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London — “And so, I watch as you walk into some bar called The Black Dog and pierce new holes in my heart.”
As Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” album continues breaking records, that ambiguous reference in the song “The Black Dog” has elevated a small London pub of the same name to new heights.
The moody lyrics from the 34-year-old superstar allude to watching an ex-partner who had forgotten to turn off his location setting on his phone going to the bar.
As soon as the album — which by Thursday had broken Spotify’s streaming record with more than 1 billion streams — dropped last week, devoted fans of the American songstress nailed down the whereabouts of the unassuming British watering hole, and they descended upon it.
It didn’t take self-proclaimed Swifties long to establish that her British ex-boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn, lives near Vauxhall, not far from the local pub.
“We have had to turn customers away every single day since the release of the album. It’s been a fantastic experience for the pub and our team to be a part of,” Amy Crowley, a marketing manager for The Black Dog, told CBS News on Wednesday.
The pub has taken full advantage of its newfound fame, adding Taylor Swift-themed drinks and food to its menu. The business has even started selling merchandise, Crowley said.
CBS News met some of Swift’s superfans who made the pilgrimage to The Black Dog, and who were very happy to sample an “Aperol Spritz (Taylor’s Version)” cocktail.
Gracie and Ethan, siblings from Texas who were on their first and only day vacationing in the U.K., said they just had to visit the site, given its connection to their cultural hero.
“We went to the Crown Jewels, [we have] Les Mis tonight, and then The Black Dog — which is all on the same level of importance,” they said with a laugh.
London-born artist and fellow Swiftie Chris Lloyd was positioned outside the pub, drawing its exterior, when we arrived.
“I feel like it’s so cool that she’s knitted a bit of London into her tracks and into her history,” he said. “So, it’s cool because you can see the Swifties from London around here just feeling a little bit closer to her, a little bit more connected.”
New York-born sisters Jaquelyn and Daniella even got marked for life to express their passion for Swift while vacationing in London.
“We actually got matching tattoos inspired by Taylor here – I love you to moon and to Saturn, which is from the song ‘Seven,'” explained Daniella. “So my sister got the moon, and I got Saturn, for Taylor.”
