THE ANTHOLOGY DEEP DIVE 🖤 Breaking down The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift

[@AllySheehan]

Thank you all so much for joining me on this 10+ hour journey and series! I've had so much fun making it for you guys 🌷My instagram if you'd like to keep up with my travels across the US: instagram.com/agirlnamedally 🫶 My ko-fi if you'd like to help support the channel: ko-fi.com/agirlnamedally Don't forget to subscribe so we can hit 200K!

[@darsynia]

Love this video so much already, paused it to get the app--I had a moment of distress seeing search was disabled but you're up in a little banner at the top! Posting now in case anyone else worried about that will see the comment, lots of love!! (I also hope they're ready for an influx, haha)

[@AllySheehan]

PS. Apple is having some complications with updating the Sparkx Fly app, so sit tight and it should all be good to go soon!

[@halfdeafdragon420]

Thank you so much Ally ❤🙏 you have no idea how timely your message to choose better thoughts was for me today

[@Hi-ze9vj]

🕯️🕯️🕯️

[@EtashaVats]

@@AllySheehan ty allyy 🫶🫶🫶🕯🕯🕯

[@climbinguphill]

“Your mind is your home and you can choose if that’s a safe place or a dangerous one” is going right on my quotes page because dang it I need to hear that every single day.

[@Chuckinch]

“Your mind is a garden,your thoughts are the seeds, you can choose to grow flowers or you can choose to grow weeds.”🌷

[@AllySheehan]

it's easier said than done, but definitely an intentional practice we can work into our daily self love!

[@muskaan3711]

Just yesterday I was checking out your channel to see if you uploaded, and now I see this! Idk if you listen to Sabrina Carpenter, but would love to see your reaction to Short n Sweet (if you do).

[@AllySheehan]

@@muskaan3711 I love her! It came out while I was traveling with friends so I posted my reaction and faves on Instagram stories :)

[@josefinavictoria6587]

Unless you have OCD, then this quote becomes dangerous 🥲

[@ducky19991]

I haven't heard anyone else share this angle, but Peter always reminds me of my first love who passed away in his early 20s. He was always like Peter to me, but then it became literal. One of her saddest songs for me, the bridge gets me every time.

[@sophielem59]

THE INTRO GIRL. How do you do to always find clips of pop culture references that are so perfect?? I love how the titles are said by all these characters in random clips of some shows!! Just amazing!!

[@oscarkamala]

there is a website that can do that

[@societycrumbles]

There is a website called Playphrase when you can put in a phrase or a word, and it will find you clips of movies saying it!

[@kcosh1509]

​@@oscarkamala what's it called

[@societycrumbles]

@@kcosh1509 PlayPhrase

[@denizbadeakkoyun3947]

@@kcosh1509+

[@rebeccagault149]

As a reformed Bolter girlie who still has to fight the impulses, I think quite often people who want love so badly are often Bolters - you see the changes in relationships (especially when you're an overthinker) and immediately, you're preordering your own heartbreak. If you're going to be heartbroken, you might as well leave first and break your own heart. It's always easier to cope with your own choice than to cope with something that has been done to you. I also, maybe controversially, think that almost all Bolter girlies are ALSO Prophecy girlies.

[@rebeccagault149]

Also I was in the crowd for that Bolter x Getaway Car mashup and it absolutely did change me as a person!! (As did hearing Crazier live lmao)

[@sophielem59]

The thumbnail is PERFECT.

[@AllySheehan]

thank you so much!!!

[@TalkBooksWithBri]

🕯️ this series has been SO lovely! I already felt connected to this album but you’ve helped to draw new connections and form new associations that deepen my enjoyment even MORE. Your approach to every topic is always so kind and genuine and lovely and I when I think of the fandom, I think of the community and love that you foster. Thank you Ally!

[@AllySheehan]

This makes me SO happy !!

[@sierrawilson4438]

Thank you Ally for mentioning pregnancy issues in relation to The Prophecy. I recently was lucky enough to get pregnant and carry him for 6 beautiful months before my miscarriage. And it’s devastating. I’m struggling with feelings of guilt as if it’s my fault, though I know it’s not. And this song was played on repeat for weeks afterwards. Thought I caught lightning in a bottle, oh, it’s gone again. I got cursed like Eve got bitten. Was it punishment? This whole album being about grief has been hitting hard. 🕯️

[@AnjeannetteMarie-Swifie4Ever]

💔🙏

[@AllySheehan]

Sierra i am so so sorry, my eyes were tearing up reading this. It’s close to home for my family too as my mum had many miscarriages before having me, but I hope that can provide hope that it can come true for you too 🤍🤍🤍 i know nothing anyone says can make it better, know that he will always be your son and always be with you🫶

[@juliaullrich2630]

So sorry to hear that you know this pain too, Sierra. I lost my daughter, Emma, at 40 weeks gestation in 2021 and The Prophecy hit me like it happened yesterday. Taylor has been such a relief for my feelings of grief. I love her in all my emotions. Sending you and your baby love 💜

[@MissteriousMisstress]

All I can say to both of you is I'm sorry. And that sucks. It really fucking sucks.

