Some Fans Think Taylor Swift’s ‘Tolerate It’ Is About Princess Diana & Here’s Why

There’s an interesting interpretation going around of Taylor Swift’s “Tolerate It” lyrics’ meaning that has some Swifties convinced that the song has ~royal~ ties. The song, which dropped on December 11, appears in Swift’s famously heartwrenching Track No. 5 spot on her new album, Evermore. Swift surprised fans when she announced the record just hours before its release at midnight.

While fans are still digging through all of Evermore’s easter eggs and drumming up romantic theories about all the things Swift could be hinting at (*ahem* an update to her relationship status with Joe Alwyn, perhaps?), others are simply busy trying to decide their favorite song on Evermore so far. One fan-favorite contender is “Tolerate It,” a brooding and melancholic song that cuts right through the album’s center and was co-written by Swift’s frequent collaborator, The National’s Aaron Dessner. The song tells the story of a disintegrating relationship, where one lover tries to no avail to please the other.

This theme can extend to just about any dysfunctional marriage or dating experience—but some fans think that there’s a connection to Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s relationship in here. While it could just be a matter of coincidence (Netflix’s The Crown did just wrap its fourth season in November 2020, a month before Evermore’s release), there are lines that could be seen as direct references. Moments like, “You’re so much older and wiser” and “I take your indiscretions all in good fun,” have some recalling Princess Di’s age difference from Charles, whereas “indiscretions” could be teasing at the Prince of Wales’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.

Republic.

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As for what Swift had to say of the track, she noted to fans how it deals with such a “specific kind of hurt.” Whether that hurt was one of a royal affair or a general relationship failure is something listeners will have to decide for themselves. So, read on for the rest of Taylor Swift’s “Tolerate It” lyrics to think about their meaning, below.

Verse 1

I sit and watch you reading with your head low
I wake and watch you breathing with your eyes closed
I sit and watch you
I notice everything you do or don’t do
You’re so much older and wiser, and I

Chorus 1

I wait by the door like I’m just a kid
Use my best colors for your portrait
Lay the table with the fancy shit
And watch you tolerate it
If it’s all in my head tell me now
Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow
I know my love should be celebrated
But you tolerate it

Verse 2

I greet you with a battle hero’s welcome
I take your indiscretions all in good fun
I sit and listеn, I polish plates until they gleam and glistеn
You’re so much older and wiser and I

Chorus 1

I wait by the door like I’m just a kid
Use my best colors for your portrait
Lay the table with the fancy shit
And watch you tolerate it
If it’s all in my head tell me now
Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow
I know my love should be celebrated
But you tolerate it

Bridge

While you were out building other worlds, where was I?
Where’s that man who’d throw blankets over my barbed wire?
I made you my temple, my mural, my sky
Now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life
Drawing hearts in the byline
Always taking up too much space or time
You assume I’m fine, but what would you do if I

Chorus 2

Break free and leave us in ruins
Took this dagger in me and removed it
Gain the weight of you then lose it
Believe me, I could do it
If it’s all in my head tell me now
Tell me I’ve got it wrong somehow
I know my love should be celebrated
But you tolerate it

Outro

I sit and watch you

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