Patti Smith Thanks Taylor Swift for Shout-Out in “The Tortured Poets Department”: 'I Was Moved to Be Mentioned’
Swift also name-dropped poet Dylan Thomas, Lucy Dacus from Boygenius and her friend and frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff
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Patti Smith is showing some gratitude to Taylor Swift for her mention in the megastar's new album The Tortured Poets Department.
On Friday, April 19, the “Gloria” singer, 77, shared a pair of photos on Instagram of herself reading a book by Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas — while nodding to Swift’s mention of her in her song “The Tortured Poets Department.”
In the Grammy winner’s title track, she sings, "I laughed in your face and said, 'You're not Dylan Thomas / I’m not Patti Smith / This ain't the Chelsea Hotel / We're modern idiots.' "
Smith's photos were in black and white — seemingly mirroring the style of Swift’s new album. In one snap, she smiled at the camera as she held up Thomas’ book and in a second photo, she appeared to diligently read it while sitting in a chair.
Instagram/thisispattismith
Patti Smith smiles while reading a book on Dylan Thomas in a new Instagram post thanking Taylor SwiftRelated: Everyone Taylor Swift Name-Drops on The Tortured Poets Department, from Charlie Puth to Stevie Nicks
"This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas,” Smith captioned the post. “Thank you, Taylor.”
This isn’t the first time the rock musician, who was an influential member of the punk rock movement in the 1970s, has said positive things about the “Fortnight” singer, 34. She previously discussed Swift’s celebrity status in an interview with The New York Times in 2019.
Instagram/thisispattismith
Patti Smith shares another photo of herself reading a book by Dylan Thomas"She's a pop star who's under tremendous scrutiny all the time, and one can't imagine what that's like," Smith said at the time. "It's unbelievable to not be able to go anywhere, do anything, have messy hair.”
“And I'm sure that she's trying to do something good,” she added. “She's not trying to do something bad. And if it influences some of her avid fans to open up their thoughts, what does it matter?"
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Clara Bow (left) and Taylor SwiftSmith isn’t the first person to respond to Swift’s name-drop in her new album. The pop star also wrote a song called “Clara Bow” after the late actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s. Bow's grandchildren exclusively told PEOPLE that when they first heard the track, they got “chills.”
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“It poetically draws parallels between Clara Bow and Taylor,” they noted of the song, adding that they hope it “inspires the younger generation to learn about Clara’s story and feel inspired by her perseverance.”
Alongside Smith, Bow and Thomas — who is best known for penning the poems "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" and "And Death Shall Have No Dominion” — Swift also name-dropped Lucy Dacus from Boygenius and her friend and frequent music collaborator Jack Antonoff in her new album.
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