Does Taylor Swift mention a Vauxhall pub in her new song, or could it be a different ‘Black Dog’? Here’s what we found out when we searched the globe.
Since the American pop star released her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, one song has been causing quite a fuss across the pond.
In ‘The Black Dog’ she sings about tracking her ex-boyfriend’s location as he walks into ‘some bar called the Black Dog’ which her fans are convinced is about her London-based ex Joe Alwyn.
As a result, The Black Dog in Vauxhall has been ‘overwhelmed’ with customers, with staff claiming they were ‘100 per cent certain’ she was talking about this venue.
But we thought we would fact-check this, by asking every bar named ‘The Black Dog’ around the world if Taylor could be talking about them.
This is what they said.
1. Black Dog Pub, Pennsylvania, United States
Whilst being Taylor’s state of birth, it turns out this is just a bar in someone’s basement, named after their beloved pet Labrador.
But the owner did say: “If Taylor was in the Harrisburg area she would be welcome to one of our finest drinks.”
2. The Black Dog, Cork, Ireland
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
When asked if Taylor could have been referring to their pub, they said the lead singer of British band The 1975, Matty Healy, whom Taylor briefly dated in 2023, was in Cork last summer. So he could well have gone to this bar.
Staff member, Conor added: “We know he’s a man who likes a few pints and is a fan of great rock music.”
Although they couldn’t say for certain, it’s not far-fetched to think Taylor would write a song about him.
Two other songs on the album, Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) and The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, could be references to him and how Taylor felt when their romance ended.
3. Black Dog Bar and Grill, Oregon, United States
4. The Black Dog Pub, Indiana, United States
Both of these pubs said they could ‘confidently say’ Taylor was not talking about them, so we can cross them off the list.
5. Black Dog Beer House, Brentford, UK
Owner, Pete Brew, said when the song was released he got a message from someone ‘adamant’ that it was about their pub. “The reason they gave was they were ‘in the know’ that Taylor had a connection with nearby Richmond,” he told us.
We couldn’t verify that. But it’s just as well, as this pub said they didn’t want to be caught up in the ‘whirlwind.’
They did say that the media frenzy for the Vauxhall pub has affected them being the first ‘Black Dog Pub’ to appear on Google.
Pete joked that as the other Black Dog was a ‘haven for her exes’ Taylor would be welcome to theirs, adding, “Her secret will be safe with us!”