[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/05\/10\/the-tortured-poets-department-for-work-ttpd-lyrics-and-tracks\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/05\/10\/the-tortured-poets-department-for-work-ttpd-lyrics-and-tracks\/","headline":"Could someone give a message to the smallest man who ever lived: The Tortured Poets Department songs for work","name":"Could someone give a message to the smallest man who ever lived: The Tortured Poets Department songs for work","description":"\"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean:\" welcome to The Tortured Poets songs for work, where the vocal stylings of Taylor Swift are served up with a corporate twist. ","datePublished":"2024-05-10","dateModified":"2025-03-20","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/#Person","name":"Jenn Vande Zande","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/","identifier":229,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef76ed873963201b65acc65a3cb353caa294225a4e9a8427f011077842dd955c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef76ed873963201b65acc65a3cb353caa294225a4e9a8427f011077842dd955c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/The-Tortured-Poets-Department-for-Work-FTR.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/The-Tortured-Poets-Department-for-Work-FTR.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/05\/10\/the-tortured-poets-department-for-work-ttpd-lyrics-and-tracks\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/","name":"Customer Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_experience","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q984142"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-experience\/employee-engagement\/","name":"Employee Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Employee_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q14937678"]},"Employee Experience & Engagement","Real Talk: Mental Health, Well-Being, and Laughter",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/purpose\/thought-leadership\/","name":"Thought Leadership","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thought_leader"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/trends-commerce\/","name":"Trends","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fad","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q787045"]}],"wordCount":3459,"keywords":["Employee Experience","Thought Leadership"],"articleBody":"Taylor Swift has been a very busy woman. In 2023, amid her Eras Tour, Swift became the first singer to achieve billionaire status solely through her music and concerts. Unbeknownst to anyone but a trusted few, while on her record-breaking tour she was also recording a new album, a secret she shared with the world while accepting one of the two Grammy awards she won in 2024.With the release of The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD), an obstreperous anthology that’s equally recalcitrant and remorseful, she’s entered a legion of legendary lyricists and logophiles, breaking records held by the Beatles and selling out stadiums around the globe.There are people who seek to write off Swift’s work as simply that of a lover scorned; a stunted soliloquist on an eternal, looping sojourn of sorrow borne of the betrayal of men. In certain respects, they’re correct; she often sings of the treachery and treason tied to romantic relationships. However, those same atrocities also occur outside of the confines of romantic entanglements; one might argue it’s the mark of an unenlightened mind that tries to contain Swift’s melodies to the realm of amorous affairs.The greatest betrayals and heartbreaks we can experience aren’t limited to liaisons among lovers \u2013 they also arrive in various ways we’d seldom anticipate: a whisper about you from the lips of a colleague overheard, your life’s work plagiarized and plundered, promotions denied and awarded to those less deserving. These are the things that Swift is singing \u2013 and sometimes screaming \u2013 about in The Tortured Poets Department.Her collaborations with artists and actors are forefront in TTPD \u2013 her first song, Fortnight, features Post Malone on vocals and the cast of The Dead Poets Society in the video.This content is hosted by a third party ( www.youtube.