My favourite part of this song is how "screaming" gets quieter as the song progresses, because the old habits do, in fact, die, so the screaming has stopped. 🤯
It's also a cocktail bar in Cork, Ireland which was a stop on The 1975 "At Their Very Best" tour in June 2023. I think the pub in London just capitalised on the attention, which good on them I suppose! 😂
@@VioletEmerald The bar is called The Black Dog, but I don't think that means she seems *him* as a black dog. She does use the dog metaphor throughout the album -- at first, to a golden retriever, but at the end, he's leaving with his tail between his legs because he was only pretending to be brave.
honestly - this is her spiraling in her brain after checking her exes location after a breakup and making up the whole story in her head about what’s going on . we have all been there haha
Been there. I have never heard this song. I am just discovering Taylor. She is so rich with wisdom and writes about all women (maybe some men, too.) I am loving my Taylor Swift journey.
My husband and I have our location on for each other but that’s because I trail run alone sometimes and he goes surfing. We want to make sure we’re alive 😂
That last little agonised whispered note makes my eyes water every. single. time. That one singular note really encapsulates just how much pain she in while recording, and I can't not feel it, even when I've barely paid attention to the rest of the song when I have it in the background. 😩🖤
If you guys go back to the music video Fortnight, you can see a black dog walking around while she's being electrocuted. She went heavy with all the imagery and metaphors in this record!
The Black Dog is a bar in Cork Ireland. Matty Healy and The 1975 played a show near by on June 13th 2023. Taylor and Matty broke up before that around June 2nd. She mentions The Starting Line in the song which is one of Matty’s favorite bands. She also sings “were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke”, so after they broke up at one of his concerts he spray painted SORRY? On a sheet that was hanging on the side of the stage for everyone to see. There is also a bar in London called The Black Dog and a lot of people believe Joe frequented there. So could be about both. It’s also a metaphor for depression. So could be all three.
@@bdelene I really think they said that to stick with the publicity, I am sure their sales have increased since the song was released so why not go with it. It could be true, like I said it could be about both of them. But the odds are crazy if true. I truly believe it’s about the same bar in Cork Ireland since the song references Matty ALOT!
@@danaernst9659 I am a 50 yr old Swiftie. Been one since Debut. And a big The 1975 fan as well. I research everything, news articles and social media. It’s a lot of info and a lot is not true but you just have to go by what you think and what makes the most sense. If you ever what to know anything or ask any questions, let me know. Swifties love when new Swifties join the group so WELCOME!!
I went to the black dog back in August during the London shows. Great Pub!!!! Love their apple cider. Here in the first line, Taylor says " i am someone who until recent you share location with". Sharing location is sthg intimate and now Taylor and that person are passed that. That indicates that the event of the song are post-breakup. The Idea behind the song is watching your former love move on while you haven't yet
This is truly my favorite song from TTPD. I think it so perfectly captures the various stages right after a break up, of how are you just going about your life, visiting places we used to go together like we didn't happen? Starting off being sad about it and growing to I hope it shitty there, I hope you are just as miserable as I am. And Old Habits Die Screaming is just a FIRE line.
If anyone has ever had a long distance relationship or one that is intermittently long distance they will understand location sharing as a way, some couples like, to feel close and familiar in small quiet ways. When my partner was spending a lot of time over seas for work we each liked being able to “see” each other in “passing.” Like what Ian said about making dinner when his wife is a certain distance through her route. For long distance it’s nice to be able to see if your loved one is, for example, still at a meeting that’s running late; you can maybe run out to grab a bottle of wine that you’d forgotten to pick up for a FaceTime dinner date, which is quickly approaching. Knowing they’re going to be running late, without needing to interrupt and ask, is really helpful when your entire relationship is hinged on bonding digitally. Other times it just feels sweet and special to know someone likes you so much that it brings them a sense of comfort to feel closer to you simply by seeing a dot move on a map. Little things like that are really meaningful when people in love are spending months apart and miss each other a lot… which is why it would be so easy to forget to turn off in a breakup. Because it wasn’t ever a tool for spying it was always a tool for intimacy…
A lot of deep lyrics into her songs that can reference to several different meanings. It depends on how you yourself relate to whats happening in your own surroundings that can take on a whole different interpretation. She's a genius ... ty guys love you & your reactions ❤
This song is a masterpiece. Makes me very emotional every time I listen to it. Loved your reaction as always. Thank you so much! And also to Kimberly for donating 🫶🏻😊
Taylor revealed that the original title of this song was “Old Habits Die Screaming”. This song really grew on me it has to be in my top 20 which is high up because she has around 300 songs.
Okay, so the majority of TTPD and some of The Anthology is actually about Matty Healy(long and confusing timeline of their relationship needed to understand). The way I've come to determine which songs are about Joe vs. Matty is actually pretty simple though. If a song talks about her being left/abandoned/ghosted/waiting then it's about Matty. If it's about her struggling to leave or ambiguity on the end of the relationship it's Joe.
