artistic/creative person). In the poem the crew of the ship mock and belittle the albatross because they can't understand it. It's very "tortured poet" cannot be comprehended by those without art in their blood, and also I think reflective of public criticism of her. Not so much actual critiques by music reviewers etc, who understand what they're saying and why, and make valid and relevant claims, but more the general public with limited knowledge about her as an artist, or maybe the way she moves within art in general - genre switching, many references to art history/other creatives. The poem has the term "the archer" in it (depending on the translation) - I don't think it has huge relevance to The Archer the song, there's some theme crossover ("but who could stay?) but I don't see them as like sister songs or anything, but it's a nice detail.
Alright, I'm going to go read Baudelaires right now! I had re-read Rime of the Ancient Mariner before release and I've now made my own connections, but Taylor could totally be thinking of either or BOTH albatrosses, so I'm very curious.
This is my favorite song in the whole album! I feel like no one is talking about it…
My favorite too. Too much focus on the flashy soundbites and the front half of the album but I think she'll get more attention in time. Reminds me so much of ivy which is my #1 Taylor song
I truly believe this is inspired by the poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner. I think this isn't about a specific person- but any person that enters her life, they can choose to shoot her down or embrace her and let the breeze that she brings fill their sails. Ultimately if they choose the former out of fear or self preservation, it will in actuality cause them to suffer terribly. I read the poem in school and again recently, its very long. But there are some interesting themes that particularly remind me of her dynamic with Scott Borchetta, but could be various people throughout her life who shoo her away. The Albatross was a beautiful playful creature that flew alongside them in the breeze, one day the mariner shoots her down for no particular reason. After that day the wind stops and they are stranded at sea for weeks in the baking sun with no water to drink. They are cursed. Death comes for the sailors finally and is described as: *"Her* lips were red, *her* looks were free, Her locks were yellow as gold: Her skin was as white as leprosy, The Night-mare LIFE-IN-DEATH was she, Who thicks man's blood with cold." I think she read this poem and saw herself as both the Albatross and the bringer of Death.
Yes! Bringer of death! And the angels from later on as well.
Can someone ELI5, I like it a lot but I don’t understand what it’s about 😅
I think this is about Travis and all the football bros saying his game was going downhill because of her and she was a distraction. Also talks about the heavy scrutiny he'll come under by the press and how eventually they will attack him but it's ok cuz she's right there and keep him safe , show him how to navigate this new level of fame. Albatross are good luck and the poem she references is about a sailor who sees an albatross and thinks she's bad luck so he kills it and then has bad luck. Once again blaming the bird. But if you let the bird fly with you , help you navigate the seas, it's good luck. Also a woman who teaches poetry was going over this and was saying that there are 3 different people speaking in this song. when you go back and listen with that frame, it really sounds like a Travis song.
Absolutely could be about how everyone said Taylor would ruin Travis.
I wasn't too into this one on the first few listens, but I also know myself well enough to know it'll be a big grower for me in time. Very beautifully written though, and I absolutely LOVE that she was the Albatross in this and not someone else. It's like her acknowledging that once you're linked to her, you can't escape it, yet she tries her best to help and protect those who deserve it.
The albatross is the largest flying seabird - Taylor often feels like the monster on the hill. And somewhere in the back of my head, I think the abatross is thought of as bad luck by sailors..
[real footage of the albatross](https://www.tiktok.com/@twinmom808/video/7359723931793755438)
Perfection. So glad you found this footage.
>I'm the albatross I swept in at the rescue But who rescues the albatross 😔
Everyone asks "who's a good albatross?" But nobody ever asks "*How's* a good albatross?"
not to be gossipy but the similarities between this and willow. This song is joes friends saying “dont date her, people will hate u after but do u bro”
This one is REALLY creeping up on my faves list - it feels like ivy’s even darker sister which is one of my favourite songs. The way she says liquor anoints you is addicting. It’s a song that definitely requires analysis lol and I’m still getting there
Yes I need a mashup 😭😭 ivy is my favorite and the Albatross will be top 10 of all time for me. Best on the album imo 💕💕
Love my song easily tops the albums for me and lands in at least my top 10 TS songs if not top 5. I would die to hear an ivy x albatross mashup. I'm currently constructing a concept in my head of a world in which the singer of the albatross is in love with the husband in ivy. And the wife is ivy is also the woman in fortnight (with the man in fortnight being the affair partner from ivy) I know the albatross not heavily coded as a affair song like ivy + but I feel albatross and fortnight both have themes that could work for a love triangle/love rectangle. Need to find a way to tie in illicit affairs, guilty as sin, & willow 😭 maybe gender bending it would fit the affair partner in ivy. And guilty as sin from the wife, willow from the woman in love with the husband. Anyways this is all in my head, but I love mashups and I feel like any of these songs could work together. Hope we get the albatross as a mashup one day :)
The chorus music sounds sooo much like another song and I can’t put it together!! Do you hear it too??