[@LindsayTrottierAcupuncture]

Sierra, sending you so much love. I know it’s so hard to share your story, and I thank you for that. I’m really sorry for your loss

[@AilsaLipscombe]

For me, I Hate It Here is the quintessential maladaptive daydreaming lullaby. It's when you're at that place where living inside your mind-building castles and walls around you, inventing stories and worlds so different from your own-feels safer than facing what's around you.

[@eduh667]

Dear Ally, these long, laborious, carefully thought out, and analyzed videos are valuable! As Gen Z, I have had enough of social media's "just attract attention with short videos, the content is not important!" mentality. You never get boring, and even though making such a niche video, you always keep the focus at the optimum level with your comments and word jokes. This should only be a concrete example of doing your job with passion!! I feel like I can't thank you enough, because you are a hundred kilometres away from me, but you upload a video and then make my lonely day!

[@jennabolmgren]

I got a fortune (from a cookie) that I’ve kept for almost 25 years because I found it so significant - it’s still on my fridge. “Your problems can be blessings if you look at them another way.”

[@saratemer6634]

"Spending my last coins to Tell me it'll be okay" is same for me as "a con man sells a fool to get love quick scheme''

[@elenagaydarova2496]

🕯️🕯️🕯️ amazing video, as usual! Thank you for your time and effort you put into creating our favorite comfort videos! Watching this made me realize another parallel in Cassandra. When she says “it’s so quiet” in the end, it’s such a juxtaposition to “it’s more than music, it just gets LOUD sometimes” when she talks about hate and bullying in her documentary. This final “it’s so quiet” in Cassandra sounds like she is breathing out finally, cautiously feeling safe in the quiet of her home, without the loud voices of hatred around. She can hear her thoughts again and enjoy the peace of her life after all that storm

[@AllySheehan]

WOW that's a great pickup!!!!

[@noahcarter3538]

When I lost my brother in June of this year, my entire life fell apart. I remember listening to I Hate It Here and just remembering all kinds of repressed memories flooding back to me. I cried like I’ve never cried before. It was a visceral physical painful reaction, but it helped me put those feelings into perspective and even some to rest. It was like a conduit for me to process grief. Sometimes a song can make us feel more understood than a person ever could and I’ll always thank Taylor for this masterpiece 🤍🖤

[@allisonkrug9759]

I’m so sorry for your loss. It’s very hard to lose someone you’re close to. Much love to you!

[@maxq96]

I had a similar experience listening to Bigger Than The Whole Sky. It was my perfect conduit for my grief. I'm glad that her music has helped you as well.

[@rhiannonemily5858]

I lost my brother 2 years ago, sending love and hugs ❤ hope you’re doing okay

[@cmMcCullen]

Your comment really hit deep. My brother died one week after TTPD came out. And I found myself just wandering aimlessly around the house lost, feeling like I had lost a huge part of my soul and for me, How Did It End played on repeat through my mind. I know it's supposed to be about losing a love, but my heart related it to unexpectedly losing my brother and not understanding why or how that could just happen without warning. He's just suddenly gone and I'm left like how? Why? Lost. And even still that song is so hard to listen to.

[@aubreyrichardson8531]

So sorry for your loss. I lost my brother in June 2009…15 years ago and some days I still feel like the 12 year old girl who had her life turned upside down. 💔 it’s amazing how powerful music can be, especially Taylor’s!

[@c.j.miranda639]

🕯🕯MAJOR kudos on this!! Can't even imagine having to sit and write/film this video, let alone the others. You're a warrior!

[@AllySheehan]

thank you so much!!

[@KeavyJane]

only just started watching and immediately i’m obsessed with the clips of different shows and movies saying the song titles 👏 👏 👏

[@AllySheehan]

hehe well since taylor herself has never publicly done interviews or talked about the anthology i had to get creative!

[@itsanniedee]

Ally, I'm going thru some rough medical stuff rn and had a procedure today and it's been a rough time. When I tell you that I immediately felt full body relief and calm when I saw there's a new video to watch, oh man you wouldn't believe it. Top tier comfort content for me. Thanks for all the work you do on your channel!!

[@itsanniedee]

Related, your comments about I Hate It Here and The Propehcy hitting home in a chronic illness/disabilities sort of way - YES. These are two of my favorite songs on the anthology but in that "I'm hurting and feel seen by this song" way. Feeling trapped in my body and seeking escapism; wishing to for once be the person who, rather than find love, has and keeps wellness and feeling cursed. 10/10 insight into those feelings.

[@willmcnally3388]

A detail everyone misses in People's Windows is you can hear the train doors opening as she gets off the train just before the second verse!

[@AllySheehan]

omg!

[@AllySheehan]

can you give a time stamp? i can't hear it!!

[@kristyy7583]

Omgosh! It’s between 1:13 and 1:14 in the song… good catch!

[@AmbiguousAnalogy]

Downtown is Matty, right???

[@willmcnally3388]

1:13 You hear birds chirping, then the beeps and the mechanical clunk of train doors opening. And then the narrator walks downtown. And this to me implies the windows from the first chorus are her literally looking out the train windows, doing that thing we all do where we imagine and think about a situation and get lost in our thoughts as we look out the window.

[@hchatt8]

🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️I absolutely LOVE your breakdowns and takes. I’m a huge fan of TS but don’t know the minutiae of certain references so I very much appreciate your videos!

[@AllySheehan]

thank you so much!

