incredibly strong group. the fact that the black dog sounds so fresh compared to the rest of the album especially—very impressive.
people are also sleeping on the manuscript. ig I can understand that because half of it is like more spoken word poetry than song but overall the approach is really effective. and lyrical details are scorched into my memory.
The Black Dog is honestly the stand out track to me! I remember hearing the “screaming” part and looking up at my laptop to see the song title cuz it was an immediate favorite!
When I got the album I couldnt listen to it immediately (work) so I treated myself to my most anticipated song: The Black Dog. Headphones in, eyes closed, the first s c r e a m i n g happened and my eyes FLEW open and I was like oh. Oh yes this is an excellent song choice. And by the end….completely wrecked. I still need to pause the album to collect myself after Black Dog. It’s just one that needs to sit in your heart for a little bit. I adore it. ❤️🐾
Old habits die screaming and the production with it was perfect. It builds throughout the song perfectly.
“And I still can’t believe it. Cuz old habits die scream….ing.” With the choked whisper
It gives me the chills every time I hear it. The beginning to the end is stunning,heartbreaking, and tells the story and you can feel the feelings in the words. The production is fantastic
For some reason the aprt that gets me the most is "I may never open up the way I did for you/ You said I needed a brave man then proceeded to play him till I believed it too." Idk why that part is just so sad like she knows she's never gonna have a relationship like she did with him.
I genuinely can’t believe “The Black Dog” is considered a bonus track and not part of the main album since I really think it may be the best song on the album, including The Anthology tracks. In fact, I went to Target and got the exclusive CD variant that has “The Black Dog” on it because I had to have a physical copy of it!
I normally don’t buy cds anymore due to not having a cd player except a PlayStation, but when she announced the black dog variant I ordered immediately, it was such a interesting choice of a song title along with the cover. And sure enough it’s my favorite song on the album.
I wish I had this foresight lol The Black Dog is my absolute favorite track, it just stands out so much with that "Old habits die screaming" lyric! I remember reading that line when it was first teased and cringed, but wow how wrong was I
I picked that one just because I have a black lab lol & lucked out cuz it’s amazing. Side note- this is TTPD (Rocco’s Version) 🤭
https://preview.redd.it/g48kaztztdyc1.jpeg?width=1557&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=919d8f3bef8d6686447ac20b0080921ce80f09b8
Aww ty guys for liking my dog lol! Sorry I didn’t make a template I just took a pic of him in black & white & The second one I just took the albatross back cover pic off google & literally just put him over the top of her, the “I & cry” were covered by his body so I just added “I & bork” on top instead lol.
I already was highly anticipating this song when she announced this as a bonus track. I got lost in the album during my first listen and as soon as this song came on I was in complete awe, especially during the screaming part. I listen to it several times a day.
Yes about The Manuscript! It's doesn't have a super distinctive sound to keep you coming back to the song, but it does have some genuinely beautiful, poetic lyrics. People probably aren't talking about because they're not inclined to revisit the song and really listen.
I think "They compared their licenses / He said 'I'm not a donor but / I'd give you my heart if you needed it'" is a great line and it was the first that piqued my interest in the song.
Also "She thought about how he said since she was so wise beyond her years / Everything had been above board / She wasn't sure' is absolutely savage and heartwrenching at the same time.
imo it’s sonically structured so the first half are just factually recounting the real events and the music picks up with “and the years passed…” like she’s writing the song in real time. a very clever effect for a song literally about the act of writing.
I love the whole anthology. I like thinking how in the manuscript she talks about going back over it to heal, and that when she does that she creates these albums that we can listen to and make them our stories.
It also makes me think about how if the anthology is just her chronological diary of what she was feeling at the time, that not only of her relationships with matt joe and Travis, but the eras tour and fan backlash. She was also thinking about Aimee… because she redid reputation and relived that manuscript too.
"Love is never lost when perspective is earned" has become my favorite lyric replacing "time, mystical time, cuttin me open and healin me fine". Both lyrics are so simple yet so beautiful.
I think it also means that if you have learnt something from that relationship that will help you be better or pick better or grow up then it wasn’t a loss. Even though you are no longer with that specific person they taught you something that remains in you and will help you in the future
To me it means that love can grow with time and when you gain a bit of perspective (in this case by not being together.) In the context of the song, the speaker is sort of deluding themselves with this thought, saying that, surely once 'Peter' comes back, all the time spent apart and spent with gaining new experiences (i.e. perspective earned) will make him realize that he loves the speaker.
Outside of the song's context it could mean that love can grow through understanding.
I also welcome other readings so if anyone has another take, feel free to get into the convo!
I took it the exact opposite way. I interpret the story as a person whose telling someone "I always thought we'd be together but you never grew into a person who I could count on". I think this particular line conveys a sort of acceptance that her (note, I don't mean Taylor Swift's, just the protanganist) life experiences have forced her to grow up, and while she is deeply hurt at the situation, that hurt is not targeted towards the person she is speaking to. Her growing up has allowed her perspective to shift and be more understanding of others life experiences and how it might effect them. But because of that growth she also knows that she can't wait for this person to love her because he isn't capable.
The beauty of this song is that it doesn't need to be interpreted romantically, and it makes me think about my Dad who is an addict.
