Indie rock veterans The National have teamed up with pop superstar Taylor Swift for a hauntingly beautiful duet.
Indie rock legends The National have just released their highly anticipated ninth studio album, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, and it’s already receiving critical acclaim. The album features guest appearances by Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens, but the standout track is undoubtedly “The Alcott,” a hauntingly beautiful duet with none other than Taylor Swift.
Set to a minimalist backdrop of piano and strings, “The Alcott” sees Matt Berninger and Taylor Swift take on the roles of a couple trying to rekindle a troubled relationship. The lyrics are poignant and evocative, painting a vivid picture of two people trying to recapture a fleeting moment in time. It’s a story that’s both heartbreaking and hopeful, and it’s a testament to the songwriting prowess of Berninger and Swift.
In an interview, The National’s Aaron Dessner revealed that he wrote the main part of the song to some music he had written, which Swift had heard and loved. He sent it to her, and within 20 minutes she had written all her parts and recorded a voice memo with the lyrics she’d added in a dialogue with Matt. The result is a stunning collaboration that showcases the best of both artists.
The National will kick off a world tour in support of the album, starting with a four-night stand in Chicago on May 18. The tour has already sold out numerous shows and includes the band’s first-ever show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where they will be joined by very special guest Patti Smith and her band.
Formed in New York in 1999, The National have been making music for over two decades and have become one of the most influential indie rock bands of all time. With five top 10 albums on The Billboard 200 and a Grammy for Best Alternative Album under their belt, they show no signs of slowing down. First Two Pages of Frankenstein is just the latest in a long line of masterful albums from this iconic band, and “The Alcott” is a standout track that will surely go down as a classic.
“The Alcott”
(feat. Taylor Swift)
To meet you at The Alcott
I’d go to the corner in the back
Where you’d always be
And there you are, sittin’ as usual
With your golden notebook
Writing something about someone
Who used to be me
And the last thing you wanted
Is the first thing I do
I tell you my problems
You tell me the truth
It’s the last thing you wanted
It’s the first thing I do
I tell you that I think I’m fallin’
Back in love with you
I sit there silently
Waitin’ for you to look up (Ah)
I see you smile
When you see it’s me
I had to do something
To break into your golden thinking (Ah)
How many times will I do this
And you’ll still believe? (Ah)
It’s the last thing you wanted
(Tell me, which side are you on, dear?)
It’s the first thing you do
(Give me some tips to forget you)
You tell me your problems
(Have I become one of your problems?)
I tell you the truth
(Could it be easy this once?)
It’s the last thing you wanted
(Everything that’s mine is a landmine)
It’s the first thing I do
(Did my love aid and abet you?)
I tell you that I think I’m fallin’
Back in love with you
And I’ll ruin it all over
I’ll ruin it for you
I’ll ruin it all over
And over like I always do
I’ll ruin it all over
(Why don’t you rain on my parade?)
I’ll ruin it for you
(Shred my evenin’ gown)
I’ll ruin it all over
(Read my sentence out loud)
And over like I always do
(‘Cause I love this curse on our house)
It’s the last thing I wanted
(Tell me, which side are you on, dear?)
It’s the first thing I do
(Give me some tips to forget you)
I tell you my problems
(Have I become one of your problems?)
And you tell me the truth
(Could it be easy this once?)
It’s the last thing I wanted
(Everything that’s mine is a landmine)
It’s the first thing I do
(Did my love aid and abet you?)
I tell you that I think I’m fallin’
Back in love (Back in love)
Back in love with you
Back in love with you
