The Black Dog
Producers
The Black Dog Lyrics
I am someone who until recent events
You shared your secrets with
And your location, you forgot to turn it off
And so I watch as you walk
Into some bar called The Black Dog
And pierce new holes in my heart
You forgot to turn it off
And it hits me
[Chorus]
I just don't understand
How you don't miss me in The Black Dog
When someone plays "The Starting Line"
And you jump up, but she's too young to know this song
That was intertwined in the magic fabric of our dreaming
Old habits die screaming
[Verse 2]
I move through the world with the heartbroken
My longings stay unspoken
And I may never open up thе way I did for you
And all of those best laid plans
You said I needed a bravе man
Then proceeded to play him
Until I believed it too
And it kills me
I just don't understand
How you don't miss me in the shower
And remember how my rain-soaked body
Was shakin', do you hate me?
Was it hazing? For a cruel fraternity
I pledged and I still mean it
Old habits die screaming
[Bridge]
Six weeks of breathin' clean air
I still miss the smoke
Were you makin' fun of me
With some esoteric joke?
Now I wanna sell my house
And set fire to all my clothes
And hire a priest to come and exorcise my demons
Even if I die screaming
And I hope you hear it
[Chorus]
And I hope it's shitty in The Black Dog
When someone plays "The Starting Line"
And you jump up, but she's too young to know this song
That was intertwined in the tragic fabric of our dreaming
'Cause tail between your legs, you're leavin'
About
“The Black Dog” was announced as a bonus track on THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT as the final bonus track during her second night in Singapore on The Eras Tour.
Fans say this track is connected to the double album released at 2 am, or [THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY] because it is the first track of the album, was announced on the second night of Singapore, and its original cover art is featured on the Anthology cover.
This song covers the emotions after an ex forgets to turn their location off, leading Swift to discover they have been visiting a bar called The Black Dog. Swift becomes confused how they could move on so quickly with a younger ex and not remember the past, repeating that “old habits die screaming”, until revealing that she is the old habit.
Originally, this track was titled “Old Habits Die Screaming”, as revealed in the voice memo edition.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
“The Black Dog” debuted at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the chart week ending of May 4, 2024.
Yes! Taylor would release the “first draft phone memo” of “The Black Dog” on May 17, 2024. In the voice memo, she revealed that the track was originally going to be titled differently:
Hey, so this is called, um, “Old Habits Die Screaming.”
- 1.Fortnight
- 4.Down Bad
- 8.Florida!!!
- 12.loml
- 15.The Alchemy
- 16.Clara Bow
- 17.The Black Dog
- 19.The Albatross
- 21.How Did It End?
- 22.So High School
- 23.I Hate It Here
- 26.The Prophecy
- 27.Cassandra
- 28.Peter
- 29.The Bolter
- 30.Robin
- 31.The Manuscript