What Is The Bonus Track On Taylor Swift's New Album, The Black Dog About? Exploring Lyrics And Its Meaning

Taylor Swift released her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, with a bonus track, The Black Dog. The song was announced before Swift dropped the album.

Published on Apr 19, 2024  |  10:55 PM IST |  80.8K
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Taylor Swift via IMDB

Following Taylor Swift's announcement of the album during her Grammy acceptance speech, The Tortured Poets Department was released on Friday. While the Anti-Hero singer surprised her fans with 15 tracks from the album, The Black Dog is the bonus song on the list.

Swift had announced the track before the release of the album. The song is a part of the anthology, being the fourth after The Manuscript, The Bolter, and The Albatross. Earlier, the artist announced on X that listeners could preorder the complete set of songs with the purchase of The Black Dog.

What Is The Meaning Of The Black Dog?

The bonus track on the list, The Black Dog, refers to feelings of depression and loneliness, according to Taylor Swift. From the title, one could make out that it refers to an English pub, making it a song about Swift's British ex, Joe Alwyn. The Black Dog also conveys the message of death and a bad omen. Hence, the track's lyrics translate to Taylor's feelings dying for the actor as the duo moved on in their lives. 

The song's lyrics convey Swift's feelings of heartbreak and jealousy as they describe Alwyn visiting a bar in London, punching holes in the singer's heart while she wonders why he would not miss her, and hanging out with other girls in the same location where they had memories together. 

The lines of the song are, "I move through the world with a heartbroken. My longings stay unspoken, and I may never open up the way I did for you." 

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ALSO READ: What Time Will Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department Release? See When It Comes Out In Your Country

Taylor Swift And Joe Alwyn’s Split After 6 Years Of Relationship

After dating on and off for six years, Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn broke up in March 2023. The sources close to the duo claimed, “The relationship had just run its course. It’s why [Alwyn] hasn’t been spotted at any shows.”

They further added, “They’ve had rough patches before and always worked things out, so friends thought they would take some time apart [now] but eventually come back together. Ultimately, [they] weren’t the right fit for one another.”

Currently, Swift is dating Travis Kelce, while Joe Alwyn is with his Brutalist co-star, Emma Laird.

 

ALSO READ:  'It Would Just Be Me': When Taylor Swift Had A Quirky Comeback For Critics Doubting Her Songwriting Abilities

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What do people ask about Taylor Swift?

How many boyfriends has Taylor Swift had?
Taylor Swift has had 12 boyfriends.

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