the last great american dynasty

"The last great american dynasty" is a narrative song that tells the true story of Rebekah Harkness, a wealthy socialite who was the previous owner of Taylor Swift's Rhode Island mansion, the "Holiday House". On the surface, the song is a biographical sketch of Harkness's flamboyant and controversial life. However, the deeper meaning of the song lies in the parallels Swift draws between Harkness's experiences and her own. The song explores themes of societal judgment, particularly towards women who defy conventional norms and expectations. Swift uses Harkness's story as a vehicle to comment on her own public image and the media scrutiny she has faced throughout her career. By the end of the song, Swift explicitly inserts herself into the narrative, identifying with Harkness and embracing the label of being a "loud" and disruptive woman who has a "marvelous time ruining everything." Ultimately, the song is a celebration of female nonconformity, a critique of sexist double standards, and an assertion of the right to live life on one's own terms, regardless of public opinion.

The song chronicles the life of Rebekah Harkness, a middle-class divorcée from St. Louis who marries William "Bill" Harkness, the heir to the Standard Oil fortune. Their marriage is met with skepticism by the high society of the town they move to in Rhode Island. They purchase a coastal mansion and name it "Holiday House," where they throw lavish and sometimes boisterous parties. The townspeople gossip about Rebekah, viewing her as an outsider who doesn't fit into their established social circles. When Bill dies of a heart attack, the town subtly blames her.

After Bill's death, Rebekah inherits his immense wealth and fully embraces a life of eccentricity and extravagance. She hosts wild parties with her group of friends, referred to as the "Bitch Pack," and engages in flamboyant behavior that scandalizes the conservative town. Stories circulate about her filling the swimming pool with champagne and, in a fit of pique with a neighbor, dyeing their cat (or dog in the song's retelling) a vibrant key lime green. She spends her fortune on her passions, including founding the Harkness Ballet. The chorus repeatedly refers to her as "the maddest woman this town has ever seen" and notes that "she had a marvelous time ruining everything," suggesting a sense of defiant joy in her nonconformity.

The song's narrative takes a surprising turn in the bridge. After describing how the Holiday House sat vacant for fifty years after Rebekah's time, the narrator reveals, "then it was bought by me." With this revelation, the narrator, who is Taylor Swift herself, steps into the story. In the final chorus, the lyrics shift from describing Rebekah as "the maddest woman" to the narrator being "the loudest woman this town has ever seen." The closing line is a personal declaration: "I had a marvelous time ruining everything." This draws a direct parallel between the public scrutiny and judgment faced by Rebekah and Swift's own experiences with fame and media portrayal. The song becomes a commentary on how society often vilifies outspoken and unconventional women, and a celebration of finding freedom and joy in defying those expectations.

"the last great american dynasty" was written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner for Swift's eighth studio album, Folklore, released on July 24, 2020. The album was a surprise release, conceived and recorded in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Swift had been fascinated by the story of Rebekah Harkness ever since she purchased her former Rhode Island home, known as "Holiday House," in 2013. She learned about Harkness from the real estate agent and subsequently delved into her history, finding a connection with the socialite who was often the subject of town gossip. The musical inspiration for the song came from Aaron Dessner, who composed an instrumental track inspired by the sound of Radiohead's album In Rainbows. Dessner sent the track to Swift, who was working remotely. She wrote the lyrics in a remarkably short amount of time, reportedly in the time it took Dessner to go for a run. The song was recorded at Kitty Committee Studio in Los Angeles and Long Pond Studio in Hudson Valley. Swift performed the song in her 2020 concert documentary, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.

The song follows a relatively consistent ABAB rhyme scheme in its verses, which is a common structure for ballads and storytelling in songs. This structured rhyme scheme helps to drive the narrative forward in a clear and engaging way. The rhythm is moderately fast-paced, with a tempo of 148 beats per minute, which gives the song an energetic and almost jaunty feel, contrasting with some of the more somber tracks on Folklore. This upbeat rhythm, combined with the percussive elements and layered guitars, creates a sense of continuous movement, much like the progression of the story itself. The interplay between the lyrical rhythm and the musical rhythm is tight, with Swift's vocal phrasing often accentuating the beat, which makes the storytelling feel dynamic and compelling. The song is in the key of G major.