[@tuesdaywithjisoo8395]

Btw being in the audience directly in front of Taylor when she sung "Said goodbye in a Getaway Car, cause it always ends up with a town car speeding out the drive one evening" changed my brain chemistry.

[@bryonyarmstrong2440]

I was there too!! Edinburgh N2?

[@tuesdaywithjisoo8395]

​@@bryonyarmstrong2440 yes omg!!!

[@BookOfNora]

I saw someone on Twitter mention the idea of “Peter” being viewed from a lens about complicated sibling relationships, and that idea makes me want to bawl my eyes out because of how sad yet relatable it is

[@Jess-y7c]

It could possibly mean that but Peter also revolves around a boy or man who never grew up or wanted to it’s called Peter Pan Syndrome and I can see that to growing up can be very scary but as for the meaning of the song we know she’s talking about a man the Question is who is it? I also think Peter refers to herself to trauma and emotional abuse and gaslighting can cause stunt growth where you are constantly stuck in the past i have dealt with that as well you can’t understand why a person you trusted would do such awful things to you and then once they got what they wanted tossed you away like garbage so Peter might be about both her and the man she’s talking about whoever the man is he messed her up emotionally and really bad, broken heart syndrome is a real thing. I honestly feel like if Travis doesn’t last there will not be a new man in her life after what she went through with all these relationships Taylor has had a very hard life and it can take toll on someone there is only so much you can take! But that’s just my guess I can see where you are coming from to with the siblings theory.

[@BookOfNora]

@@Jess-y7c Oh, I totally agree with you! I’m only saying that the lens I mentioned finding on Twitter is a fascinating alternative way to view the song. I’m sorry that you have had to deal with a “Peter”-type of person in your life before. Sending love your way! 🥺🫶

[@kitkatkvp]

My thesis statement for I hate it here is a line you didn’t mention, but it’s one that jumped out to me only recently, which is “I dreamed about it in the dark the night I felt like I might die.” Idk why I hadn’t registered that line for so long but it recently clicked and I just can’t stop thinking about it as such a sad, lonely, line that makes me think of so many other songs. Like imagine her thinking of the prophecy, I look through peoples windows, you’re losing me, tolerate it, like imagine her lying in bed just feeling like this is the end I absolutely hate it here. And then channeling it into a song. I can’t deal

[@AllySheehan]

i totally forgot to mention that lyric when i was saying it's sadder than people think!! completely agree

[@MissteriousMisstress]

Every line has a double meaning!!!! I CANNOT!!!!!

[@pastelsparkles_]

The Bolter’s ever ‘reviled/revered’ misinterpretation was definitely my first experience with the song! Maybe it was my delirium from having listened to all the songs prior and digesting so much, it slipped past me until I did a deep dive into it all. I remember thinking ‘wtf Scott???’ But now I’m snapping my fingers like yesssss hahaha Thank you so much for all of the effort you’ve put into these. They’ve been a delight to watch

[@lamarwiscombe8634]

Thank you Ally. This is truly YOUR Magnum opus 😀 I listened to all four segments 🕯 Looking forward to what comes next. I hope Taylor takes time to watch, she would be so happy!😸

[@AllySheehan]

i appreciate that so much!

[@shesbananas]

I love all the love you gave the manuscript. It made me cry the first time I heard it, it’s so beautiful. I think it’s her saying goodbye to these eras. It has to have been so hard to revisit these eras in her life, re-recording her songs.

[@jennifernicolae]

🕯️ also, for me, one of the most heart breaking lyrics was “the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light.” It’s a tie for “white knuckle dying grip” - both instantly send me to tears

[@AllySheehan]

i feel like turning out the light is a good thing! giving up holding out hope for him and moving on

[@jennifernicolae]

@@AllySheehan I totally agree! I think it’s sad in the sense that she had to do that not that she wanted to - tying back to the prophecy “even statues crumble if they’re made to wait” (not that they are referencing the same thing but the emotional exhaustion that has)

[@margotexplainsitall]

Ally you’re such a beautiful creator. Your videos help me look at and appreciate songs I used to overlook. Obsessed with your videos. Thank uuu for all the hard work and dedication you put into them. ❤

[@AllySheehan]

Thank you so much!!

[@tori_19]

Okay now that i have completed the whole video i have a thoughtful comment to make! Robin is my most played and favorite song from the entire album because it’s everything i needed to hear when i was a child but didn’t. For context but without getting too personal, just know that my parents were awful and I just had a tough childhood. Listening to it and singing it as an adult feels really healing for my inner child. My brain is super visual so I can literally see myself comforting her telling her it’ll all be okay and she’s a good kid. I wish I could’ve protected her from all the evil that surrounded her but ultimately I’m still here. I survived. So yeah that’s my experience with it. It frequently makes me sob but it’s a cathartic sob of like grieving the childhood I was robbed of while consoling the inner child in me who made it out alive.

