Taylor Swift<\/strong><\/a> has fans in a frenzy trying to figure out who the songs on her 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department<\/em>, are about.<\/p>\n While fans were expecting a full record about her breakup from Joe Alwyn<\/strong><\/a>, the pop star took everyone by surprise when she seemingly referenced her 2023 fling with Matty Healy<\/strong><\/a> on a number of different tracks. Plus, there\u2019s a deep cut or two that didn\u2019t even have to do with the singer\u2019s love life.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n 1 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n The album\u2019s first track seems to reference Taylor\u2019s short-lived relationship<\/a> with Matty, which began just weeks after news broke that she and Joe had split in April 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cI touch you, only for a fortnight,\u201d she sings in the chorus, referencing a two-week period that lines up with the short length of her fling with The 1975 singer.<\/p>\n While the song features some non-autobiographical lyrics like, \u201cYour wife waters flowers, I want to kill her,\u201d and, \u201cMy husband is cheating, I want to kill him,\u201d the overall theme is about a brief romance that really hit Taylor hard. \u201cI love you, it\u2019s ruining my life,\u201d she also sings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 2 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Matty is also speculated to be the subject of track No. 2. Taylor references a subject who \u201csmoked then ate seven bars of chocolate,\u201d and Matty has been open about marijuana use. She also refers to the song\u2019s inspiration as a \u201ctattooed golden retriever,\u201d and Matty has plenty of ink on his body.<\/p>\n One of the most telling lines is, \u201cYou told Lucy you\u2019d kill yourself if I ever leave,\u201d which appears to be a reference to Boygenius\u2019 Lucy Dacus<\/strong>. Matt was friends with the band before making a controversial comment on social media and getting called out by Lucy in September 2023.<\/p>\n Taylor references just how strongly she felt about Matty at the end of the song, adding, \u201cAt dinner, you take my ring off my middle finger and put it on the one people put wedding rings on and that\u2019s the closest I\u2019ve come to my heart exploding.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 3 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Joe seems to be the inspiration for track 3, with Taylor using metaphors to call out someone for not putting her on the same pedestal as he did when they first got together.<\/p>\n \u201cYou should\u2019ve seen him when he first got me,\u201d she sings in the chorus. \u201cMy boy only breaks his favorite toys.\u201d She previously hinted that Joe grew tired of her on 2023\u2019s \u201cYou\u2019re Losing Me<\/a>\u201d when she sang, \u201cDon\u2019t you ignore me, I\u2019m the best thing at this party.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 4 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Taylor was most definitely down bad for Matty and this song is more proof. She once again references the short length of their fling, singing, \u201cFor a moment I knew cosmic love,\u201d on track 4.<\/p>\n Later, she adds, \u201cHow dare you think it\u2019s romantic leaving me safe and stranded?\u201d A blind item posted by DeuxMoi previously hinted that Matty was the one to dip out on this relationship<\/a>, leaving Taylor completely blindsided, and this lyric tracks with that report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 5 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n The always-anticipated track 5 did not disappoint, with Taylor saying goodbye to her life across the pond with Joe. The two were together<\/a> for more than six years and spent most of their time in his native London.<\/p>\n \u201cI kept calm and carried the weight of the rift, pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away,\u201d she sings in the first verse, once again referencing Joe pulling away from her.<\/p>\n In the second verse, she says, \u201cI\u2019m pissed off you let me give you all that youth,\u201d hinting that at the years in her 20s that she was dating Joe without him ever taking the next step. She also seemingly revealed that she wanted marriage with her ex later in the song, singing, \u201cYou swore that you loved me but where were the clues? I died on the altar waiting for the proof.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 6 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n This one seems to be Taylor calling out people who criticized her for dating Matty. \u201cThey slammed the door on my whole world, the one thing I wanted,\u201d she reveals.<\/p>\n She also defends wanting to be with the controversial singer, adding, \u201cI know he\u2019s crazy but he\u2019s the one I want.\u201d Taylor even seemingly talks directly to the fans who had something to say about the relationship when she sings, \u201cI\u2019ll tell you something right now, I\u2019d rather burn my whole life down than listen to one more second of all this bitching and moaning. I\u2019ll tell you something about my good name, it\u2019s mine alone to disgrace. I don\u2019t cater to all these vipers dressed in empath\u2019s clothing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 7 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Here, Taylor seemingly sings about wanting to start a relationship with Matty after her breakup from Joe. She and Matty were previously rumored to be dating in 2014 and she makes references to rekindling a past relationship on \u201cFresh Out the Slammer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be alright, I did my time, now pretty baby I\u2019m running back home to you,\u201d she sings. \u201cFresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to.\u201d<\/p>\n Toward the end of the song, she makes another reference to a romance from the past. \u201cAin\u2019t no way I\u2019m gonna screw up now that I know what\u2019s at stake,\u201d the pop star croons. \u201cHere at the park, where we used to sit on children\u2019s swings wearing imaginary rings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 8 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n This collab appears to take a page out of Taylor\u2019s Folkore<\/em> and Evermore<\/em> era, as she seems to tell a fictional tale of using Florida as a place to escape to and bury one\u2019s regrets.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 9 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Fans speculate that \u201cGuilty as Sin\u201d is Taylor\u2019s confession that she was starting to fall for Matty while still in a relationship with Joe. In January 2023, she performed with The 1975 in concert, so Matty was already back in her orbit months before the April 2023 breakup news came out.<\/p>\n \u201cHow I long for our tryst,\u201d she sings, daydreaming of a romance with someone else. \u201cWithout ever touching his skin, how can I be guilty as sin?\u201d<\/p>\n She also seemingly hints that she previously wrote songs about Matty the first time they dated. \u201cI keep these longings locked in lowercase inside a vault,\u201d she says. Taylor has released several old songs \u201cfrom the vault\u201d while rerecording her first six albums and appears to have some tracks about Matty locked away in there too.