The album’s really more about tortured relationships in general - not only with JA and MH, but with the media, the music industry and her fans. The Albatross also alludes to how artists are almost tormented by society for entertainment.
TTPD is about different people, some songs are about Joe, some about Matty, some about Travis, some not about a guy. There isn't really a consensus among Swifties about this one. Some say Joe, some say Matty. Personally I lean more towards Matty because the songs about Joe are filled with a lot of sadness, but she wishes him well (like so long, London). The songs about Matty are filled with a lot more anger (like the smallest man who ever lived). Anyhow, it doesn't really matter who it's about, it's a beautiful song and most def one of my favorites.
There are a bunch of lyrical clues that point to other Matty songs on TTPD, so the weight of evidence says Matty. The esoteric joke at the bar/pub idea is echoed in I Can Fix Him and partially in the imagery of slipping through bars (prison or drinking spots) on Smallest Man. Similarly, she has referred to smoke a few times on songs about Matty (TTPD, I Can Fix Him, etc.). She refers to Matty being with an Internet starlette on Chloe and the Gang, and here she references him taking a much younger girl to their spot in this song. There is also an actual black dog in the laboratory scene in the Fortnight MV which is about Matty. I think it's safe to say it's about him.
this one is probably about joe cause the owner of the bar confirmed he is a constant client there and employees complained saying they were instructed to look for him in the camera footage for HOURS after the album came out, which is so weird and invasive
@@pamela483 this was confirmed as a publicity stunt from the bar. It also doesn't matter. The song isn't about a place one of the couple went to a lot. It's about their favourite mutual hang out spot. This song is about Matty for all of the lyrical reasons listed.
@@saravandaele2758 I didn't mean to turn against you 😬 there is a lot of lyrical evidence the song is about Matty. I was just laying some of it out so that you could more confidently say it's most likely about Matty (it definitely is) if you didn't want to fully commit to one side 😊
Taylor Swift would absolutely DELIVER on a rock inspo album. There have been signs since even the guitar riffs of OG/stolen versions of Fearless and Speak Now but especially Speak Now. Not to mention the smasher that was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Live from the 1989 World Tour)”on top of so many others. The question is … are we ready for it??? 🐍🫶✨
Every Swiftie, when first listening to THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: *Before* This album's gotta be mostly about Joe looking at that tracklist, but maybe there's one or two songs about Matty Healy? *After* NEVERMIND, it's almost all about Matty and two or three songs about Joe XD Yeah, my honest opinion is that this song is about Matty too, but The Black Dog is very divisive on who it is about.
Agreed. I always find that controversy wild. Every line in this song points to Matty to me. I KNOW IT KIND OF SUCKS TO BE ABOUT HIM SINCE IT'S SUCH A GOOD SONG but come on guys. She left Joe. Matty dumped her. This is a song about the aftermath of getting dumped.
@@emmavink Yeah, and even if she did leave, like I assumed, this song says the other person left, so that's one of the reasons why I think it's about Matty
Love the new header guys!! Thank you for the reaction, loved it ❤️ 10:10 im dead 🤣🤣🤣 suggestion: keep a dictionary close by when listening to Taylor's music (at least the ones released after 2020)
I've said for a long time now that she needs to make a freaking rock album. She already has enough songs that are rock-coded to make up a small album. Y'know she knows how to utilize the drums.
Esoteric - intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. ❤❤❤ Love you guys. Great reaction as usual.
This one’s initially called “Old Habits Die Screaming” before it was renamed and changed into The Black Dog, probably to fit the TTPD variants (the other three were The Albatross, The Bolter, and The Manuscript).
They were intently listening to every word, and even commented on her lyricism. They don’t break it down lyric by lyric, that’s not what they do. They listen, talk about the song, some lyrics, and tell us their thoughts. Just because they don’t mention a certain lyric doesn’t mean they didn’t hear it, or don’t appreciate it, they just don’t go line by line like some people do.
Cmon. They do a GREAT job. We cannot nitpick or else they will not do any more Taylor songs. We have to understand that songs are subjective and they’re even though they’re not in the Taylor universe, they love music enough to keep reacting to her songs for us. We need to be thankful and not petty about one line. Ya know?? Hope you’re doing well. Have a great weekend.
I think this is actually about her imagining everything her ex is doing now…visiting the places they used to go to together. It’s a step of the grieve…she is trying to let go but still can’t. The “old habits die screaming” is like putting how painful it is to let go into words
I think it’s important to show your location because of safety reasons. I freak out with anxiety when my family forgets to tell me they made it safely to their destination lol my anxiety is so bad
So excited for this one!!! 🙌 also weird to be this early 😂 also in the fortnite video when they're in the lab a black dog walked through. Just a little Easter egg lol
What’s amazing that she went through her heartbreak while performing flawlessly on the Eras Tour. She explained this album included previously written songs but unrecorded as well as fresh cuts. Awesome album and I think our vocabularies are expanded by TS.
