THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, by Taylor Swift (2024)

1.

I was supposed to be sent awayBut they forgot to come and get meI was a functioning alcoholic'Til nobody noticed my new aestheticAll of this to say I hope you're okayBut you're the reasonAnd no one here's to blameBut what about your quiet treason?And for a fortnight there, we were foreverRun into you sometimes, ask about the weatherNow you're in my backyard, turned into good neighborsYour wife waters flowers, I wanna kill herAll my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless FebruaryI took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporaryAnd I love you, it's ruining my lifeI love you, it's ruining my lifeI touched you for only a fortnightI touched you, but I touched youAnd for a fortnight there, we were foreverRun into you sometimes, ask about the weatherNow you're in my backyard, turned into good neighborsYour wife waters flowers, I wanna kill herAnd for a fortnight there, we were togetherRun into you sometimes, comment on my sweaterNow you're at the mailbox, turned into good neighborsMy husband is cheating, I wanna kill himI love you, it's ruining my lifeI love you, it's ruining my lifeI touched you for only a fortnightI touched you, I touched youI love you, it's ruining my lifeI love you, it's ruining my lifeI touched you for only a fortnightI touched you, I touched youThought of callin' ya, but you won't pick up'Nother fortnight lost in AmericaMove to Florida, buy the car you wantBut it won't start up 'til you touch, touch, touch meThought of calling ya, but you won't pick up'Nother fortnight lost in AmericaMove to Florida, buy the car you wantBut it won't start up 'til I touch, touch, touch you

2.

You left your typewriter at my apartmentStraight from the tortured poets departmentI think some things I never sayLike, "Who uses typewriters anyway?"But you're in self-sabotage modeThrowing spikes down on the roadBut I've seen this episode and still loved the showWho else decodes you?And who's gonna hold you like me?And who's gonna know you, if not me?I laughed in your face and said"You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti SmithThis ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots"And who's gonna hold you like me?NobodyNo-f*cking-bodyNobodyYou smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolateWe declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artistI scratch your head, you fall asleepLike a tattooed golden retrieverBut you awaken with dreadPounding nails in your headBut I've read this one where you come undoneI chose this cyclone with youAnd who's gonna hold you like me?(Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)And who's gonna know you like me?(Who's gonna know you?)I laughed in your face and said"You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti SmithThis ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots"And who's gonna hold you like me?(Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)No-f*cking-body(Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)Nobody(Who's gonna hold you? Gonna know you? Gonna troll you?)NobodySometimes, I wonder if you're gonna screw this up with meBut you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leaveAnd I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seenEveryone we know understands why it's meant to be'Cause we're crazySo tell me, who else is gonna know me?At dinner, you take my ring off my middle fingerAnd put it on the one people put wedding rings onAnd that's the closest I've come to my heart explodingWho's gonna hold you? (Who?)MeWho's gonna know you? (Who?)MeAnd you're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti SmithThis ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're two idiotsWho's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Who's gonna hold you?Gonna know you? Gonna troll you?You left your typewriter at my apartmentStraight from the tortured poets departmentWho else decodes you?

3.

Oh, here we go againThe voices in his headCalled the rain to end our days of wildThe sickest army dollPurchased at the mallRivulets descend my plastic smileBut you should've seen him when he first got meMy boy only breaks his favorite toys, toys, ohI'm queen of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh'Cause it fit too right, puzzle pieces in the dead of nightI should've known it was a matter of time, oh, ohMy boy only breaks his favorite toys, oh, ohThere was a litany of reasons whyWe could've played for keeps this timeI know I'm just repeating myselfPut me back on my shelfBut first, pull the stringAnd I'll tell you that he runsBecause he loves me (he loves me)'Cause you should've seen him when he first saw meMy boy (my boy) only breaks his favorite toys, toys, ohI'm queen (I'm queen) of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh'Cause I knew too much, there was danger in the heat of my touchHe saw forever, so he smashed it up, oh, ohMy boy (my boy) only breaks his favorite toys, oh, ohOnce I fix meHe's gonna miss meOnce I fix meHe's gonna miss meJust say when, I'd play againHe was my best friend down at the sandlotI felt more when we played pretendThan with all the Kens'Cause he took me out of my boxStole my tortured heartLeft all these broken partsTold me I'm better offBut I'm notI'm not, I'm not

4.