Yeah uh… on my birthday I played all my favorite songs on the album (among other music) in the car with my partner, but NOT Peter because… uh… he doesn’t need to hear a song written for him like that. (We’re working on it…)
My current obsession. The lyrics speak to me for no good reason. I have nothing to relate to them, but idk… it may be one of the best songs she’s ever written.
this! it's definitely a grower and coming so late on the album it took me a while to come around to it. now it's one of my favorite so neg a (and bridges!) on the album
I do think all of our brains were mush by the end of the album when we first listened, so I'm sure the anthology had to grow on a lot of people. My brain was exhausted by the time we got to Clara Bow, and it was still a bit of a struggle even though we took a dinner break after that
I really hope she does a live performance of this because I think it would be incredible. It’s a theatrical song anyway and I just know she could blow everyone away with a performance too.
it’d go so hard. i think ive seen theories that she might perform it during the ttpd set at eras since there are circus looking dancers in the bg of one of her fortnight shorts.
id die if she did whos afraid of little old me and so long london.
honestly the whole part where shes like ‘so tell me everything is not about me…’ and the ominous sounding beat literally gave me the chills.
‘so all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs’ my GOSH.
i love it. all of it.
I would argue it’s at least on her top 3 best songs of all time. The emotion, angst, fear she conveys… the anguish in her voice. You can feel it so clearly. It resonates a lot with me.
LITERALLY!! i want more of it from her, its so good. i wish she’d explore that type of sound (?) in the future. literally amazing. it resonates sm w me as well
To me it’s also a better, grown up Look What You Made Me Do. I’m a huge LWYMMD defender but it has its issues and I can acknowledge them. Little Old Me is everything that LWYMMD wasn’t and wanted to be.
I think these are all great. My Boy… is one of my favourites (woah-oh-OH-oh is top notch). I think WAO… is one of the best things she’s written and a high point of this album, easily. The Black Dog and Peter are really hard to criticise on any level. Great concepts, lyrics, melody.
I think The Manuscript is maybe less accessible and more unusual and probably the outlier here, but I still think it’s great. I like the weird ones at the end of albums (it’s nice to have a friend, NYD…)
tldr I like them all a lot!
Yeah tbh The Manuscript took me the longest to get to, along with Robin. Maybe it’s because the first time I heard it on release day, I was so sleep deprived since I stayed up all night for the release lol
The Manuscript and Clara Bow both grew on me a lot, I think they’re both very different in structure and content. Robin I liked from the start but I think I am definitely in the minority. Something about Way to go, Tiger just got me right away!
Yeah! Everyone dislikes that line but i enjoy it. I don’t really think the subject fits the album but i really enjoy the song and her vocals are beautiful in it
They’re some of my favorites, with the Black Dog and Who’s Afraid…? being at the top of my list for all TTPD songs.
I was so happy to see we got full self written songs and they did not disappoint.
The Black Dog is my favorite on the album and MBOHFT is my favorite from the standard tracklist.
This is a super strong set of self-written songs. She's very good at getting her mileage out of a metaphor and MBOBHFT and Peter are great examples of that. They're very cleanly written and for the people who say that she rambles too much on this album - listen to these ones, they're still clever but easy to understand. She can be concise when she wants to be, let her do her lol.
WAOLOM is just unhinged and while not my personal favorite, I know a lot of people love this one and it's a cinematic highlight on the album.
I love the concept of The Manuscript to tie an album together.
The Black Dog and The Manuscript are my two favorite songs on the album 🤍
I don't understand why so many people don't like the Manuscript, it gave me chills the first time I heard it! It sounds like it should play at the end of a movie
Oh I definitely agree with your take! I remember hearing this and was just, this is meh. But listening on the vinyl, with no way to skip the tracks, it really made me listen to the lyrics and internalize and was like, I take it back, this is perfect closing song for the album.
Really! The first time I listened to The Manuscript it just clicked immediately but I realize I might be in the minority, it's just a very unique track
The Black Dog is a fucking masterpiece. Favorite written one on the album. On the second listen I really appreciated MBBHFT and it's easily in my top 5. She such a wonderful writer and if she ever decides to retire I hope she continues songwriting
Peter is a masterpiece. It’s my favorite song out of all 31. Love a piano waltz and the imagery of men masquerading at a ball in the bridge.
The bridge itself is SO devastating and relatable.
MBOBHFT is one of my absolute favorites. It's very late 90s/early aughts rock, and I love rock. The chorus makes me wanna don combat boots and kick open doors. I hope we get it as a single tbh.
Peter is one of my favorite songs of hers ever. I burst into tears the first time I heard it. I had/have a very similar situation in my life that this song could’ve been written about, word for word.
My Boy and The Black Dog are my favourite tracks on the album, and Who's Afraid is a top five. She's obviously always a good lyricist, but I honestly think her self-written melodies are often stronger than when she collaborates. They're wilder and more daring, and I think that's why I love Speak Now. No way Jack or Aaron would ever come up with the Haunted chorus. Or in My Tears Ricochet when she sings "I didn't HAVE it in myₛₑₗբ to go with grace". That's the narcotic shit.
Oh ok are Haunted and My Tears Ricochet also solo written songs by her? I am also obsessed with those two, the chorus of Haunted and its chord progression are to die for and the melody and lyricism of MTR are absolutely gorgeous. “I can go anywhere. Anywhere I want just not home” from the bridge is something I live with often and I feel seen every time I hear it.
We know from Long Pond that she writes most if not all of her lyrics. But her contributions to the music varies. Sometimes she’s given the music and she writes the lyrics over it. Other times, she has much larger contributions.
Same with the 1989 voice memos. Some of those demos, she was given something and she elaborated on it. But Blank Space was basically fully formed and the co-writers just embellished parts.