I’ve heard the word before and may have known what it meant in my 30’s. Great lyrics, great song and she makes us look word’s up. She makes us all a little smarter 😊😊😊
TTPD with "The Black Dog", "The Smallest Man who ever Lived", and one of the most beautifully tragic songs ever written, "LOML" are for your 30s what "I Almost Do", "We Are Never Getting Back Together", and (obviously) "All Too Well" are for your 20s. As for a TTPD song inspired "... based on a book she was reading ...", try "The Albatross", which is 100% based on the poem "The Rime of Ancient Manner" (+ Taylor's life) :)
This is a sister song to “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and I’m highly suspicious as to which came first. I feel like this was the first when it was fresh and sad. And as we get to the end it builds and we get angry…WERE YOU SENT BY SOMEONE WHO WANTED ME DEAD…def was the outcome of the fruition of those feeling progressions
I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but I think an esoteric joke is like an inside joke? Idk that's my understanding. I love that she says the album is poetry and really does deliver in the lyrics🤍
This one is about Matty. There are frequent references to other songs about Matty on TTPD all over the lyrics of The Black Dog. There is even an easter egg connecting this song to the Fortnight music video which was about Ratty. It's also been shown that the rumours that Joe hung out at The Black Dog was a publicity stunt by the owner. The song is anyway about a mutual spot special to the exes in the narrative. Not just a place one of them went often.
😂😂 it sure does but, I guess it's still crunchy for now because Jake didn't seem to need it this time. I thought it might happen when he was explaining about the location thing but he got passed it! Sorry Jake, ❤ you! 😁
There’s a lot of discourse on TTPD specifically on who the songs are about. Fans were pretty dead set on getting a Joe break up album with maybe a song or two about Matty but turns out it was the other way around. It was very confusing on first listen and definitely took time to process. I personally think this song is about Matty Healy!
The first verse is after they broke up. He didn’t turn his location off, she could still see where he was. The girl jumping up to “The Starting Line”, is her memory, not what she thinks he’s doing right now.
My guess is that a friend of hers saw him there. After she saw him go in, she may have asked someone in their friend group to take a peek (or there was already a friend there who was telling her about it). That had to be hurtful to hear that he jumped up to dance to their song with someone else who didn’t understand the depths of what it used to mean to them. So she knows that “The Starting Line” was played and it hurt. That’s the way I look at it. Idk - I’m happily married and share my location with my husband. It’s just for emergencies really. I don’t check it unless he’s traveling and I get worried about him.
I’ve been listening to TTPD off and on since it came out in April but it’s growing on me! Glad to see you guys coming along for the ride. 😊 What do yall typically listen to? I have a few requests to make but not sure if they would already be something you know.
9:03 esoteric when only a few people understand the meaning of something. In this instance I think Taylor is referring to public comments people make about her which on the surface sound benign but IYKYK is actually a cruel slight. For example when the media asks people questions about her and they give seemingly benign answers to general audiences, but likely have a cutting edge if anyone knows the context or backstory.
It is a bit wild and a bit crazy if you think about it in real life, but TTPD represents the stages of grief and the black dog belongs to the rage stage!
"The Starting Line" is a pop-punk band from Pennsylvania and formed in 1999. They have a song called "The Best of Me" Matty Healy and his band The 1975 did a cover of that song during their 2023 tour: In "Fresh out the Slammer she sings... Now we're at THE STARTING LINE, I did my time. I THINK SHE DID HER TIME with Joe and started the relationship with Matt as friends. Matt and her were friends and almost had a relationship during the 1989 Era. Matt kept her sane while the relationship with Joe wasn't going well and was falling apart. She describes this in How Can I Be Guilty As Sin. Joe is quiet and didn’t give her the affection she needed. We learned that through Tolerate it and other songs. I think she mixes things up a little bit in many songs. As she swirled Matt into all of her poems. In the end she leaves Joe. Matt who was her "Cosmic Love" and sh*t talks her under the table talking rings and talking cradles, becomes "The Loss of Her Life" and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: Enter Travis " The Alchemy"
you clearly have no idea what you're talking about and just want everything to be about matty to fit your weird narrative. guilty as sin is NOT about any man in particular - she is reflecting on how she wants to be happy yet people will always misunderstand her and make her feel ashamed for it. people like you who are obsessed with doing paternity tests with these songs instead of consuming them for their messages is exactly what taylor is sick of from fans. that's why the album is filled with red herrings - she is tired of people trying to obsessively assign songs to individuals in her life and you are part of the problem. she is a real person - not a character that you can theorize about as if it's fact.