Did you really beam me up?In a cloud of sparkling dustJust to do experiments onTell me I was the chosen oneShow me that this world is bigger than usThen sent me back where I came fromFor a moment I knew cosmic loveNow I'm down bad crying at the gymEverything comes out teenage petulance"What if I can't have him""I might just die, it would make no difference."Down bad, waking up in bloodStaring at the sky, come back and pick me upWhat if I can't have us.I might just not get upI might stay down badWhat if I can't have himDown badWhat if I can't have himDid you take all my old clothes?Just to leave me here naked and aloneIn a field in my same old townThat somehow seems so hollow nowThey'll say I'm nuts if I talk about the existence of youFor a moment I was heaven struckNow I'm down bad crying at the gymEverything comes out teenage petulance"What if I can't have him""I might just die, it would make no difference."Down bad, waking up in bloodStaring at the sky, come back and pick me upWhat if I can't have us.I might just not get upI might stay down badLike I lost my twinWhat if I can't have himDown badDown badWaving at the shipWhat if I can't have himI loved your hostile takeoversEncounters closer and closerAll your indecent exposuresHow dare you say that it's -I'll build you a fort on some planetWhere they can all understand itHow dare you think it's romanticLeaving me safe and strandedCause what if I was in loveWhat if I can't have us.Cause what if I was in loveNow I'm down bad crying at the gymEverything comes out teenage petulance"What if I can't have him""I might just die, it would make no difference."Down bad, waking up in bloodStaring at the sky, come back and pick me upWhat if I can't have us.I might just not get upI might stay down badLike I lost my twinWhat if I can't have himDown badDown badWaving at the shipWhat if I can't have himLike I lost my twinWhat if I can't have himDown badWaving at the shipWhat if I can't have him

5.

So (so) long (long), London (London)So (so) long (long), London (London)So (so) long (long), London (London)I saw in my mind fairy lights through the mistI kept calm and carried the weight of the riftPulled him in tighter each time he was drifting awayMy spine split from carrying us up the hillWet through my clothes, weary bones caught the chillI stopped tryna make him laugh, stopped tryna drill the safeThinking, "How much sad did you think I hadDid you think I had in me?Oh, the tragedySo long, LondonYou'll find someoneI didn't opt in to be your odd man outI founded the club she's heard great things aboutI left all I knew, you left me at the house by the HeathI stopped CPR, after all, it's no useThe spirit was gone, we would never come toAnd I'm pissed off you let me give you all that youth for freeFor so long, LondonStitches undoneTwo graves, one gunI'll find someoneAnd you say I abandoned the shipBut I was going down with itMy white-knuckle dying gripHolding tight to your quiet resentmentAnd my friends said it isn't right to be scaredEvery day of a love affairEvery breath feels like rarest airWhen you're not sure if he wants to be thereSo how much sad did you think I hadDid you think I had in me?How much tragedy?Just how low did youThink I'd go 'fore I'd self implode?'Fore I'd have to go be free?You swore that you loved me, but where were the clues?I died on the altar waiting for the proofYou sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest daysAnd I'm just getting color back into my faceI'm just mad as hell 'cause I loved this place forSo (so) long (long) London (London)Had (had) a (a) good (good) run (run)A moment (moment) of warm sun (sun)But I'm (I'm) not (not) the (the) one (one)So (so) long (long), London (London)Stitches (stitches), undone (undone)Two (two) graves (graves), one gun (gun)You'll (you'll) find (find) someone

6.