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowA nemophilist with a penchant for lyrical forests leaning dark and mournful, Swift surfaces feminine rage throughout TTPD and doesn’t back away from the emotions while performing, allowing her anguish and anger the space to breathe fire while unrepentantly calling out the gaslighting she’s encountered professionally:This content is hosted by a third party ( twitter.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowEvery beat on The Tortured Poets Department has meaning: you can feel the pain of blows delivered, the devastation of being blindsided by bullets of betrayal, fired from the metaphorical guns of enemies she once considered her closest companions and coworkers:This content is hosted by a third party ( www.tiktok.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThe Tortured Poets Department songs: The tracksTTPD: The Anthology was dropped in two parts, the first at midnight on April 19, 2024, then, just as fans were picking themselves up from the emotional rollercoaster of the first 16 songs, \u2013 without explanation \u2013 the second half of the album was released at 2:00 a.m., delivering an additional 17 songs:FortnightThe Tortured Poets DepartmentMy Boy Only Breaks His Favorite ToysDown BadSo Long, LondonBut Daddy I Love HimFresh Out the SlammerFlorida!!!Guilty as Sin?Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)lomlI Can Do It With A Broken HeartThe Smallest Man Who Ever LivedThe AlchemyClara BowThe Black DogimgonnagetyoubackThe AlbatrossChloe or Sam or Sophia or MarcusHow Did It EndSo High SchoolI Hate It HerethanK you aIMeeI Look in People’s WindowsThe ProphecyCassandraPeterThe BolterRobinThe ManuscriptAnd, without further ado, let’s explore The Tortured Poets Department for work:Are you ready for it? \ud83d\udc0dFortnight“All of this to say I hope that you’re okay” \u2013 When you’re finally able to hit “send” on an email to a coworker that’s going through a difficult time.“And no one here’s to blame \/ But what about your quiet treason?” \u2013 Asking a valid question of a teammate who didn’t speak up on your behalf while you or your work were discussed disparagingly.“All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February” \u2013 The winter doldrums… amirite?“My husband is cheating \/ I wanna kill him” \u2013 A response guaranteed to end inane questions being asked of you in those painful opening moments of a call while “giving everyone a few minutes to join.”“I love you, it’s ruining my life” \u2013 You to your laptop while taking on more work after promising yourself you wouldn’t.” ‘Nother fortnight lost in America” \u2013 The rounds of prep calls where, in reality, little prep has been done so you need to circle back.“Thought of callin’ ya, but you won’t pick up” \u2013 Opening line rage-typed because a coworker appears unable to reply to emails or show up to meetings.The Tortured Poets Department“I think some things I never say”\u2013 When your manager asks you what your greatest accomplishment at work is.“But you’re in self-sabotage mode \/ Throwing spikes down on the road” \u2013 The heart-to-heart you have to sometimes have with your coworker who is going off the rails.“You smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolate” \u2013 … then wrote this post.“Everyone we know understands why it’s meant to be \/ ‘Cause we’re crazy” \u2013 Sung at full volume to your work bestie on repeat.My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys“Oh, here we go again \/ The voices in his head” \u2013 Teams message sent to your sub-group as your nemesis begins talking.“My boy only breaks his favorite toys \/ I’m queen of sand castles he destroys” \u2013 IT as they’re replacing a laptop\/phone\/tablet that’s been … solution tested against a wall.“Once I fix me \/ He’s gonna miss me” \u2013 Mutterings to yourself as you rage-apply for a job that you have zero intention of taking, it just makes you feel better in the moment.Down Bad“Now I’m down bad crying at the gym \/ Everything comes out teenage petulance” \u2013 Drafting mental replies that will need some finessing while working out.“I might just die, it would make no difference” \u2013 Your work bestie going through it while you sit and nod your head understandingly.“I loved your hostile takeovers” \u2013 There’s a reason we all loved the show Succession; enough said.So Long, London“My spine split from carrying us up the hill” \u2013 When you finally lose it to your team after weeks\/months\/years of working long hours.“How much sad did you think I had in me \/ Oh, the tragedy” \u2013 Asking someone why they thought you’d put up with their poor behavior forever.