"the last great american dynasty" employs a range of literary and musical techniques to tell its story effectively.

• Third-Person to First-Person Narrative Shift: The song begins as a third-person narrative about Rebekah Harkness and then, in the bridge, dramatically shifts to a first-person perspective as Taylor Swift reveals her connection to the story. This technique creates a powerful parallel between the two women.
• Storytelling and Character-Driven Narrative: A hallmark of the Folklore album, this song functions like a short story set to music, with a clear protagonist, setting, and plot.
• Imagery: The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery, such as the "saltbox house on the coast," filling the "pool with champagne," and Rebekah "pacing the rocks, staring out at the midnight sea."
• Irony: There is a strong sense of irony in the chorus, where the phrase "she had a marvelous time ruining everything" suggests that what society deemed as destructive, Rebekah found liberating and joyful.
• Musical Arrangement: The song's folktronica sound, featuring layered guitars, strings, and a driving rhythm, creates a sense of both nostalgia and forward momentum, mirroring the blend of historical storytelling and contemporary reflection. The production was inspired by the sound of Radiohead's album In Rainbows.
• Vocal Delivery: Swift's vocal delivery is storytelling-focused, with a clear and slightly arch tone that conveys the gossipy nature of the town's perspective before shifting to a more personal and defiant tone.

"The last great american dynasty" was a standout track on Taylor Swift's critically acclaimed 2020 album, Folklore. The song was praised by critics for its clever songwriting, detailed storytelling, and the surprising personal twist in the final verse. Publications like Billboard, Pitchfork, and NME ranked it among the best songs of 2020. Upon the album's release, the song debuted at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charted in the top 20 in several other countries, including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. The song brought the story of Rebekah Harkness to a new generation, sparking renewed interest in her life. It has been noted for its unique narrative structure within Swift's discography and is seen as a prime example of the storytelling focus of the Folklore era. Swift included the song in the setlist for her highly successful Eras Tour, further cementing its place as a fan favorite. The song was also performed in the Disney+ documentary Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.

"the last great american dynasty" is rich with symbolism and metaphors that deepen its narrative and themes.

• The Holiday House: The Rhode Island mansion is a central symbol, representing a space of both immense wealth and a battleground for social acceptance. For both Rebekah and Taylor, it is a home that places them under the watchful and often critical eye of the public and their neighbors.
• "The Last Great American Dynasty": This phrase itself is a metaphor for the end of an era of old money and the established social order that Rebekah, and later Swift, disrupts. It ironically describes a lineage that is not of blood but of rebellious spirit.
• "New Money": The song highlights the tension between established "old money" families and the perceived vulgarity of "new money," which Rebekah represents. This also subtly mirrors Swift's own journey to wealth and fame outside of traditional aristocratic circles.
• "The Bitch Pack": This term, which Harkness and her friends reportedly used for themselves, symbolizes a deliberate rejection of polite society's expectations for women and an embrace of a more brazen and independent female camaraderie. It also winks at the media's portrayal of Swift's own famous group of friends.
• Dyeing the Neighbor's Pet Green: This act, whether a cat or a dog in reality, serves as a colorful and memorable symbol of Rebekah's defiant and eccentric nature, a physical manifestation of her disregard for social norms.

The most significant recurring phrase in "the last great american dynasty" is the chorus, which repeats with a crucial alteration. The initial chorus describes Rebekah Harkness: "There goes the maddest woman this town has ever seen / She had a marvelous time ruining everything." This line is repeated, cementing the town's perception of her. In the final chorus, after Swift has inserted herself into the narrative, the line is modified to: "There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen / I had a marvelous time ruining everything." This transformation of the recurring phrase is the central device of the song, highlighting the parallel between the two women and making the song's theme explicit. The phrase "ruining everything" is a recurring motif that is re-contextualized from a negative judgment to a declaration of joyful rebellion. The title of the song, "the last great american dynasty," also recurs, ironically framing Rebekah's and later Swift's disruptive presence as a form of succession.