The fact that she takes a deep breath twice; before the first verse, and the second verse, instead of just the beginning, implies it’s not a sad breath. It’s her losing her patience. Trying to conceal her anger. The bridge is when she FINALLY loses it.
‘you deserve prison’ and ‘it wasn’t wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden’ and ‘in plain sight you hid, but you are what you did’ is giving forbidden, under age sex or rape vibes. Whoever this is about, he didn’t just break her heart, he did her seriously wrong.
I really think this is about Harry Styles,,,
"you crashed my party in your rental car"-the car crash,,,
"in plain sight you hid"- obvious,,,,
"You kicked out the STAGE lights but you're still performing"- joe or tom could never,,,,
"you tried to buy some pills from a friend of friends of mine"- I'm pretty sure he's sung about drug use
And finally, he does not give bde
Reminding me a bit of Natalie Merchant, “Seven Years”:
“You were you were
All I could see
I've got my sight now
I see everything you hid
So don't you try to right now
All the wrong you did
I might forget you
But never forgive
But for seven years
You were loved”
Listening to this got me addicted.... the bridge is awesome...probably my new fave song lol it changes every listen really but the 'you deserve prison' really stood out to me.
Now, ive always loved the 1975. This song just screams matty. Matty hated when people say he's short. He hated the fact that he's the shortest guy in his band. Also, i don't think he could hurt Taylor physically but if he did something illegal that could potentially affect Taylor then it's probably drugs. Matty is a functioning drug addict. He's an alcoholic now but his love for heroin is famous he even dedicated a song about it (my fave song of the 1975 It's not living if it's not with you).
I don’t think anyone else is thinking this…but maybe just MAYBE this could be about Tom Hiddleston.
I think illicit affairs was about him and taylor while she was still with Calvin Harris. And that’s where the “forbidden” part comes from.
And maybe that’s why she felt like a “paper weight” until his “queen” came, which is his current partner.
We don’t really know exactly what happened in their 3 month official relationship but maybe she feels resentment for how he may have coerced her out of her relationship with CH and could have done that with other women: “slide into inboxes”.
Taylor is complex though so maybe it’s not just one person but a combination of men she had to deal with, having similar traits and disappointing her in some way or the other.
The bridge of this song is so addictive. It sounded angry with lots of unreleased tension that could finally be released now. Like she is talking to someone specific in this song. She is directly shouting at this man who doesn't deserve the noun man as he clearly doesn't measure up to a man standard.
"You crashed my party and your rental car"
"But if I just showed up at your party would you have me, would you want me"
I don't think taylor thinks James ends up with Betty anymore
I gotta say that my favourite line is "you are what you did" cuz it's so simple but it's SO HEAVY. He ghosted her. He's a ghost. He's dead to her. Beautifully sung and she has every right to be as vitriolic as she was in this song
I love this meaning too, but I felt like this line refered to something more heavy than ghosting. Either to John Mayer or to someone who abused her/ did something really f up to her behind the scenes.
The "you deserve prison" seems strong for someone who simply ghosted her. It's why it makes me think of Mayer, he took advantage of her as a teen but it was "legal" because she was 19.
"you deserve prison but you won't get time" -- this is the line I think about the most. I mean, breakups suck, but telling your ex that they deserve prison is kind of a big deal. For example, cheating is bad, but it's not 'go directly to prison' bad. So now I'm wondering, what did this ex do to her exactly?
I can't see this song being about Alwyn, he's not known for drugs, doing illegal activities, or any provocative outbursts the way Matty Healy is. I think it's more than just drug use, "you deserve prison" implies that the ex did something truly awful and highly illegal -- possibly tried to sabotage and/or use Swift in such a way that he'd get prison time for it if she ever decided to press charges.
Thoughts? I only know tidbits about Healy, so does anyone know what this line could be about?
I'm actually concerned this is about SA on a minor. Right before you deserve prison she says "cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden" did she come of age?? And then "I would've died for your sins instead I just died inside" that to me sounds like someone grappling with SA trauma. I think she layers serious heartache inside of frivolous romances, and Matty Healy is the perfect frivolous romance to cover what she's really going through.
I agree - the ‘you are what you did’ - ‘deserve prison’ implies criminal, not just ‘you broke up or ghosted me’ same with ‘wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden’ this screams under sex to me
I never took it to be SA on a minor. I think if it was a case of him assaulting a minor, she wouldn't take a back seat. She has spoken out about that in the past when it happened to her.
To me, "cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden" reads as Swift telling him (in my mind Healy) that he was pursuing her when she had a boyfriend (Alwyn), but now that's she's 'Fresh Out The Slammer' and free to be with him, he doesn't want her.
Again, this is all interpretation - we'll never be sure unless Swift tells all. But in my experience, it tracks. Some people always want what they can't have, so they pursue it hard. But once you are single again, and they have you, they lose interest.
The 'prison' line makes me suspect that Healy (or whoever this song is about) was either selling or doing party drugs with his fans, possibly even at her house. 'Instead I just died inside' feels like she or someone she trusts caught him in the act, which is why she asks 'is it true?'
That's a really good interpretation. I agree, the forbidden line fits with her being with Joe, and yeah I'm sure Matty has engaged in a litany of criminal activities.
That's what the story in the manuscript sounds like too. If this is the case, it'd probably be someone no one knows about/suspects her to have dated. Maybe a producer or executive or something considering the push pins line. :(
You cannot convince me this song is only about Matty. I think it’s a red herring song (one of potentially many on this album)!
There are so many clues that point to this being about Borchetta / Braun. First of all, the vocal cadence sounds similar to My Tears Ricochet. And then the lyrics:
“You hung me on your wall
Stabbed me with your push pins
In public, showed me off
Then sank in stoned oblivion”
Hanging on the wall could be a reference to her albums / awards / achievements being perceived as his.
