I get myself twisted in threads
To meet you at The Alcott
I'd go to the corner in the back
Where you'd always be
And there you are, sittin' as usual
With your golden notebook
Writin' something about someone
Who used to be me
[Chorus: Matt Berninger & Taylor Swift, Matt Berninger]
And the last thing you wanted
Is the first thing I do
I tell you my problems
You tell me the truth
It's the last thing you wanted
It's the first thing I do
I tell you that I think I'm fallin'
Back in love with you
[Verse 2: Matt Berninger, Taylor Swift, Both]
I sit there silently
Waitin' for you to look up (Ah)
I see you smile
When you see it's me
I had to do something
To break into your golden thinking (Ah)
How many times will I do this
And you'll still believe? (Ah)
It's the last thing you wanted
(Tell me, which side are you on, dear?)
It's the first thing you do
(Give me some tips to forget you)
You tell me your problems
(Have I become one of your problems?)
And I tell you the truth
(Could it be easy this once?)
It's the last thing you wanted
(Everything that's mine is a landmine)
It's the first thing I do
(Did my love aid and abet you?)
I tell you that I think I'm fallin'
Back in love with you
[Bridge: Matt Berninger, Taylor Swift]
And I'll ruin it all over
I'll ruin it for you
I'll ruin it all over
And over like I always do
I'll ruin it all over
(Why don't you rain on my parade?)
I'll ruin it for you
(Shred my evening gown)
I'll ruin it all over
(Read my sentence out loud)
And over like I always do
('Cause I love this curse on our house)
It's the last thing I wanted
(Tell me, which side are you on, dear?)
It's the first thing I do
(Give me some tips to forget you)
I tell you my problems
(Have I become one of your problems?)
And you tell me the truth
(Could it be easy this once?)
It's the last thing I wanted
(Everything that's mine is a landmine)
It's the first thing I do
(Did my love aid and abet you?)
I tell you that I think I'm fallin'
Back in love (Back in love)
Back in love with you
[Outro: Taylor Swift]
Back in love with you
About
“The Alcott” is the final single from The National’s ninth studio album First Two Pages of Frankenstein .
Matt Berninger was inspired by his wife, Carin Besser, for the concept of the song and wrote lyrics to the piano-led track. Taylor Swift was invited by Aaron Dessner to contribute and she responded with lyrics to fit a dialogue with Matt’s voice.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
It’s about two people with a long history returning to a place and trying to relive a certain moment in time. It’s got the feeling of a last-ditch effort to hold onto the relationship, but there’s a hint of something positive where you can see the beginnings of a reconnection.
– Matt Berninger via press release
Matt Berninger:
I was imagining a scene—a contained moment and narrative between two people. Someone meeting someone at a place they used to hang out, or maybe the other person wasn’t expecting them, but knew they’d be there. It’s just two people that maybe have a chance to reconnect and maybe they don’t. I wrote and I sent it to Aaron, and when he sent Taylor a few things, she heard that one and was able to instantly get into the mindset of the person I was talking about. So she wrote all her stuff as a response to me, and very much from the perspective of my wife, who I was writing about. So when Carin heard that one, and heard Taylor Swift embodying her character in a song, writing responses to me, that was really fun for everybody. It was a really cool moment. It was like walking down a path and thinking you’re alone, and all of a sudden somebody appears out of nowhere and joins you on this path.
–via Apple Music
- 2.Eucalyptus
- 6.Alien
- 7.The Alcott
- 9.Ice Machines
- 11.Send for Me