Everything about Taylor Swift’s new song “no body, no crime,†featuring HAIM, feels like an HBO prestige drama … except for one lyric. In the second verse of the song, a murder-mystery fantasy from her new album, evermore, Swift sings, “Este wasn’t there Tuesday night at Olive Garden,†which leads her to the realization that Este’s cheating husband has gotten rid of her to start a new life with his mistress. Gasp! Olive Garden? You mean when they inevitably adapt this song into a miniseries, Nicole Kidman will have to set foot in an Olive Garden? (We would never turn down unlimited breadsticks, but Kidman has earned that right.) Swift explained exactly why she chose the Italian American chain restaurant to Entertainment Weekly, and it’s not because she considers herself part of la famiglia.
“Working with the Haim sisters on ‘No Body, No Crime’ was pretty hilarious because it came about after I wrote a pretty dark murder-mystery song and had named the character Este, because she’s the friend I have who would be stoked to be in a song like that,†Swift recalled. “I had finished the song and was nailing down some lyric details and texted her, ‘You’re not going to understand this text for a few days but … which chain restaurant do you like best?’ and I named a few.†We’re definitely gonna need Este Haim’s official chain-restaurant ranking, but at least we know her No. 1. In the bridge of “no body, no crime,†which Swift wrote solo, she enacts her revenge, pinning the murder on the mistress in what would be a needle-drop moment for a powerful female cast. “We can’t figure out why we hadn’t collaborated sooner,†Swift said of her longtime friendship with the Haim sisters. “We’ve toured together, played live together, choreographed dances like we’re at summer camp, but it took a song about avenging your friend’s murder to give us the idea to take this step.â€