The Most Obvious Joe Alwyn & Matty Healy References On Taylor Swift's Tortured Poets
We finally made it — Taylor Swift dropped her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on April 19, 2024, which she announced at the Grammy Awards just two months prior. "An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions, and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure," Swift wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, as she debuted her latest masterpiece.
While the tracklist had all eyes on Swift's former boyfriend, British actor Joe Alwyn, whom she dated from 2016 to 2023, the new record surprisingly contains fewer songs with obvious references to him. Instead, it delves more into Swift's connection with another Brit, singer Matty Healy, with even the album's lead track seemingly focusing on him rather than Alwyn. However, that doesn't mean Swift didn't use her impressive songwriting skills to excavate her relationship with Alwyn, making one of the saddest tracks on the album about the actor in fact.
In her X announcement, Swift noted, "This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it. And then all that's left behind is the tortured poetry." We've curated a list of the five most conspicuous references to these two famous men on "The Tortured Poets Department," and we suggest you brace yourself for the emotional journey ahead.
'The Tortured Poets Department' is Healy-coded
The titular song off Taylor Swift's 2024 album, contrary to popular belief, doesn't appear to be about Joe Alwyn. While the title, "The Tortured Poets Department," was inspired by Alwyn's infamous WhatsApp group, the lyrical content takes aim at Matty Healy. For those who aren't familiar with the story, during a 2022 interview with Variety, Alwyn shared that he was in a WhatsApp group with fellow actors Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott hilariously called "The Tortured Man Club." Yet, the song is obviously not about Alwyn, showcasing Swift's knack for red herrings.
The opening line, "You left your typewriter at my apartment," is a clever nod to Healy's well-known love of the old-school device, which he mentioned in a 2019 interview with GQ. Furthermore, in a 2016 profile in The Guardian, the interviewer noted that the controversial artist had a typewriter on his living room table, further solidifying the connection. Moreover, the lyric "But I've seen this episode and still love the show" can only be about Healy, as Swift was romantically linked to him twice — in 2014 and again in 2023, following her split from Alwyn.
Following along, "I laughed in your face and said, 'You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith / This ain't the Chelsea Hotel / We're modern idiots,'" is an unmistakable nod to the renowned poets. Notably, Healy is a songwriter, much like a modern poet, as is Swift. She ends the emotionally charged track with yet another typewriter reference, driving home who it's about.
Alwyn gets roasted in 'So Long, London'
As anticipated, "So Long, London," the fifth track on "The Tortured Poets Department," stands out as one of the most emotionally resonant songs on the album, following Taylor Swift's famous modus operandi. The devastating track delves into Swift's six-year-long relationship with Joe Alwyn, with whom the singer intermittently lived in London. The opening verse poignantly captures how Swift took on all of the weight of her relationship with the actor ("My spine split from carrying us up the hill") and hints at Alwyn's struggles to be emotionally vulnerable with her ("Pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away").
The second alludes to Alwyn's alleged affair, which was never confirmed. However, it may have been with Swift's cryptically noting, "I didn't opt in to be your odd man out / I founded the club she's heard great things about." While the identity of the woman in question remains ambiguous, the lyrics clearly leave room for speculation about a potential third party in their relationship. In Verse 3, Swift mentions "And my friends said it isn't right to be scared," suggesting a possible reason several members of her inner circle famously unfollowed Alwyn after their 2023 breakup. "So Long, London" leaves little doubt about its real meaning, and we're so here for it.
'Fresh Out The Slammer' is about both of them
"Fresh Out the Slammer," the seventh track on "The Tortured Poets Department," not so subtly references both Matty Healy and Joe Alwyn. The song opens with "I'm running back home to you / Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to," a clear nod to the end of Swift's longtime romance with Alwyn and subsequent dalliance with Healy. In the first verse, there's mention of another woman again, as well as Swift's emotional struggles during a lengthy relationship ("Years of labor, locks, and ceilings / In the shade of how he was feeling").
If the subject matter wasn't obvious by now, Verse 2 makes it explicit. "I will never lose my baby again," Swift sings, again alluding to her two-time romance with Healy. She then returns to Alwyn, stating, "My friends tried, but I wouldn't hear it / Watched me daily disappearing / For just one glimpse of his smile," referring to the actor's emotional unavailability once again.
The verse ends with a hint at a fresh start, referencing Swift's rekindled relationship with Healy. The outro solidifies their connection with the line "To the house where you still wait up and that porch light gleams / To the one who says I'm the girl of his American dreams," suggesting that it's about someone who isn't from the U.S., like Healy, and who has pursued Swift before.
Swift tackles her haters in 'But Daddy I Love Him'
If you thought Taylor Swift was unaware of all the online hate she got for briefly dating Matty Healy in 2023, think again. Her new record includes "But Daddy I Love Him," in which the superstar addresses the controversial fling and subsequent backlash. In the chorus, Swift defiantly declares, "No, I'm not coming to my senses / I know it's crazy / But he's the one I want," emphasizing her attraction to Healy. Notably, The 1975 lead singer has endured more than his fair share of controversies, including bashing Swift herself back in the day, which she clearly didn't mind.
In the pre-chorus, the "Bad Blood" hitmaker acknowledges the naysayers, singing, "'Stay away from her,' / the saboteurs protested too much." Unless you live under a rock, you'll remember the online upheaval when her romance with Healy came to light in 2023, which Swift's fans definitely weren't happy about. The world-conquering pop star calls them out and asserts her autonomy in the song with lines like "I'll tell you something 'bout my good name / It's mine alone to disgrace" and "God save the most judgmental creeps / Who say they want what's best for me."
In the final bridge, Swift defends their romance once again, singing, "Me and my wild boy, and all of his wild joy / If all you want is pray for me / That's just white noise, that's just my choice." The simplicity of the most blatant clues often reveals the truth, making it abundantly clear that Healy is indeed the subject of "But Daddy I Love Him."
Two more 'TTPD' song are clearly about Healy
One of the clearest references to Matty Healy on "The Tortured Poets Department" is in the first track, entitled "Fortnight." The song recounts Swift's brief romance with someone, with several signs pointing to Healy. Although there aren't many explicit clues, the line "And for a fortnight there we were forever running" is all we needed to decipher the real meaning of "Fortnight." For starters, a fortnight is a British term for a two-week period, which is very fitting given Healy's background. Additionally, he and Swift had short-lived flings in both 2014 and 2023, each lasting a couple of months.
The line "'Nother fortnight lost in America" suggests that the song is about Swift's time spent outside the States, which, paired with the temporary romance hints, has to be about Healy. The 11th song on the album contains another major nod to Healy, right from the outset. "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)" explores Swift's belief that she can transform a man with controversial traits into a better person. Remind you of anyone?
"They shake their heads, saying, "God, help her," when I tell 'em he's my man," she sings in the chorus, again echoing the criticism the "Cardigan" hitmaker faced while dating Healy in 2023. Throughout the song, Swift attempts to persuade herself and others that she "can fix him," but ultimately ends with "Woah, maybe I can't." It's worth noting that Swift and Healy broke things off about a month into their 2023 fling.