Top 7 Best Songs on The Tortured Poets Department

I’ve been eager to write this post ever since The Tortured Poets Department was released. I wanted to take the time to truly immerse myself in the music and lyrics before sharing my thoughts. Now, after countless listens, here are my picks for the Top 7 Best Songs from Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.

7. imgonnagetyouback

This song is ridiculously catchy—I can’t stop listening! It perfectly captures the rollercoaster of a breakup-and-makeup relationship. I know what that’s like; I was in one of those for years. It’s that uncertain, “Who knows where this is headed this week?” kind of vibe, but also the unwavering, “I’m yours whether you like it or not” kind of feeling.

“Whether I’m gonna be your wife or
Gonna smash up your bike, I
Haven’t decided yet
But I’m gonna get you back“

6. The Black Dog

On The Tortured Poets Department, the way Taylor sings about watching him walk into some bar called The Black Dog makes me think she never actually went there with him—it feels like a place she’s only seen from the outside. And let’s be honest, she’s all of us when she says, “your location, you forgot to turn it off,” because, yeah, I’d 100% be doing the exact same thing.

“Six weeks of breathing clean air
I still miss the smoke
Were you making fun of me with some esoteric joke?
Now I want to sell my house and set fire to all my clothes
And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons
Even if I die screaming
And I hope you hear it“

5. Peter

This song feels like an allusion to Neverland—the idea of hoping for her Peter Pan to finally grow up and find her. It’s that kind of love where someone tells you they’re not ready for a relationship, or the timing isn’t right, but they still make plans to meet again in a few years. Yet, in the end, promises were broken and she gave up.

“And I won’t confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn
As the men masqueraded, I hoped you’d return
With your feet on the ground, tell me all that you’d learned
‘Cause love’s never lost when perspective is earned
And you said you’d come and get me, but you were 25
And the shelf life of those fantasies has expired
Lost to the Lost Boys chapter of your life“

4. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

This song is such a bittersweet mix of fun and sadness. She reflects on their relationship, which seemed to be going well from her perspective, only for him to sabotage it—likely out of fear of commitment or something deeper.

“My boy only breaks his favorite toys
I’m queen of sand castles he destroys
Cause I knew too much
There was danger in the heat of my touch
He saw forever so he smashed it up
Oh, my boy only breaks his favorite toys“

3. So Long, London

So Long, London is such a heartbreaking song on The Tortured Poets Department. While Taylor doesn’t reveal who her songs are about, it’s hard not to feel like this one is about Joe Alwyn and their breakup. It seems to reflect the kind of relationship she once thought would be her Reputation-era End Game, only to watch it unravel. The lyrics capture the pain of feeling like she was slowly losing herself, wishing he had done better for her.

“You swore that you loved me but where were the clues?
I died on the altar waiting for the proof
You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days
And I’m just getting color back into my face
I’m just mad as hell cause I loved this place“

2. How Did It End?

How Did It End is such a stunning song, both musically and lyrically. I love the perspective it takes on people whispering and spreading her business—it perfectly captures how she must feel during those highly public breakups. Once one person finds out, it’s like wildfire, with everyone wanting to know every little detail.

“Come one, come all
It’s happening again
The empathetic hunger descends
We’ll tell no one
Except all of our friends
But I still don’t know
How did it end?“

1. The Smallest Man That Ever Lived

This is hands down my favorite song on The Tortured Poet’s Department. Part of that might be because, if you’ve seen her perform it live during The Eras Tour or on TikTok, it’s such an emotional and captivating performance. It’s pretty clear this song is about Matty Healy and their brief relationship during the spring and summer of 2023. And let’s be real—the bridge of this song is easily one of the best ever written.

“Were you sent by someone who wanted me dead?
Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed?
Were you writing a book? Were you a sleeper cell spy?
In fifty years, will all this be declassified?
And you’ll confess why you did it
And I’ll say, “Good riddance”
‘Cause it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden…“

If you want to buy The Tortured Poets Department album, be sure to go to TaylorSwift.com to get it or head to your local record shop!

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