[@rexanael243]

This made me tear up. Robin is my favourite (or at least one of them) because I am a newish parent and the desire to protect my two is so perfectly and sweetly set out in these lyrics. I'm sorry you did not have that, that doesn't seem fair to me. Sending you love from a random on the internet ❤

[@tori_19]

@@rexanael243 thank you so much

[@rexanael243]

@@tori_19 thanks

[@jillsarah7356]

Yes! My interpretation of Robin is that it’s Taylor speaking to her inner child 💗

[@amyrose2880]

THE TV SHOWS REFERENCES WERE PERFECT!!! Girl you ate, i already know im gonna love the video

[@mayatracey8485]

As a high schooler now I sit there listening to everyone saying high school is your most amazing years. While I am out of my mind stressed about grades and relationships. Don’t get me wrong I have had a lot of fun but I would say it will be the best part of my life. I really do believe that everyone just blocks this out like you were saying and just remember the happy moments.

[@AllySheehan]

and even after i said that i felt like it was not that relatable for many! a lot of people thrive as soon as they are able to leave high school, and that will be true for you :)

[@claudiacorr9306]

Most people I know now (mid 20s) absolutely say your 20s/30s are SO MUCH better than your teenage years. “It’s the best years” is just something people say. Your 20s are full of fun and freedom and travel and you have your own money and friends you really connect with instead of just go to school with, it’s so much less restricted than being a teenager

[@torisnowden8202]

I totally hear you, I had fun moments in high school but it was definitely also quite stressful. NGL my 20s weren't too different, but now I'm in my early 30s and I feel like I'm just starting out on the "best years of my life." It may just be my unique circumstances but it really took me the better part of that 30 years to figure myself out (and I'm still learning!) but I'm so happy about wherever I go from here, and I hope you'll feel that way too someday soon 💖🤗

[@alyssanielsen8521]

I think for me and probably others, is that high school was a time where we didn't have to worry about money (I know not everyone has that situation), didn't have to worry about finding jobs, paying rent, and living in the reality of the stress that life is. I love my high school years, I was able to do many amazing things and I had amazing friends and made great memories. But, my anxiety was at its worst, I had panic attacks frequently, I was stressed, depressed, and I didn't know how to say "no" to things that weren't good for me to do. There is a lot of pain there, even though I remember things that were amazing. Life is a mixed bag of everything. You never know what will come next and if it will be more joyful or more painful than what you have experienced.

[@hdlamon]

ally be putting in the work with a 4 part breakdown of the entire anthology. Thank you for your service 🫡

[@violetartist2400]

I haven't finished the video yet but omg you have made me absolutely fall in love with I Look in People's Windows, like I liked it before but after your breakdown I appreciate it so much more. I can also see why I liked it so much, I went through a friendbreakup and while the album as a whole connected with that that song specifically just conceptualized that whole feeling/situation so much

[@ethan1969]

I watched part one of The Anthology breakdown on the drive to move in to college for my first day, and now here I am week 4 watching part two in the library, wow we’ve come a long way 🥹

[@Hortonfantastic4]

Hope all has gone well with your transition. Every day brings something new. I hope your new makes you smile

[@AllySheehan]

wow congratulations on this new chapter!!!! i'm honoured to be a part of it

[@lindamcmanus3057]

1:24:22 I have been waiting to hear your take on “Peter”! For me, the bridge of this song is top tier, like “champagne problems” level bridge, and I think “as the men masqueraded I hoped you’d return” is the most telling lyric on the album. I have said it in other comments and all online and in conversation that I think that “the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light” is the thesis statement for this entire album, if you consider the decade-long presence of the idea of the man she hoped would swoop in and rescue her…and now she has her answer and can move on. The story is no longer hers, as she writes. That’s why.

[@thiswasfun5442]

“Death by a thousand cuts” has so many lyrical ties to the anthology. ‘They said it was a great love, one for the ages, but if the story’s over, why am I still writing pages’ reminds me sooo much of the prophecy. Honestly the ties to Lover from this album are really interesting.🕯️

[@elfenoortje0338]

Omg yes, its so intresting how the most lovey dovey albums ( rep and lover) are refrenced so much!

[@tuesdaywithjisoo8395]

I personally never view DBATC as a Breakup song I view it more as self hatred and wondering if mentally You'll ever get better. Makes it more emotional for me personally.

[@lucypearson8444]

Hi Ally! Robin is my favourite song on the album! I have a very young daughter and it kills me, it hits me right in my chest. Taylor evokes the experience of being a parent so completely perfectly. I cant listen to it in public because I loose it every-time! Thank you for the mazing content on TTPD xxx

[@vandana_ks]

I don't know if I am framing this correctly, but, when you explain the songs you make me listen to them differently, appreciate them, and love the songs all over again. Thank you Ally

[@AllySheehan]

wow thank you so much!

[@camilaborba79]

Love these videos ❤️ also, just wanted to add, in the manuscript when she says “the story isn’t mine anymore”, she says something similar at the eras tour too, right before singing lover. She says something like “I wrote these songs about my life, but after tonight, when you hear these songs, I hope you think about tonight and the memories we made here together”. The story isn’t hers anymore because she shares it with us, it’s ours ❤

[@AllySheehan]

you're so right!!

[@kayleeparr8635]

2 hours??? oh we’re being FED. been waiting for this one!!!

[@MissteriousMisstress]

Nom nom nom

[@TheBlackDog13TTPD]

This was an incredible video! ( love the thumbnail.) also knowing the fact that you have ideas for videos is so exciting!! I love these deep dives

[@charlottefletcher]

My interpretation of “Quick, quick Tell me something awful Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy” is that she’s talking to her alternative self. Her self that became a finance broker like her parents set her up to be. She wonders what that life would be like, if it would be better so she hopes that in that life she would just be “a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy”. That although that life would remove many of her problems, she would never be creatively fulfilled.