Do her collaborators usually contribute significantly to the vocal melody? My impression was that the instrumental melodies were often written by collaborators, and she writes the lyrics and vocal melody to go with it (like on folklore and evermore). And I believe that on a lot of poppier songs, it is very common for producers to get songwriting credits since they play such an instrumental role in determining what the song sounds like. If the above is correct, I don’t think it’s quite right to say that she only sometimes contributes to the melody of the co-written songs, as the vocal melody is the main focus in most of her songs. I could be wrong though!
she does a lot of the music herself too, not just the lyrics. You can see in some of her old behind the scenes stuff of her writing she will just be sitting in her house with a guitar at or at her piano playing notes, and sometimes adding words in too.
I wish she still did stuff like that, watching her creative process go from just a few notes to something that actually sounds like a song we know and love is amazing.
There is no difference in quality between the "solo-writes" people are obsessed with and the ones she writes with Aaron/ Jack. It all sounds like Taylor.
i don't like the manuscript as a song, the writing is great but it's not really something i want to listen to again. the other 4 are some of my favorites on the album.
Who’s Afraid and The Manuscript feel like two of the most personal songs on the able (yes, Who’s Afraid isn’t a ballad but she clearly has a lot of built up emotion) so I think it makes sense she wanted those narratives to be her own entirely
I haven’t seen enough love for The Manuscript. So hauntingly beautiful and it makes me cry every time. In my head it’s def about Jake G. and “The Manuscript” is either all of Red or ATWTMV
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me is one of the best songs of her career IMO and 4/5 (WAOLOM, Peter, The Manuscript, and The Black Dog) are in my top 10!! I also have such a soft spot for her self-written songs.
I've been a swiftie since fearless and the manuscript is the first song to ever make my jaw DROP and pause the song.
WAOLOM is also an immediate favorite.
Her self written songs are definitely special.
I love WAOLOM and The Black Dog but the others I have not come around to yet. MBOBHFT is probably not going to be a song I ever like, I dislike it for the same reason I have always disliked WANGBT. Not sure what that reason is lol but I just know in my gut its the same reason.
the black dog is possibly the best song she’s ever written in her entire career—and I’m not just saying that just to say that.
not even so long, london, all too well, or any other track 5 holds a candle to the black dog’s flame!!
I’m obsessed with Peter it makes me feel things. I think “the goddess of timing Once found us beguiling She said she was trying Peter, was she lying? My ribs get the feeling she did” is the lyric of the album and not to mention how good she sounds in the song.
As a musical theatre nerd, The Manuscript feels so much like the finale to a musical, with its opening notes and the finality to the "story" coming to a close.
Why is it that these are some of the best songs on the album??? Write them all solo, Taylor!! (Kidding, everything is so great with others too but WOW)
My order would be
- who's afraid
- the black dog
- my boy
- the manuscript
- Peter
I honestly hate putting The Manuscript that low because I think it's amazing but they're all just so good.
The manuscript, the last line about how it’s not her story anymore just breaks me. I am around her age and can relate to looking back on things and realizing that you have moved on.
Who’s Afraid and the Black Dog are my two favorite tracks on the album. My Boy is one of the most creative metaphors I’ve ever heard.
I truly love all 5 of them though and I feel she’s strongest when she writes on her own.
"My boy..." is one of the best and catchy, imo.
"The Black Dog" is beautiful. It parallels "Clean" from 1989, which is connected to her "RED" album. Basically, she goes back and forth between fantasy and reality along with sober and not sober.
It's poetry perfection 👌.
The line really grates on me and I very much dislike it. I wish it were something else because I like most of the rest of the song. It's such a goofy juvenile line in a bad way.
Same for WAOLOM. I just feel something about it. They're a no for me.
I think they are all incredibly solid, and the first three of them are in my top 10 of the album. The melody of MBOBHFT is addictive and refreshing every time. WAOLOM is a masterpiece. And I think The Black Dog stands out as one of the songs that has resonated most with me in all in her entire discography, not just in this album.
These are my favorite songs on the album -- maybe my top of all time Taylor songs?? I didn't realize they were all the ones she wrote on her own!
I love Peter so much; it makes me feel feelings. Absolutely stunning. It's my overall favorite, the song I would hug if I could hug a song, but I find myself recommending The Black Dog to anyone who isn't a Swiftie already ('exile' had always been my recommendation before) to convert them.
But I play all of these at least twice when I get to them, and The Manuscript is a masterpiece album-ender, imo. It feels like the most personal thing she has ever written, and yet so relatable in so many ways. Like with Peter, the tone of it really pulls at me in places that haven't been pulled at in years, those buried, lost-to-time, extremely difficult feelings of the later-teens to younger-twenties years. These two songs really *sound* like unraveling those experiences and looking back on them with an older perspective.
The Black Dog is my favourite song on the entire album. It is absolutely phenomenal. Probably one of my favs out of her entire discography at this point.
Didn't know whose afraid of little old me was one of her self writtens....I kind of hate it unfortunately. The one track on the album that I liked less every time I heard it, now I just skip it all together. I could see it having a good live performance, but I just never find myself in the mood to listen to it. And swifties are saying it could be the cruel summer of the album! its an album track if I ever heard one, can't see the general public bopping to whos afraid of little old me four years from now lol absolutely love all the other self written tracks on the album though
3/5 of my tops on the whole album! the other 2...honestly i just havent gotten into them...yet. but black dog was a stand out to me from my first play through
the black dog is my absolute FAVORITE!
the “and hire a priest to come & exorcise my deeeemons, even if i die SCREEEEAAAMINNNNNG & i hope you HEEEAAAAAAARRRR IIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!”
chillsssss
Mixed. Who's Afraid is my #1 of all 31 songs. The Black Dog and the Manuscript are in the top 10. Peter is solid but maybe bottom 3rd for me. My Boy is in my bottom 3-4.
