Taylor Swift recently discussed the meaning behind her track “My Boy Breaks All His Favorite Toys” from her “The Tortured Poets Department” album. She explained that the song is a metaphor for a damaged relationship that someone is trying to salvage and return to its former glory. The song is told from the perspective of a child’s toy that was once cherished by someone until it was broken and discarded, mirroring how many people feel in relationships where they were once valued but are now neglected or mistreated.
In the chorus of the song, Swift sings about how her boy breaks his favorite toys, including sand castles that she builds only to have them destroyed. The lyrics suggest that she knew the relationship was doomed from the start but was hopeful that things would change. The track doesn’t specifically reference any particular relationship, leaving fans to speculate about whether it is about her past partners such as Joe Alwyn or Matty Healy.
While some fans believe that the song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is about Healy, the frontman of the 1975 band, because of the lyrics referencing a person in a “Jehovah’s Witness suit,” there is no confirmation from Swift herself. Their relationship was highly publicized and criticized for Healy’s controversial past, which may have influenced the content of her songs about him. Other tracks on the album, such as “Down Bad,” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” “But Daddy I Love Him,” and “Fortnight,” are also speculated to be about Healy.
Since her split from Healy, Swift has moved on with NFL star Travis Kelce, whom she has been dating since last July. References to him can be found in her songs “So High School” and “The Alchemy,” which seemingly detail moments from his life such as his Super Bowl win. An insider has shared that Kelce is “in awe” of Swift, suggesting that their relationship is going well. Despite the speculation about her past relationships and the inspiration behind her songs, Swift continues to release music that resonates with fans and showcases her emotional depth and vulnerability.