[@kennedymcneil4740]

Woah I’m literally obsessed with this interpretation it makes so much sense!!

[@deborakaran]

It can also just be about how she feels in her life as it is. Sometimes she has to be the "finance guy" making so many decisions related to business and money and that must be a very conflicted life to live when you also just feel like a poet but can not "not be" the finance guy. Maybe she even feels trapped because she likes these two "personas" but they keep fighting in her head. (idk this is just my interpretation haha)

[@JacobLasher]

I feel like you're one of the only people in the world that would 100% get all all my references lmao. The fact that you mentioned NOW AND THEN!!! OMFG. That movie was my mother and I's fave movie and I still watch it years later after her passing. The fact you mentioned Series of Unfortunate events and that quote...just very moving. I love your commentary. You're my favorite Swiftie channel because of how much care you put in these videos. Thank you for all that you do

[@Lunyaaaa]

As a disabled autistic only child with a chronic illness, I feel so called out 😅😅 I had never heard of The Secret Garden but I have an actual secret garden in my mind that I go to in meditation, this song floored me when I first heard it.

[@TiffanyTeaLeaves]

I have DID, it’s remarkably on point for me too. It always blows my mind how Taylor’s lyrics speak specifically to so many people in quite different ways

[@emmramma567]

i think also for I Hate It Here since taylor revers to Emily . and this song is all about nostalgia and looking back and realizing our bitter reality and always staying home and not leaving our houses because we hate where we live and we escape to the world we bulit in our minds . is also such a call back to Emily , she was also known for hating the world and wishing it was a better place and also never leaving her house ever and satying home and getting lost in her " secret garden " which is her poetry and writing . also thank u ally for mentioning that

[@matteomallia8471]

The fact that Ally released this precious 2 hour long video on my birthday is beyond great. Thank you very much, queen ❤

[@elfenoortje0338]

Happy birthday baby!!

[@matteomallia8471]

@@elfenoortje0338 thank you so much!!

[@AllySheehan]

happy birthday love!!

[@breannawark9676]

Your videos keep me going through the work day- please keep making these longer videos I LIVE FOR THEM!!!🕯

[@kailiasage]

I have never clicked on a notification so fast! Excited to see what you thought of The Prophecy (my favorite song on TTPD)! I love all of the pop culture references to the song titles 🤣

[@kailiasage]

Okay so after watching The Prophecy section: I love everything you said! It’s definitely to me almost a sister song to WCS and Aaron just knocks it out of the park. What’s wild to me is on Lyon night 1 she mashed up The Prophecy with Long Story Short (“spending my last coin so someone can tell me it’ll be okay…past me I wanna tell you”) and I think my brain kinda got fried. Long story short the prophecy was changed! But on piano we got Fifteen and YOYOK which felt like another way for her to say that she’s always on her own and she can face anything because she did do more in life life *and* date the boy on the football team. I’ll stop rambling now and watch the rest of your video!

[@darsynia]

That's my favorite too! It dethroned Marjorie as my favorite of hers ever!

[@JenniferDonahue702]

Same.....been watching for it.

[@laurenburrows5]

I see The Manuscript as Taylor revisiting her songs during the re-recordings. A journey of her albums as you can see albums in each lyric

[@AllySheehan]

Completely agree! A walk down memory lane What lyrics / albums do you think she reflects on?

[@colekayve]

Can we discuss the black nails? Simply iconic

[@ash.overthinking]

It may be an early call, but I think this may end up my favorite of these four videos. References as always are absolutely top tier. Your mind>>>❤️❤️❤️ ETA 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

[@laurenloveslibros]

I always look forward to your breakdowns because you bring new ideas and interpretations that I hadn’t yet thought of or picked up on! Red has been my favorite album because the emotion and writing on it is just so vulnerable and phenomenal. TTPD feels like a true return to that writing for me and I loved it from first listen!

[@bubumaczko]

"Quick, quick, tell me something awful Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy" It's like the future of Neil Perry in Dead Poets Society. A future so awful he couldn't even imagine it...

[@bubumaczko]

"all you'll ever be is my eternal consolation prize" and this is the viewpoint of Neils father. All he ever be is a consolation for his father's unfulfilled potential and desires. You really pushed me down the rabbit hole with the connection with Dead Poets Society...

[@MissteriousMisstress]

I love love love this quote- it's perfect.

[@tsarinaballerina4]

YES

[@AllySheehan]

omg how dare you make this connection... my HEARTTT

[@moolystark]

I enjoy these deep dives soooo so much!! They are so insightful!!! Thank you for putting so much time and thought into everything you do oh my goodness!🕯️🫶🏻

[@TalkBooksWithBri]

I recently read “We have always lived in the castle” by Shirley Jackson, who was a extremely highly regarded author in mid century American literature. The narrator/ main character, Merricat always describes “if we lived on the moon.” Merricat is clearly a mentally broken child, clearly escaping her traumas through magical thinking! She is witchy and moon-obsessed and “lunar valleys in my mind” always makes me think of that literary reference!