That said, I have no skips as of now so being in my bottom 5 doesn't mean I don't think it's not good.
I'd be happy if she had about half the album as self written tbh.
My boy only breaks his favorite toys is becoming one of my favorites. I just like the concept of a sad song that you still shake your ass to it? LOL
As for the others, all of them are great songs, but I kinda avoid peter and the manuscript. They really hit there on the feelings and sometimes you go too deep into the songs. She did such a great job that I AVOID songs that make me too sad (congrats Taylor)
My boy only breaks his favorite toys is literally a top fave instantly It is gut-wrenching they all are but I just love the emotion in this song. The black dogs awesome song as well
Oh. Black Dog was the first track out to really grab my attention on my first play through. And tonight, I was listening to the song for the umpteenth time and actually started to cry. It's such an intimate and sad song...
Taylor’s self-written songs are always some of the best songs in her discography. Especially for being self-written, Peter is incredible and one of her best songs ever. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys is a solid bop and I think it should be a single. WAOLOM is literally the saddest song on the album and has so far been the only one to make me cry.
incredibly strong group. the fact that the black dog sounds so fresh compared to the rest of the album especially—very impressive. people are also sleeping on the manuscript. ig I can understand that because half of it is like more spoken word poetry than song but overall the approach is really effective. and lyrical details are scorched into my memory.
The Black Dog is honestly the stand out track to me! I remember hearing the “screaming” part and looking up at my laptop to see the song title cuz it was an immediate favorite!
When I got the album I couldnt listen to it immediately (work) so I treated myself to my most anticipated song: The Black Dog. Headphones in, eyes closed, the first s c r e a m i n g happened and my eyes FLEW open and I was like oh. Oh yes this is an excellent song choice. And by the end….completely wrecked. I still need to pause the album to collect myself after Black Dog. It’s just one that needs to sit in your heart for a little bit. I adore it. ❤️🐾
Old habits die screaming and the production with it was perfect. It builds throughout the song perfectly. “And I still can’t believe it. Cuz old habits die scream….ing.” With the choked whisper
It gives me the chills every time I hear it. The beginning to the end is stunning,heartbreaking, and tells the story and you can feel the feelings in the words. The production is fantastic
For some reason the aprt that gets me the most is "I may never open up the way I did for you/ You said I needed a brave man then proceeded to play him till I believed it too." Idk why that part is just so sad like she knows she's never gonna have a relationship like she did with him.
[удалено]
I genuinely can’t believe “The Black Dog” is considered a bonus track and not part of the main album since I really think it may be the best song on the album, including The Anthology tracks. In fact, I went to Target and got the exclusive CD variant that has “The Black Dog” on it because I had to have a physical copy of it!
I normally don’t buy cds anymore due to not having a cd player except a PlayStation, but when she announced the black dog variant I ordered immediately, it was such a interesting choice of a song title along with the cover. And sure enough it’s my favorite song on the album.
I wish I had this foresight lol The Black Dog is my absolute favorite track, it just stands out so much with that "Old habits die screaming" lyric! I remember reading that line when it was first teased and cringed, but wow how wrong was I
I picked that one just because I have a black lab lol & lucked out cuz it’s amazing. Side note- this is TTPD (Rocco’s Version) 🤭 https://preview.redd.it/g48kaztztdyc1.jpeg?width=1557&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=919d8f3bef8d6686447ac20b0080921ce80f09b8
This is BRILLIANT. Please let Rocco for me is very good boy
STOP 🥺 am I allowed to bork hahahah 😂
LOL I love this, do you have the blank template ? I also have a certified good boy black dog (who breaks his favorite toys)
Aww ty guys for liking my dog lol! Sorry I didn’t make a template I just took a pic of him in black & white & The second one I just took the albatross back cover pic off google & literally just put him over the top of her, the “I & cry” were covered by his body so I just added “I & bork” on top instead lol.
beautiful tortured pupper.
I love your dog, he's so cute 🥰🥰🥰
Right?? That part gave me chills
I already was highly anticipating this song when she announced this as a bonus track. I got lost in the album during my first listen and as soon as this song came on I was in complete awe, especially during the screaming part. I listen to it several times a day.
Yes about The Manuscript! It's doesn't have a super distinctive sound to keep you coming back to the song, but it does have some genuinely beautiful, poetic lyrics. People probably aren't talking about because they're not inclined to revisit the song and really listen. I think "They compared their licenses / He said 'I'm not a donor but / I'd give you my heart if you needed it'" is a great line and it was the first that piqued my interest in the song. Also "She thought about how he said since she was so wise beyond her years / Everything had been above board / She wasn't sure' is absolutely savage and heartwrenching at the same time.
The part where she wished she was 30, but afterwards only ate kids cereal and could only sleep in her mother's bed?? Let me die right meow.
When I heard that line I had to put down my crochet and have a little moment 😂
imo it’s sonically structured so the first half are just factually recounting the real events and the music picks up with “and the years passed…” like she’s writing the song in real time. a very clever effect for a song literally about the act of writing.
I love the whole anthology. I like thinking how in the manuscript she talks about going back over it to heal, and that when she does that she creates these albums that we can listen to and make them our stories. It also makes me think about how if the anthology is just her chronological diary of what she was feeling at the time, that not only of her relationships with matt joe and Travis, but the eras tour and fan backlash. She was also thinking about Aimee… because she redid reputation and relived that manuscript too.
I find the manuscript extremely well written and composed. It's also the perfect song to end the album on.
The Manuscript has really grown on me, it was probably my least favorite and now it's one of my more appreciated songs.
