Staff and punters at The Black Dog in Vauxhall got a bit of a shock over the weekend, as they suddenly found the pub inundated with visitors. The reason? The pub was namechecked in Taylor Swift’s new album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.
Swift released the album on 19 April, only to reveal a few hours later that it was in fact a double album, totalling 31 tracks. Opening up the tracklist for side two is ‘The Black Dog’, a track which Swift’s eagle-eyed fans quickly realised was a reference to a Vauxhall pub of the same name.
In the track, she sings: ‘And your location, you forgot to turn it off. And so I watch as you walk into some bar called The Black Dog, and pierce new holes in my heart.’ The lyrics are thought to be a reference to ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn, who lives in the same area as the pub.
Hundreds of Swifties have been popping into the pub since, forcing the packed pub to turn people away on the Friday of release. The pub has embraced its newfound fandom, though – the team was offering half pints of Black Dog lager to fans who quoted lyrics from the new song at the bar, and has promised to give away free half pints all week to anyone who orders food. Scroll through The Black Dog’s Instagram and you’ll see Taylor fans are already planning visits to the pub for later this year.
‘This is the Taylor Swift Effect – anything she touches goes viral,’ said staff member Amy Cowley, (via the Standard). ‘We’re super excited. It was a great atmosphere last night with the fans.’
‘We’re not sure if she visited. She might have done – we wouldn’t even know. It’s a possibility but it’s great to keep her fans in suspense.’
With Swift due to perform at Wembley Stadium in June and August this year, The Black Dog has a busy summer ahead.
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