Folklore: Taylor Swift compares herself to Betty Harkness in 'The Last American Dynasty'

Taylor Swift's new album Folklore is here with some age-old connections and new Easter Eggs. In one of the songs from this 8th studio album, Taylor Swift has penned a song about American composer Rebekah Harkness a.k.a. Betty Harkness, titled the last american dynasty. This song is not just a biography about Harkness but also draws a direct comparison between Swift and the owner of Harkness Ballet.

Taylor Swift draws inspiration from Harkness for ‘the last american dynasty’

Taylor Swift has transcended into a musical space where her work speaks for itself. Ever since the songstress set a foot in the music industry with her guitar and personal stories, she disrupted the scene by delivering chart-topping singles and albums. Now, Taylor Swift is on her way to cause a similar disruption with her 8th studio album folklore.

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The singer surprised everybody and dropped this album at midnight EST on July 23, 2020. The moment the album dropped fans were back at work trying to figure out the stories in these songs and its Easter Eggs. One track that particularly stands out from Folklore is the last american dynasty.

Folklore’s most unexpected track is about late Harkness Ballet Company founder Rebekah Harkness a.k.a. Betty Harkness. In the song the last american dynasty, Taylor Swift reflects on Harkness’ life and how her marriage to Standard Oil heir William Harkness helped her escape St. Louis. Soon after her husband’s death, her house in Rhode Island was turned into an inn named “Holiday House”.

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Taylor Swift also compares her life to Rebekah Harkness whether it was about their lavish parties or to the harsh criticism they faced. Taylor Swift who now owns Harkness’ Holiday House in Rhode Island drew this comparison in the lyrics, “Fifty years is a long time/ Holiday House sat quietly on that beach/ Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits/ And then it was bought by me.

Once this bridge ends the chorus of the song connects these stories. It says, “Who knows, if I never showed up, what could’ve been/ There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen/ I had a marvelous time ruining everything”. This chorus is then repeated until the end as the song fades out and puts a final emphasis on Taylor and Rebekah’s life under the spotlight.

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