"He's over after this": The Black Dog metaphor meaning explained as Taylor Swift bonus track sparks fan frenzy  

Taylor Swift left fans thrilled on March 3 after announcing the bonus track in her “final” limited edition of her upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department. During the “secret songs” segment of her Eras Tour concert in Singapore, the musician announced that she would be releasing the exclusive track, The Black Dog, in the upcoming album.

During her surprise set at her most recent Singapore engagement, Taylor Swift told fans:

“I kind of wanted to show you something that nobody else has seen”

While she showed “The Black Dog” variant of the upcoming album, she also shared the back of the album artwork, which read, “Old habits die screaming,” which is likely to be a lyrical snippet from the song. Her Instagram account also released a post that promoted the latest edition of the album.

This version of The Tortured Poets Department is expected to be available only through Taylor Swift’s webstore, and is currently open for pre-orders.

Taylor Swift fans have since taken to social media to decode what the song might mean. According to Variety, the phrase has been used as an indication of depression or melancholy.

It was reportedly first used by Samuel Johnson in the 1700s and was popularized in the 20th century after being associated with Winston Churchill. Fans have taken to the internet to speculate what the bonus track might be about, with many indicating that it would be a reference to Joe Alwyn, whom the singer dated for six years, as per Elle.

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Speculation intensifies as Taylor Swift announces new edition for her upcoming album

X user @rumorzfrominez was one of the many who took to the social networking site to share a screenshot of Google’s definition of Black Dog, where it was revealed that the phrase was “a way of referring to feelings of depression (= great sadness and lack of energy).”

X user @karuarguello also took to the site to share another screenshot of the internet revealing the same.

Fan page @swifferupdates also offered an interpretation of the "black dog."

According to the mental health website and organization Better Help, the phrase can refer to a season of depression in someone’s life. They revealed that the phrase can “feel like an ominous, long-suffering presence tracking your every move, like an ominous black dog.”

It was also revealed that once a patient experiences the same, they can stop enjoying activities they initially loved, and they can also neither recognize themselves in the mirror nor the life they lived.

The metaphor can reportedly indicate that this kind of depression can simply be a shadow that is large and everlasting.

Many have speculated that The Black Dog song is in reference to Taylor Swift’s former partner Joe Alwyn, as the metaphor in English folklore reportedly is “a death omen.”

Nonetheless, “Swifties” must now wait for the album’s release, which is to take place on April 19. A few other bonus tracks being released with the album include The Albatross, The Bolter, and The Manuscript.