tolerate it

Mood

Production Style

Background

Produced by Aaron Dessner, 'tolerate it' holds the emotionally vulnerable Track 5 position on evermore. Taylor has cited the novel 'Rebecca' by Daphne du Maurier as an influence, particularly its portrait of a young wife desperate to please a distant husband.

Meaning & Interpretation

The song is about the devastating asymmetry of a relationship where one person gives everything and the other merely tolerates their presence. Taylor paints a picture of someone who sets the table, writes love poems, waits faithfully — and receives nothing but polite indifference in return. The rage beneath the surface builds throughout the song, culminating in the realization that tolerance is not love and never was.

Personal Connection

Tolerate it became one of evermore's most emotionally resonant tracks, with listeners recognizing their own experiences of loving someone who could not or would not love them back with equal intensity.