The Tortured Poets Department

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"The Tortured Poets Department"Song by Taylor Swift
General information
Artist	Taylor Swift
Released	April 19, 2024
Recorded	2022-2024
Studio	Conway Recording (Los Angeles, California, U.S.) Electric Lady Studios (New York City, New York, U.S) Hutchinson Sound (Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) Mixstar Studios (Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.) Pleasure Hill Recording (Portland, Maine, U.S.) Sterling Sound (Edgewater, New Jersey, U.S.)
Genre	Synth-pop
Length	4:53
Album	The Tortured Poets Department
Label	Republic Records
Writer(s)	Swift Jack Antonoff
Producer(s)	Swift Antonoff
The Tortured Poets Department track list
"Fortnight"
"The Tortured Poets Department"
"My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
Official audio

"The Tortured Poets Department" is the second track from American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift's eleventh studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, released on April 19, 2024 through Republic Records.

Background

"The Tortured Poets Department" was leaked on April 17, two days prior to the scheduled release.

Composition

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a midtempo, 80s-influenced synth-pop and pop-rock song with indie pop stylings. The track is grounded by a prominent drum beat and lush, layered, "sparkling" retro synths. "The Tortured Poets Department" is in the key of C major and has a tempo of 110 BPM.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
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 love the show
Who else decodes you?

[Chorus]
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'rе modern idiots"
And who's gonna hold you like me?
No, nobody
No-fucking-body
Nobody

[Verse 2]
You smokеd 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

[Chorus]
And who's gonna hold you (Who's gonna hold you?), like me?
And who's gonna know you (Who's gonna hold 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'rе modern idiots"
And who's gonna hold you like me? (Who's gonna hold you?)
No-fucking-body (Who's gonna hold you?)
Nobody (Who's gonna hold you?)
Nobody

[Bridge]
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

[Chorus]
Who's gonna hold you? Me
Who's gonna know you? 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
Gonna know you
Gonna troll you?

[Outro]
You left your typewriter at my apartment
Straight from the Tortured Poets Department
Who else decodes you?

Live performances

"The Tortured Poets Department" was performed as a surprise song on The Eras Tour on May 25, 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal mashed-up with "Now That We Don't Talk".