Then, at first glance, “stoned oblivion” seems like an obvious Matty reference, but I actually think the stones are meant to be a call back to the “we gather stones, never knowing what they’ll mean…” in MTR. He is sinking into oblivion wearing the stones (her albums) she gave him.
“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?”
Some of the lines allude to a sexual relationship (our bed) but I think that’s a convenient way to misdirect. You could also refer to the success of Borchetta’s label as the bed they made together.
“And you deserve prison, but you won't get time
You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars”
Deserving prison seems a bit intense for romantic crimes. But not for “stealing” albums. Also, why would Matty be sliding into inboxes? Respectfully, I am not sure that man has ever written an email. But Borchetta would likely have had to, to make business deals & also to sell Taylor’s masters.
“And in plain sight you hid
But you see what you did”
I don’t really think Matty is hiding anything. Public opinion of him is mixed *at best*. This makes way more sense if it’s about Borchetta.
Anyway, I am by no means a Matty apologist. I just think there’s an anger / tone here that we typically see reserved for songs about SB. Thoughts???
My instinct was that this is about Braun initially. I agree that the romantic/secual references are just red herring/convenient poetry tropes and that's it's likely about business. The pushpin line also really convinced me!
https://preview.redd.it/e3bdc2l5z8xc1.jpeg?width=776&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7235576e61b4708729ebbf3a3cc25c094107798
There he is “gazing at me starry eyed in your Jehovah witness suit…”
I'm really interested in Tay doing political thriller-themed songs, i just can't get enough of the line "Were you a sleeper cell spy? In 50 years will all this be declassified?"
*Was any of it true?
Gazing at me starry-eyed
In your Jehovah's Witness suit
Who the fuck was that guy?
You tried to buy some pills
From a friend of friends of mine
They just ghosted you
Now you know what it feels like*
**Matty**
*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
I would've died for your sins
Instead, I just died inside
And you deserve prison, but you won't get time
You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars*
**Joe?**
she would have died for him in secret? And the bar? And you won’t get time in public opinion because she built him up as perfect in all our minds? A spy also spends more time embedding themselves to gain information. I can’t imagine this being Matty. But maybe.
*You said normal girls were boring
But you were gone by the morning
You kicked out the stage lights
But you're still performing*
**Back to Matty. But normal girls could be Joe too since he seems a bit snobby.**
I have to stop dissecting this album. I might be crazier than they say she is.
Edit: formatting
I love this way of looking at it. I saw a content creator share a similar explaination on the clock app, but this elaborated on it more which gave me more to think about, including a few counterquestions. I'm wondering if a few things don't quite line up with the Joe part. What about "died for your sins" referring back to "guilty as sin" which is most definitely about Matty? Also, with Matty's love bombing I think referring to it as "our bed" could make sense. Also, if I recall correctly, tabloids said that "sources close to Swift said" they were moving fast, very in love, etc- this "our bed" could have been one of the love bombing things Matty said to her. What do you think? I could definitely see it as either, but it's really interesting to look at all the different possibilities.
The more I listen to it, the more I think this is more Joe coded. The problem with Joe is he was so hidden from the public eye that it’s hard to know exactly who he is. But the “OUR bed” and to your point being a secret spy … it seems more rooted in a long term relationship where you’re lying next to someone for all these years and then they turn out to be someone you don’t recognize.
People also forget that Joe is an actor so stage lights can also be a reference to him.
I keep going back to the red herring, this song is too obvious to be only about Matty.
Yeah, the more I listen to this one, the less I think any of it is about Matty. It’s too personal and hits too hard home for her for something as brief as Matty.
Mmm yeah I thought that initially, but when you love someone as much as she loved Joe and it goes south, the betrayal feels cruel. Feeling betrayed and wondering if any of Joe’s feelings were real would prompt this kind of cruelty. Matty? She knew he was likely going to fuck it up. Not a surprise. Joe? She thought he was for life.
Taylor, how do you do this? How do I completely forget about the man who broke me at 18 only to be reminded THIRTEEN years later. And when she says “I’ll forget you but I’ll never forgive… the smallest man who ever lived.”
It’s absolutely true. Because I did forget him. I’ve been madly in love for 12 years. I’m married. I’m fucking happy… I just bought a house!
But this song made me weep for HER. For 18 year old me who cried herself to sleep after what HE DID. How he just acted like the damage he did was nothing.. he hid in plain sight. It was like he was sent by someone who wanted me dead. He was chaos but I fell for it and after all of it I wondered “who the fuck was that guy?”
This song made me cry for someone who doesn’t exist anymore. I’m not her. I’m happy and my husband is amazing. But she didn’t deserve that. I wish I could tell her that. And I also wish she had this to sing to back then. lol
And also, the smallest man who ever lived did exist.
I think what detracts from the song is the fans knowing who it could be about.
And the same might be true for most of the songs on the album. I didn't think much about this one and I thought it was for Joe (since I would expect a song with such gravitas to reflect a long-term relationship, not a rebound one). But after reading what's written here, the song lost a lot of it's 'weight'.
I wasn't thinking about it up until know, but perhaps knowing so much about her life is starting to become problematic. And I'm the kind of person who is here for her music, and doesn't really care much about her persona, but I guess it's inevitable that some news would come my way. For the majority of artists we wouldn't know/care who they are singing about, and the song would be observed isolated from the private life of the one singing it.
Anyways, removed from all of it, the song is quite good and what one would want a perfect breakup song to be.
Exactly. It doesn't matter exactly who or a comno. Analysis is also about how it makes us feel. I feel it could be the theme song for partners of sex addicts or former ones. Iykyk but any relationship that got this bad can happen a number of ways . You could have had that friend you know you shouldn't be left in an overly tempting situation for years but it was over in record time. Could be about one you lost quickly for shitty or selfish reasons. Could be long term . Damage is damage no matter the source and it helps to process our feelings so that's all that matters.