“I founded the club she’s heard great things about”\u2013 When you decide to let others on the call know that it was you, not [insert name of person attempting to take credit for your work] who is responsible for the outcomes.“And you say I abandoned the ship \/ But I was going down with it” \u2013 When you’re explaining to your team why you have to move on.“Just how low did you \/ Think I’d go ‘fore I’d self implode \/ ‘Fore I’d have to go be free?” \u2013 When you’re explaining to HR why you had to move on.“I’m just mad as hell ’cause I loved this place”\u2013 When you’re filling out your exit interview survey.But Daddy I Love Him“I forget if this was ever fun” \u2013 That moment when you wonder if you ever felt fulfilled by your role.“I just learned these people only raise you to cage you” \u2013 When you ascend to a certain level, but can never seem to move beyond.“No, I’m not coming to my senses” \u2013 When you’ve met the professional hill that you’re willing to die upon.“I’ll tell you something right now \/ I’d rather burn my whole life down \/ Than listen to one more second of all this b*tching and moaning”\u2013 IT after they’ve rolled out an update that wasn’t warmly received.“Time, doesn’t it give some perspective?” \u2013 Your mentor to you when you have one of those wonderful moments when everything feels right in the world.Fresh Out the Slammer“Fresh out the slammer \/ I know who my first call will be to … “ \u2013 When you’ve finished mandatory training and are dying to know what happened in a meeting among warring teams.“But it’s gonna be alright. I did my time.” \u2013 Returning from a fellowship.“Ain’t no way I’m gonna screw up \/ Now that I know what’s at stake” \u2013 You to your boss, assuring them that you’ll get the job done … while wondering how you’ll get the job done.Florida!!!“So you work your life away \/ Just to pay for a timeshare down in Destin” \u2013 #Retirement(lol-what’sthat)Goals.“Yes, I’m haunted but I’m feeling just fine” \u2013 Assuring your work buddy that you’re going to be okay after a call goes off wildly off course.“Well, no one asks any questions here” \u2013 Explaining the real crux of the problem to your manager.“Tell me I’m despicable, say it’s unforgivable” \u2013 Mentally goading your work enemy along.“Florida is one hell of a drug \/ Florida!!!”Guilty as Sin?“Am I allowed to cry?” \u2013 Appropriate question when you hop on a call and see your boss and an HR rep.“Someone told me \/ There’s no such thing as bad thoughts \/ Only your actions talk”\u2013 The leadership gap explained in a lyric.“What if I roll the stone away? \/ They’re gonna crucify me anyway”\u2013 Knowing that you’re in a lose-lose situation.Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?“The who’s who of “Who’s that?” is poised for the attack \/ But my bare hands paved their paths” \u2013 Watching a competitor plagiarize your work, nearly word-for-word, then rank above you in search.“You don’t get to tell me you feel bad” \u2013 Not accepting the unacceptable behavior of a coworker.“\u2026 Is it a wonder I broke \/ Let’s hear one more joke \/ Then we could all just laugh until I cry” \u2013 When you’re the ongoing victim of workplace mobbing.“So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street \/ Crash the party like a record scratch as I scream \/ “Who’s afraid of little old me?” \/ You should be”\u2013 The. moment. you. finally. have. had. enough.“I was tame, I was gentle ’til the circus life made me mean” \u2013 Anyone remember the innocent youth you once were upon entering corporate? Thought so.“You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me”: I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)“The jokes that he told across the bar \/ Were revolting and far too loud” \u2013 No explainer needed.“And I could see it from a mile away \/ A perfect case for my certain skillset” \u2013 Pitching yourself for a promotion.“Trust me, I can handle me a dangerous man” \u2013 Assuring your boss you can handle a meeting with sales.loml“I said, “I don’t mind, it takes time” \/ I thought I was better safe than starry-eyed” \u2013 Trying to be gracious when you discover you didn’t get the role you wanted.“Who’s gonna tell me the truth” \u2013 Trying to get to the bottom of workplace drama.“What we thought was for all time, was momentary”:“You were the loss of my life” \u2013 Dear Reader, you’re not alone if you’ve found yourself overcome at times with nostalgic longings for the work and possibilities you’ve left behind.This content is hosted by a third party ( www.tiktok.