never-been-a-natural

[never-been-a-natural]

Lyric Analysis

Song:

The Tortured Poet’s Department

Commentary and Lore:

This is one of the songs on TTPD that I think is the most clear, while also being the most misunderstood. Fans speculate this song being in reference to Matty Healy, Joe Alwyn, Dianna Agron, and Phoebe Bridgers to name a few. And Taylor does a great job at sliding nods to each supposed muse into the lyrics of this song so that each side of the fandom can find enough “proof” to justify their belief. She does this very often and very well. However, as I mentioned in the Eras summary, I believe that the album TTPD is the story of The Poet and The Popstar and their tumultuous relationship over the past decade or so. The song TTPD is introducing you to these characters and to how they see and support each other. I like to picture them in my head as the two Taylors from the Anti-Hero MV

I think the lyrics of this song switch POVs back and forth, as if they are conversationally speaking/singing to each other.

In this analysis, I will indicate that the POET is speaking by using the ✍️emoji. I will indicate that the POPSTAR is speaking by using the 🎤

Perspective/POV

🎤You left your typewriter at my apartment. Straight from the Tortured Poets Department. I think some things I never say. Like, "Who uses typewriters anyway?" But you're in self-sabotage mode, Throwing spikes down on the road. But I've seen this episode and still loved the show. Who 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 Smith. This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots".

✍️And who's gonna hold you like me? Nobody

🎤No-fucking-body

✍️Nobody

✍️You smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolate. We declared, “Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist. I scratch your head, you fall asleep like a tattooed golden retriever. But you awaken with dread, pounding nails in your head. But I've read this one where you come undone. I chose this cyclone with you. And who's gonna hold you like me?

🎤(Echo: Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)

✍️And who's gonna know you like me?

(Echo: Who's gonna know you?)

✍️I laughed in your face and said

🎤"You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith. This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're modern idiots"

🎤And who's gonna hold you like me?

✍️(Echo: Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)

🎤No-fucking-body

✍️(Echo: Who's gonna hold you? Who's gonna hold you?)

🎤Nobody

✍️(Echo: Who's gonna hold you? Gonna know you? Gonna troll you?)

🎤Nobody

✍️Sometimes, I wonder if you're gonna screw this up with me

🎤But you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave, and I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen

✍️🎤Everyone we know understands why it's meant to be. 'Cause we're crazy.

🎤So tell me, who else is gonna know me?

✍️At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on and that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding

🎤Who's gonna hold you? (✍️Who?)

🎤Me

✍️Who's gonna know you? (🎤Who?)

✍️Me

🎤And you're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith

✍️This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we're two idiots. 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?

🎤Who's gonna hold you?

✍️Gonna know you?

🎤Gonna troll you?

🎤You left your typewriter at my apartment, straight from the Tortured Poets Department

✍️Who else decodes you?

Breakdown of key lyrics

I think some things I never say. Like, "Who uses typewriters anyway?" But you’re in self-sabotage mode

She would never say this because she does in fact use typewriters. But she also thinks the poet version of herself is overdramatic, so internally, she thinks it’s lame.

But outwardly, she sees the Poet is struggling with something and recognizes it. And is there to talk her through it. Verse two is similar where they recognize each others’ internal struggles and are there to support one another.

You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith. This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel, we’re modern idiots.

Dylan Thomas is a famous Welsh poet from the early 1900s. A London Boy, if you will. Patti Smith is a famous American singer/songwriter who was popular in the 1970s. I think this is how poet-Taylor visualizes the two halves of herself. And Popstar Taylor is saying that bullshit, it’s not that deep. We’re just Taylor Swift

The Chelsea Hotel is where Dylan Thomas, the poet, ultimately died. In this line, the Popstar is reassuring the Poet that this is not where their story ends. That she’s got her back. That they’re not dead yet. That no ones going to love her like she does.

you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave, and I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen

Taylor Swift is friends with both Lucy Dacus and Jack Antonoff. Lucy’s lyricism and style of music is very similar to the songwriting style of Poet Taylor. It’s sensible that she would talk to her good friend Lucy about how much she needs the other half of herself. Same with Jack and Popstar Taylor. This lyric does not make sense for Matty Healy being the muse. Period.

