20

William Bowery

William Bowery may be more than one person. William Bowery was a mystery from Folklore’s release 24 July 2020 until the Long Pond Sessions were released on Disney+ on 25 November 2020. When Taylor first talked about it she was not at ease, here in the interview with Zane Lowe she has a pause when talking about Joe writing Exile (49:34)

In the Long Pond Sessions talking about Exile Taylor says Joe wrote the piano and male lyrics. Jack moves his foot and clarifies “Jesus, lyrics too?” Which Taylor agrees with, adding Joe has such a low voice.

For Betty Taylor said "I just heard Joe singing the entire fully formed chorus of Betty from another room yeah" and "I've written so many songs from a female's perspective of wanting a male apology that we decided to make it from a teenage boy's perspective apologizing after he loses the love of his life because he's been foolish" Jack: "allegedly" "no he's been foolish" Jack: "well, we don't know who William Bowery is". "He's a fool, he's been foolish, we wrote it I'm confirming."

to Zane Lowe Taylor (25 Mins) said she and Joe love songs, she said that Joe wrote the melodic structure and she wrote the lyrics.

"We always bonded over music and had the same musical tastes and he's always the person who's showing me songs by artists and then they become my favorite songs". Funny, Harry has tweeted 6 hours worth of song recommendations.

Also to Zane Lowe, she said "we wrote it exactly the same way we did exile where Joe wrote the piano [pause and sharp breath in] I based the vocal melody on the piano and we sent it to justin" "Joe had written the piano part so that it the tempo speeds up and it changes the music completely changes to a different tempo in the bridge" (Below, Joe says he can play 'piano pretty badly')

7 December 2023 - In Taylors Time Magazine Person of the year article she referenced a number of Harry's inspirations and dressed like them. She referred to Paul McCartney who inspired Sweet Nothing and Bob Dylan who was an influence on Betty.

The name

I think every British guy is probably related to a William, as both Harry and Joe are. Harry has stayed at the Bowery Hotel a lot, including the week he met and started dating Taylor. Joe was also reported to be pictured there in October 2016 with Taylor. Which is not that unusual, it's a cool hotel.

Harry's last pre-pandemic show was the Fine Line secret session on March 2 at the Bowery Ballroom when he also replaced “beechwood cafe” with “Bowery ballroom” in falling He has stayed at the Bowery Hotel in April 2012 (when first dating Taylor) and returned in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2022. Harry's grandfathers middle name was William.

Joe told Kelly Clarkson "William, my great-grandfather, who I actually never met was a composer. He wrote a lot of classical music and he wrote a lot of film scores, and then Bowery is the area in New York that I spent a lot of time in when I first went over there.” Joe was reportedly pictured at the Bowery October 2016.

Song credits

William Bowery is still credited as the songwriter of 3 songs on Folklore: Exile, Betty & Champagne Problems. He's also credited as a writer on Coney Island, Evermore, and Sweet Nothing on Midnights.

In April 2021 Joe Alwyn was credited as a producer for 6 songs of Folklore, including 3 songs William Bowery is not a writer on. Joe has no credits on Evermore and Midnights.

For comparison, Taylor is listed as the writer on This is what you came for, rather than her previous pseudonym

Timeline

25 November 2020 Taylor announced it in the Long Pond Session.

2021 ? I can't find Joe saying anything about it before April 2022?

15 March 2021 Folklore wins AOY Taylor said "I had the best time writing songs with you in quarantine" in her Grammy acceptance speech, (Aaron pursed his lip)

?? April 2021 - Joe has production credits on 6 songs

5 December 2021 - You're Losing Me was written

19 April 2022 - When asked if they'd write again, Joe told Elle "“It’s not a plan of mine, no.”

18 May 2022 - Taylor stopped liking Joe's IG posts and he didn't come to her NYU graduation.

19 May 2022 - Joe went on Kelly Clarkson to talk William Bowery, he looks down and blinks a lot when speaking.

After this Joe looked mad in the VMAs and walk before Midnights release and not seen again

21 October 2022 - Midnights released with Sweet Nothing, Joe doesn't seem to have been mentioned by Taylor or her team.

Always playing instruments

To Zane Lowe Taylor said, while discussing William Bowery:

"He's always just playing instruments and he doesn't do it in a strategic ‘I’m writing a song right now’ thing he's always done that”

However, even after Folklore Joe said this on playing instruments:

Saying, “I like music, and I played a bit of guitar awfully in a school band when I was 12.” and “I can play piano pretty badly, but never with the intent of, ‘Right, it’s time for my jazz-fusion album.'”

Harry has spoken about the importance of constantly picking up instruments, has hunted down unique guitars and a Dulcimer for Fine Line. In 2013 was taking piano lessons while touring with One Direction, now he tours with a Piano on tour to write on. Like the 10 minute ballad he wrote for the last LOT show.

Sweet nothing

Sweet nothing could be about Paul and Linda McCartney.

Taylor liked this old post with it the day she released you’re losing me and announced it was written 12 December 2021. The post links sweet nothing to a Paul McCartney Quote about Linda. Harry has referenced Paul and Linda’s collaboration album Ram many times, long before the WB songs:

To Howard stern in February 2020

To rolling stone in 2019

In his another man mix tape in 2017

Paul also interviewed Harry or Another Man and gave him advice on going solo. And Sweet Creature's melody has an homage to Paul's Blackbird.

Paul and Taylor also interviewed each other for Rolling Stone, it is fantastic interview, after Folklore. Interestingly they talk about pseudonyms and Taylor doesn't mention Joe or William Bowery. But does talk about writing under Nils Sjöberg.

"A pseudonym comes in is when you still have a love for making the work and you don’t want the work to become overshadowed by this thing that’s been built around you, based on what people know about you. And that’s when it’s really fun to create fake names and write under them." "I remembered always hearing that when Prince wrote “Manic Monday,” they didn’t reveal it for a couple of months."

Paul said his pseudonym was Fireman, which is referenced in the video for Willow. The phrasing of 'thing that is built around you' is really interesting. Joe does not have much built around him in terms of public persona, and writing together in the pandemic is remarkable, but not inconsistent with a public persona.

Bon Iver

Taylor said she hoped Bon Iver would do the project because ‘they are huge fans’ and Joe has a low voice. Justin Vernon and Harry Styles sound similar. So much so critics pointed out that that Fine Line has similarity to Bon Iver songs, Roslyn for example. This mash up also highlights this:

20

William Bowery’s writing credits are on Folklore’s tracks 2, 4 and 14 (2+4+14=20) (see 20), folklore also came out 2020.