Books and Bylines

If you’ve lived on Earth for the last few years, you know that Taylor Swift has been the name on everyone’s lips. Between The Eras Tour, her tenth studio album Midnights, and not to mention a few Taylor’s Version albums squeezed in, Ms. Swift seems to be at the top of the world. It’s no surprise that her eleventh studio album The Tortured Poets Department (which, as it turns out, was actually a surprise double album) has continued to smash records left and right.

Taylor Swift has been a household name for a long time, but as her music catalog has grown more extensive, she’s leaned into an interesting style of writing songs in which she sometimes re-uses words or turns of phrase as “callbacks” to previous songs and albums. You might be asking yourself, “Why?”. And the answer: “Who knows?”. Perhaps a simple wink to her prior work (you may know that Taylor Swift often has her “Swifties” in a frantic tizzy trying to figure out her Easter eggs), or a way of quietly suggesting that a new song is inspired by the same muse as a prior piece. But one thing we can agree on: it’s fun. Combing through old and new music to find clues and piece together the “lore” of Taylor Swift, so to speak, is entertaining for new and old fans alike.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. You’re an adult with a job, and you don’t have time to listen to a 31 song album to find callbacks to old songs. Luckily for you, a veteran Swiftie (me) is here to help. I’m not here to interpret or speculate on these lyrics, only to introduce them to you, dear reader. Here are five callbacks from The Tortured Poets Department that call back to past songs.

1. “Down Bad” → “New Romantics” (1989)

“Down Bad” lyric: “How dare you think it’s romantic/Leaving me safe and stranded”

“New Romantics” lyric: “Please leave me stranded/It’s so romantic”

This callback is particularly interesting because the content seems to juxtapose. Of course, we might read the “New Romantics” as sarcasm. But if not, the lyric gives a beautiful example of foreshadowing. We, the listeners, go from Taylor begging to be left stranded to her wondering how her muse dare leave her stranded.

2. “The Black Dog” → “hoax” (folklore)

“The Black Dog” lyric: “And I may never open up the way I did for you/And all of those best laid plans”

“hoax” lyric: “My best laid plan/My sleight of hand”

These lyrics require a listen-through or two of each song, especially “hoax”, to fully grasp. “hoax”, in all its glory, is a heart-wrenching song about (presumably) a relationship gone wrong and the shock/pain/bewildered awe of betrayal. “The Black Dog” is much the same, but this time more prominently focused on the aftermath of a breakup (perhaps of the same relationship?). 

3. “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” → Hits Different (Midnights)

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” lyric: “I felt more when we played pretend/Than with all the Kens”

“Hits Different” lyric: “I used to switch out these Kens/I’d just ghost”

“My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” and “Hits Different” have one thing in common: they are undeniably fun in melody and hopelessly sad in lyrics. “My Boy” is about a man (let’s be real, a boy) who just can’t seem to get it together (or as we learn in the bridge, perhaps the narrator is the one who can’t get it together), while “Hits Different” is about realizing breakups have never actually been that bad until that ONE person broke your heart. In either situation, “Ken” seems to be interchangeable with “some guy”.

4. “So Long, London” → “You’re Losing Me” (Midnights)

“So Long, London” lyrics: “I stopped CPR/After all, it’s no use”

“You’re Losing Me” lyric: “I can’t find a pulse/My heart won’t start anymore”

Perhaps a clever nod to Grey’s Anatomy (if you didn’t know, Taylor is a long suffering Grey’s fan), or, more likely, an analogy for the way the end of a relationship sometimes feels like a dying person you just can’t revive.

5. “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)” → Paper Rings (Lover)

“Fortnight” lyric: “All my mornings are Mondays/Stuck in an endless February”

“Paper Rings” lyrics: “I want your dreary Mondays/Wrap your arms around me, baby boy”.

Alright, I’ll admit this one is a little bit of a reach. But as a certified Lover girlie, I had to bring this to your attention. Perhaps this callback in “Fortnight” is a devastating blow to the original happy and blissful “Paper RIngs” lyric, or perhaps it means nothing at all. But are we really Swifties if we don’t over-analyze every last word? I think not.

What do you think these callbacks signify? Let me know and let’s discuss!