‘But Daddy I Love Him’ Meaning: Is Taylor Swift’s Song Referencing ‘Little Mermaid’ or Harry Styles? Fans Debate Connections!

Taylor Swift has revealed the track list for her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department and fans have been analyzing the song called “But Daddy I Love Him.”

Swifties are always searching for hidden meanings behind everything in Taylor‘s career and even though we haven’t seen the lyrics for the songs, fans are trying to find out the meaning behind the new song titles.

Fans seem to have found some connections to the title “But Daddy I Love Him,” including a Little Mermaid reference and a Harry Styles connection.

Keep reading to find out more…

“But Daddy, I love him” is a line from the Disney animated movie The Little Mermaid, which was released in Taylor‘s birth year 1989.

In the scene, Ariel’s father King Triton has discovered her romance with Prince Eric and forbids her from ever going to the surface again. She says the line to express her love for him, to which Triton exclaims, “No!”

Ariel is a princess who yearns to know more about the world and live among humans. She gives up her voice for a chance to find that happiness. Taylor‘s fans have connected this storyline to her relationship with ex Joe Alwyn as many fans believe that it was his choice to keep their romance so private. Fans believe that Taylor essentially gave up her voice during the relationship in order to try and find happiness.

You might remember that Taylor once dressed up as Ariel on Halloween too!

But, is the song actually connected to a different ex?

Taylor once dated singer Harry Styles, who happened to wear a “But Daddy I Love Him” t-shirt back in 2020. See the photo here.

Read some fan theories below.