[@saminutter6336]

🕯I will always watch to the end! Thank you for giving us these videos!

[@Purrsephone19]

Just about to paint my nails with new Holo Taco and Ally saves the day with a video to watch! Can't wait for Part 2, I've been waiting for this since i finished part one!

[@Shekoodoo17]

i’m at school rn, just ran a mile (help me i’m so sweaty i hate this) the sigh of RELIEF when i saw the notification bro TY ALLY ILYSM. will be watching this as SOON as i get home omg

[@mateotoro715]

🕯Just loving this incredible videos, never get tired of watching you talk about TS songs, it's just like a nice talk with a friend 🕯❤

[@mymagicat]

Omg I’ve been waiting for this since the beginning but I’ll be patient and not skip to Peter immediately

[@daniellaperez3846]

You've made me appreciate the manuscript sooo much more. Wow. Thank you for these videos! They're truly a gift ❤

[@kristinotten8802]

As a parent, the first time I heard Robin, I didn’t even really understand it but I did find myself sobbing in the car. The feeling of wanting to shield them from the harshness of the world while being responsible for preparing them for the world has a lot of weight to it. And knowing that they will shed a degree of that innocence eventually (because human development) just breaks my heart completely open. It’s a skip for me because it’s so vulnerable to hear. Thanks, Ally! I love your channel! ❤

[@bubblegumnnebula]

Same, with my nephews (which is a similar feeling to yours just on a much smaller scale) I wish they could live in a world that wasn't as cruel as this one. They are too good for this world, and the thought that they will eventually feel deep emotional pain is something I can't think about too deeply or I will have a psychological breakdown. I'm crying even writing this comment lmao

[@indecisis13]

wait, i actually love your interpretation of the opening line of i hate it here! the need to connect with someone deeper makes so much sense in the context of the album itself too! (But if anyone wants to read my actual dissertation about how i interpreted it) i always saw it as kind of her needing the validation that she is not the only one. the duality of her being the biggest pop star of her generation but that coming with some sort of societal expectancy, music is her passion but it's also her main income! and by following that with "all you'll ever be is my eternal consolation prize" i always assumed she meant that knowing she is not the only one is her consolation prize, it does not make her feel less melancholic about it, but she can find *some* comfort in not being alone in this position. she has talked time and time again about feeling isolated because of her fame (1989 grammys, anti hero and so on) comparing herself and others to this poet/finance guy situation might be her way to connect and validate her feelings on her own pretty unique experience. it’s as if she’s saying, "here’s this very specific kind of loneliness or alienation that I feel, but I’ll distill it into something more universal." the "finance guy" represents that feeling of being boxed in by external expectations-whether it’s by a job, societal roles, or by fame itself in her case-while the poet represents the inner creative spirit or emotional self that longs for something more meaningful or fulfilling. By framing it this way, she invites "us" into her world, and even if we can’t understand what it’s like to be Taylor Swift, we can still connect with the feeling of being trapped or constrained by circumstances.

[@QuinnW1014]

🕯I'm getting emotional watching the outro! All the breakdown videos you've made are incredibly insightful. As a Chinese, I'm particularly struck by how you used a Chinese allegory to explain how Taylor's misfortunes shaped her into who she is today. The unimaginable effort you've put into them has helped me understand these songs so much better than I did before. THANK YOU!!!🫶

[@AllySheehan]

aw thank you so much for watching!!

[@awkwardaquarian6239]

"Anything that happened like that was not your fault and was never your fault." I was both looking forward to and dreading your breakdown of The Manuscript. I've been sitting here with my face kind of scrunched up during this section because it just hurts to listen to this song, but hearing you say that felt like a big sister reaching out and giving a big hug, and oh my god I needed that 💔 thank you for being so kind and empathetic as you discuss these kinds of topics - you make your channel a safe place to come back to when life gets really hard. Edit: adding my candle because of course I watched all the way to the end 🕯🕯🕯

[@Alfrodo8]

I knew The Manuscript was about All Too Well (and more specifically the re-recording and the film) immediately when I first listened to it, but what really made me sure of it when I saw people suggest otherwise (which is perfectly fine) was two things: - The Manuscript was released 13 years after she first started writing All Too Well, aka the "manuscript" of the song (2011). In the short film, we see Sadie Sink write the manuscript of her All Too Well book on a red TYPEWRITER and, after a 13-YEAR TIMESKIP, we see red-haired Taylor read the book out to her fans. - The melody of the lines *"like scenes of a show,"* *"said to write what you know,"* etcetera, sounds EXACTLY THE SAME as the melody of the *"yeah, yeah,* red" in the song Red. And I swear the melody of the lines between those reminded me of some other melody off the RED album but I can't remember right now

[@kerrisouth]

Thanks!

[@hanofly]

🕯️loved this! Hope you’re having a great trip ❤

[@capriamoon]

🕯️ I’ll never get tired of analysis this detailed. Absolutely wonderful job!!

[@tragicsimmer]

These were so fun and detailed! Thank you for those videos, Ally. I can't imagine how much work went into them but for sure it was a lot. I was reminded of the reason why I love Taylor's songwriting through these and I'm missing them already. Thank you!!

[@AllySheehan]

Thank you so much!

