"But Daddy I Love Him" is the sixth track from Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19, 2024.
Composition[]
"But Daddy I Love Him" features a diverse blend of genres, merging electronic and acoustic elements. The verses are subdued, showcasing gentle, folk-inspired fingerpicked acoustic guitar. The choruses burst with a full, bright acoustic sound reminiscent of the dynamic country-pop and pop-rock tones of Swift's early records. The chorus is underscored by dramatic, crashing electronic drums and highlighted with light synth accents. "But Daddy I Love Him" is in the key of E major and has a tempo of 80 BPM, which can sometimes feel like 160 BPM due to the song's intricate, driving production.
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
I forget how the West was won
I forget if this was ever fun
I just learned these people only raise you
To cage you
Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best
Clutchin' their pearls saying, "What a mess"
I just learned these people try and save you
'Cause they hate you
[Pre-Chorus]
To high a horse for a simple girl
To rise above it
They slammed the door on my whole world
The one thing I wanted
[Chorus]
Now I'm running with my dress unbuttoned
Scrеamin', "But, daddy, I love him"
I'm having his baby, no, I'm not
But you should see your faces
I'm telling him to floor it through thе fences
No, I'm not coming to my senses
I know it's crazy
But he's the one I want
[Verse 2]
Beautiful daughter on the plans relate
Tendrils tucked into a woven braid
Growing up precocious sometimes means not growing up at all
You're this chaos he was revelry
Bedroom eyes like a remedy
Soon enough the elders had convened down at the city hall
[Pre-Chorus]
"Stay away from her," the saboteurs
Protested too much
Lord knows the words we never heard
Just screeching tires of true love
[Chorus]
And I'm running with my dress unbuttoned
Screaming, "But daddy I love him"
I'm having this baby
No, I'm not, but you should see your faces
I'm telling him to floor it through the fences
No, I'm not coming to my senses
I know it's crazy
But he's the one I want
I'll tell you something right now
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
[Bridge]
God save the most judgemental creeps
Who say they want what's best for me
Sanctimoniously performing soliloquies I'll never see
Thinking it can change the beat of my heart when he touches me
And counteract the chemistry
And undo the destiny
You ain't gotta pray for me
Me and my wild boy
And all of this wild joy
If all you want is gray for me
Then It's just white noise
It's just my choice
[Verse 3]
There's a lot of people in town that I bestow upon my fakest smiles
Scandal does funny things to pride but brings lovers closer
We came back when the heat died down
Went to my parents and they came around
All the wine moms are still holding out
But fuck 'em, it's over
[Chorus]
Now I'm dancing in my dress in the sun and
Even my daddy just loves him
I'm his lady
And oh my God you should see your faces
Time, doesn't it give some perspective
No, you can't come to the wedding
I know he's crazy but he's the one I want
I'll tell you something right now
You ain't gotta pray for me
Me and my wild boy, and all of this wild joy
He was chaos, he was revelry
If all you want is gray for me
It's just white noise, it's my choice
[Outro]
Screaming, "But, daddy, I love him"
I'm having this baby
No, I'm not
But you should see your faces
But oh my God you should see your faces
He was chaos, it was revelry
Lyric video[]
Audio[]
Live performances[]
The song was added to The Eras Tour setlist starting on May 9, 2024, as the first song in the The Tortured Poets Department set.
Trivia[]
- The title of the song is thought to be a reference to a line from The Little Mermaid, which was released in 1989, the year Swift was born.
- This is the longest song on The Tortured Poets Department, with a length of 5 minutes and 40 seconds. This is also her fifth longest song ever, behind "Enchanted" (5:53), "Last Kiss" (6:09), "Dear John" (6:45), and "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" (10:13).
| THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT | ||
|---|---|---|
| "Fortnight" • "The Tortured Poets Department" • "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys" • "Down Bad" • "So Long, London" • "But Daddy I Love Him" • "Fresh Out The Slammer" • "Florida!!!" • "Guilty as Sin?" • "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" • "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" • "loml" • "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" • "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived" • "The Alchemy" • "Clara Bow" | ||
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