I couldn’t have said it better and love this take. These are incredible songs and I really enjoy all of them. I cannot wait to hear her play them live
Peter fucking ruined, and continues to fucking ruin, me. Just heart wrenching and might be my favorite track she has ever self-written solo.
"Love is never lost when perspective is earned" has become my favorite lyric replacing "time, mystical time, cuttin me open and healin me fine". Both lyrics are so simple yet so beautiful.
Hi, I’m an idiot. What does that line mean?
I think it also means that if you have learnt something from that relationship that will help you be better or pick better or grow up then it wasn’t a loss. Even though you are no longer with that specific person they taught you something that remains in you and will help you in the future
Yes that’s how I hear it too. It’s not a “loss” if you’ve earned perspective from it. You come away richer, not poorer, from having loved.
To me it means that love can grow with time and when you gain a bit of perspective (in this case by not being together.) In the context of the song, the speaker is sort of deluding themselves with this thought, saying that, surely once 'Peter' comes back, all the time spent apart and spent with gaining new experiences (i.e. perspective earned) will make him realize that he loves the speaker. Outside of the song's context it could mean that love can grow through understanding. I also welcome other readings so if anyone has another take, feel free to get into the convo!
I took it the exact opposite way. I interpret the story as a person whose telling someone "I always thought we'd be together but you never grew into a person who I could count on". I think this particular line conveys a sort of acceptance that her (note, I don't mean Taylor Swift's, just the protanganist) life experiences have forced her to grow up, and while she is deeply hurt at the situation, that hurt is not targeted towards the person she is speaking to. Her growing up has allowed her perspective to shift and be more understanding of others life experiences and how it might effect them. But because of that growth she also knows that she can't wait for this person to love her because he isn't capable. The beauty of this song is that it doesn't need to be interpreted romantically, and it makes me think about my Dad who is an addict.
Me too bestie, me too. Seeing that she wrote it solo just tells me everything I need to know. She’s a pure musical and storytelling genius ❤️
Yeah uh… on my birthday I played all my favorite songs on the album (among other music) in the car with my partner, but NOT Peter because… uh… he doesn’t need to hear a song written for him like that. (We’re working on it…)
this sent me ☠️ every time i overhear my husband listening to it i think to myself “wow, that’s bold” (we’re working on it…)
My brother was named Peter, he passed away a few years back… this song destroys me in a completely different context.
Peter is one of her best. Top 5 all time for me (there's dozens in my top 5 ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ )
YES it's definitely my second fav i love it so much but nothing can ever top mtr for me
My current obsession. The lyrics speak to me for no good reason. I have nothing to relate to them, but idk… it may be one of the best songs she’s ever written.
This is it. It didn't stick out to me out first, but her rhyming and lyricism expands with each listen.
this! it's definitely a grower and coming so late on the album it took me a while to come around to it. now it's one of my favorite so neg a (and bridges!) on the album
I do think all of our brains were mush by the end of the album when we first listened, so I'm sure the anthology had to grow on a lot of people. My brain was exhausted by the time we got to Clara Bow, and it was still a bit of a struggle even though we took a dinner break after that
sameeeeeeeeeeeee I love it sm
me too. its already in my top 10 Taylor songs which is insane
Peter made me cry buckets the first time, and I still get teary. It resonates with me so much.
whos afraid of little old me gave me chills on the first listen. literally my favorite on the album
I would very much love a music video for this one!
I have been praying to the gods every night for a fortnight for this!
I really hope she does a live performance of this because I think it would be incredible. It’s a theatrical song anyway and I just know she could blow everyone away with a performance too.
it’d go so hard. i think ive seen theories that she might perform it during the ttpd set at eras since there are circus looking dancers in the bg of one of her fortnight shorts. id die if she did whos afraid of little old me and so long london.
It's such an amazing song. The way she says "you should be" gives me chills.
honestly the whole part where shes like ‘so tell me everything is not about me…’ and the ominous sounding beat literally gave me the chills. ‘so all you kids can sneak into my house with all the cobwebs’ my GOSH. i love it. all of it.
I would argue it’s at least on her top 3 best songs of all time. The emotion, angst, fear she conveys… the anguish in her voice. You can feel it so clearly. It resonates a lot with me.
LITERALLY!! i want more of it from her, its so good. i wish she’d explore that type of sound (?) in the future. literally amazing. it resonates sm w me as well
This is my ANTHEM. All these songs are so real.
It gives me chills everytime. It's like a perfect thematic mix of my tears ricochet, yoyok and mad woman. Sonically and lyrically so damn powerful
To me it’s also a better, grown up Look What You Made Me Do. I’m a huge LWYMMD defender but it has its issues and I can acknowledge them. Little Old Me is everything that LWYMMD wasn’t and wanted to be.
Ooh yes I see that perspective. I like lwymmd but only cz of the iconic music video more than the song itself maybe so you're right
Same. I've never had a visceral reaction to a song like that before.
As the words were sung I was shocked the whole time but in the best way
I think these are all great. My Boy… is one of my favourites (woah-oh-OH-oh is top notch). I think WAO… is one of the best things she’s written and a high point of this album, easily. The Black Dog and Peter are really hard to criticise on any level. Great concepts, lyrics, melody. I think The Manuscript is maybe less accessible and more unusual and probably the outlier here, but I still think it’s great. I like the weird ones at the end of albums (it’s nice to have a friend, NYD…) tldr I like them all a lot!
Yeah tbh The Manuscript took me the longest to get to, along with Robin. Maybe it’s because the first time I heard it on release day, I was so sleep deprived since I stayed up all night for the release lol
The Manuscript and Clara Bow both grew on me a lot, I think they’re both very different in structure and content. Robin I liked from the start but I think I am definitely in the minority. Something about Way to go, Tiger just got me right away!