@karol-ys5ow And you're the Taylor expert? 🤣 I'm pretty much on target. Tell me i'm wrong about the starting line. Nope, everything I said is accurate. So if I don't know her personally, you do? I will be respectful here because I respect their page. Bless your sweet little heart. Bye, sweetie.
@@karol-ys5ow have you read the ‘In Summation’ from the vinyl? She makes it very clear this album is about two separate relationships (not including Travis and the music industry/public) Everyone is welcome to interpret songs how they like, but guilty as sin really gives Matty Healy. Have you been listening to the story she tells about him? Not to mention the “he” subject in the song.. While I do think some fans take the “weaved you into all of my poems” lyric out of context, it feels very obvious to me what songs on TTPD are about Matty vs Joe once you fathom the stories she’s telling.
@Shan72393 I agree with you 100% TTPD is about all the things you mentioned. You described yourself and what Taylor has said in the "In Summation" very well. We have watched Taylor weave her stories into metaphors about her life, friends, family, enemies, relationships, friends relationships, happiness, sorrow, anger, stories, books, movies, and her imagination for years. Sometimes, we are correct, and sometimes we learn as time goes on more pieces to her puzzles. She can do that and more even with a broken heart. Great comment Shan 💋
As someone who thinks they have a decent vocabulary and did not know esoteric I laughed at the feeling crickets as mush as I shook my millennial head at Cerberus lol. Also I definitely had to rewind because I was like wait is that smoke on Evan’s head? Then realized it was part of the joke 😂
The black dog is a bar that she and Joe used to go too and then Joe apparently took her to the back dog and cause her and Joe were on each others find my iPhone she saw he went to the black dog without her
I think this one is about Matty because she mentioned her rain soaked body shaking, and one of her Eras shows that Matty and her left together was a rain show. Joe has come out and said he’s never been to that bar before, anyway.
My favourite part of this song is how "screaming" gets quieter as the song progresses, because the old habits do, in fact, die, so the screaming has stopped. 🤯
YES! right down to the last gasp...
Esoteric is like niche, that only a few people are in on. Basically, she's asking if she's the butt of a joke she's not even in on 😢
Yip 😢 makes me think of "the jokes were revolting and far too loud".
I assumed it was like "she's such a Sagittarius" or something haha
great description - usually intended to exclude others not as cool as the in crowd
someone give these men more light songs from taylor please 😭
The Black dog is a pub in London, and it got crazy busy after this song came out, but it's also a term for depression
It's also a cocktail bar in Cork, Ireland which was a stop on The 1975 "At Their Very Best" tour in June 2023.
I think the pub in London just capitalised on the attention, which good on them I suppose! 😂
@@happybunny8917there’s a ton of Black Dog bars
Love how Taylor uses the metaphor tail between the legs equating to a coward, which explains the Black Dog title and points to loml lyric too.
Also points to the tattooed golden retriever line in the title track!
@@alohasargenti don't quite see that since they're different color dogs
@@VioletEmerald The bar is called The Black Dog, but I don't think that means she seems *him* as a black dog. She does use the dog metaphor throughout the album -- at first, to a golden retriever, but at the end, he's leaving with his tail between his legs because he was only pretending to be brave.
honestly - this is her spiraling in her brain after checking her exes location after a breakup and making up the whole story in her head about what’s going on . we have all been there haha
I know, dont understand how they didnt get this...
Been there. I have never heard this song. I am just discovering Taylor. She is so rich with wisdom and writes about all women (maybe some men, too.) I am loving my Taylor Swift journey.
My husband and I have our location on for each other but that’s because I trail run alone sometimes and he goes surfing. We want to make sure we’re alive 😂
Exactly. My job takes me to random peoples homes all over our state. I keep my location on so I don't go missing lol
That last little agonised whispered note makes my eyes water every. single. time.
That one singular note really encapsulates just how much pain she in while recording, and I can't not feel it, even when I've barely paid attention to the rest of the song when I have it in the background. 😩🖤
If you guys go back to the music video Fortnight, you can see a black dog walking around while she's being electrocuted. She went heavy with all the imagery and metaphors in this record!
The Black Dog is a bar in Cork Ireland. Matty Healy and The 1975 played a show near by on June 13th 2023. Taylor and Matty broke up before that around June 2nd. She mentions The Starting Line in the song which is one of Matty’s favorite bands. She also sings “were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke”, so after they broke up at one of his concerts he spray painted SORRY? On a sheet that was hanging on the side of the stage for everyone to see. There is also a bar in London called The Black Dog and a lot of people believe Joe frequented there. So could be about both. It’s also a metaphor for depression. So could be all three.
This is I would go with!
