AP Taylor Swift

E18: Deep Dive - Death By a Thousand Cuts

My, my, my, my. We get deep into our feelings on this deep dive today with “Death By a Thousand Cuts,” from Lover. With a title referencing an imperial form of torture, what is this Taylor Swift song really about? As always, our hosts look at the lyrics from very different perspectives based on our own personal experiences, from moving out of a childhood home (“chandelier still flickering here”) to a breakup (“You said it was a great love”) to Spiderman (“I see you everywhere”). We talk about idioms, loss, grief, the emotional burden of pain, and how asking the traffic lights for answers maybe isn’t as far-fetched as some of us originally thought. Will we ever hear this song the same way again? “I don’t know!”
Mentioned in this episode: 
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Death By a Thousand Cuts,” Lover (2019)
“Death By a Thousand Cuts” Tiny Desk Concert
Wikipedia definition of “death by a thousand cuts”
Tom Holland’s Umbrella Lip Sync Battle
Finding Nemo 
Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
The Notebook
Moby Dick, Herman Melville 
Love Again 
Someone Great 
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb 
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[02:15] Defining “death by a thousand cuts”
[08:18] My, my, my, my: What is this opening?
[15:50] United we stand: The things shared in a relationship 
[20:03] Paper thin plans: Connecting this song to “Paper Rings”
[22:11] Trying to find a part of me you didn't take up: Why this love is so hard to get over 
[28:11] I ask the traffic lights: Looking anywhere for answers
[34:00] It's just a thousand cuts: The purpose of the song
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
 
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
 

E17: Show and Tell - The Great Gatsby

Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year. Taylor Swift loves to make direct and indirect references to the classic American novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. So we decided to dive into those connections and see what all the fuss is about. In this week’s episode, we each picked a song that we wanted to relate to The Great Gatsby. Join us as Maansi brings the party with “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” Jenn explores Gatsby’s motivations with “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” and Jodi brings it all together by digging into the character of Daisy with “happiness.” 
Mentioned in this episode: 
“This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” reputation 
“Death by a Thousand Cuts” Lover 
“happiness” evermore
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
Taylor’s 2014 Gatsby-Inspired People Magazine cover 
"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" by J.K. Rowling
“Funny Girl” 
Zelda Fitzgerald - The History Chicks Podcast 
"Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald," by Therese Anne Fowler
"The Edible Woman" by Margaret Atwood 
"Romeo & Juliet," by William Shakespeare
 
***
 
Episode Highlights: 
[00:30] Introduction to The Great Gatsby 
[07:25] “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” reputation
[23:21] “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” Lover
[34:35] “happiness,” evermore
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
 
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

Re-Release: Deep Dive - Enchanted

Enchanted to (re)meet you. Revisit one of our favorite early episodes with us! As a holiday treat, we are giving our Deep Dive into “Enchanted” its own time to shine. In our first deep dive episode, we did a deep reading of Taylor Swift’s song “Enchanted” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). We’re wonderstruck as we learn how to analyze a text using the rhetorical triangle to better understand who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and the purpose of the text. We find connections to “Pride and Prejudice,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” Barbie, Cinderella, college, and Greek mythology…all in one 5ish minute song. We left no lingering questions to keep us up! 
 
Mentioned in the episode:
“Enchanted” by Taylor Swift
“Cinderella” Disney Film
“Pride and Prejudice,” by Jane Austen 
“Singin’ in the Rain” 
“Barbie,” 2023 movie
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:30] APTS 101: How to analyze a text
[02:54] Who is this speaker forcing laughter, and does she fit in? 
[04:21] Why “Enchanted” is “Pride and Prejudice”-coded 
[06:28] Exploring word choice to examine the time period
[08:44] How the song ruminates on a single moment and feeling
[10:48] Who is the song speaking to? A person? The Universe?
[16:53] Why “Hey Stephen” and “Enchanted” feel so different
[19:02] The words and phrases that create mystique and depth
[22:15] “Flawless,” “Forever,” and the power of hyperbole
[24:00] Our takeaways from our playful conversation 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
 
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E16: Deep Dive - tis the damn season

