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Did Taylor Swift Seemingly Refer To Her Brief Relationship With Matty Healy On The Tortured Poets Department? Lyrics Explored
While Swifties expected The Tortured Poets Department to be a diss record aimed at Joe Alwyn, they were pleasantly surprised to discover a slew of references to Matty Healy instead.
Swiftes wanted The Tortured Poets Department to be a diss album about Joe Alwyn, but they rather got a Matty Healy takedown record. Mind you, no one in the Swiftverse is complaining.
Following TTPD’s release on April 19, Taylor Swift fans are now scrambling to dissect the meaning behind each lyric from the latest album, and from what they've discovered so far, the pop titan has seemingly referenced her brief summer fling with Healy on at least 9 tracks of her 16 track album.
Deciphering the Matty Healy References on The Tortured Poets Department
Guilty as Sin — Track 9 on TTPD
In the song, Swift sings about “fatal fantasies, for someone from her past who sends her the 1989 song The Downtown Lights by Scottish band The Blue Nile.
Healy, who is British, has famously mentioned in the past that The Blue Nile is his all-time favorite band and that the 1975 song, Love It If We Made It, was inspired by Blue Nile’s aforementioned song.
But Daddy I Love Him — Track 6 on TTPD
In this particular track, Taylor seemingly addresses the criticism of her short-lived romance with Matty Healy, as she sings, “I'd rather burn my whole life down/ Than listen to one more second of all this bitchin’ and moanin'/ I’ll tell you something ‘bout my good name/ It's mine along with all the disgrace/ I don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath’s clothing.”
I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) — Track 11 on TTPD
Here, Swift allegedly confronts Healy’s controversial image, the source of the abovementioned criticism directed towards him, when she sings, “The jokes that he told across the bar were revolting and far too loud/ They shake their heads, saying, ‘God help her’ when I tell ‘em he's my man/ But your good Lord doesn't even need to lift a finger, I can fix him, no really I can.”
For the unversed, Healy has faced backlash from music enthusiasts due to his history of making racist and controversial comments.
loml — Track 12 on TTPD
Taylor accuses Healy of ghosting her, as she sings, “Was any of it true? Gazing at me starry-eyed/ In your Jehovah’s Witness suit/ Who the f*** was that guy?/ You tried to buy some pills/ From a friend of friends of mine/ They just ghosted you/ Now you know what it feels like.”
The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived — Track 14
Taylor continues in the same vein, “And I don't want you back I just want to know/ If rusting my sparkling summer was the goal/ And I don't miss what we have but could someone give/ A message to the smallest man who ever lived.”
The Black Dog — Bonus Track (Vinyl only)
On the track, the Cruel Summer singer shouts out another of Healy’s favorite bands, The Starting Line, whose song The Best of Me, Healy’s group covered last year, a minute before Healy and Swift sparked romance rumors.
Swift sings, “I just don't understand how you don't miss me/ In The Black Dog when someone plays The Starting Line/ And you jump up, but she's too young/ To know this song/ That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming.”
The Title Track — Track 2 on TTPD
The most obvious sign of it all. On this track, Taylor Swift talks about a “tattooed golden retriever,” seemingly referencing Healy’s body art.
In addition to these tracks, music critics suggest that Taylor's other songs from the album, such as Fresh Out the Slammer and My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, also contain references to Matty Healy. Taylor Swift and Matty Healy briefly dated between May and June last year.
Taylor announced The Tortured Poets Department at the 2024 Grammy Awards while accepting a gold gramophone for Best Pop Vocal Album for her 2022 music compilation Midnights.
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