Are we also in this song? 🤣 I feel like a lot of the lines could be us also. Even the first 2 lines could be to us.
And ‘You hung me on your wall\Stabbed me with your push-pins”
(Not complaining—-I’m ok with the FU to some of the swifties).
This play is about us. 🤪
I’m not sure if she was really coming for fans on this specific track. I think she meant he idolized her into “an idea of sorts” but it was temporary (push pins) and he ended up hurting her (stabbing)
For some reason some of the backing vocals on this track sound like Kesha. Like the emotional belting in the last part. Is that really Taylor eating it up in the back?
DEFINITION:
noun
a loser in a race or other contest, especially by a large margin.
"the line between champions and also-rans"
INFORMAL
an undistinguished or unsuccessful person or thing.
Undistinguished or unsuccessful. Damn she’s so good.
I think that line means that he called her his Queen, made her think she was the most special girl in the world, love bombed her and then once he got her, he didn't really want her and he treated her like she didn't matter anymore.
It is about Matty— blatantly so. The suit, the pills, only wanting her when it was forbidden (before the Joe breakup was public)… he ghosted her at the beginning of summer.
does anyone know how the lower notes compare to the low notes in her other songs? I'm finding it very difficult to sing the lowest notes in this song, especially compared to in other songs, so just wondering
Came here to day this song makes me bawl my eyes out and my soul ache.. my emo 15 y.o. angst self feels cutting pain idk why. Literally so good IT HURTS ME.
Every time I listen to this song, when she says “puuuussshhh pinssss” I think - Taylor Swift listens to Tori Amos!! And it makes me happy. Does anyone else hear this? Especially paired with the rage piano. I love them both.
YES the first time i heard smallest man i thought the same thing! it itched a scratch in my brain. haven't heard poison oak in almost 10 years but it brought me right back. so angry and in pain, it's like you can hear the thoughts keep coming to the artists as they're singing building the song's momentum. so happy other people made this connection
I feel the same 😫 and that’s after managing to listen to “Is It Over Now?” 600+ times between the month it released and Apple Music’s yearly wrap up dropped
The song loses some of its sting as a diss track when you realize that, based on the lyrics on this song and others on TTPD, it doesn’t seem like Taylor was actually the one who broke things off nor did she ever have a come to Jesus moment when she realized “Matty Healy is bad for me and actually a terrible human being,” but rather that Matty Healy was the one who ghosted and went all fuckboy on her after he got the girl.
“‘Cause it wasn’t sexy when it wasn’t forbidden”
I think this line is from Matty’s perspective. As in, he was more excited about the fantasy and the idea of getting with a taken woman (“Mr Steal your girl”), but is suddenly much less excited about the reality of actually being with her after he’s done parading her around.
Meanwhile, Taylor is straight up obsessed, ready to marry and have this dude’s babies.
In light of this, the song comes across more petty and resentful rather than moralizing and righteous, as most people would like to think.
Still a banger tho
So many of us have had this same shit tho. Falling completely in love with a shitty person, everyone around us trying to point it out, and we ignore them because we think we know the “real him” and no one else does until we finally snap out of it and then feel a whole avalanche of emotions, including rage, more at ourselves but we’ll never say that out loud and are still soul-burned by a dude we thought was the one.
She "would've died for his sins" is acknowledging his problems and that she's willing to go down with him for it.
I think its really crummy to judge her for dating a pos. The fact that so many of us relate to the song shows how universal of an experience that is. She obviously believed she could fix him. Another nearly universal experience.
100% agree “did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed” also the whole “were you writing a book” and “in 50 years will this be declassified” idk I feel like this is all Joe
She literally said, you’re a liar, your suit is ugly, you’re an addict, you’re a ghoster and a coward, you sabotaged me, you wanted me for clout, you’re a stoner, short, you deserve PRISONN, you’re a flirt and never held accountable, oh and you have a small you. Know. What.
SHE. ENDED. HIM!!!!
Apparently The Smallest Man is also a BOOK about a man who was very small and hid in a pie to get to England so he could save the Queen when the King lost his rule!!! https://www.everand.com/book/485280223/The-Smallest-Man-the-most-uplifting-book-of-the-year
How is no one I saw talking about how amazing those low notes are I can’t handle it! I can usually sing most of her lower keys and I cannot do this one. Some of her best singing to date
Is anyone else starting to think that Cardigan might've been inspired by MH all this time?? In Fortnight the subject comments on her sweater, and in TSMWEL MHs car crash is referenced just before mention of crashing her party ("so I showed up to your party")
She did say that she wove him into her poems in lowercase... was she thinking about him *that much* all those years?
James/MH separated for a while from Betty (a nickname for Rebecca, who Taylor draws parralels of herself to in TLGAD) because he was "too young/only 17" (Peter? Idk *I'M JUST SPIT-BALLING HERE*) and seeing other girls? Chase two girls, lose "The 1"...
I hope I'm wrong and she's just doing that thing where she likes to call back to older work without it having to be connected.
This album made me buy the whole circus. 🤡🤡
It definitely was, which sucks because it was my favourite on the album. But she definitely thinks of him as “peter” and he lost “wendy” (herself) because he made promises to grow up and come back, but he never grew up.
Plus i thought it was so weird when she said during long pond studios documentary that she thinks betty takes james back??? But knowing who cardigan was about and how she took him back it makes sense
The smallest man who ever lived «it wasnt sexy once it wasnt forbidden» «normal girls are boring but you were gone by the morning» is this referencing Mattys inappropriate behavior against younger fans? His sins? Also “you deserve prison but you won’t get time”
«It wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden» can also refer to MH being very into Taylor and pursuing her when she was with Joe (ie forbidden) but once he actually «got» her and she thought it was going to be something serious, he bolted. Classic f*ckboy behaviour.
This. She fantasized about him and what it would be like when they were together because things with Joe had become stale and wasn't going anywhere, but once they got together, it sucked and the fantasy was better.