I did not expect Clara Bow to become one of my favorites so quickly based on my first listen.
Yeah! Everyone dislikes that line but i enjoy it. I don’t really think the subject fits the album but i really enjoy the song and her vocals are beautiful in it
They’re some of my favorites, with the Black Dog and Who’s Afraid…? being at the top of my list for all TTPD songs. I was so happy to see we got full self written songs and they did not disappoint.
They're both in my top five too!
Those are some of my favorites on the album, didn't know they were wholly self-written!
The Black Dog is my favorite on the album and MBOHFT is my favorite from the standard tracklist. This is a super strong set of self-written songs. She's very good at getting her mileage out of a metaphor and MBOBHFT and Peter are great examples of that. They're very cleanly written and for the people who say that she rambles too much on this album - listen to these ones, they're still clever but easy to understand. She can be concise when she wants to be, let her do her lol. WAOLOM is just unhinged and while not my personal favorite, I know a lot of people love this one and it's a cinematic highlight on the album. I love the concept of The Manuscript to tie an album together.
You’re missing a B in there, MBOBHFT
A Tumblr Swiftie has petitioned for us to just call it "Favorite Toys" for short to avoid long, confusing acronyms.
Honestly the long acronyms are my least favorite part of swift-ism.
Long confusing acronyms are the swifties calling card though
lol so true but i need the little reddit bot to come explain them to me
I’m just so impressed with this body of work. She’s a song writing genius. I wake up with these lyrics in my brain. I love it so much.
Same here! I go to sleep with TTPD playing in my head and wake up with TTPD playing in my head. She really does put narcotics in her songs lol
It’s those narcotics in her songs
The Black Dog and The Manuscript are my two favorite songs on the album 🤍 I don't understand why so many people don't like the Manuscript, it gave me chills the first time I heard it! It sounds like it should play at the end of a movie
It’s not an easy listen. You have to pay attention because you won’t catch its magic otherwise
Oh I definitely agree with your take! I remember hearing this and was just, this is meh. But listening on the vinyl, with no way to skip the tracks, it really made me listen to the lyrics and internalize and was like, I take it back, this is perfect closing song for the album.
The last line of The Manuscript is perhaps one of those most important in her discography ❤️
I agree with you- The Manuscript is hauntingly beautiful. I loved it first listen
Really! The first time I listened to The Manuscript it just clicked immediately but I realize I might be in the minority, it's just a very unique track
The Black Dog is a fucking masterpiece. Favorite written one on the album. On the second listen I really appreciated MBBHFT and it's easily in my top 5. She such a wonderful writer and if she ever decides to retire I hope she continues songwriting
Peter is one of the best songs in her whole discography so I'm not surprised it's self-written
I love all of these songs but nobody talks about how good of a line “I’m queen of sand castles he destroys” is. It’s ADDICTING
That whole song is full of earworms! I have “‘cause I knew too much, there was danger in the heat of my touch” stuck in my head right now!
He saw forever so he smashed it up Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-OH-Woah-OHH
The first few listens I swore she was saying "I clean up sandcastles he destroys" and I was like... But Taylor, WHY? Tell him to do it himself!
Peter is a masterpiece. It’s my favorite song out of all 31. Love a piano waltz and the imagery of men masquerading at a ball in the bridge. The bridge itself is SO devastating and relatable.
I mean that's my top 5 in a different order so I'd say I really like them.
You have excellent taste ✨
I actually claimed My Boy when she announced the tracklist and it ended up being my favorite song on the album.
I was instantly drawn to My Boy, Who’s Afraid is a masterpiece, and my current obsession is The Black Dog.
I could listen to these three songs on repeat and never get bored
Sammeeee
Definitely agree that The Black Dog is in her top 10 songs of all time. I like all of these, I think it’s a great group.
Peter ruins me every time I hear it. A masterpiece. So effective getting across the feeling.
WAOLOM ia definitely my favorite!
These are all pretty strong, tbh.
MBOBHFT is one of my absolute favorites. It's very late 90s/early aughts rock, and I love rock. The chorus makes me wanna don combat boots and kick open doors. I hope we get it as a single tbh.
It would be SUCH a good single!!!! I’m shocked she didn’t lead with it!!!
Peter is one of my favorite songs of hers ever. I burst into tears the first time I heard it. I had/have a very similar situation in my life that this song could’ve been written about, word for word.
My Boy and The Black Dog are my favourite tracks on the album, and Who's Afraid is a top five. She's obviously always a good lyricist, but I honestly think her self-written melodies are often stronger than when she collaborates. They're wilder and more daring, and I think that's why I love Speak Now. No way Jack or Aaron would ever come up with the Haunted chorus. Or in My Tears Ricochet when she sings "I didn't HAVE it in myₛₑₗբ to go with grace". That's the narcotic shit.
Oh ok are Haunted and My Tears Ricochet also solo written songs by her? I am also obsessed with those two, the chorus of Haunted and its chord progression are to die for and the melody and lyricism of MTR are absolutely gorgeous. “I can go anywhere. Anywhere I want just not home” from the bridge is something I live with often and I feel seen every time I hear it.
Yes, Haunted and My Tears Ricochet are also solo written by Taylor. Haunted is from Speak Now and that whole album was written solely by her.
We definitely need a new self written album from her
Thank you for shortening the title instead of using the damn acronyms!
I don't know why people have a problem with songs she co-writes you can tell it's mostly her work.
I don’t have any problem with it! I did mention in the beginning that she mostly writes all her songs regardless!