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowI Can Do It With A Broken Heart“‘Cause I’m a real tough kid, I can handle my sh*t \/ They said, “Babe, you gotta fake it ’til you make it” and I did” \u2013 “How are you?” “Great, thanks.” (said 1.2 seconds after wiping tears away and forcing a smile).“Breaking down, I hit the floor \/ All the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, “More” ” \u2013 That moment when you’re asked to deliver more by Monday, but it’s Friday night and you’ve worked over 60 hours already.“I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art”\u2013 A line to consider for your LinkedIn “About Me” summary.“You know you’re good when you can even do it \/ With a broken heart” \u2013 Trying to carry on after people you truly loved at work have been impacted by layoffs.“‘Cause I’m miserable \/ And nobody even knows” \u2013 Trust me … they usually know.“Try and come for my job”\u2013 A message to those in the gallery from those in the arena.The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived“Who the hell was that guy?” \u2013 Question in Teams after an unfamiliar face shows up on a call and begins telling you how to do your jobs.“Were you sent by someone \/Who wanted me dead? \/Did you sleep with a gun underneath our bed? \/Were you writing a book? \/Were you a sleeper cell spy? \/In 50 years will all this be declassified? \/And you’ll confess why you did it and I’ll say, “Good riddance””\u2013 Professional betrayals are real; that is all.“I would’ve died for your sins, instead, I just died inside \/ And you deserve prison, but you won’t get time \/ You’ll slide into inboxes \/ And slip through the bars”\u2013 Don’t ask women why we’re screaming these lyrics, but rather research why we resoundingly choose the bear.“You kicked out the stage lights \/ But you’re still performing” \u2013 When an event goes haywire and you’re so shooketh that you have to say aloud what you’re witnessing.“And in plain sight you hid \/ But you are what you did \/ And I’ll forget you, but \/ I’ll never forgive \/ The smallest man who ever lived.”This content is hosted by a third party ( www.tiktok.com ).To view the content, either update your cookie preferences or view it in a new browser window.Cookie PreferencesNew WindowThe Alchemy“Call the amateurs and \/ Cut ’em from the team \/ Ditch the clowns, get the crown \/ Baby I’m the one to beat” \u2013 Sales to other sales staff, I assume.“But I’m making a comeback to where I belong” \u2013 Having to leave your place of employment only so you can come back again at a higher level.“This happens once every few lifetimes” \u2013 Those rare, beautiful moments when you have an amazing team and believe it might always be so.Clara Bow“I’m not trying to exaggerate” \u2013 … but you know he will.“No one in my small town \/ Thought I’d see the lights of Manhattan”\u2013 When you grew up on a dirt road, but work in Hudson Yards now.“Take the glory, give everything \/ Promise to be dazzling” \u2013 Words of advice to mentees.“Them’s the breaks, they don’t come gently” \u2013 Words of solace to mentees.The Black Dog“I am someone who, until recent events \/ You shared your secrets with” \u2013 When you start to suspect your coworker is interviewing for other jobs.“Old habits die screaming”\u2013 Forgetting your new password, again.imgonnagetyouback“Whether I’m gonna be your wife or \/ Gonna smash up your bike, I \/ Haven’t decided yet” \u2013 When the networking at an event just hits.“Push the reset button, we’re becoming something new” \u2013 Transformation, synergies, change is constant, hurrah!The Albatross“You’re in terrible danger” \u2013 Giving the tea to your work bestie after you learn that someone is coming for their job.“And I tried to warn you about them” \u2013 Consoling your coworker after they trusted the wrong person.“I’m the albatross \/ I swept in at the rescue \/ The devil that you know \/ Looks now more like an angel” \u2013 When they swear they’re doing their jobs, but somehow at the last minute you’re called in again to get things across the finish line.Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus“You said some things that I can’t unabsorb” \u2013 The work call gets interesting.“I changed into goddesses, villains, and fools” \u2013 Explaining how you’ve lasted this long in corporate.How Did It End?“We hereby conduct this post-mortem” \u2013 The dreaded debrief call.