At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on and that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding

I think that Taylor uses A LOT of larger extended metaphors throughout her discography. Marriage is one that she uses often. For the purposes of this blog, Taylor’s mentions of marriage will simply symbolize commitment. Sometimes this refers to contractual commitment, or committing to a plan. In this, the Popstar going out in public and taking the ring off of her middle finger and putting it onto her ring finger symbolizes that she is spoken for. She is committing to herself. Not in hiding or in secret, but publicly. And that makes the poet very happy.

[never-been-a-natural]

Ground Rules

This is a Taylor Swift blog first and foremost and her work is what will be referenced most often.

This blog operates under the assumption that all of Taylor’s songs are layered, extended metaphors and that none of them have been written in reference to any specific romantic male or female muse.

Music is subjective. Artists invite us to interpret their art in ways that make the most sense to us. This blog is my personal interpretation of Taylor’s art. There’s no right or wrong answer, since we may never know the artist’s true intention. It’s okay if you disagree with my interpretation and RESPECTFUL discussion is welcomed.

Blog Basics

When trying to understand a muse-less interpretation of these songs, there are some key beliefs that are helpful to start with:

Taylor Swift is a liar. Harsh, I know. But, in reality, we all lie at times. Idk why swifties convince themselves that Taylor would never lie to her fans. Taylor describes herself in her musics as a schemer, a criminal, a bandit, a traitor, a mastermind. She tells us we should find another guiding light, we wouldn’t take her word for it if we actually knew who was talking. I choose to believe her. I choose to believe there is an entire story and side of Taylor that we don’t know anything about and that she has been hiding in plain sight.

Taylor has been asked in multiple interviews over many years to confirm who her songs were written about, but she almost never does. Dear John, for example was never confirmed to be about John Mayer. The media and the fans decided that, but Taylor never actually said that. Instead, I operate under the assumption that Taylor’s songs are about herself, her life, and her longest and most tumultuous relationships to date: her relationships with her fans, the media, and the music industry/Hollywood.

I examine her lyrics using the visuals she provides in her music videos. As early as the Our Song MV, you can see that Taylor has portrayed more than one version of herself in almost every music video. This has been referred to in fandom as the “two Taylor” theory, or the “Taylor duality” theory or most recently “The Poet and The Popstar”.

Sometimes these depictions are obvious like when the Poet and Popstar characters are both played by Taylor (Anti-Hero MV, for example). Then there are times when it’s slightly less obvious and these characters are played by Taylor and a male actor (Fortnight MV). Then, there are times when it is left up to individual interpretation, (such as the ATWTMV short film character depictions). This can get confusing because I don’t believe that these characters have specifically assigned genders in Taylor’s art. They are references as both he or she depending on the needs of the song/music video. We’ll look more closely into all of this nuance in the blog ☺️

Final things to know before jumping into this blog and its content

I love Taylor and do not think lying makes her a bad person. I believe making up stories for the public to consume is a great way to protect your actual personal life. I also think Taylor has been very up front with us about the fact that she does intentionally protect her personal life.

I don’t know what any of this means for the future, re-records, eaters eggs, etc. is not my jam, so please don’t ask. I just want to have a deeper understanding of Taylor’s lyricism and artistry and this felt like a good place to process and share my thoughts.

ALL of the legwork for the theories/frameworks that I use on this blog can be attributed to the gaylor community. This is not a space for racism, sexism, homophobia, or transphobia. No TERFs. You’ll be blocked.

There’s no pattern to which songs/videos I analyze. It’s just whatever I happen to listen to that day mostly.

Inbox is open for questions/asks!