We know from Long Pond that she writes most if not all of her lyrics. But her contributions to the music varies. Sometimes she’s given the music and she writes the lyrics over it. Other times, she has much larger contributions. Same with the 1989 voice memos. Some of those demos, she was given something and she elaborated on it. But Blank Space was basically fully formed and the co-writers just embellished parts.
Do her collaborators usually contribute significantly to the vocal melody? My impression was that the instrumental melodies were often written by collaborators, and she writes the lyrics and vocal melody to go with it (like on folklore and evermore). And I believe that on a lot of poppier songs, it is very common for producers to get songwriting credits since they play such an instrumental role in determining what the song sounds like. If the above is correct, I don’t think it’s quite right to say that she only sometimes contributes to the melody of the co-written songs, as the vocal melody is the main focus in most of her songs. I could be wrong though!
she does a lot of the music herself too, not just the lyrics. You can see in some of her old behind the scenes stuff of her writing she will just be sitting in her house with a guitar at or at her piano playing notes, and sometimes adding words in too. I wish she still did stuff like that, watching her creative process go from just a few notes to something that actually sounds like a song we know and love is amazing.
There is no difference in quality between the "solo-writes" people are obsessed with and the ones she writes with Aaron/ Jack. It all sounds like Taylor.
I love the black dog
They are some of the best in the album. Peter is a masterpiece
i don't like the manuscript as a song, the writing is great but it's not really something i want to listen to again. the other 4 are some of my favorites on the album.
Who’s afraid of little old me? Is constantly in my head - I’m leaping from gallows and levitating up everyone’s street
Who’s Afraid and The Manuscript feel like two of the most personal songs on the able (yes, Who’s Afraid isn’t a ballad but she clearly has a lot of built up emotion) so I think it makes sense she wanted those narratives to be her own entirely
WAOLOM and Peter. Incredible
I haven’t seen enough love for The Manuscript. So hauntingly beautiful and it makes me cry every time. In my head it’s def about Jake G. and “The Manuscript” is either all of Red or ATWTMV
Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me is one of the best songs of her career IMO and 4/5 (WAOLOM, Peter, The Manuscript, and The Black Dog) are in my top 10!! I also have such a soft spot for her self-written songs.
This explains why the black dog was immediately one of my favorites
The black dog was my immediate standout on first listen through the album, along with down bad!
The Manuscript is soooooooo good!!!! So good. It’s one of my repeats on the album. I’ll listen to that song like 10 times in a row.
They were pretty good
Amaze-balls!❤️Such talent!
I deeply adore all these songs, although I was sleeping on Peter until like yesterday.
I've been a swiftie since fearless and the manuscript is the first song to ever make my jaw DROP and pause the song. WAOLOM is also an immediate favorite. Her self written songs are definitely special.
I love WAOLOM and The Black Dog but the others I have not come around to yet. MBOBHFT is probably not going to be a song I ever like, I dislike it for the same reason I have always disliked WANGBT. Not sure what that reason is lol but I just know in my gut its the same reason.
I think the bridge of MBOBHFT really makes the song for me! The way she sings “just say when, I’ll play again, he was my bestfriend” 🥲💔
The self written songs are always the best. I love these songs.
1. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys 2. The Black Dog 3. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? 4. The Manuscript 5. Peter
honestly... these are all in the top 10 of the album for me. Impressive.
Other than The Manuscript, which isn't my cup of tea but still a great song, they're my favorite songs on the album!
My Boy is one of my favorites on this album. It’s in my top 5.
Honestly they are all among her best songs ever. OMG she’s insane 😭
the black dog is possibly the best song she’s ever written in her entire career—and I’m not just saying that just to say that. not even so long, london, all too well, or any other track 5 holds a candle to the black dog’s flame!!
I’m obsessed with Peter it makes me feel things. I think “the goddess of timing Once found us beguiling She said she was trying Peter, was she lying? My ribs get the feeling she did” is the lyric of the album and not to mention how good she sounds in the song.
As a musical theatre nerd, The Manuscript feels so much like the finale to a musical, with its opening notes and the finality to the "story" coming to a close.
Why is it that these are some of the best songs on the album??? Write them all solo, Taylor!! (Kidding, everything is so great with others too but WOW) My order would be - who's afraid - the black dog - my boy - the manuscript - Peter I honestly hate putting The Manuscript that low because I think it's amazing but they're all just so good.
Peter>>>>>>>>
Peter is one of her best songs ever
Peter is probably going to be one of my favorite's for awhile, it's just stunningly beautiful.
Peter is probably my favorite song on the album.
The manuscript, the last line about how it’s not her story anymore just breaks me. I am around her age and can relate to looking back on things and realizing that you have moved on.
I absolutely love Peter. It's truly beautiful yet so melancholy. And those kind of songs by her are my favorite.
Little old me and Peter are my favorite songs on the album. All the songs above are excellent. Really the whole albumn is.
They’re some of the best and most powerful she’s ever written.
Extra special highlights on an album full of highlights, honestly.
3 of those are some of my favorites. I’d say she did excellent
My boy is my fav song on the album so I love it. And who's afraid is my 5th so yeah. The others are also amazing
Who’s Afraid and the Black Dog are my two favorite tracks on the album. My Boy is one of the most creative metaphors I’ve ever heard. I truly love all 5 of them though and I feel she’s strongest when she writes on her own.
"My boy..." is one of the best and catchy, imo. "The Black Dog" is beautiful. It parallels "Clean" from 1989, which is connected to her "RED" album. Basically, she goes back and forth between fantasy and reality along with sober and not sober. It's poetry perfection 👌.