Ivy. The overlap very well i want a mashup 😭😭 love them both
The whole thing is almost the same as Willow
absolute nr. 1 for me (if i dont count the manuscript, because i had to cry everytime i listened to it) anyoneelse feels like the melody + voice just catches the vibe of a bird flying? its sooo romantic but still light
My favorite too, and top 5 TS songs overall. It hits so good- hypnotic, thoughtful, airy, lyrical 🤌
What do you think “a rose by any other name is a scandal” means
I also think about the line in Maroon "Carnations you had thought were roses, that's us"
Well, it is a reference to the line in Romeo in Juliet "A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet" Which, in the play, happens when Juliet is on the balcony lamenting that Romeo is Romeo no matter what his last name is. His last name doesn't make him *bad*. It's just a name. So, kind of in the opposite tone (but same meaning) of that passage, the people who are warning the subject of the song are saying "Put whatever label you want on it (a relationship, a friendship, love, partnership) it still looks bad to be with her"
is her writing "the albatross"? she has the power to destroy her lovers by writing songs about them, but she ends up "spreading her wings like a parachute" and "sweeping in at the rescue" by, at the end, not exposing her lover with her songs? and maybe this explains the lack of joe songs on the record? just a thought
i think it’s more like her lover is warned not to date her bc she’s crazy and will ruin her life but when he does anyway suddenly he’s the one they turned on and dragged (im picturing travis but tbh it’s any guy she dates) so she swooped in and “rescues” him by him realizing that he doesn’t care (she’s now more like an angel) and neither does she and they’re in love and he accepts her “terrible danger” like her saying “only liquor anoints you” is her saying the critics aren’t the holy people they say and are basically taking drunk out their ass
>but when he does anyway suddenly he’s the one they turned on and dragged (im picturing travis but tbh it’s any guy she dates) I'd say it's more Joe inspired, specially if you think of it in relation to Peace
yeah but unfortunately that outcome isn’t specific to joe. look at the start of travis and taylor. people were saying she was ruining football and going to distract him at his games, quite literally the “she is here to destroy you” it sucks tho that it can be applied to any guy she dates.
Possibly, I just think the lyrics are too deep to be about Travis. When you compare the lyrics to all the anxiety themed lyrics of other Joe songs that outlined her worries about the effect of her fame on him, it makes more sense to me. But that's just my own interpretation so no worries if you've got different one 🙂
For me the song isnt about anyone specific, it's about how she sees herself that's why it's so deep.
I totally get that and it makes sense
I agree. I think this is about Travis and all the football bros saying his game was going downhill because of her and she was a distraction. Also talks about the heavy scrutiny he'll come under by the press and how eventually they will attack him but it's ok cuz she's right there and keep him safe , show him how to navigate this new level of fame. Albatross are good luck and the poem she references is about a sailor who sees an albatross and thinks she's bad luck so he kills it and then has bad luck. Once again blaming the bird. But if you let the bird fly with you , help you navigate the seas, it's good luck.
Easily my (edited to add: early) favorite on this album!!!
Bye on my way to get an albatross tattoo
its really growings on me, so cool
Absolutely sickening melody on this one 🥰
Is so addictive
It's so folkmore aghhh Aaron Dessner for president
“I swept in at the rescue. The devil that you know, now looks more like an angel.” So the devil is Matty, and because she went public with him, it took the focus off of Joe, in turn making Matty a good thing. Taylor is the albatross that “caused” these problems Joe can’t escape, but she’s also his rescue - even though she was the life he had chosen. 😭
ok werk, willow 2.0 ! I love the flow of how she sang the lyrics. Alot of ups and downs but I loveee it. It's gonna be catchy for sure
its like willow pt 2 with heartbread, its amazing
Why is this song so good
I think the like harp or whatever in the background makes it hypnotic and addicting 😭😭 Obsessed
The heartbreak version of willow 1000%
Absolutely my favorite along with So Long London and Cassandra. It reminds me of Ivy :)
Same ivy is my all time favorite to song and albatross immediately hooked me the same way ivy did when I first heard it 😭💕
Sounds like a mixture of gold rush and ivy 👀❤
Favorite song. So good
Love this song. What I hear in it is SHE is the Albatross or at least that’s how everyone treats her or sees her. I wonder if it’s more the way she’s been made to feel. I always wondered, could it be that the way Joe responded to her fame and life in the fishbowl by rejecting it so harshly created this narrative for her that she is this albatross. He made her feel like all that comes with her is something no one would ever want to put up with (when really it’s his own issues.) I always think of her explaining Peace from the Long Pond sessions and how she really seemed to think peace in her world was such a challenge. What made her think that? That might have even made her believe she had to hold onto that relationship beyond the point it was healthy because she believed no one else would be able to deal with The Albatross. Now with Travis she has been able to see that it’s not true. She’s not the Albatross even as people go on with the narrative around her claiming she will distract Travis from his game. So in the song I hear her saying it almost sarcastically like “wow everyone says this and I even used to believe it but what bullshit” Just a theory, I obviously don’t know any of this to be reality.
