Taylor Swift loves to reference the past in her songs. Every new album adds another layer to a whole web of lore (as the kids say), and The Tortured Poets Department is no different! There are enough pop culture references to to keep you glued to Google for the whole weekend, which is why I read every single lyric to decode each movie and literary reference so you don't have to! Keep reading for the full scoop from our fearless leader: The Chairman of the Department ;).
Literary References In The Tortured Poets Department
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Down Bad — "Did You Take All My Old Clothes, Just To Leave Me Here, Naked And Alone"
While "Down Bad" feels like a reference to aliens, it's also reminding us of the story of Adam and Eve, who were left naked in the Garden of Eden after eating the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The "experiments" Taylor Swift references in the first verse (plus the "Fortnight" music video) are also giving Mary Shelley/Frankenstein!
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So Long, London — "You Left Me At The House By The Heath"
Hampstead Heath is a beautiful area of London that reportedly inspired C.S. Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia in the late 30s and early 40s. As Narnia's self-proclaimed biggest fan, I'm totally claiming this indirect literary reference, especially since the Pevensies have to stay at the Professor's house when they're evacuated from London.
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I Hate It Here — "I Hate It Here So I Will Go To Secret Gardens In My Mind People Need A Key To Get To"
This Taylor Swift song is all about wishing she was somewhere else during an early period of her life, and referencing The Secret Garden makes total sense. In the book, lead character Mary has to access the Secret Garden to discover the hope, joy, and healing she's lost.
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thanK you aIMee — "I Pushed Each Boulder Up The Hill"
This seems to be another Greek mythology reference, this time to Sisyphus. He was forced by the gods to roll a boulder up a hill — and then do it again when it rolled back down. Considering this song seems to reference Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and the drama that led to Reputation, it feels like a reference to the feud that rears its head over and over again.
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Cassandra — "So They Killed Cassandra First Cause She Feared The Worst And Tried To Tell The Town"
In Greek mythology, Cassandra (whose name means "she who entangles men," FYI) was a beautiful woman, and princess of Troy. The god Apollo falls in love with her, and gives her the power of prophecy — that is, until she rejects him and he turns the gift into a curse where no one believes her anymore.
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The Bolter — "She Fell Through The Ice, Then Came Out Alive"
This is another indirect literary reference I'm claiming that totally reminds me of Amy March from Little Women. Amy falls through the ice when the March sisters are all children living in Massachusetts. Fans have historically hated her character, which is tied to the "A curious child, ever reviled // By everyone except her own father" lyric.
Movie References In Taylor Swift's New Album
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My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys — "I Felt More When We Played Pretend Than With All The Kens"
The internet has claimed Taylor Swift as the real-world version of Barbie, and after last year's blockbuster hit (and Taylor referencing Ken in "Hits Different") we get another nod to our favorite doll. Plus, this song reminds me of Syd from Toy Story destroying his toys, and "he was my best friend down at the sandlot" got me thinking about The Sandlot. So many movie references, so little time!
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Guilty As Sin? — "How Can I Be Guilty As Sin?"
Taylor Swift wrote "Carolina" for the book-to-movie adaptation of Where The Crawdads Sing. In "Carolina," she sings that Kya's community has "said that I was guilty as sin and sleep in a liar’s bed.”
More Pop Culture References
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- The Tortured Poets Department — Taylor Swift mentions poet & writer Dylan Thomas, singer-songwriter & poet Patti Smith, and American singer Charlie Puth, boygenius singer Lucy Dacus, producer Jack Antonoff.
- But Daddy I Love Him — This is a line in both The Little Mermaid and The Notebook.
- Florida!!! — Florence Welch is featured on this song, which mentions a hurricane. Florence + The Machine has a song titled "Hurricane Love."
- Guilty As Sin? — Taylor also references "The Downtown Lights" by The Blue Nile, as well as the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus in The Bible.
- Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me — Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf revolves around a bitter and aging couple who weaponize the youth of their guests against one another.
- loml — "The coward claimed he was a lion" is a reference to The Wizard of Oz, while "Mr. Steal Your Girl" is a Trey Songz track.
- I Can Do It With A Broken Heart — This whole song is about Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.
- The Alchemy + The Prophecy — In Taylor Swift's TIME interview, she references Harry Potter, which has huge themes around alchemy and prophecies.
- Clara Bow — This song references Clara Bow, Stevie Nicks, and Taylor herself!
- So High School — Taylor Swift Mentions video game Grand Theft Auto, Artistotle, and American Pie. She also mentions games like Kiss Marry Kill, Truth or Dare, and Spin the Bottle
Which of these pop culture references in The Tortured Poets Department is your favorite? Check out the latest news on the album here!
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