Where do you learn all your Matty lore? I’m a 49yo new 2024 swifty 😅 and I am obsessed.
I saw a news clip that The Black Dog is a bar in London and the owner said a "certain blond hair man always visits".
@@bdelene I really think they said that to stick with the publicity, I am sure their sales have increased since the song was released so why not go with it. It could be true, like I said it could be about both of them. But the odds are crazy if true. I truly believe it’s about the same bar in Cork Ireland since the song references Matty ALOT!
@@danaernst9659 I am a 50 yr old Swiftie. Been one since Debut. And a big The 1975 fan as well. I research everything, news articles and social media. It’s a lot of info and a lot is not true but you just have to go by what you think and what makes the most sense. If you ever what to know anything or ask any questions, let me know. Swifties love when new Swifties join the group so WELCOME!!
that was my surprise song 😭😭 still unreal
I went to the black dog back in August during the London shows. Great Pub!!!! Love their apple cider.
Here in the first line, Taylor says " i am someone who until recent you share location with". Sharing location is sthg intimate and now Taylor and that person are passed that. That indicates that the event of the song are post-breakup. The Idea behind the song is watching your former love move on while you haven't yet
This is truly my favorite song from TTPD. I think it so perfectly captures the various stages right after a break up, of how are you just going about your life, visiting places we used to go together like we didn't happen? Starting off being sad about it and growing to I hope it shitty there, I hope you are just as miserable as I am. And Old Habits Die Screaming is just a FIRE line.
I love this song. Especially the line: "and hire a priest to come to exorcise my demons."
If anyone has ever had a long distance relationship or one that is intermittently long distance they will understand location sharing as a way, some couples like, to feel close and familiar in small quiet ways. When my partner was spending a lot of time over seas for work we each liked being able to “see” each other in “passing.” Like what Ian said about making dinner when his wife is a certain distance through her route. For long distance it’s nice to be able to see if your loved one is, for example, still at a meeting that’s running late; you can maybe run out to grab a bottle of wine that you’d forgotten to pick up for a FaceTime dinner date, which is quickly approaching. Knowing they’re going to be running late, without needing to interrupt and ask, is really helpful when your entire relationship is hinged on bonding digitally.
Other times it just feels sweet and special to know someone likes you so much that it brings them a sense of comfort to feel closer to you simply by seeing a dot move on a map. Little things like that are really meaningful when people in love are spending months apart and miss each other a lot… which is why it would be so easy to forget to turn off in a breakup. Because it wasn’t ever a tool for spying it was always a tool for intimacy…
A lot of deep lyrics into her songs that can reference to several different meanings. It depends on how you yourself relate to whats happening in your own surroundings that can take on a whole different interpretation. She's a genius ... ty guys love you & your reactions ❤
"even if i die screaming, and i hope you hear it" 💜
I literally marathon watched all the Taylor swift reactions that you guys have and LOVED THEM!! please please react to no body, no crime PLEASE 💗
So. Funny story 😅 we did a reaction to it but our producer did not record the audio of one of us. Which was a huge bummer, but what a twist!!! -J
@@TAHBofficial Please post it nevertheless!
This song is a masterpiece. Makes me very emotional every time I listen to it. Loved your reaction as always. Thank you so much! And also to Kimberly for donating 🫶🏻😊
Taylor revealed that the original title of this song was “Old Habits Die Screaming”. This song really grew on me it has to be in my top 20 which is high up because she has around 300 songs.
Okay, so the majority of TTPD and some of The Anthology is actually about Matty Healy(long and confusing timeline of their relationship needed to understand). The way I've come to determine which songs are about Joe vs. Matty is actually pretty simple though. If a song talks about her being left/abandoned/ghosted/waiting then it's about Matty. If it's about her struggling to leave or ambiguity on the end of the relationship it's Joe.
The album’s really more about tortured relationships in general - not only with JA and MH, but with the media, the music industry and her fans. The Albatross also alludes to how artists are almost tormented by society for entertainment.
TTPD is about different people, some songs are about Joe, some about Matty, some about Travis, some not about a guy. There isn't really a consensus among Swifties about this one. Some say Joe, some say Matty. Personally I lean more towards Matty because the songs about Joe are filled with a lot of sadness, but she wishes him well (like so long, London). The songs about Matty are filled with a lot more anger (like the smallest man who ever lived). Anyhow, it doesn't really matter who it's about, it's a beautiful song and most def one of my favorites.
There are a bunch of lyrical clues that point to other Matty songs on TTPD, so the weight of evidence says Matty.
The esoteric joke at the bar/pub idea is echoed in I Can Fix Him and partially in the imagery of slipping through bars (prison or drinking spots) on Smallest Man.
Similarly, she has referred to smoke a few times on songs about Matty (TTPD, I Can Fix Him, etc.).
