Revolutionary Taylor: Our take on the new Taylor Swift album through an American Revolution lens (Pt. 2)

Hey history interested swifties! I’m glad you’re back for Part 2 of our Revolutionary Taylor series, where we are talking about the Tortured Poets Department and its connections to the American Revolution. Last time, we covered the first two songs of the album, Fortnight and the Tortured Poets Department, alongside some overall album long connections. Today we’re back with some more songs… are you ready for it?

Track 3: My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys

This song is through the perspective of George Washington, and the boy, is King George III. Throughout the song the sentiment is, “we used to be friends, but you treated me badly, look at me now.” That sounds a lot like the sentiment of the colonists. We see this mainly in the chorus with the line,“My boy (My boy), only breaks his favorite toys, toys, oh/I’m queen (I’m queen), of sand castles he destroys, oh, oh” Here, the favorite toy is the United States, and Washington is the queen of the sand castle that they think Britain will destroy. For instance in the outro this comes up again with, “Left all these broken parts/Told me I’m better off”. The broken parts I believe is referring to the famous, Join or Die, campaign, with a snake broken up into different colonies. And parliament has said that the colonies are better off with parliament by their side, but that’s not the case.

Track 4: Down Bad

For this song, we go straight to the bridge (maybe of the Old North variety in Concord). This song is talking about heartbreak and what happens after being in intense love that you know was coming to an end. “How dare you think it’s romantic/Leaving me safe and stranded”, shares a revolutionary theme. The King was giving the US what they wanted but they thought they were doing them a disservice rather than a deed. Yet, he does make sure the US is safe, and has to admit their mistakes to crawl back for help if they do ever need it. Earlier in the bridge there’s a line, “I loved your hostile takeovers/Encounters closer and closer” The is a reference to the things leading up to the first shot, with the redcoats being everywhere and taking over the Boston Harbor and other points of trade. The encounters before the first shot got worse and worse, just like they said in the song.

Track 5: So Long, London

Need I say more? Well I’m going to anyway. So Long, London, is an obvious reference to the turning point during the American Revolution, where they have gotten France’ help. They are confident, therefore saying so long. “Wet through my clothes, weary bones caught the chill” This line, obviously referring to the Battle of Yorktown, when the army barely had clothes and was having trouble keeping warm. Yet, this was a turning point in the Revolution, and when the French were invited. This is showing the confidence within their independence. “Just how low did you/Think I’d go ‘fore I’d self-implode?/’Fore I’d have to go be free?” This is talking about how long they thought they would have to suffer, before they would give up, and before they wouldn’t want freedom and liberty. All of this, referring to the Battle of Yorktown, a turning point in the American Revolution.