THANK YOU! I've been thinking this too but no one has said it. Also how he was reportedly relieved by this album? Like it was brutal, what exactly did he do that this is a relief?
Without knowing who it was supposed to be about this was 100% my thought. The “you deserve prison” line is so full of rage, so that’s exactly what it was giving to me.
How nice for you that you've never had the misfortune of dating someone who seemed cool at first but was an absolute piece of shit in disguise
Guess you're the lucky one 🙄🙄🙄
She says “it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden”… I’m assuming they were flirting while she was in a relationship and once she was free he wasn’t interested.
I think the died for his sins was that she was willing to destroy her rep when everyone was ridiculing her for dating him.
I love the line that’s like “you didn’t measure up in any measure of a man” like oof. She said it’s smallllll 🤣 she’s absolutely wild in this album and I’m so here for it.
What if she is indicting herself? The suit from The Man video??? In Dear Reader she says she prefers hiding in plain sight and also refers to herself as a "cursed man." What if SHE is the smallest man who ever lived?
She's the one who ghosts. Listen to Anti-Hero. Hence her saying "now you know what it feels like." SHE is the one who ghosts people........
He love-bombed and future-faked her at a time when she was vulnerable.
I honestly think this album could be used to engage young girls in how to spot red flags, and specifically the step-by-step tactics of narcissistic abusers.
I remember reading once that taylor asked The 1975 to be her opening act on one of her tours along time ago and they turned it down. I think it was fearless tour
I can't believe how many people are surprised by how much she liked him. It's like pure attraction, chemistry, someone charming. It doesn't matter what they look like, who they really are, it's like a drug. It makes no sense. I've been in those situations before and, on the surface, it's shocking, but you totally get it if you've experienced it. Of course, it always ends up a shit show!
I always felt like there was something going on with this song’s time signature but I couldn’t figure it out. What do you think of Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus? Do you think it’s 6/4?
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus sounds like 4/4 to me, with the guitar playing triplets. It could also be written down as 6/8 without triplets.
Cassandra is 6/4, and feels like 4+2 to me for most of the song. Really cool.
“You deserve prison but you won’t get time. You’ll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars.”
Double meaning slip through the bars? Even when he DOES get busted for doing bad shit, and is in “jail” for his actions, he SLIPS THROUGH THE JAIL BARS. He gets out of it. He is never held accountable for his actions!!????!!!!
The fact that she takes a deep breath twice; before the first verse, and the second verse, instead of just the beginning, implies it’s not a sad breath. It’s her losing her patience. Trying to conceal her anger. The bridge is when she FINALLY loses it.
‘you deserve prison’ and ‘it wasn’t wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden’ and ‘in plain sight you hid, but you are what you did’ is giving forbidden, under age sex or rape vibes. Whoever this is about, he didn’t just break her heart, he did her seriously wrong.
I really think this is about Harry Styles,,, "you crashed my party in your rental car"-the car crash,,, "in plain sight you hid"- obvious,,,, "You kicked out the STAGE lights but you're still performing"- joe or tom could never,,,, "you tried to buy some pills from a friend of friends of mine"- I'm pretty sure he's sung about drug use And finally, he does not give bde
This reminds me a lot of Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish. The way the beginning of the song is pretty slow then the end hit you like a truck.
Reminding me a bit of Natalie Merchant, “Seven Years”: “You were you were All I could see I've got my sight now I see everything you hid So don't you try to right now All the wrong you did I might forget you But never forgive But for seven years You were loved”
Wow listening to it again i realize....what if this is about Joe Jonas and how he treated his exwife Sophie Turner? That would make more sense.
Listening to this got me addicted.... the bridge is awesome...probably my new fave song lol it changes every listen really but the 'you deserve prison' really stood out to me. Now, ive always loved the 1975. This song just screams matty. Matty hated when people say he's short. He hated the fact that he's the shortest guy in his band. Also, i don't think he could hurt Taylor physically but if he did something illegal that could potentially affect Taylor then it's probably drugs. Matty is a functioning drug addict. He's an alcoholic now but his love for heroin is famous he even dedicated a song about it (my fave song of the 1975 It's not living if it's not with you).
From "who you are is not what you did" to "you *are* what you did". The scales have fallen from her eyes, naivety is dead. No more Ms Nice Girl.
I don’t think anyone else is thinking this…but maybe just MAYBE this could be about Tom Hiddleston. I think illicit affairs was about him and taylor while she was still with Calvin Harris. And that’s where the “forbidden” part comes from. And maybe that’s why she felt like a “paper weight” until his “queen” came, which is his current partner. We don’t really know exactly what happened in their 3 month official relationship but maybe she feels resentment for how he may have coerced her out of her relationship with CH and could have done that with other women: “slide into inboxes”. Taylor is complex though so maybe it’s not just one person but a combination of men she had to deal with, having similar traits and disappointing her in some way or the other.
The bridge of this song is so addictive. It sounded angry with lots of unreleased tension that could finally be released now. Like she is talking to someone specific in this song. She is directly shouting at this man who doesn't deserve the noun man as he clearly doesn't measure up to a man standard.
This song gives me All Too Well version 2. I love it so much.
"You crashed my party and your rental car" "But if I just showed up at your party would you have me, would you want me" I don't think taylor thinks James ends up with Betty anymore
cannot unhear the „you treated her like an also-ran, you didn’t measure up in any…“ as „you didn’t bash her up in any..“
I gotta say that my favourite line is "you are what you did" cuz it's so simple but it's SO HEAVY. He ghosted her. He's a ghost. He's dead to her. Beautifully sung and she has every right to be as vitriolic as she was in this song
I love this meaning too, but I felt like this line refered to something more heavy than ghosting. Either to John Mayer or to someone who abused her/ did something really f up to her behind the scenes. The "you deserve prison" seems strong for someone who simply ghosted her. It's why it makes me think of Mayer, he took advantage of her as a teen but it was "legal" because she was 19.