<\/p>\n The lyrics to \u201cGuilty as Sin\u201d have Taylor making it clear that she was never unfaithful to Joe, though, as she says, \u201cSomeone told me there\u2019s no such thing as bad thoughts, only your actions talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 10 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n This track seems to be Taylor\u2019s message to those who have spewed hate her way, as she sings, \u201cI was tame, I was gentle \u2018til the circus life made me mean, don\u2019t you work, folks, we took out all her teeth, who\u2019s afraid of little old me?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 11 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n Matty gets another apparent song about him in \u201cI Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),\u201d as Taylor sings about hoping she can make her partner become someone who the public approves of. The message is similar to what she previously sang about on \u201cBut Daddy I Love Him.\u201d<\/p>\n The chorus goes, \u201cTrust me, I can handle a dangerous man, no really I can. They shook their heads saying, \u2018God help her,\u2019 when I told \u2018em he\u2019s my man, but your good lord didn\u2019t need to lift a finger. I can fix him, no really, I can.\u201d<\/p>\n However, at the end, she realizes that \u201cmaybe [she] can\u2019t\u201d fix him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 12 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n On first listen, this heartbreaking song seemed to be about Taylor and Joe\u2019s breakup, but references to \u201crekindling\u201d a past romance have signs pointing toward the track possibly being about Matty.<\/p>\n \u201cWe embroidered the memories of a time I was away, stitching, we were just kids, babe,\u201d the Grammy winner says in the first verse, seemingly referencing when she and Matty dated in 2014. There\u2019s also another reference to the short length of the pair\u2019s relationship, as Taylor sings, \u201cWhat we thought was for all-time was momentary.\u201d<\/p>\n However, a mention of marriage and babies has fans also naming Joe as the subject. \u201cYou said I\u2019m the love of your life, you s\u2013t talked me under a table, talking rings and talking cradles, I wish I could un-recall how we almost had it all,\u201d Taylor sings later in the song.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 13 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n This song is what fans expected based on the title, referencing how Taylor was able to put on her Eras tour while going through a devastating breakup in the spring of 2023. However, it may not have just been the Joe breakup that she was brokenhearted about, as Matty also appears to have taken a toll on her.<\/p>\n \u201cI Can Do It With a Broken Heart\u201d features lyrics like, \u201cCause I\u2019m a real tough kid, I can handle my s\u2013t, they said, \u2018Babe you gotta fake it \u2018til you make it,\u2019 and I did,\u2019\u201d and \u201cI was grinning like I\u2019m winning, I was hitting my marks, \u2018cause I can do it with a broken heart.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 14 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n This is the first time Taylor seems very angry with Matty for how things went down, as she calls him out for \u201cghosting\u201d her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou tried to buy some pills from a friend of friends of mine, they just ghosted you, now you know what it feels like,\u201d she snarls. The timeline also matches up with Taylor and Matty dating in May 2023, as she sings, \u201cI just want to know if rusting my sparkling summer was the goal?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 15 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n While fans speculated that TTPD<\/em> was written before Travis Kelce<\/strong> came into Taylor\u2019s life<\/a>, the multiple references to football on this song has some wondering if the NFL star may have inspired the track.<\/p>\n \u201cSo when I touch down, call the amateurs,\u201d she sings, using a play on the word touchdown. Other sports references include, \u201cOn the benches, we\u2019ve been on a winning streak,\u201d and, \u201cShirt\u2019s off and your friends lift you up over their heads, beer sticking to the floor, cheers chanting \u2018cause they said there was no chance. Trying to be the greatest in the league, where\u2019s the trophy?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n 16 of 16<\/p>\n Getty<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n\u201cFortnight\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-tortured-poets-departmnet.jpg?fit=800%2C831&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cThe Tortured Poets Department\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-departments-songs-about-my-boy-only-breaks-his-favorite-toys.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cMy Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-down-bad.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cDown Bad\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-so-long-london.jpg?fit=800%2C876&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cSo Long, London\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swifts-tortured-poets-department-songs-about.jpg?fit=800%2C534&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cBut Daddy I Love Him\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-fresh-out-the-slammer.jpg?fit=800%2C800&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cFresh Out the Slammer\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-florida.jpg?fit=800%2C1006&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cFlorida!!!\u201d (ft. Florence and the Machine)<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-guilty-as-sin.jpg?fit=800%2C565&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cGuilty as Sin\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-whos-afraid-of-little-old-me.jpg?fit=800%2C533&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cWho\u2019s Afraid of Little Old Me?\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-i-can-fix-him.jpg?fit=800%2C533&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cI Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-loml.jpg?fit=800%2C800&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cloml\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swifts-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-1.jpg?fit=800%2C533&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cI Can Do It With a Broken Heart\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poests-department-songs-about.jpg?fit=800%2C533&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cThe Smallest Man Who Ever Lived\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"Who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortuted-poets-department-songs-about-the-alchemy.jpg?fit=800%2C533&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n\u201cThe Alchemy\u201d<\/h2>\n
![\"who](\"https:\/\/www.lifeandstylemag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/who-are-taylor-swift-tortured-poets-department-songs-about-clarab-ow.jpg?fit=800%2C533&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n