"the last great american dynasty" is the third track from Taylor Swift's eighth studio album, folklore. It was released on July 24, 2020, through Republic Records.
Background[]
Swift announced the song along with the rest of folklore through social media on July 23, 2020, a day prior to its release.[1]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
Rebekah rode up on the afternoon train, it was sunny
Her saltbox house on the coast took her mind off St. Louis
Bill was the heir to the Standard Oil name and money
And the town said, "How did a middle-class divorcée do it?"
The wedding was charming, if a little gauche
There's only so far new money goes
They picked out a home and called it "Holiday House"
Their parties were tasteful, if a little loud
The doctor had told him to settle down
It must have been her fault his heart gave out
And they said
[Chorus]
There goes the last great American dynasty
Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been
There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen
She had a marvelous time ruining everything
[Verse 2]
Rebekah gave up on the Rhode Island set forever
Flew in all her Bitch Pack friends from the city
Filled the pool with champagne and swam with the big names
And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet
And losing on card game bets with Dalí
And they said
[Chorus]
There goes the last great American dynasty
Who knows, if she never showed up, what could've been
There goes the most shameless woman this town has ever seen
She had a marvelous time ruining everything
[Bridge]
They say she was seen on occasion
Pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea
And in a feud with her neighbor
She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green
Fifty years is a long time
Holiday House sat quietly on that beach
Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits
And then it was bought by me
[Chorus]
Who knows, if I never showed up, what could've been
There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen
I had a marvelous time ruining everything
[Outro]
I had a marvelous time ruining everything
A marvelous time ruining everything
A marvelous time
I had a marvelous time
The 'Holiday House'[]
In 2013, Swift purchased the High Watch in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, U.S. for $17,750,000 USD. Swift wrote the song based on the home and its former owner, Rebekah Harkness; a wealthy American socialite.
Live performances[]
From March 17, 2023, to March 9, 2024, "the last great american dynasty" was performed as the third song of the folklore set of The Eras Tour. It was removed from the setlist on May 9, 2024. It was performed as surprise song on July 24, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany mashed-up with "Run" in honor of the fourth anniversary of folklore, and on November 22, 2024 in Toronto, Canada mashed-up with "Ours".
Trivia[]
- The word "bitch" is silenced in the clean version of "the last great american dynasty".
References[]
| folklore | ||
|---|---|---|
| "the 1" • "cardigan" • "the last great american dynasty" • "exile" • "my tears ricochet" • "mirrorball" • "seven" • "august" • "this is me trying" • "illicit affairs" • "invisible string" • "mad woman" • "epiphany" • "betty" • "peace" • "hoax" | ||
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