She refers to Matty being with an Internet starlette on Chloe and the Gang, and here she references him taking a much younger girl to their spot in this song.
There is also an actual black dog in the laboratory scene in the Fortnight MV which is about Matty.
I think it's safe to say it's about him.
@@emmavink i like to keep my comments nuanced so nobody turns against me 😅
this one is probably about joe cause the owner of the bar confirmed he is a constant client there and employees complained saying they were instructed to look for him in the camera footage for HOURS after the album came out, which is so weird and invasive
@@pamela483 this was confirmed as a publicity stunt from the bar. It also doesn't matter. The song isn't about a place one of the couple went to a lot. It's about their favourite mutual hang out spot.
This song is about Matty for all of the lyrical reasons listed.
@@saravandaele2758 I didn't mean to turn against you 😬 there is a lot of lyrical evidence the song is about Matty.
I was just laying some of it out so that you could more confidently say it's most likely about Matty (it definitely is) if you didn't want to fully commit to one side 😊
“The Black Dog” is also a euphemism for depression. First time I heard that was an Agatha Christie Miss Marple mystery.
Taylor Swift would absolutely DELIVER on a rock inspo album. There have been signs since even the guitar riffs of OG/stolen versions of Fearless and Speak Now but especially Speak Now. Not to mention the smasher that was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Live from the 1989 World Tour)”on top of so many others. The question is … are we ready for it??? 🐍🫶✨
😂😂😂 guys GREAT editing on this one: esoteric ... **CRICKETS** LOL round of applause for that perfect setup 👏👏👏
the Black Dog is a Pub but its also a metaphor so it actually genius
Another one i think you guys might like from the reputation tour is the live version of "dress" its a good one
Wishing they could come on and see a song title like happy happy joy song - boy wait til they get to "Happiness"
The black dog is another term for depression.
Every Swiftie, when first listening to THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT:
*Before* This album's gotta be mostly about Joe looking at that tracklist, but maybe there's one or two songs about Matty Healy?
*After* NEVERMIND, it's almost all about Matty and two or three songs about Joe XD
Yeah, my honest opinion is that this song is about Matty too, but The Black Dog is very divisive on who it is about.
Agreed. I always find that controversy wild. Every line in this song points to Matty to me. I KNOW IT KIND OF SUCKS TO BE ABOUT HIM SINCE IT'S SUCH A GOOD SONG but come on guys. She left Joe. Matty dumped her. This is a song about the aftermath of getting dumped.
@@thejobbernowl exactly. And she didn't even leave Joe. They made a mutual decision to separate from all indications 😢
It can't be. There are SO MANY references to other Matty songs on TTPD all over The Black Dog.
There is not a single Joe reference. Anywhere.
@@emmavink Yeah, and even if she did leave, like I assumed, this song says the other person left, so that's one of the reasons why I think it's about Matty
@@emmavink I've seen some people connect the "then proceeded to play him" line to him being an actor
OOOOKAY NEW THUMBNAILS
Love the new header guys!! Thank you for the reaction, loved it ❤️ 10:10 im dead 🤣🤣🤣 suggestion: keep a dictionary close by when listening to Taylor's music (at least the ones released after 2020)
"What does it mean?" "... I have no idea" I CRACKED
I've said for a long time now that she needs to make a freaking rock album. She already has enough songs that are rock-coded to make up a small album. Y'know she knows how to utilize the drums.
Esoteric joke = fancy way to say inside joke that only certain people would understand
Esoteric - intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. ❤❤❤ Love you guys. Great reaction as usual.
This one’s initially called “Old Habits Die Screaming” before it was renamed and changed into The Black Dog, probably to fit the TTPD variants (the other three were The Albatross, The Bolter, and The Manuscript).
The black dog was in the lab in Fortnight video with Post Malone
I heard that the owner of the black dog said Taylor and Joe used to frequent there
I just love you guys! I look forward to your new Tay videos, always! 🫶🏻😂🤣🍻
you guys are so close to 50k ahhhhh !!! ❤❤🎉🎉
loved this vid! my fav part is when she sings the “screaaaamiiiing” part and the bridge.
Powerful song
Discussing what esoteric could mean was ironically hilarious
You guys are hilarious together 😂😂😂 great reaction, thank you 💕
"Was it hazing, for a cruel fraternity I pledged?" how that just got brushed over....
They were intently listening to every word, and even commented on her lyricism. They don’t break it down lyric by lyric, that’s not what they do. They listen, talk about the song, some lyrics, and tell us their thoughts. Just because they don’t mention a certain lyric doesn’t mean they didn’t hear it, or don’t appreciate it, they just don’t go line by line like some people do.
Cmon. They do a GREAT job. We cannot nitpick or else they will not do any more Taylor songs. We have to understand that songs are subjective and they’re even though they’re not in the Taylor universe, they love music enough to keep reacting to her songs for us. We need to be thankful and not petty about one line. Ya know?? Hope you’re doing well. Have a great weekend.