[@julianadavila344]

The Prophecy, I cry every time… HOW does Taylor manage to put all our feelings into words so perfectly? As a romantic 33 yo, sometimes it’s exhausting waiting for our time to come, while watching many babies being born and happy families… it feels like my time has passed, God has other plans for me… but pleaseee, I want this 🥲 So relatable… And so happy for Taylor for finding that love, a HAPPY one that wanted her even before they met ❤️ It’s inspirational

[@karmasbreeze13]

Wow this feels like closing the TTPD chapter in a way and I’m not sure if I’m happy or sad about it. I stopped counting how many things I’ve learned from you through Taylor but your literature references and callbacks to other songs in Taylor’s discography never fail to amaze me! Can’t wait whatever you have up your sleeve next ♥️🕯️

[@alanahurt1026]

🕯 Girl, I can't ever stop listening until the end it's like you read my thoughts and link them together! Thank you for your perspective that is eerily but happily close to my own thoughts and depicts them so wonderfully it makes me feel less alone in my thoughts. ❤🎉

[@char_the_shark]

the escapism in 'i hate it here' is really interesting as someone with aphantasia. as opposed to images and a rich visual inner world, a lot of it is disappearance into the literal black void inside my head, but also, words echoing in my brain. it's a constant stream of dialogue running in my head (though, who knows if that's the ADHD as well😅) it's comforting, in a sense, as it's all i've ever known. it's so much less overstimulating than real life can be--it's just the comforting, peaceful void, with the bubbling murmur of my inner voice soothing me. i love this song--it's probably one of my favourites. even though my 'garden' isn't visually lush, it *feels* full and warm and free. and even moreso, it's truly mine, as no one else can grasp how it feels.

[@jnvable]

🕯️ thank you for making this album an even richer experience, it has even more meaning / depth now that I’ve watched your videos 🕯️

[@hanaklopfenstein1989]

So excited to listen to the rest of this video as a podcast on the way to school😁

[@EtashaVats]

haha samee 🤍

[@hannahsage8707]

That Chinese prophecy about outlook on life is featured in mine and my daughters’ favorite Bluey episode (the 28 minute, season finale) and when you mentioned it I started tearing up, cause that is my ideal outlook on life and I totally get those vibes from both thanK you aIMee and The Prophecy

[@Roisin647]

Just want to mention, in relation to 'I Hate It Here', the film Midnight in Paris is a good example of escapism and how we can romanticise past eras, followed by reality setting in.

[@AllySheehan]

you're not the first person to mention that in these comments, i'll have to check it out!

[@Roisin647]

@@AllySheehan it's one of my fav movies.

[@UrbanNoizeMusic]

Okay I just had to stop this video 14 minutes in, and say I'm learning so much about Taylor. And so much of who she is makes sense in the present because of her past. You do an exceptional job with connecting the dots and revealing things I otherwise have been clueless about. So thank you ! ❤

[@suwarna_tripathi]

2 minutes is a bit stalker behaviour

[@AllySheehan]

its okay so is two hours on my behalf

[@elfenoortje0338]

3 min from me​@@AllySheehan

[@TanushreeGupta27]

it's ok. she has to know we are obsessed with her ❤️😭

[@elfenoortje0338]

@@TanushreeGupta27 yes😭

[@MissteriousMisstress]

I'm here for and with you😅

[@KnitMomof3]

Wow, you're break down of this album has been extraordinary! It's by far my favorite and I love your videos.

[@geekybooknerd6819]

CONTENT WARNING: domestic abuse and SA I Hate it Here is so special to me because I have chronic pain (mostly migraines), which is linked to one of your perceptions. But my main attachment to it is that my dad was incredibly abusive growing up and I have been no contact with him since I was 16. I would read a lot as a kid as an excuse to stay in my room and avoid whatever emotional explosion would inevitably come if I were spending time in the house with him and would lose myself in those worlds. It has been a coping mechanism I still have as an almost 21 yro woman. The job I have right now to pay tuition that I hate, I'll imagine my life after graduation in a job field that I live and am passionate about. I would just imagine I was in the Percy Jackson universe or Sarah J Maas worlds as a way to make my real world problems seem less intense because the world isn't literally ending, but also a way of distancing myself from them, almost as if it were a close friend going through it instead of me. Genuinely, my run away worlds have saved my life more times then I could really say. The abuse made me stand out to my peers and so I would get bullied a lot and didn't have many friends growing up (we also moved a lot so there wasn't much opportunity to), so I spent a lot of time alone even though I had older brothers, so it was just me and my imagination most of the time. The lines "When they found a better planet, only the gentle survived. I dreamed about it in the dark the night I felt like I might die" made me burst into tears the first time I heard it. I picture a world with the animals and the people who love and nurture those beautiful creatures, no fear of someone hurting you or taking you or violating you. A world where parents protect their children rather than hurt them and peers try and understand you and have empathy rather than destroying you for being different. The dream of that world through some of my darkest times is what got me through it, that there is good in this world and someday there will be a place for all of the good. Specifically the worst parts of my parents' divorce and nights enduring my father's anger and the night I was SA'd and brought back to every moment I had felt small and powerless. I genuinely cannot explain just how much I resonate to this song and appreciate it's existence... like there are other people who resonate the same way and its an unknown bond between us survivors.