“We were blind to unforeseen circumstances” \u2013\u00a0 Leadership trying to explain what happened … despite all the data, signals, and warnings previously provided to them.“Lost the game of chance, what are the chances?” \u2013 Actually the chances are quite high.“Say it once again with feelingHow the death rattle breathingSilenced as the soul was leavingThe deflation of our dreamingLeaving me bereft and reelingMy beloved ghost and meSitting in a treeD-Y-I-N-G”\u2013 Recognizing that a professional era and personal dream are nearing the end.So High School“I’m hearing voices like a madman” \u2013 On a 7:00 am call after pulling an all-nighter.“You already know, babe” \u2013 Response when your work bestie asks how bad things are.I Hate It Here“Tell me something awful \/ Like you are a poet trapped inside the body of a finance guy” \u2013 {full body shudder}“I don’t believe in good luck \/ Now that I know what’s what” \u2013 Experience trumps experts without expertise every time.“I’m bitter but I swear I’m fine” \u2013 Assuring HR you can keep calm and carry on.“This place made me feel worthless” \u2013 A sad but common tale.thanK you aIMee“All that time you were throwing punches \/ I was building something”\u2013 Fending off the gallery while you’re in the arena.“And it wasn’t a fair fight, or a clean kill” \u2013 That organizational mobbing thing again.“I built a legacy that you can’t undo” \u2013 Work as though your reputation precedes and follows you \u2013 it does.I Look in People’s Windows“I’m afflicted by the not knowing” \u2013 The awful anxiety that most corporate employees deal with today.“What are the chances you’d be downtown” \u2013 If someone asks you this, immediately say you’ve got interference on the line and hang up. Trust me.The Prophecy“Thought I caught lightning in a bottle \/ Oh, but it’s gone again” \u2013 When you had a great idea and think you’ll be able to remember it in five minutes.“Spending my last coin so someone will tell me \/ It’ll be ok” \u2013 Whyyy can’t we have universal healthcare?“Who do I have to speak to \/ To change the prophecy?” \u2013 When leadership has made a decision that you know is going to come back and haunt you all.Cassandra“When the truth comes out it’s quiet” \u2013 The miracle of failing upward.“They knew the whole time \/ That I was onto somethin'” \u2013 When you suddenly get moved to a new team after raising concerns.“You can mark my words that I said it first \/ In a mourning warning no one heard”\u2013 The lyrical version of “and I was right.”Peter“Forgive me Peter \/ My lost fearless leader”\u2013 \ud83d\udc94“We said it was just goodbye for now” \u2013 The only way that you’re able to walk away from work friends who you rarely see.“But the woman who sits by the window has turned out the light” \u2013 That sad, broken feeling when you realize it’s time to move on.The Bolter“Splendidly selfish, charmingly helpless \/ Excellent fun ’til you get to know her” \u2013 Wait a minute … was there a breach of employee files?“But it always ends up with a Town Car speeding \/ Out the drive one evening” \u2013 Every work trip ever.“You can be sure \/ That as she was leaving \/ It felt like freedom” \u2013 That confusing array of contrasting emotions as you’re departing one job for another.Robin“The time will arrive for the cruel and the mean \/ You’ll learn to bounce back just like your trampoline” \u2013 The corporate cycle.“Way to go, Tiger” \u2013 Words said to you that you can’t quite decipher: were they being sarcastic or supportive?The Manuscript“And the years passed \/ Like scenes of a show” \u2013 Really, they do.“And the tears fell \/ In synchronicity with the score \/ And at last \/ She knew what the agony had been for” \u2013 There’s no great accomplishment without great sacrifice, and that’s the simple, brutal truth.“Now and then I reread the manuscript \/ But the story isn’t mine anymore” "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"05","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/\/05\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"10","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/\/05\/\/10\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Could someone give a message to the smallest man who ever lived: The Tortured Poets Department songs for work","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2024\/05\/10\/the-tortured-poets-department-for-work-ttpd-lyrics-and-tracks\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]