Have been loving the new rhumbnail format
I love this song on the Anthology. But yes, more importantly…how do we find a man like Evan to cook dinner for us? 😂
What a brilliant song. So glad you reacted to it. Thanks guys❤
If you know your relationship is just hanging on it makes more sense. I think that was the case. Especially is a long term relationship.
My favorite song on the album
Great reaction as always, you’re so much fun to watch! Love this song, one of her best IMO!
Thanks for your time
highly recommend!!! happier than ever- billie eilish
A love this music so much, one of my favorites
I think this is actually about her imagining everything her ex is doing now…visiting the places they used to go to together. It’s a step of the grieve…she is trying to let go but still can’t. The “old habits die screaming” is like putting how painful it is to let go into words
I think it’s important to show your location because of safety reasons. I freak out with anxiety when my family forgets to tell me they made it safely to their destination lol my anxiety is so bad
So excited for this one!!! 🙌 also weird to be this early 😂 also in the fortnite video when they're in the lab a black dog walked through. Just a little Easter egg lol
i cry to TTPD on daily. this album is PHENOMENAL.
OMG I'VE BEEN WAITING THIS SONG SO MUCH. Definitely one of my faves from TTPD
What’s amazing that she went through her heartbreak while performing flawlessly on the Eras Tour. She explained this album included previously written songs but unrecorded as well as fresh cuts. Awesome album and I think our vocabularies are expanded by TS.
I love this channel!
This is a good one to play loud in the car
Taylor Swift - betty (Live from the 2020 Academy of Country Music Awards)
Love the new video thumbnails guys!
I’ve heard the word before and may have known what it meant in my 30’s. Great lyrics, great song and she makes us look word’s up. She makes us all a little smarter 😊😊😊
Spicy😂
the best taylor song
TTPD with "The Black Dog", "The Smallest Man who ever Lived", and one of the most beautifully tragic songs ever written, "LOML" are for your 30s what "I Almost Do", "We Are Never Getting Back Together", and (obviously) "All Too Well" are for your 20s.
As for a TTPD song inspired "... based on a book she was reading ...", try "The Albatross", which is 100% based on the poem "The Rime of Ancient Manner" (+ Taylor's life) :)
This is a sister song to “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” and I’m highly suspicious as to which came first. I feel like this was the first when it was fresh and sad. And as we get to the end it builds and we get angry…WERE YOU SENT BY SOMEONE WHO WANTED ME DEAD…def was the outcome of the fruition of those feeling progressions
no about joe
*Esoteric, that’s a fantastic word
*What does it mean?
*……….🧐
😂😂😂😂😂
in the very first line she is saying they recently broke up and he forgot to turn his location off.
I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but I think an esoteric joke is like an inside joke? Idk that's my understanding. I love that she says the album is poetry and really does deliver in the lyrics🤍
Beautiful but sad song.
Represents the relax inn the harry potter reference is relevant also
This one is about Matty. There are frequent references to other songs about Matty on TTPD all over the lyrics of The Black Dog.
There is even an easter egg connecting this song to the Fortnight music video which was about Ratty.
It's also been shown that the rumours that Joe hung out at The Black Dog was a publicity stunt by the owner.
The song is anyway about a mutual spot special to the exes in the narrative. Not just a place one of them went often.
I was the 1k like and I dno why, but I’m honored 😂
This has C Spot potential. Great tune
😂😂 it sure does but, I guess it's still crunchy for now because Jake didn't seem to need it this time. I thought it might happen when he was explaining about the location thing but he got passed it!
Sorry Jake, ❤ you! 😁
There’s a lot of discourse on TTPD specifically on who the songs are about.
Fans were pretty dead set on getting a Joe break up album with maybe a song or two about Matty but turns out it was the other way around. It was very confusing on first listen and definitely took time to process.
I personally think this song is about Matty Healy!
The first verse is after they broke up. He didn’t turn his location off, she could still see where he was. The girl jumping up to “The Starting Line”, is her memory, not what she thinks he’s doing right now.
My guess is that a friend of hers saw him there. After she saw him go in, she may have asked someone in their friend group to take a peek (or there was already a friend there who was telling her about it). That had to be hurtful to hear that he jumped up to dance to their song with someone else who didn’t understand the depths of what it used to mean to them. So she knows that “The Starting Line” was played and it hurt. That’s the way I look at it.
Idk - I’m happily married and share my location with my husband. It’s just for emergencies really. I don’t check it unless he’s traveling and I get worried about him.
I’ve been listening to TTPD off and on since it came out in April but it’s growing on me! Glad to see you guys coming along for the ride. 😊
What do yall typically listen to? I have a few requests to make but not sure if they would already be something you know.