[@juliaraem]

Wanting to live in the Percy Jackson universe is so real and relatable.

[@goodperson2884]

I really thankful for this education program!!! I love your thoughts and interpretations TTPD! You talked interesting and good for understanding, and I love your editing skills! I hope to see something like this for the next albums of Taylor)))

[@KenWood3377]

Peter Pan is my favorite novel/play/story of all time and I’m so pleased Taylor wrote this song just for me! But also something that is made obvious in the novel that you don’t know from the movies is that it’s not necessarily Peter choosing not to grow up but he literally can’t because he was raised by fairies in Neverland and so he is kind of doomed to never remember any of his experiences or learn from them and be able to grow (that’s a major simplification. It’s never really explained, but that’s my understanding of it). Which is why I loved the change from “Peter leaving Wendy” to “Peter loosing Wendy” SO MUCH because he is the one that gets left behind and that’s never appreciated. Love WAS lost because perspective could NEVER be earned! And this is because JM Barrie (guy who wrote it) was unfortunately made to suffer through many deaths of loved one. He lost his older brother at a very young age, then a childhood friend, and then two of his own children. Peter sort of represents the spirit of children who die young. Sure, they stay innocent forever and they never had to get their heartbroken or experience the worst of the world. But there’s also something so devastating about a life unlived.

[@AllySheehan]

wow!!! thank you for sharing this

[@kristinelewis5373]

Omg The Bolter is one of my favorite songs and I learned so much about it from you! I can’t wait to grab the book!

[@homesicktown]

as someone who can't picture things in their head I just don't see anything so reading is hard sometimes so instead i relate to I hate it here from escaping into games like stardew valley almost escaping into a life that seems like one I'd love and wish I had and can get in my head with it when I need an out

[@elainenjk]

🕯I just loooove long videos like this with a lot of insights for each song, thank you!!!🕯

[@sarahdeason-hw1yv]

Just want to confirm as an American we do say “cell phone” sometimes shortened to just “phone” and more rarely,but not unheard, shortened to “cell”

[@CrystalCherry13]

i just looove these breakdown videos, they're so relaxing, but they also make me think and love the songs even more❤‍🩹🕯

[@kassidyrice3791]

I will never shut up about how The Prophecy is SOOO NEW MOON CODED.

[@AllySheehan]

OOOH ELABORATE

[@emilymclean2547]

🕯️ this was so insightful and blew my brain away in the best way possible. always a joy to watch your videos!

[@CorinneStephens]

Every time I hear about Taylor Swift getting bullied as a kid it blows my mind all over again. Imagine being a little bully in elementary or middle school and your target grows up to be the most famous and successful person in a generation

[@AllySheehan]

karma is a cat!

[@CorinneStephens]

@@AllySheehan Truly!! I always imagine those bullies having 9 year old daughters who are HUGE Swifties and they have to grin and bear it as they pay scalper prices for the eras tour lol

[@serifrumkin644]

🕯️I love your deep dives into her albums. They're a treat to watch and I always appreciate your kind, interesting, and generous perspective on Taylor and life in general. I especially loved your explanation of The Manuscript. I never connected to the song because I couldn't figure out what it was about, it felt abstract and confusing. But your All Too Well explanation makes so much sense and made me appreciate the song so much more!

[@sarahliu5310]

Its me, hi , the girl who doesn't have Instagram and didn't know that you had the speak now dress for a long time.

[@AllySheehan]

ahha which one! did i show it in this vid?

[@annlny]

🕯️🕯️Always, babes. Loooved the little women reference! I hadn't catch that💗💗

[@MingukFilms]

I always saw the consolation prize as her creativity… not someone. All her secret garden will ever be is a consolation prize and that reminds me of the prophecy. She has it all in her career but she just wants someone who wants her company… and not having that, anything else is the consolation prize

[@AllySheehan]

woww yes i see that!! her career is amazing and she loves it but it comes secondary to having a soulmate to share your life with

[@tinamardt7734]

Yes I had the same image

[@rebeccatorres9092]

🕯️ the final episode of the TTPD deep dive 😢 Another awesome one🫶 Always enjoy your videos Ally, thanks for all you do!

[@saanchi]

1:54:20 WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY SICK ALLY? IT WAS AN HONOR TO BE ON THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU🕯

[@JenniferDonahue702]

All yhe worksheet put into this deep dive, yet I was wishing it wouldn't end. ❤

[@JenniferDonahue702]

🕯 🖤 Thank you for this deepest of dives. It was well worth the wait. I understand even better, now, after your comments on X. Your look at Robin helps me get your post about fame, politics, and TAS Being used by one particular candidate so egregiously -- but by both in ways normal people couldn't endure especially a blast on social media that litterally is why she left the public forum for a year. Here's to the wellbeing of Blondie and civility.

[@13.gorgeous]

My candle is always burning for you Ally 😅🕯 I could listen to her talk forever 😊

[@pst6441]

1:10 no thank YOU for giving us a safe space for discussion

[@bailann]

I learned SO much. Girl, you’re amazing. But also, “Joe, we did it” had me rolling after being so emotional about the discussion of “The Manuscript” 😭😅😆

[@Max30kg]

Thank you so much for making these videos, I’ve been watching every one of them in full🕯️🕯️🕯️