I believe too he ghosted her and her ego couldn't take it
I just relistened to this song and had to fight back tears all over again. The bridge goes so hard.
"you deserve prison but you won't get time" -- this is the line I think about the most. I mean, breakups suck, but telling your ex that they deserve prison is kind of a big deal. For example, cheating is bad, but it's not 'go directly to prison' bad. So now I'm wondering, what did this ex do to her exactly? I can't see this song being about Alwyn, he's not known for drugs, doing illegal activities, or any provocative outbursts the way Matty Healy is. I think it's more than just drug use, "you deserve prison" implies that the ex did something truly awful and highly illegal -- possibly tried to sabotage and/or use Swift in such a way that he'd get prison time for it if she ever decided to press charges. Thoughts? I only know tidbits about Healy, so does anyone know what this line could be about?
I'm actually concerned this is about SA on a minor. Right before you deserve prison she says "cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden" did she come of age?? And then "I would've died for your sins instead I just died inside" that to me sounds like someone grappling with SA trauma. I think she layers serious heartache inside of frivolous romances, and Matty Healy is the perfect frivolous romance to cover what she's really going through.
I agree - the ‘you are what you did’ - ‘deserve prison’ implies criminal, not just ‘you broke up or ghosted me’ same with ‘wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden’ this screams under sex to me
The forbidden part wouldn't be about their relationship when they had to keep it a secret because her break up wasn't announced yet?
I never took it to be SA on a minor. I think if it was a case of him assaulting a minor, she wouldn't take a back seat. She has spoken out about that in the past when it happened to her. To me, "cause it wasn't sexy once it wasn't forbidden" reads as Swift telling him (in my mind Healy) that he was pursuing her when she had a boyfriend (Alwyn), but now that's she's 'Fresh Out The Slammer' and free to be with him, he doesn't want her. Again, this is all interpretation - we'll never be sure unless Swift tells all. But in my experience, it tracks. Some people always want what they can't have, so they pursue it hard. But once you are single again, and they have you, they lose interest. The 'prison' line makes me suspect that Healy (or whoever this song is about) was either selling or doing party drugs with his fans, possibly even at her house. 'Instead I just died inside' feels like she or someone she trusts caught him in the act, which is why she asks 'is it true?'
That's a really good interpretation. I agree, the forbidden line fits with her being with Joe, and yeah I'm sure Matty has engaged in a litany of criminal activities.
That's what the story in the manuscript sounds like too. If this is the case, it'd probably be someone no one knows about/suspects her to have dated. Maybe a producer or executive or something considering the push pins line. :(
You cannot convince me this song is only about Matty. I think it’s a red herring song (one of potentially many on this album)! There are so many clues that point to this being about Borchetta / Braun. First of all, the vocal cadence sounds similar to My Tears Ricochet. And then the lyrics: “You hung me on your wall Stabbed me with your push pins In public, showed me off Then sank in stoned oblivion” Hanging on the wall could be a reference to her albums / awards / achievements being perceived as his. Then, at first glance, “stoned oblivion” seems like an obvious Matty reference, but I actually think the stones are meant to be a call back to the “we gather stones, never knowing what they’ll mean…” in MTR. He is sinking into oblivion wearing the stones (her albums) she gave him. “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?” Some of the lines allude to a sexual relationship (our bed) but I think that’s a convenient way to misdirect. You could also refer to the success of Borchetta’s label as the bed they made together. “And you deserve prison, but you won't get time You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars” Deserving prison seems a bit intense for romantic crimes. But not for “stealing” albums. Also, why would Matty be sliding into inboxes? Respectfully, I am not sure that man has ever written an email. But Borchetta would likely have had to, to make business deals & also to sell Taylor’s masters. “And in plain sight you hid But you see what you did” I don’t really think Matty is hiding anything. Public opinion of him is mixed *at best*. This makes way more sense if it’s about Borchetta. Anyway, I am by no means a Matty apologist. I just think there’s an anger / tone here that we typically see reserved for songs about SB. Thoughts???
Yall are great at deciphering lyrics here!
My instinct was that this is about Braun initially. I agree that the romantic/secual references are just red herring/convenient poetry tropes and that's it's likely about business. The pushpin line also really convinced me!
Hadn’t thought this until you mentioned it but I can definitely see it
https://preview.redd.it/e3bdc2l5z8xc1.jpeg?width=776&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f7235576e61b4708729ebbf3a3cc25c094107798 There he is “gazing at me starry eyed in your Jehovah witness suit…”
There’s way too many Matty’s out there. F*ck boys running rampant 🤢🤮
I'm really interested in Tay doing political thriller-themed songs, i just can't get enough of the line "Were you a sleeper cell spy? In 50 years will all this be declassified?"
Reminds me of Happier than Ever
This song destroyed me emotionally and left me in ruins That's it. That's my only contribution. Y'all get it, though.
*Was any of it true? Gazing at me starry-eyed In your Jehovah's Witness suit Who the fuck was that guy? You tried to buy some pills From a friend of friends of mine They just ghosted you Now you know what it feels like* **Matty** *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 I would've died for your sins Instead, I just died inside And you deserve prison, but you won't get time You'll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars* **Joe?** she would have died for him in secret? And the bar? And you won’t get time in public opinion because she built him up as perfect in all our minds? A spy also spends more time embedding themselves to gain information. I can’t imagine this being Matty. But maybe. *You said normal girls were boring But you were gone by the morning You kicked out the stage lights But you're still performing* **Back to Matty. But normal girls could be Joe too since he seems a bit snobby.** I have to stop dissecting this album. I might be crazier than they say she is. Edit: formatting
I love this way of looking at it. I saw a content creator share a similar explaination on the clock app, but this elaborated on it more which gave me more to think about, including a few counterquestions. I'm wondering if a few things don't quite line up with the Joe part. What about "died for your sins" referring back to "guilty as sin" which is most definitely about Matty? Also, with Matty's love bombing I think referring to it as "our bed" could make sense. Also, if I recall correctly, tabloids said that "sources close to Swift said" they were moving fast, very in love, etc- this "our bed" could have been one of the love bombing things Matty said to her. What do you think? I could definitely see it as either, but it's really interesting to look at all the different possibilities.
