It Sure Looks Like Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets Department’ Lyrics Are About Matty Healy

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While most of us expected The Tortured Poets Department to put a microscope on Taylor Swift’s six-year relationship with Joe Alwyn, it appears there’s a heavy focus on her dating Matty Healy as well. Swift dated the 1975 frontman from May to June 2023, shortly after breaking up with Alwyn.

Her relationship with the volatile singer came as a surprise to fans and to the public, even though she and Healy had known each other for years. In the album’s title track, she seems to reference knowing that he wasn’t right for her. Still, she fell for him and knew him so well. She sings in the beginning, “But you’re in self sabotage mode throwing spikes down on the road / But I’ve seen this episode and still loved the show.” And later, “Who else decodes you and who’s gonna hold you like me / And who’s gonna know you if not me.”

Here, we break down the lyrics and the Healy references throughout the song.

Those last two lines reference Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and rock legend Patti Smith, who were among the many iconic creatives who lived in New York’s Chelsea Hotel, a storied commune-slash-luxury stay. Thomas even died there in 1953. Swift seems to poke fun at herself and Healy, saying they’re “modern idiots” compared to those famous artists.

Swift might be slyly referencing Healy’s band The 1975’s hit song “Chocolate,” from their 2013 debut album.

Justice for Charlie Puth, Taylor says! It’s unclear what the exact connection is between the two artists, but they seem to be mutual fans. Back in 2022, when Jimmy Fallon asked him if a collab with Swift was cooking, Puth replied, “No, I think we’ve spoken once. But that would be great.” And Puth has covered Swift’s songs during his previous performances.

This sure-to-go-viral line is a reference to Healy’s obvious ink. In 2022, he infamously even got a tattoo on stage during a performance.

A possible reference to Lucy Dacus, indie artist and member of Boygenius. It’s unclear how close Healy’s friendship with her is, if it even exists at all, after she clapped back at an offensive tweet Healy posted last year. It led him to delete his account at the time. Long story short, she replied to him saying, “You don’t hear from me at all.”

A possible reference to Swift’s longtime collaborator, producer, and friend Jack Antonoff, who has also worked with The 1975. For example, he produced the band’s 2022 album Being Funny in a Foreign Language. In fact, when news of Swift and Healy’s romance first broke last year, a source told Entertainment Tonight that their mutual friend “Jack Antonoff reconnected them.”

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