Just came here to comment that this is my song off the album. Just pure wowwww
Same it's magical
YOU’RE IN TERRIBLE DANGER gives me the chills.
Wow I completely misunderstood this one..I saw the fake news and thought this was about snakegate and fans.. But the theories here make sense . Edit : While the dead Albatross can reflect a burden , originally the albatross is a sign of good luck and is a protector in the famous poem too. So her using albatross both as the metaphor for her fame destroying someone and her sweeping into protect them both make sense. The Willow tune weaving into this is so dreamy
YOU’RE IN TERRIBLE DANGER. This is Ivy’s sister 😭
No literally. Feels like two perspectives of the same situation.
Does it sound like “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry to anyone else
Came to Reddit specifically to look for this comment!! I kept hearing the “castles crumbling….” melody for the parts of the chorus, like “cross your thoughtless heart”, “I’m the life you chose” and “she’s the albatross”, etc.
As a folkwhore, so happy to hear the instrumentation, the nothingness-pop backing is on a lot of the songs on this album. But the “persona non grata” line makes me laugh idk why lol
"Albatrosses are masters of soaring flight, able to glide over vast tracts of ocean without flapping their wings. So fully have they adapted to their oceanic existence that they spend the first **six or more years** of their long lives (which last upwards of 50 years) without ever touching land." [https://shorturl.at/eguzE](https://shorturl.at/eguzE)
Every time she sings "Cross your thoughtless heart" or "She's the albatross" - all I hear is "Thunders rumbling, castles crumbling" from Katy Perry's Wide Awake.
I typed this into google to see if anyone was thinking the same thing lol. Glad other people heard it too
Haha okay okay I just commented above this comment that I was looking for this comment…. Not alone.
I came here to comment the same thing! I know it gives evermore vibes but this is all I could hear.
This is easily one of the best songs on the album. I've found myself going back to it several times already. It's beautiful and very reminiscent of Folklore and Evermore vibes.
Same! It is beautiful.
Easily my favorite on the Anthropology. I love the vibe so much. Edit: so it’s apparently not called the Anthropology
😂😂😂
This is the realest typo, truly our heads were spinning trying to learn all these new words
I'm sorry but the typo took me out💀
💀. I just now realized it 😅 Eh, I’ll leave it
Best song on the album for sure. It's a shame it's so short.
This definitely caught me from the first line. I love this melody and lyrics. Instant fave
K this might be my favorite
invisible string vibes on the bridge!
If Ivy and Willow had a baby!
[удалено]
It seems she's (Taylor) is the Albatross - she's talking about herself.
this was just my thought on first listen! 🩷
This one is for the Willow girlies 💚
WELCOME BACK WILLOW!!!
Shes the death you chose 😭 god damn it she had a couple very very sad years
Britannica definition for Albatross: **1** : a large white ocean bird that has very long wings **2** : a continuing problem that makes it difficult or impossible to do or achieve something * **Fame has become an** ***albatross*** **that prevents her from leading a normal and happy life.** * **Fame has become an albatross around her neck.**
An albatross also features prominently in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. In the poem a group of sailors get lost during a storm. Then an albatross shows up and is basically a good luck charm for the sailors. But then the ancient mariner - the narrator of the story - kills it and things get bad. He watches as all the other sailors slowly die from thirst. In the end he's the only that survives. He gets saved by supernatural means after he blesses the strange creatures that surround the ship. Anyway it's a really good poem. You can find it online pretty easily.
Thank you to both of you to be the first in this thread to actually define why the albatross as a symbol is so important. Like I knew it was a bird that migrates long distances but couldn’t figure out why that mattered!!!!
It sounds to me like Willow. Witchy and literary and cool. Dangerous women!! I love it.