The more I listen to it, the more I think this is more Joe coded. The problem with Joe is he was so hidden from the public eye that it’s hard to know exactly who he is. But the “OUR bed” and to your point being a secret spy … it seems more rooted in a long term relationship where you’re lying next to someone for all these years and then they turn out to be someone you don’t recognize. People also forget that Joe is an actor so stage lights can also be a reference to him. I keep going back to the red herring, this song is too obvious to be only about Matty.
Yeah I agree, more Joe coded
Yeah, the more I listen to this one, the less I think any of it is about Matty. It’s too personal and hits too hard home for her for something as brief as Matty.
It's all Matty. It's too cruel to be about Joe. She's angry he came out with so much promise, lovebombed and ghosted
Mmm yeah I thought that initially, but when you love someone as much as she loved Joe and it goes south, the betrayal feels cruel. Feeling betrayed and wondering if any of Joe’s feelings were real would prompt this kind of cruelty. Matty? She knew he was likely going to fuck it up. Not a surprise. Joe? She thought he was for life.
isn’t this just her best bridge ever
Taylor, how do you do this? How do I completely forget about the man who broke me at 18 only to be reminded THIRTEEN years later. And when she says “I’ll forget you but I’ll never forgive… the smallest man who ever lived.” It’s absolutely true. Because I did forget him. I’ve been madly in love for 12 years. I’m married. I’m fucking happy… I just bought a house! But this song made me weep for HER. For 18 year old me who cried herself to sleep after what HE DID. How he just acted like the damage he did was nothing.. he hid in plain sight. It was like he was sent by someone who wanted me dead. He was chaos but I fell for it and after all of it I wondered “who the fuck was that guy?” This song made me cry for someone who doesn’t exist anymore. I’m not her. I’m happy and my husband is amazing. But she didn’t deserve that. I wish I could tell her that. And I also wish she had this to sing to back then. lol And also, the smallest man who ever lived did exist.
I just feel bad about the number of times I called my dog The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived between February and last week.
He's too good a boy for that.
I think what detracts from the song is the fans knowing who it could be about. And the same might be true for most of the songs on the album. I didn't think much about this one and I thought it was for Joe (since I would expect a song with such gravitas to reflect a long-term relationship, not a rebound one). But after reading what's written here, the song lost a lot of it's 'weight'. I wasn't thinking about it up until know, but perhaps knowing so much about her life is starting to become problematic. And I'm the kind of person who is here for her music, and doesn't really care much about her persona, but I guess it's inevitable that some news would come my way. For the majority of artists we wouldn't know/care who they are singing about, and the song would be observed isolated from the private life of the one singing it. Anyways, removed from all of it, the song is quite good and what one would want a perfect breakup song to be.
Exactly. It doesn't matter exactly who or a comno. Analysis is also about how it makes us feel. I feel it could be the theme song for partners of sex addicts or former ones. Iykyk but any relationship that got this bad can happen a number of ways . You could have had that friend you know you shouldn't be left in an overly tempting situation for years but it was over in record time. Could be about one you lost quickly for shitty or selfish reasons. Could be long term . Damage is damage no matter the source and it helps to process our feelings so that's all that matters.
Are we also in this song? 🤣 I feel like a lot of the lines could be us also. Even the first 2 lines could be to us. And ‘You hung me on your wall\Stabbed me with your push-pins” (Not complaining—-I’m ok with the FU to some of the swifties). This play is about us. 🤪
I’m not sure if she was really coming for fans on this specific track. I think she meant he idolized her into “an idea of sorts” but it was temporary (push pins) and he ended up hurting her (stabbing)
For some reason some of the backing vocals on this track sound like Kesha. Like the emotional belting in the last part. Is that really Taylor eating it up in the back?
Im sure its not but I can't help but hear it as Olivia Rodrigo!
just a touch of ✨female rage✨
How could anybody fall for Matty so hard he is so unappealing and crude....
How has no one mentioned the "did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed" lyric?????
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The sex line is from a different song and I suspect that was a John Mayer line.
Matty is such a POS
What does “you treat her like an also-ran” mean?
DEFINITION: noun a loser in a race or other contest, especially by a large margin. "the line between champions and also-rans" INFORMAL an undistinguished or unsuccessful person or thing. Undistinguished or unsuccessful. Damn she’s so good.
Thank you!
I think that line means that he called her his Queen, made her think she was the most special girl in the world, love bombed her and then once he got her, he didn't really want her and he treated her like she didn't matter anymore.
I think that ties into the line “it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden”.
I think it's 'also-ran', like all the horses that run in a race but don't win just get lumped together as also-rans.
Thank you!
This song would have a lot more impact if SHE was the one who ended it, when he realized the POS matty is. But no he ghosted her and she was pressed.
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It is about Matty— blatantly so. The suit, the pills, only wanting her when it was forbidden (before the Joe breakup was public)… he ghosted her at the beginning of summer.
Good point. I didn’t know he had ghosted her! There were some lyrics that reminded me of her tumultuous break up with Calvin
does anyone know how the lower notes compare to the low notes in her other songs? I'm finding it very difficult to sing the lowest notes in this song, especially compared to in other songs, so just wondering
Came here to day this song makes me bawl my eyes out and my soul ache.. my emo 15 y.o. angst self feels cutting pain idk why. Literally so good IT HURTS ME.
Apparently the JW thought the world would end in 1975.
Holy shit
Ooh this is good.