I forget how the West was wonI forget if this was ever funI just learned these people only raise you to cage youSarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday bestClutching their pearls, sighing, "What a mess"I just learned these people try and save you'Cause they hate youToo high a horse for a simple girlTo rise above itThey slammed the door on my whole worldThe one thing I wantedNow I'm running with my dress unbuttonedScreaming, "But, daddy, I love himI'm having his baby"No, I'm not, but you should see your facesI'm telling him to floor it through the fencesNo, I'm not coming to my sensesI know he's crazy, but he's the one I wantDutiful daughter, all my plans were laidTendrils tucked into a woven braidGrowing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at allHe was chaos, he was revelryBedroom eyes like a remedySoon enough the elders had convenedDown at the city hall"Stay away from her"The saboteurs protested too muchLord knows the words we never heardJust screeching tires and true loveAnd I'm running with my dress unbuttonedScreaming, "But, daddy, I love himI'm having his baby"No, I'm not, but you should see your facesI'm telling him to floor it through the fencesNo, I'm not coming to my sensesI know he's crazy, but he's the one I wantI'll tell you something right nowI'd rather burn my whole life downThan listen to one more second of all this bitching and moaningI'll tell you something 'bout my good nameIt's mine alone to disgraceI don't cater to all these vipers dressed in empath's clothingGod save the most judgmental creepsWho say they want what's best for meSanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never seeThinking it can change the beatOf my heart when he touches meAnd counteract the chemistryAnd undo the destinyYou ain't gotta pray for meMe and my wild boy and all of this wild joyIf all you want is gray for meThen it's just white noise, and it's just my choiceThere's a lot of people in town that IBestow upon my fakest smilesScandal does funny things to pride, but brings lovers closerWe came back when the heat died downWent to my parents and they came aroundAll the wine moms are still holding out, but f*ck 'em, it's overNow I'm dancing in my dress in the sun andEven my daddy just loves himI'm his ladyAnd, oh my God, you should see your facesTime, doesn't it give some perspective?And, no, you can't come to the weddingI know he's crazy, but he's the one I wantI'll tell you something right nowYou ain't gotta pray for meMe and my wild boy and all of this wild joy(He was chaos, he was revelry)If all you want is gray for meThen it's just white noise, and it's my choiceScreaming, "But, daddy, I love himI'm having his baby"No, I'm notBut you should see your facesBut, oh my God, you should see your faces(He was chaos, he was revelry)

7.

Now pretty baby I'm runnin back home to youFresh out the slammerI know who my first call will be to ...Fresh out the slammerAnother summer, taking coverRolling thunder, he don't understand meSplintered back in winterSilent dinners, bitterHe was with her in dreamsGray and blue and fights and tunnelsHandcuffed to the spell I was underFor just one hour of sunshineYears of labor, locks and ceilingsIn the shade of how he was feelingBut it's gonna be alright. I did my time.Now pretty baby I'm runnin back home to youFresh out the slammerI know who my first call will be to ...Fresh out the slammerCamera flashes, welcome bashesGet the matches, toss the ashes off the ledgeAs I said in my letters, now that I know betterI will never lose my baby againMy friends tried but I wouldn't hear itWatched me daily disappearingFor just one glimpse of his smileAll those nights you kept me goingSwirled you into all of my poemsNow we're at the starting lineI did my time.Now pretty baby I'm runningTo the house where you still wait upAnd that porch light gleamsTo the one who saysI'm the girl of his American DreamsAnd no matter what I've doneIt wouldn't matter anywayAin't no way I'm gonna screw upNow that I know what's at stakeHere. At the park where we used to sit on children's swingsWearing imaginary rings ...But it's gonna be alright.I did my time ...

8.

You can beat the heat if you beat the charges tooThey said I was a cheat, I guess it must be trueAnd my friends all smell like weed or little babiesAnd this city reeks of driving myself crazyLittle did you knowYour home's really only a town you're just a guest inSo you work your life awayJust to pay for a timeshare down in DestinFlorida is one hell of a drugFlorida, can I use you up?The hurricane with my name when it cameI got drunk and I dared it to wash me awayBarricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wineWell, me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a timeYes, I'm haunted but I'm feeling just fineAll my girls got their lace and their crimesAnd your cheating husband disappearedWell, no one asks any questions hereSo I did my best to lay to restAll of the bodies that have ever been on my bodyAnd in my mind, they sink into the swampIs that a bad thing to say in a song?Little did you knowYour home's really only the town you'll get arrestedSo you pack your life awayJust to wait out the sh*tstorm back in TexasFlorida is one hell of a drugFlorida, can I use you up?I need to forget, so take me to FloridaI've got some regrets, I'll bury them in FloridaTell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivableAt least the dolls are beautiful, f*ck me up, FloridaI need to forget, so take me to FloridaI've got some regrets, I'll bury them in FloridaTell me I'm despicable, say it's unforgivableWhat a crash, what a rush, f*ck me up, FloridaIt's one hell of a drugIt's one hell of a drugLove left me like this and I don't want to existSo take me to FloridaLittle did you knowYour home's really only a town you're just a guest in (take me to Florida)So you work your life awayJust to pay for a timeshare down in Destin (take me to Florida)Little did you knowYour home's really only the town you'll get arrested (take me to Florida)So you pack your life awayJust to wait out the sh*tstorm back in Texas (take me to)Florida is one hell of a drug (take me to)Florida, can I use you up?Florida is one hell of a drugFlorida, go on, f*ck me up

9.

