Home » Albums » THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT » Songs on THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT » I Look in People’s Windows

I Look in People's Windows

Bonus Track | THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT: THE ANTHOLOGY (2024)

“I Look in People’s Windows” is track twenty-five on THE ANTHOLOGY, the double album edition of Taylor’s eleventh studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (2024). The lyrics depict a narrator who finds themselves obsessively looking into the windows of strangers, hoping to catch a glimpse of a past lover.

Background

Taylor released her tenth studio album, Midnights, on October 21, 2022, to widespread commercial and critical success. It was eventually nominated for six awards at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. That night, Taylor won the categories for “Best Pop Vocal Album” and “Album of the Year” for Midnights. In her acceptance speech for the former, she revealed a new studio album, titled THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, and announced its release date of April 19, 2024, which she had been keeping secret for nearly two years. Its cover artwork was subsequently posted on her social media accounts, along with a photograph of a handwritten note.

“I Look in People’s Windows” is part of the surprise double-album, THE ANTHOLOGY, which was released on April 19, shortly after the album’s standard edition.

Lyrical Theme

“I Look in People’s Windows” captures the universal feeling of wondering about the people we leave behind, making it a poignant reflection on human connections and the sometimes painful curiosity that accompanies lost love. Taylor explores the aftermath of a breakup, reminiscing about fleeting moments and yearning for what could have been. Despite the physical distance, she finds herself drawn to the hope of encountering the person again by chance. By observing other people’s lives, she is imagining scenarios where they might cross paths one more time.

The act of looking through strangers’ windows serves as a metaphor for the desire to understand and reconnect with a part of one’s life that remains unclear and out of reach. The imagery of “rose golden glows” and connection experienced by others (like “Christmas parties”) serve as a warm contrast to the cold detachment felt by the narrator. This juxtaposition enhances the sense of loneliness and the voyeuristic nature of the narrator’s actions, as they remain an outsider peering into the lives of others.

Live Performance

“I Look in People’s Windows” received its first live performance acoustically on piano on May 29, 2024, in Madrid during one of Taylor’s shows on “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). She mashed it up with “Snow On The Beach” (2022).

Commercial Performance

Upon the release of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, “I Look in People’s Windows” debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 during, the chart week ending on May 4, 2024.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I had died the tiniest death
I spied the catch in your breath
Out, out, out, out, out, out
North bound I got carried away
As you boarded your train
South, south, south, south, south, south

[Pre-Chorus 1]
A feather taken by the wind blowing
I’m afflicted by the not knowing so

[Chorus 1]
I look in people’s windows
Transfixed by rose golden glows
They have their friends over to drink nice wine
I look in people’s windows
In case you’re at their table
What if your eyes looked up and met mine
One more time

[Verse 2]
You had stopped and tiltеd your head
I still ponder what it meant now, now
Now, now, now, now
I triеd searching faces on streets
What are the chances you’d be downtown
Downtown, downtown

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Does it feel alright to not know me?
I’m addicted to the ‘if only’

[Chorus 2]
So I look in people’s windows
Like I’m some deranged weirdo
I attend Christmas parties from outside
I look in people’s windows
In case you’re at their table
What if your eyes looked up and met mine
One more time