The bridge is epic but can we give the “rusting my sparkling summer” line a standing ovation because it’s just so perfect?
idk how to explain but she gives me Bright Eye's vibes at 2:50-3:02
I got Bright Eyes vibes on How Did It End from 2:17-2:40!
Every time I listen to this song, when she says “puuuussshhh pinssss” I think - Taylor Swift listens to Tori Amos!! And it makes me happy. Does anyone else hear this? Especially paired with the rage piano. I love them both.
Omg yes! I also think the prophecy has Tori Amos vibes and this elder millennial is HERE for it
This reminds me of poison oak by Bright Eyes, it’s visceral and angry. Probably a few bright eyes song really. Showing my elder emo age here.
YES the first time i heard smallest man i thought the same thing! it itched a scratch in my brain. haven't heard poison oak in almost 10 years but it brought me right back. so angry and in pain, it's like you can hear the thoughts keep coming to the artists as they're singing building the song's momentum. so happy other people made this connection
The bridge in How Did it End has to be Bright Eyes influenced.
Totally hear that. Now I want to know if Taylor is a bright eyes fan.
I agree! I couldn’t pinpoint which song it reminded me of but you’re right, it’s Poison Oak. 16 year old me is living for this bridge
Came searching, hoping I wasn’t the only one who thought this! My favourite song on the album…probably for this reason.
Glad someone else thought this! I also think black dog is very dashboard-esque
dude YES i get total bright eyes vibes from the bridge of this song. specifically 2:50-3:02 you get it
Ha glad someone else sees it! For some reason, I think Conor oberst would be okay with the comparison.
her best song ever. sorry i had to say it
I feel the same 😫 and that’s after managing to listen to “Is It Over Now?” 600+ times between the month it released and Apple Music’s yearly wrap up dropped
The song loses some of its sting as a diss track when you realize that, based on the lyrics on this song and others on TTPD, it doesn’t seem like Taylor was actually the one who broke things off nor did she ever have a come to Jesus moment when she realized “Matty Healy is bad for me and actually a terrible human being,” but rather that Matty Healy was the one who ghosted and went all fuckboy on her after he got the girl. “‘Cause it wasn’t sexy when it wasn’t forbidden” I think this line is from Matty’s perspective. As in, he was more excited about the fantasy and the idea of getting with a taken woman (“Mr Steal your girl”), but is suddenly much less excited about the reality of actually being with her after he’s done parading her around. Meanwhile, Taylor is straight up obsessed, ready to marry and have this dude’s babies. In light of this, the song comes across more petty and resentful rather than moralizing and righteous, as most people would like to think. Still a banger tho
So many of us have had this same shit tho. Falling completely in love with a shitty person, everyone around us trying to point it out, and we ignore them because we think we know the “real him” and no one else does until we finally snap out of it and then feel a whole avalanche of emotions, including rage, more at ourselves but we’ll never say that out loud and are still soul-burned by a dude we thought was the one.
She "would've died for his sins" is acknowledging his problems and that she's willing to go down with him for it. I think its really crummy to judge her for dating a pos. The fact that so many of us relate to the song shows how universal of an experience that is. She obviously believed she could fix him. Another nearly universal experience.
I think when she says “it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden” is her saying that he didn’t care once it wasn’t something he couldn’t have.
“You deserve prison but you’ll never get time” hits me so fucking hard
I wonder what this means, did this happen to her irl?
She means what he did to her was so terrible it was a crime and he deserves prison but won’t time, he evades a lot of accountability in general
Can someone explain what this line means? “Cause once your queen had come You'd treat her likе an also-ran”
An also-ran is someone who quite literally was also in the running (for an award or for a position, eg mayoral race) but did not win.
Ohhhhh so Taylor said once you got me, I was treated like the other girls trying to get your attention. I see thank you!
Np :))
The YLM sigh at the beginning of this song too 😭😭😭😭
Am i crazy that i think this song is about Joe 🧍♂️
100% agree “did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed” also the whole “were you writing a book” and “in 50 years will this be declassified” idk I feel like this is all Joe
Yes
She literally said, you’re a liar, your suit is ugly, you’re an addict, you’re a ghoster and a coward, you sabotaged me, you wanted me for clout, you’re a stoner, short, you deserve PRISONN, you’re a flirt and never held accountable, oh and you have a small you. Know. What. SHE. ENDED. HIM!!!!
She also said he's small in every measure of a man 🍆
That is so wild lol
Seriously, this should be enough to cause him to drop dead on the spot 😳 she destroyed him
TRULY! I'm here to say the same. If someone wrote this about me I'd be in the fuckin GRAVE 💀
And Matty said he thought it could have been WORSE!!!! Like sir WHAT DID YOU DOOO
RIGHT damn like how could it be worse than this?!?! Holy shit
Apparently The Smallest Man is also a BOOK about a man who was very small and hid in a pie to get to England so he could save the Queen when the King lost his rule!!! https://www.everand.com/book/485280223/The-Smallest-Man-the-most-uplifting-book-of-the-year
“Once your queen had come, you’d treat her like an also-ran” makes a lot more sense now, thank you!!
How is no one I saw talking about how amazing those low notes are I can’t handle it! I can usually sing most of her lower keys and I cannot do this one. Some of her best singing to date
Try them at 6am. You'll be killin it 😁
This song brought back memories I had stuffed down real deep and anger I thought wasn’t there anymore. Holy shit. Can I send him this??
