The Internet Has Some Serious Questions Over These Odd Lyrics in Taylor Swift’s New Album

Maggie Clancy
·3 min read
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Is it possible to open your phone without seeing the name “Taylor Swift”? The pop sensation’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, is making waves, breaking records, and being praised by many as her best work yet. Diving deep into personal narratives with a double album that feels like a diary entry set to music, Swift has once again captured the hearts of millions. Her romance with Travis Kelce has fueled more headlines than those about her private jet use and other public critiques.

Yet, despite the accolades and her undeniable talent for storytelling through music, Swift isn’t without her detractors. Critics have pointed out her circle of affluent, thin, white friends, calling into question the inclusivity and breadth of her real-world experiences. Amidst such a backdrop, one set of lyrics on Swift’s new album won’t get buried in the eternal Swift news cycle quite as quickly.

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The song ‘I Hate it Here’ from The Tortured Poets Department includes a line that has sparked widespread conversation: “My friends used to play a game where we would pick a decade we wished we could live in instead of this. I’d say the 1830s, but without all the racists and getting married off for the highest bid.” This attempt at whimsical nostalgia has, instead, inspired widespread derision.

Critics on Twitter didn’t hold back. One user pointed out the lack of diversity in Swift’s imaginary scenario, stating, “I guess it’s also safe to assume that Taylor Swift was not playing this game with any POC friends, since if she was, someone would’ve mentioned how they’d be breaking their back in the fields as a slave while she was ‘freezing in the palace’ in the 1830s. Oh well! 🤷🏾‍♀️”

Another critic found irony in Swift’s choice of the 1830s as an idealized period, pointing to her past dating history: “taylor swift writing about how she wishes to live in the 1830s without racists when she dated one not that long ago oh um,” referencing her ex, Matt Healy. This jab brings into question Swift’s awareness and sensitivity towards the complexities of racism beyond mere lyrical fantasies.

Furthermore, the peculiar choice of the 1830s as a desirable decade didn’t escape scrutiny, with one user humorously questioning, “1830s is such a funny decade to reference. Like, what non-racist thing are you desperate to have experienced? The financial crisis? The cholera outbreak???” This critique underscores the absurdity of idealizing a time fraught with challenges far removed from the glossy sheen of nostalgia.

And while the lyrics continue to describe how nostalgia actst like rose-colored glasses (“Seems like it was never even fun back then, Nostalgia is a mind’s trick, If I’d been there, I’d hate it,” she continues), the lyrical choice still seems like a strange one, given how she’s gotten flack for her choice in mostly white friends and dating history.

Before you go, click here for more documentaries about strong women in music.

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