Drowning in the Blue NileHe sent me 'Downtown Lights'I hadn't heard it in a whileMy boredom's bone deepThis cage was once just fineAm I allowed to cry?I dream of cracking locksThrowing my life to the wolvesOr the ocean rocksCrashing into him tonightHe's a paradoxI'm seeing visions, am I bad?Or mad? Or wise?What if he's written 'mine' on my upper thighOnly in my mind?One slip and falling back into the hedge mazeOh what a way to dieI keep recalling things we never didMessy top lip kissHow I long for our trystsWithout ever touching his skinHow can I be guilty as sin?I keep these longings lockedIn lowercase inside a vaultSomeone told meThere's no such thing as bad thoughtsOnly your actions talkThese fatal fantasiesGiving way to labored breathTaking all of meWe've already done it in my headIf it's make believeWhy does it feel like a vowWe'll both uphold somehow?What if he's written 'mine' on my upper thighOnly in my mind?One slip and falling back into the hedge mazeOh what a way to dieMy bedsheets are ablazeI've screamed his nameBuilding up like wavesCrashing over my graveWithout ever touching his skinHow can I be guilty as sin?What if I roll the stone away?They're gonna crucify me anywayWhat if the way you hold meIs actually what's holy?If long suffering proprietyIs what they want from meThey don't know how you've haunted meSo stunninglyI choose you and me... ReligiouslyWhat if he's written 'mine' on my upper thighOnly in my mind?One slip and falling back into the hedge mazeOh what a way to dieI keep recalling things we never didMessy top lip kissHow I long for our trystsWithout ever touching his skinHow can I be guilty as sin?He sent me 'Downtown Lights'I hadn't heard it in a whileAm I allowed to cry?

10.

… The who's who of "Who's that?" is poised for the attackBut my bare hands paved their pathsYou don't get to tell me about sad… If you wanted me dead, you should've just saidNothing makes me feel more alive… So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your streetCrash the party like a record scratch as I scream"Who's afraid of little old me?"You should be… The scandal was containedThe bullet had just grazedAt all costs, keep your good nameYou don't get to tell me you feel bad… Is it a wonder I broke? Let's hear one more jokeThen we could all just laugh until I cry… So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your streetCrash the party like a record scratch as I scream"Who's afraid of little old me?"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean"Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"Who's afraid of little old me?Well, you should be… You should be(You should be) You should beYou should be (you should be)You should be (you should be)You should be… So tell me everything is not about meBut what if it is?Then say they didn't do it to hurt meBut what if they did?… I wanna snarl and show you just how disturbed this has made meYou wouldn't last an hour in the asylum where they raised meSo all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebsI'm always drunk on my own tears, isn't that what they all said?That I'll sue you if you step on my lawnThat I'm fearsome and I'm wretched and I'm wrongPutting narcotics into all of my songsAnd that's why you're still singing along… So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your streetCrash the party like a record scratch as I scream"Who's afraid of little old me?"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean"Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth"Who's afraid of little old me?Well, you should be… You should be(You should be) You should be'Cause you lured me (you should be)And you hurt me (you should be)And you taught me… You caged me and then you called me crazyI am what I am 'cause you trained meSo who's afraid of me?Who's afraid of little old me?Who's afraid of little old me?

11.

The smoke cloud billows out his mouthLike a freight train through a small townThe jokes that he told across the barWere revolting and far too loudThey shake their heads saying, "God, help her"When I tell them he's my manBut your good Lord doesn't need to lift a fingerI can fix him, no, really I canAnd only I canThe dopamine races through his brainOn a six-lane Texas highwayHis hand so calloused from his pistolSoftly traces hearts on my faceAnd I could see it from a mile awayA perfect case for my certain skillsetHe had a halo of the highest gradeHe just hadn't met me yetThey shake their heads saying, "God, help her"When I tell them he's my manBut your good Lord doesn't need to lift a fingerI can fix him, no, really I canAnd only I canGood boy, that's rightCome close, I'll show you heavenIf you'll be an angel, all mineTrust me, I can handle me a dangerous manNo, really I canThey shook their heads saying, "God, help her"When I told them he's my man (I told them he's my man)But your good Lord didn't need to lift a fingerI can fix him, no, really I can (no, really I can)Whoa, maybe I can't

12.