You guys need to get to some more fun snogs like Blank Space! I know it's familiar but that MV rocks!
Love this song!! Sweet and sad which Taylor does so well. There is a black dog in Fort Night in the scene where she’s being lobotomized. Easter egg.
How have you not done The Alchemy yet?! Better than So HS imo
9:03 esoteric when only a few people understand the meaning of something. In this instance I think Taylor is referring to public comments people make about her which on the surface sound benign but IYKYK is actually a cruel slight.
For example when the media asks people questions about her and they give seemingly benign answers to general audiences, but likely have a cutting edge if anyone knows the context or backstory.
C spot rag muahahaha love it
Don’t be afraid to say hello hooligans
🖤🖤🖤
Uff da kids!!!
I wish you’d react to Getaway car (Reputation tour) or End Game
It is a bit wild and a bit crazy if you think about it in real life, but TTPD represents the stages of grief and the black dog belongs to the rage stage!
"The Starting Line" is a pop-punk band from Pennsylvania and formed in 1999.
They have a song called "The Best of Me"
Matty Healy and his band The 1975 did a cover of that song during their 2023 tour:
In "Fresh out the Slammer she sings... Now we're at THE STARTING LINE, I did my time.
I THINK SHE DID HER TIME with Joe and started the relationship with Matt as friends.
Matt and her were friends and almost had a relationship during the 1989 Era.
Matt kept her sane while the relationship with Joe wasn't going well and was falling apart.
She describes this in How Can I Be Guilty As Sin.
Joe is quiet and didn’t give her the affection she needed.
We learned that through Tolerate it and other songs.
I think she mixes things up a little bit in many songs.
As she swirled Matt into all of her poems.
In the end she leaves Joe.
Matt who was her "Cosmic Love" and sh*t talks her under the table talking rings and talking cradles, becomes "The Loss of Her Life" and "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived:
Enter Travis " The Alchemy"
you clearly have no idea what you're talking about and just want everything to be about matty to fit your weird narrative. guilty as sin is NOT about any man in particular - she is reflecting on how she wants to be happy yet people will always misunderstand her and make her feel ashamed for it. people like you who are obsessed with doing paternity tests with these songs instead of consuming them for their messages is exactly what taylor is sick of from fans. that's why the album is filled with red herrings - she is tired of people trying to obsessively assign songs to individuals in her life and you are part of the problem. she is a real person - not a character that you can theorize about as if it's fact.
@karol-ys5ow
And you're the Taylor expert? 🤣
I'm pretty much on target. Tell me i'm wrong about the starting line. Nope, everything I said is accurate.
So if I don't know her personally, you do?
I will be respectful here because I respect their page.
Bless your sweet little heart.
Bye, sweetie.
@@karol-ys5ow have you read the ‘In Summation’ from the vinyl? She makes it very clear this album is about two separate relationships (not including Travis and the music industry/public)
Everyone is welcome to interpret songs how they like, but guilty as sin really gives Matty Healy. Have you been listening to the story she tells about him? Not to mention the “he” subject in the song..
While I do think some fans take the “weaved you into all of my poems” lyric out of context, it feels very obvious to me what songs on TTPD are about Matty vs Joe once you fathom the stories she’s telling.
@Shan72393 I agree with you 100%
TTPD is about all the things you mentioned. You described yourself and what Taylor has said in the "In Summation" very well.
We have watched Taylor weave her stories into metaphors about her life, friends, family, enemies, relationships, friends relationships, happiness, sorrow, anger, stories, books, movies, and her imagination for years. Sometimes, we are correct, and sometimes we learn as time goes on more pieces to her puzzles. She can do that and more even with a broken heart. Great comment Shan 💋
As someone who thinks they have a decent vocabulary and did not know esoteric I laughed at the feeling crickets as mush as I shook my millennial head at Cerberus lol. Also I definitely had to rewind because I was like wait is that smoke on Evan’s head? Then realized it was part of the joke 😂
The black dog is a bar that she and Joe used to go too and then Joe apparently took her to the back dog and cause her and Joe were on each others find my iPhone she saw he went to the black dog without her
Oh my god. This is so embarrassing for you guys. Sirius BLACK. SEVERUS Snape. FLUFFY was the 3-headed dog. Figure it out, boys!
Most of the songs from TTPD are about her relationship with Matty Healy, a.k.a. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.
this one is obviously about joe
Okay pauline, if u say so 🤣🤣
bah c'est vrai ma soeur mais après tu crois ce que tu veux ou tu fais tes propres recherches jsp
I think this one is about Matty because she mentioned her rain soaked body shaking, and one of her Eras shows that Matty and her left together was a rain show. Joe has come out and said he’s never been to that bar before, anyway.
14 seconds later! Haha
taylor wrote this song completely alone!!!!
The smoke effect loll