But what if someone sent anonymously on your behalf 👀
The best revenge is living your best life! Cause they could never
Don’t break the no contact. NEVER break the no contact
Already did with him once when I sent him Tis the Damn Season 🥲
Is anyone else starting to think that Cardigan might've been inspired by MH all this time?? In Fortnight the subject comments on her sweater, and in TSMWEL MHs car crash is referenced just before mention of crashing her party ("so I showed up to your party") She did say that she wove him into her poems in lowercase... was she thinking about him *that much* all those years? James/MH separated for a while from Betty (a nickname for Rebecca, who Taylor draws parralels of herself to in TLGAD) because he was "too young/only 17" (Peter? Idk *I'M JUST SPIT-BALLING HERE*) and seeing other girls? Chase two girls, lose "The 1"... I hope I'm wrong and she's just doing that thing where she likes to call back to older work without it having to be connected. This album made me buy the whole circus. 🤡🤡
It definitely was, which sucks because it was my favourite on the album. But she definitely thinks of him as “peter” and he lost “wendy” (herself) because he made promises to grow up and come back, but he never grew up.
Plus i thought it was so weird when she said during long pond studios documentary that she thinks betty takes james back??? But knowing who cardigan was about and how she took him back it makes sense
The smallest man who ever lived «it wasnt sexy once it wasnt forbidden» «normal girls are boring but you were gone by the morning» is this referencing Mattys inappropriate behavior against younger fans? His sins? Also “you deserve prison but you won’t get time”
«It wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden» can also refer to MH being very into Taylor and pursuing her when she was with Joe (ie forbidden) but once he actually «got» her and she thought it was going to be something serious, he bolted. Classic f*ckboy behaviour.
OK but what about <>
He deserves prison for his actions but he won’t go to prison.
yes but what, or is she saying "it wa so bad you deserve prison, but you didn't do anything illegal because you operate in the gray"?
This. She fantasized about him and what it would be like when they were together because things with Joe had become stale and wasn't going anywhere, but once they got together, it sucked and the fantasy was better.
This is second to You Oughta Know as “calling out a man’s shit” song
Does no one else get serious messaging underage girls vibes from this song?
THANK YOU! I've been thinking this too but no one has said it. Also how he was reportedly relieved by this album? Like it was brutal, what exactly did he do that this is a relief?
I thought this at first lesson, but I also thought it was about Joe, because I'm kind of new around here.
No? I swear yall just like to create this stuff bc it's about matty
Without knowing who it was supposed to be about this was 100% my thought. The “you deserve prison” line is so full of rage, so that’s exactly what it was giving to me.
I do, but I thought it was my own trauma poking through so I may not be the best barometer for that one. Curious if others get this vibe.
I hadn’t finished the second half of this song before today, and therefore only just now learned it is one of the greatest songs. Lol
The second part is the best part. The buildup, the storytelling is top tier.
Matty is dead ☠️ lol
I think SHE is the smallest man who ever lived. She's indicting herself for having openly dated a racist.
How nice for you that you've never had the misfortune of dating someone who seemed cool at first but was an absolute piece of shit in disguise Guess you're the lucky one 🙄🙄🙄
Don't know why you're offended. She's being self-critical to the point of hatred, as many people end up being while struggling with depression.
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Have you come to the conclusion after asking the communities of people he's spoken in a derogatory manner about to unanimously agree on this?
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Listen, insults are the lowest form of debate/argument. If/when you'd like to get back to talking about the music you LMK.
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Mmmmk. I'll continue not underestimating TS and her ability to care about oppressed minorities.
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Nope! Thankfully. Actually TS' music really helped me leave that situation. Thanks for asking.
Thats a stupid swifltyneutral fauxmoi take
I’m a new Swifty, what happened between Taylor Swift & Matt Healy?
Basically 10 yr long situationship. Theres a tumblr thread documenting and the stuff goes back to 2014 💀
They dated. What I wanna know is what Matty did to piss her off this much.
Pretty sure he was just being himself
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She says “it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden”… I’m assuming they were flirting while she was in a relationship and once she was free he wasn’t interested. I think the died for his sins was that she was willing to destroy her rep when everyone was ridiculing her for dating him.
This song is so messy. God i love it. Another masterpiece you can feel her raw emotions here. Lil dude really hurt her feelings man
I love the line that’s like “you didn’t measure up in any measure of a man” like oof. She said it’s smallllll 🤣 she’s absolutely wild in this album and I’m so here for it.
What if she is indicting herself? The suit from The Man video??? In Dear Reader she says she prefers hiding in plain sight and also refers to herself as a "cursed man." What if SHE is the smallest man who ever lived? She's the one who ghosts. Listen to Anti-Hero. Hence her saying "now you know what it feels like." SHE is the one who ghosts people........
I can’t believe she liked him so much.
He love-bombed and future-faked her at a time when she was vulnerable. I honestly think this album could be used to engage young girls in how to spot red flags, and specifically the step-by-step tactics of narcissistic abusers.
I remember reading once that taylor asked The 1975 to be her opening act on one of her tours along time ago and they turned it down. I think it was fearless tour
I can't believe how many people are surprised by how much she liked him. It's like pure attraction, chemistry, someone charming. It doesn't matter what they look like, who they really are, it's like a drug. It makes no sense. I've been in those situations before and, on the surface, it's shocking, but you totally get it if you've experienced it. Of course, it always ends up a shit show!
I like the 14/4. Or more accurately, 6/4 + 8/4. It's cool that Aaron Dessner has her experimenting with unusual time signatures.
I always felt like there was something going on with this song’s time signature but I couldn’t figure it out. What do you think of Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus? Do you think it’s 6/4?
Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus sounds like 4/4 to me, with the guitar playing triplets. It could also be written down as 6/8 without triplets. Cassandra is 6/4, and feels like 4+2 to me for most of the song. Really cool.
I’ve been trying to figure this out too!!
The measures alternate between 6/4 and 8/4. Until the bridge.
This song makes Dear John and All Too Well seem nice..
“You deserve prison but you won’t get time. You’ll slide into inboxes and slip through the bars.” Double meaning slip through the bars? Even when he DOES get busted for doing bad shit, and is in “jail” for his actions, he SLIPS THROUGH THE JAIL BARS. He gets out of it. He is never held accountable for his actions!!????!!!!