Who's gonna stop us from waltzing back into rekindled flamesIf we know the steps anyway?We embroidered the memories of the time I was awayStitching, "We were just kids, babe"I said, "I don't mind, it takes time"I thought I was better safe than starry-eyedI felt a glow like thisNever before and never sinceIf you know it in one glimpse, it's legendaryYou and I go from one kiss to getting marriedStill alive, killing time at the cemeteryNever quite buried in your suit and tieIn the nick of timeYou low-down boy, you stand-up guy, you holy ghostYou told me I'm the love of your lifeYou said I'm the love of your lifeAbout a million timesWho's gonna tell me the truthWhen you blew in with the winds of fateAnd told me I reformed you?When your impressionist paintings of Heaven turned out to be fakesWell, you took me to Hell tooAnd all at once the ink bleedsA conman sells a fool a get-love-quick schemeBut I felt a hole like thisNever before and never sinceIf you know it in one glimpse, it's legendaryWhat we thought was for all time, was momentaryStill alive, killing time at the cemeteryNever quite buriedYou cinephile in black and whiteAll those plot twists and dynamiteMr. Steal-Your-Girl then make her cryYou said I'm the love of your lifeYou sh*t-talked me under the tableTalking rings and talking cradlesI wish I could un-recall how we almost had it allDancing phantoms on the terraceAre they secondhand embarrassedThat I can't get out of bed'Cause something counterfeit's dead?It was legendaryIt was momentaryIt was unnecessaryShould've let it stay buriedOh, what a valiant roar, what a bland goodbyeThe coward claimed he was a lionI'm combing through the braids of lies"I'll never leave, " "Never mind"Our field of dreams engulfed in fireYour arson's match, your somber eyesAnd I'll still see it until I dieYou're the loss of my life

13.

I can read your mind"She's having the time of her life"There in her glittering primeThe lights refract sequined stars off her silhouette every nightI can show you lies (one, two, three, four)'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my sh*tThey said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I didLights, camera, bitch smile, even when you wanna dieHe said he'd love me all his lifeBut that life was too shortBreaking down, I hit the floorAll the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "More"I was grinning like I'm winning, I was hitting my marks'Cause I can do it with a broken heart (one, two, three, four)I'm so depressed, I act like it's my birthday every dayI'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me like the plagueI cry a lot but I am so productive, it's an artYou know you're good when you can even do itWith a broken heartI can hold my breathI've been doing it since he leftI keep finding his things in drawersCrucial evidence, I didn't imagine the whole thingI'm sure I can pass this test (one, two, three, four)'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my sh*tThey said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I didLights, camera, bitch smile, in stilettos for milesHe said he'd love me for all timeBut that time was quite shortBreaking down, I hit the floorAll the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "More"I was grinning like I'm winning, I was hitting my marks'Cause I can do it with a broken heart (one, two, three)I'm so depressed, I act like it's my birthday every dayI'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me like the plague (he avoids me)I cry a lot but I am so productive, it's an artYou know you're good when you can even do itWith a broken heartYou know you're good when you can even do itWith a broken heartYou know you're good, I'm good'Cause I'm miserableAnd nobody even knowsTry and come for my job

14.

Was any of it true?Gazing at me starry-eyedIn your Jehovah's Witness suitWho the hell was that guy?You tried to buy some pillsFrom a friend of friends of mineThey just ghosted youNow, you know what it feels like.And I don't even want you backI just want to knowIf rusting my sparkling summer was the goalAnd I don't miss what we hadBut could someone giveA message to the smallest man who ever livedYou hung me on your wallStabbed me with your push pinsIn public, showed me offThen, sank in stoned oblivionCause once your queen had comeYou'd treat her like an also-ranYou didn't measure upIn any measure of a manAnd I don't even want you backI just want to knowIf rusting my sparkling summer was the goalAnd I don't miss what we hadBut could someone giveA message to the smallest man who ever livedWere you sent by someoneWho wanted me dead?Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?Were you writing a book?Were you a sleeper cell spy?In 50 years will all this be declassified?And you'll confess why you did itAnd I'll say, "Good riddance"Cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbiddenI would've died for your sinsInstead, I just died insideAnd you deserve prison, but you won't get timeYou'll slide into inboxesAnd slip through the barsYou crashed my party and your rental carYou said, normal girls were "boring"But you were gone by the morningYou kicked out the stage lightsBut you're still performingAnd in plain sight you hidBut you are what you did.And I'll forget you, butI'll never forgiveThe smallest man who ever lived

15.