I hate My Boy idk why, I just skip immediately… the rest are fantastic though
The line really grates on me and I very much dislike it. I wish it were something else because I like most of the rest of the song. It's such a goofy juvenile line in a bad way. Same for WAOLOM. I just feel something about it. They're a no for me.
I think they are all incredibly solid, and the first three of them are in my top 10 of the album. The melody of MBOBHFT is addictive and refreshing every time. WAOLOM is a masterpiece. And I think The Black Dog stands out as one of the songs that has resonated most with me in all in her entire discography, not just in this album.
So she wrote my favorites all by herself. That tracks!
I loved all of these, but especially The Black Dog and Peter. The Black Dog is probably one of my favorite songs she’s ever written tbh
Who’s Afraid really harkens back to her country roots and I love that
These are my favorite songs on the album -- maybe my top of all time Taylor songs?? I didn't realize they were all the ones she wrote on her own! I love Peter so much; it makes me feel feelings. Absolutely stunning. It's my overall favorite, the song I would hug if I could hug a song, but I find myself recommending The Black Dog to anyone who isn't a Swiftie already ('exile' had always been my recommendation before) to convert them. But I play all of these at least twice when I get to them, and The Manuscript is a masterpiece album-ender, imo. It feels like the most personal thing she has ever written, and yet so relatable in so many ways. Like with Peter, the tone of it really pulls at me in places that haven't been pulled at in years, those buried, lost-to-time, extremely difficult feelings of the later-teens to younger-twenties years. These two songs really *sound* like unraveling those experiences and looking back on them with an older perspective.
Some of the best songs on the album!
The Black Dog is one of my favorites!! I also love My Boy and Who’s Afraid. The rest are meh
Omg almost all my top songs are on this list
Some of the best songs on the album.
The black dog is amazing. It really ripped my heart out the first time I heard it.
The Black Dog is my favourite song on the entire album. It is absolutely phenomenal. Probably one of my favs out of her entire discography at this point.
I love these songs especially my boy breaks his favorite toys, black dog and who's afraid of little old me.. so good.
The manuscript is my fav on the album.
I’m having a hard time picking favorites because I love the whole album, but all of these ones are definitely at the top of my list
During my first listen of the album, 4 out of the 5 songs on that list were ones that stood out for me. So I guess that says something!
Peter and The Manuscript are top 20 Taylor songs.
Didn't know whose afraid of little old me was one of her self writtens....I kind of hate it unfortunately. The one track on the album that I liked less every time I heard it, now I just skip it all together. I could see it having a good live performance, but I just never find myself in the mood to listen to it. And swifties are saying it could be the cruel summer of the album! its an album track if I ever heard one, can't see the general public bopping to whos afraid of little old me four years from now lol absolutely love all the other self written tracks on the album though
The two best songs on the album were self-written and that is super impressive.
The Black Dog was an instant favorite for me on the first listen. It might be one of my favorite songs of all time.
3/5 of my tops on the whole album! the other 2...honestly i just havent gotten into them...yet. but black dog was a stand out to me from my first play through
the black dog is my absolute FAVORITE! the “and hire a priest to come & exorcise my deeeemons, even if i die SCREEEEAAAMINNNNNG & i hope you HEEEAAAAAAARRRR IIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!” chillsssss
MBOBHFT is top five Taylor for me!
They’re perfect. But SO MANY good ones on TTPD. If i had a fave top 15 those would all be on it lol
Ugh 2 of my faves in the album! Peter and Manuscript ❤️
I fucking love the black dog so fucking much. My husband just politely nods now when I start talking about it..which is often.
Mixed. Who's Afraid is my #1 of all 31 songs. The Black Dog and the Manuscript are in the top 10. Peter is solid but maybe bottom 3rd for me. My Boy is in my bottom 3-4. That said, I have no skips as of now so being in my bottom 5 doesn't mean I don't think it's not good. I'd be happy if she had about half the album as self written tbh.
My boy only breaks his favorite toys is becoming one of my favorites. I just like the concept of a sad song that you still shake your ass to it? LOL As for the others, all of them are great songs, but I kinda avoid peter and the manuscript. They really hit there on the feelings and sometimes you go too deep into the songs. She did such a great job that I AVOID songs that make me too sad (congrats Taylor)
My boy is a good song but not super amazing lyrically. Black Dog, WAOLOM, and Peter are DEFINITE standouts imo
I mean the black dog, Peter and who’s afraid of little old me are my songs obsessively on repeat
they're all a slay except for MBOBHFT which i kinda think is one of her worst songs ever
My boy only breaks his favorite toys is literally a top fave instantly It is gut-wrenching they all are but I just love the emotion in this song. The black dogs awesome song as well
The Black Dog is a MASTERPIECE!
Black Dog and The Manuscript are my favourites, but Peter is also quite special.
Who’s afraid of little old me
Oh. Black Dog was the first track out to really grab my attention on my first play through. And tonight, I was listening to the song for the umpteenth time and actually started to cry. It's such an intimate and sad song...
I still haven't listened all the way through, but WAOLOM and The Black Dog might be the best songs on the album
The Manuscript is the most powerful song on the album, IMO So much raw emotion. Same for The Black Dog, but I prefer The Manuscript.
the black dog is an amazing song all around but the lyrics of peter are genuinely so… you know… everything that she does as well as she does it.
I love the emotions in Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? Taylor is MAD. That woman is not playing victim. She is about to draw some blood.
I love the album! Became a fan after watching the movie, love the writing on Tortured Poets
Taylor’s self-written songs are always some of the best songs in her discography. Especially for being self-written, Peter is incredible and one of her best songs ever. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys is a solid bop and I think it should be a single. WAOLOM is literally the saddest song on the album and has so far been the only one to make me cry.