Stevie Nicks Writes Opening Poem for Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’
Stevie Nicks has officially entered the TTPD chat.
The Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, 75, penned the opening prologue poem for Taylor Swift’s latest studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, which was released on Friday, April 19. Fans who purchased the vinyl or CD copy were treated to Nicks’ handwritten words in the insert, alongside a simple dedication: “For T and me….”
"He was in love with her / Or at least she thought so / She was brokenhearted / Maybe he was too," Nicks began. “Neither of them knew / She was way too hot to handle / He was way too high to try / He couldn't even see her.”
The poem explored a doomed relationship, calling it “almost a tragedy.” Nicks added, “He really can't answer her / He's afraid of her / He's hiding from her / And he knows that he's hurting her.”
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Nicks’ contribution shouldn’t come as a surprise to fans who have followed the famed singer’s friendship with Swift, 34, over the years. In 2010, the “Landslide” artist penned a tribute to Swift for TIME Magazine’s TIME 100 series, recounting the pair’s performance together at the Grammys that same year.
“She's 20 years old, 5 ft. 11 in. and slender; I'm 40 years older and, to be frank, neither of the other two things! I was not about to stand next to this girl on national television,” Nicks wrote. “But her little face just lights up like a star, and I couldn't say no.”
She went on to applaud Swift for her songwriting abilities, which she compared to the likes of Neil Diamond and Elton John. “Taylor can do ballads that could be considered pop or rock and then switch back into country,” Nicks noted. “When I turned 20 years old, I had just made the serious decision to never be a dental assistant. Taylor just turned 20, and she's won four Grammys.”
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More recently, the “Go Your Own Way” singer shared what she’s creatively imparted on Swift while speaking to TODAY in October 2023. Nicks noted that she’s always honest when it comes to her own songwriting, a trait Swift has been known to closely embody.
“I think that’s something that if Taylor Swift, who is my friend, if Taylor got anything from me, that’s what she got,” Nicks said. “I don’t ever lie in my songs — if you broke up with me, I don’t put I broke up with you. I tell the truth, always.”
Swift showcased her trademark honesty on TTPD and the double album, The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, both of which dropped on Friday. While many fans expected Swift to shed light on her split from Joe Alwyn, whom she dated for six years, the majority of the new songs explore Swift’s brief fling with The 1975 singer Matty Healy.
Swift even name-drops Nicks on her song "Clara Bow," singing in the second verse, "You look like Stevie Nicks in ‘75, the hair and lips . Crowd goes wild at her fingertips, half moon shine a full eclipse / I’m not trying to exaggerate but I think I might die if I made it / Die if I made it."
