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Subjects of some of Taylor Swift’s many ‘TTPD’ shout-outs react

By Andrea Dresdale Apr 22, 2024 | 3:30 PM
Beth Garrabrant

Taylor Swift‘s new album, The Tortured Poets Department, name-checks quite a few people, places and things, from a song by the Scottish band The Blue Nile to Stevie Nicks. Many of those entities are now reacting to being mentioned on the biggest album of the year.

As previously reported, Patti Smith thanked Taylor for mentioning her in the album’s title track. The members of The Starting Line have now offered their thanks for the mention they got in the song “The Black Dog.” On it, Taylor sings, “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.”

“We feel flattered and humbled by the reverberations of love that have come back to us as a result of [your mention],” they wrote. “It’s an honor … you didn’t’ have to do that, but you did, and we appreciate it wholeheartedly. Respect!”

Meanwhile, the owners of a London pub called The Black Dog are dealing with a crush of Swifties convinced that their pub is the one that Taylor is singing about. A staff member told the Evening Standard, “This is the Taylor Swift Effect – anything she touches goes viral. We’re super excited … [w]e’re not sure if she [ever] visited. She might have done – we wouldn’t even know. It’s a possibility.”

Finally, the family of late silent screen star Clara Bow told People that they “love” Taylor’s song of the same name, adding that they’re “thankful for Taylor connecting with Clara’s legacy through her songwriting.” They also point out that the makeup Taylor wears in the video for “Fortnight” is reminiscent of Clara’s signature look.

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