TEMPLE, Texas — Taylor Swift's long-awaited 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," is finally out and in its title track, she name drops Dylan Thomas and Patti Smith.
In the chorus, 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.'"
But just exactly who is Thomas and Smith? What about the Chelsea Hotel? We explain.
Who is Dylan Thomas?
Thomas is a famous writer and poet from Wales. Born in 1914, Thomas was known for writing about his troubled life. Some of his famous works include, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" and "And Death Shall Have No Dominion"
He died young at the age of 39 in 1953 at the Chelsea Hotel, which was also mentioned in Swift's song, "The Tortured Poets Department."
According to the BBC, Thomas influenced many musicians over the decades, including Bob Dylan and The Beatles. In fact, his image appears on the cover of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
Who is Patti Smith?
Smith is a known American singer-songwriter who was famous in the punk rock scene thanks to her debut 1975 album, "Horses." Born in 1946 and still active today, she was known for fusing poetry and rock & roll, according to Entertainment Weekly. One of her famous songs, "Because the Night," was co-written with Bruce Springsteen.
In an interview in 2019 with the New York Times, Smith discussed Swift and her fame, saying "She's a pop star who's under tremendous scrutiny all the time, and one can't imagine what that's like. It's unbelievable to not be able to go anywhere, do anything, have messy hair."
Smith also lived at the Chelsea Hotel.
What is the Chelsea Hotel?
Also known as the Hotel Chelsea or The Chelsea, the Manhattan hotel is located at 222 W. 23rd St. in the Chelsea neighborhood. It was built between 1883 and 1884 and was one of the first Victorian Gothic buildings in New York City. Today, it is designated as a landmark on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building was originally a housing cooperative but then became an apartment hotel in 1905. Throughout the years, the Chelsea housed famous writers, poets and artists, including Thomas, Smith, Dylan, Mark Twain, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Janis Joplin and Sid Vicious.
According to the hotel's website, Smith said, "I loved this place, its shabby elegance, and the history it held so possessively... So many had written, conversed, and convulsed in the Victorian dollhouse rooms... so many transient souls had espoused, made a mark, and succumbed here."
Today, folks can stay at the Chelsea Hotel where rooms average around $400 to $500 a night.
Other names mentioned
Swift also mentions two other names in the song: Lucy and Jack. While people don't know exactly who Lucy is, Jack is referencing one of her best friends and music collaborator, Jack Antonoff.
Antonoff is the lead singer of the band, Bleachers, and used to be a member of the band fun. He helped Swift produce her album, 1989 and continued to help produce with her on several more of her albums, including "Midnights" and "The Tortured Poets Department."
You can listen to the Tortured Poets Department title track where these names are mentioned below: