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So High School

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

“So High School” is track twenty-two on THE ANTHOLOGY, the double album edition of Taylor’s eleventh studio album, THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (2024). It was released on April 19, 2024, through Republic Records.

Background

Taylor released her tenth studio album, Midnights, on October 21, 2022, to widespread commercial and critical success, becoming the biggest album of the year. Midnights was eventually nominated for six Grammy Awards at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024. The morning of the ceremony, Taylor teased the release of an album by changing her profile picture across all social media platforms to a black and white version of the already existing cover artwork of Midnights. This led to her fans speculating online that she was preparing to release reputation (Taylor’s Version), a forthcoming re-recording of her sixth studio album, reputation (2017). Taylor’s website also appeared to have crashed, replaced with the non-existent HTTP status code 321, as well as error code “hneriergrd”, which fans deciphered to be an anagram spelling “red herring”. They also analyzed the source code of her website and found hidden, foreign-language words, which they then translated into English. The words found would be revealed to be words in Taylor’s handwritten note for the album.

Taylor won the Grammy Awards for “Best Pop Vocal Album” and “Album of the Year” for Midnights a few hours later. 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.

Live Performances

Starting with the European leg, which kicked off in May 2024, Taylor added “So High School” to the regular setlist for her sixth headlining tour, “The Eras Tour” (2023-2024). On July 6, 2024, she also performed it as an acoustic surprise song in Amsterdam, as part of a mashup with “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” (2006) and “Everything Has Changed” (2012). Travis was in attendance.

Lyrics

[Intro]
I feel so high school
Every time I look at you
I wanna find you in a crowd
Just to hide from you

[Chorus]
And in a blink of a crinkling eye
I’m sinking, our fingers entwined
Cheeks pink in the twinkling lights
Tell me ’bout the first time you saw me
I’ll drink what you think and I’m high
From smoking your jokes all damn night
The brink of a wrinkle in time
Bittersweet sixteen suddenly

[Post-Chorus]
I’m watching American Pie
With you on a Saturday night
Your friends are around, so be quiet
I’m trying to stifle my sighs
Cause I feel so high school
Every time I look at you
But look at you

[Verse 1]
Are you gonna marry, kiss, or kill me?
It’s just a game, but really
I’m betting on all three for us two
Get my car door, isn’t that sweet?
Then pull me to thе backseat
No onе’s ever had me
Not like you

[Bridge]
Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand-new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto
It’s true, swear, scout’s honor
You knew what you wanted
And boy, you got her
Brand-new, full throttle
You already know, babe

[Verse 2]
I feel like laughing in the middle of practice
Do that impression you did of your dad again
I’m hearing voices like a madman

[Chorus]
And in a blink of a crinkling eye
I’m sinking, our fingers entwined
Cheeks pink in the twinkling lights
Tell me ’bout the first time you saw me
I’ll drink what you think, and I’m high
From smoking your jokes all damn night
The brink of a wrinkle in time
Bittersweet sixteen suddenly

[Outro]
Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand-new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto
It’s true, swear, scout’s honor
You knew what you wanted
And boy, you got her
Brand-new, full throttle
You already know, babe
You already know, babe