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"The Albatross" is the nineteenth track from The Anthology edition of American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19, 2024 through Republic Records. "The Albatross" is also a deluxe track from "The Albatross" edition of the album.

Background[]

"The Albatross" is a track exclusive to the Anthology edition of The Tortured Poets Department. Along with the other Anthology edition tracks, the song was surprise-released at 2:00 AM EST on April 19.

Lyrics[]

[Verse 1]
Wise men once said
"Wild winds are death to the candle"
A rose by any other name is a scandal
Cautions issued, he stood
Shooting the messengers
They tried to warn him about her

[Chorus]
Cross your thoughtless heart
Only liquor anoints you
She's the albatross
She is here to destroy you

[Verse 2]
Wise men once said
"One bad seed kills the garden"
"One less temptress, one less dagger to sharpen"
Locked me up in towers
But I'd visit in your dreams
And they tried to warn you about me

[Chorus]
Cross your thoughtless heart
Only liquor anoints you
She's the albatross
She is here to destroy you
Devils that you know
Raise worse hell than a stranger
She's the death you chose
You're in terrible danger

[Bridge]
And when that sky rains fire on you
And you're persona non grata
I'll tell you how I've been there too
And that none of it matters

[Verse 3]
Wise men once read fake news
And they believed it
Jackals raised their hackles
You couldn't conceive it
You were sleeping soundly when they dragged you from your bed
And I tried to warn you about them

[Chorus]
So I crossed my thoughtless heart
Spread my wings like a parachute
I'm the albatross
I swept in at the rescue
The devil that you know
Looks now more like an angel
I'm the life you chose
And all this terrible danger (Ah-ah-ah-ah)
This terrible danger (Ah-ah-ah-ah)

[Outro]
So cross your thoughtless heart (Ah-ah-ah-ah)
She's the albatross (Ah-ah-ah-ah)
She is here to destroy you

Audio[]

Live performances[]

"The Albatross" was performed as a surprise song twice on The Eras Tour: on June 29, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland mashed-up with "Dancing With Our Hands Tied", and on November 1, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana mashed-up with "Holy Ground".

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"
THE ANTHOLOGY
"The Black Dog" • "imgonnagetyouback" • "The Albatross" • "Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus" • "How Did It End?" • "So High School" • "I Hate It Here" • "thanK you aIMee" • "I Look in People's Windows" • "The Prophecy" • "Cassandra" • "Peter" • "The Bolter" • "Robin" • "The Manuscript"
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