Taylor Swift’s Transition From 'Smallest Man' To ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’ Has A Gut-Wrenching Meaning

10 May 2024, 16:28 | Updated: 10 May 2024, 16:57

Taylor Swift has embarked on the next leg of The Eras Tour, complete with new songs from ‘The Tortured Poets Department’, and the segue between two of the songs is a heartbreaking one.

Taylor Swift has officially incorporated ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ into The Eras Tour, adding ‘But Daddy I Love Him’, ‘So High School’, ‘Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?’, ‘Down Bad’, ‘Fortnight’, ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ and ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’, many of which are thought to be about her exes Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy as well as new boyfriend Travis Kelce.

Along with a revamped set list, Taylor’s got a brand new wardrobe and loads of new performance set ups to set the scene of her ‘TTPD’ additions.

And the transition between ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ and ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’ has left fans heartbroken as they realise the deeper meaning behind the transition.

• Read more: Taylor Swift Explains Why Folklore And Evermore Are Combined On The Eras Tour
• Read more: Taylor Swift Cuts Six Songs From Eras Tour Setlist: See The Full List

Taylor ends ’Smallest Man’ by collapsing on the floor, as if she’s had a shot to her heart, and some of her marching band collapse around her too. Moments later, she’s then carried to a sofa by two aides, propped up like a puppet and dressed in a sparkly jacket and heels.

Looking as though she’s terrified to continue performing, the other two performers encourage her to proceed with the show and as soon as she steps into the limelight she snaps into ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’.

The hyperbole of it all, we simply cannot cope.

After clips of the transition went viral on TikTok within hours of her first Paris show, fans flooded social media with their reactions.

“The breakdown from the smallest man who ever lived to them forcing her to get ready to her prancing around to i can do it with a broken heart she is absolutely emotional support pop starring [sic],” one fan wrote on X.

“Can we talk about the meaning of this? her ‘dying’ at the end of smallest man, then doing THIS intro into i can do it with a broken heart? it’s giving ‘continue the show taylor, at all costs’. interesting how exhausted she acts/is,” said another.

“She fell apart after smallest man and they had to carry her and dress her up in a sparkly outfit and prop her up like a puppet to perform and she's performing I can do it with a broken heart????????? I'm so sorry Taylor,” commented a third.

It’s thought ‘The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived’ was about Matty, who she had a short relationship with in 2023 a few months after splitting from Joe.

Taylor Swift drops TTPD easter eggs in tour rehearsal video

Matty has made comments in the past about how he looks shorter than he is because his bandmates are so much taller.

However, ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’ was thought to be about Joe, who she split from after six years at the start of last year. Before she met Travis, 2023 was a heartbreak-filled time for Tay, so the song was likely inspired by both those breakups.

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