This happens once every few lifetimesThese chemicals hit me like white wineWhat if I told you I'm back?The hospital was a dragWorst sleep that I ever hadI circled you on a mapI haven't come around in so longBut I'm coming back so strongSo when I touch downCall the amateurs andCut 'em from the teamDitch the clowns, get the crownBaby I'm the one to beatCause the sign on your heartSaid it's still reserved for meHonestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?Hey you, what if I told you we're cool?That child's play back in schoolIs forgiven under my ruleI haven't come around in so longBut I'm making a comeback to where I belong ...So when I touch downCall the amateurs andCut 'em from the teamDitch the clowns, get the crownBaby I'm the one to beatCause the sign on your heartSaid it's still reserved for meHonestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?These blokes warm the benchesWe been on a winning streakHe jokes that it's heroin but this time with an "E"Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for meHonestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?Shirts off, and your friends lift you up over their headsBeer sticking to the floorCheers chanted, cause they saidThere was no chance, trying to beThe greatest in the leagueWhere's the trophy?He just comes running over to meTouch downCall the amateurs andCut 'em from the teamDitch the clowns, get the crownBaby I'm the one to beatCause the sign on your heartSaid it's still reserved for meHonestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?These blokes warm the benchesWe been on a winning streakHe jokes that it's heroin but this time with an "E"Cause the sign on your heart said it's still reserved for meHonestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?This happens once every few lifetimesThese chemicals hit me like white wine

16.

"You look like Clara BowIn this light, remarkableAll your life, did you knowYou'd be picked like a rose?""I'm not trying to exaggerateBut I think I might die if it happenedDie if it happened to meNo one in my small townThought I'd see the lights of Manhattan""This town is fake but you're the real thingBreath of fresh air through smoke ringsTake the glory, give everythingPromise to be dazzling""You look like Stevie NicksIn '75, the hair and lipsCrowd goes wild, at our fingertipsHalf moon shine, a full eclipse""I'm not trying to exaggerateBut I think I might die if I made itDie if I made itNo one in my small townThought I'd need these suits in LAThey all wanna say""This town is fake but you're the real thingBreath of fresh air through smoke ringsTake the glory, give everythingPromise to be dazzlingThe crown is stained but you're the real queenFlesh and blood amongst war machinesYou're the new god we're worshippingPromise to be dazzling"Beauty is a beast that roarsDown on all fours, demanding moreOnly when your girlish glow flickers just soDo they let you knowIt's hell on earth to be heavenlyThem's the breaks, they don't come gently"You look like Taylor SwiftIn this light, we're loving itYou've got edge, she never didThe future's bright, dazzling"

THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (also shortened to Tortured Poets or abbreviated as TTPD colloquially), is the eleventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on April 19, 2024, through Republic Records. A surprise double album edition, subtitled The Anthology, containing a second volume of songs was released the same day.

Swift began writing THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT shortly after finishing her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022), and continued during the Eras Tour in 2023. She described The Tortured Poets Department as her "lifeline" album, conceiving it as an imperative songwriting project amidst her heightened fame and media scrutiny. The songs introspect on her public and private lives, detailing tumult and sorrow via motifs of self-awareness, delusion, anger, mourning, and humor. Produced with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, the album is a minimalist synth-pop, chamber pop, and folk-pop effort with rock and country stylings. The composition is largely mid-tempo, driven by synthesizers and drum machines alongside piano and guitar.

The album broke various sales and streaming records. It achieved the highest single-day and single-week global streams for an album on Spotify and topped the charts in territories across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas, breaking chart records in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, The Tortured Poets Department debuted atop the Billboard 200 with first-week 2.6 million album-equivalent units, including 1.9 million pure sales, marking Swift's biggest sales week and record-extending seventh release to open with over a million units. Its songs made Swift the first artist to monopolize the first 14 positions of the Billboard Hot 100, with the lead single "Fortnight" at the top.

The album polarized critics upon release: most reviews were positive and praised Swift's cathartic songwriting for its emotional resonance and wit, but some found it overlong and lacking profundity. Journalists attributed the mixed reception to Swift's celebrity, which was used by some reviews to prioritize gossip and sensationalism over artistic evaluation. Some subsequent assessments appreciated the musical and lyrical nuances that emerged upon further listens. Swift included songs from the album in the 2024 phase of the Eras Tour, revamping the original setlist.