Who is Joe Alwyn and why are the lyrics of the song ‘So long London’ said to be about him?

Taylor Swift released her newest album “The Tortured Poets Department” at midnight, and it came as no surprise that some songs on the album would be about her ex of six years, English actor Joe Alwyn.

RELATED: Taylor Swift’s six-year relationship with ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn: a timeline

In her 2009 album “Lover”, she wrote a song called “London Boy”, a cheerful and upbeat song that is also said to be about Alwyn. The couple began their relationship during a time when Swift was a bit more in the shadows than she is now, but called it quits in spring 2023. Those close to Swift stated that much of the reason for the breakup was because Alwyn struggled to deal with her high profile and fame. Their relationship, in stark contrast to her current one with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was mostly kept private.

So Long London: A goodbye to Alwyn

In her new album, she’s written a song called “So Long London”, which is a much sadder song, and seemingly a goodbye to Alwyn. Like “London Boy” was on “Lover”, “So Long London” is the fifth song on “The Tortured Poets Department”. London is the place where Alwyn grew up and where he and Swift spent a lot of time together. Some of the lyrics to “London Boy”: “Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates” and “You can find me in the pub, we are watching rugby with his school friends.”

By contrast, in the first verse of “So Long London”, Swift talks about someone drifting away and her attempts to keep him from drifting becoming weaker over time until she eventually gave up.

“I kept calm and carried the weight of the rift, pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away. My spine split from carrying us up the hill. Wet through my clothes, weary bones caught the chill. I stopped trying to make him laugh, stopped trying to drill the safe.”

The lyrics later on reference that the relationship is essentially dead: “I stopped CPR’ after all it’s no use. The spirit was gone, we would never come to.” They also mention that the other person might have blamed her for giving up, or as she puts it, “abandoning ship”, but she insists it was no use: “I was going down with it. My white knuckle dying grip holding tight to your quiet resentment.”

Towards the end of the song, we see a reflection on the relationship once it’s ended. “You swore that you loved, me but where were the clues? I died on the altar waiting for the proof. You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days. And I’m just getting color back into my face. I’m just mad as hell cause I loved this place for, So long, London.”

Six years is indeed a long time to love a “place” ...or a person. The very last lyrics of the song seem to be acceptance that she’s “not the one”, but that he will “find someone”, which appears that she still wants the best for Alwyn despite some feelings of anger and resentment.

Full lyrics to Taylor Swift’s “So Long London”