Messy as the mud on your truck tires. We couldn’t let a holiday season go by without THE song about THE damn season, could we? Continuing the conversation from our Show and Tell episode on holidays, this week we deep dive “tis the damn season,” from evermore (2020). We start by diving into Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” to get a better understanding of the song. Then our hosts spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the characters are, what their relationship is to one another, and what exactly they’re trying to call “even.” From examining what makes this a small town song, to figuring out why it “always” leads to “you” and “my hometown,” to imagining this song as a movie–we go on a whole deep dive journey on this one, with a lot of film, TV, and music references. Listen to see what “300,” “Groundhog Day,” and “Friends” all have in common with this song!
Mentioned in the episode:
“tis the damn season,” evermore (2020)
“The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost
“Midnight Rain,” Midnights (2022)
“Say don’t go,” 1989 (Taylor’s Version), 2023
“You’re On Your Own Kid,” Midnights (2022)
“300” (2007)
“Phantom of the Opera” (2004)
“Before Sunset” (2004)
“Before Sunrise” (1995)
“Groundhog Day” (1993)
“Friends: The One With the Red Sweater” (S8 E2)
“Don’t Blame Me,” reputation (2017)
“Enchanted,” Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) 2023
E2: Deep Dive - Enchanted 
“The Great” (2020)
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” (2022) 
 
***
 
Episode Highlights: 
[01:09] We could call it even: Who are the characters here?
[06:25] The road not taken looks real good now: The role of Robert Frost’s poem
[08:58] You can call me babe for the weekend: What’s the relationship here?
[12:45] Remember how you watched me leave: Why do they only have the weekend together?
[19:16] So I’ll Go Back to LA: Choosing big-city life over small town life
[22:26] And the heart I know I’m breaking is my own: Y tho?
[29:40] To leave the warmest bed I've ever known: Debating the emotions of the song
[33:15] And I’ll be yours for the weekend: It’s always the bridge!
[39:40] It always leads to you in my hometown: What is the purpose of this song?
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E15: Show and Tell - Holidays

Soon they’ll have the nerve to deck the halls. On this week’s episode we attempted to lean right into the festivities of the season with a Holidays themed episode. But…did we actually pick holiday songs? We start by defining what the “holiday season” even means in an attempt to answer the question. Jodi discusses “New Year’s Day,” with the thesis that it’s a song about the everyday, not necessarily the holidays. Jenn brings on the holiday melancholy with “champagne problems,” sparking a hot conversation about holiday engagements and the challenges of family gatherings during the holidays. And Maansi, naturally, shares “tis the damn season,” prompting a conversation about how we really feel about the holiday season and whether they “linger like bad perfume” for us. Are Taylor Swift holidays actually happy holidays? Listen and find out! 
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Under the Tuscan Sun” 
“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” 
“Book Lovers,” Emily Henry 
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” JK Rowling
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” film
“Inside Out”
***
Episode Highlights: 
[02:28] How do we define the holiday season?
[06:56] New Years Day:I’ll be picking up bottles with you 
[23:24] champagne problems: Your mom's ring in your pocket
[37:49] tis the damn season: We could call it even
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E14: Deep Dive - Getaway Car

“It was the best of times, the worst of crimes.” In this episode, we do a deep dive into “Getaway Car” to explore why this particular metaphor is so powerful. We first explore the historical context by discussing the true story of Bonnie and Clyde, and then we dive into the lyrics to discuss the themes of agency, deception, and the shifting dynamics of relationships. Come along for the ride as we figure out what Don Draper has to do with this song, the layered meaning of “poisoning the well,” and why this song is cemented as one of the greats. 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
FBI webpage on Bonnie and Clyde
"Bonnie and Clyde"
"Mad Men"
"A Tale of Two Cities," Charles Dickens
"Ocean's 11"
"Thelma and Louise"
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:15] How to analyze metaphors 
[03:00] The original getaway car
[5:55] We were jetset. The real-life Bonnie & Clyde
[12:43] We're driving in a...Getting into “Getaway Car” 
[17:05] He poisoned the well 
[22:05] The continuity of reputation 
[29:04] Left you at the motel bar. Interpreting the bridge  
[38:17] The purpose of “Getaway Car” 
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
 
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E13: Show and Tell - Metaphors

"Some things you just can’t speak about." Taylor Swift’s superpower is being able to convey very specific emotions to millions who may or may not have ever experienced those emotions before. The way she uses metaphors is one of the ways she makes these songs universally relatable. But not only does she use metaphors in her lyrics, sometimes the songs are metaphors. In this show & tell episode, we each bring a song in which the whole song seems to be a metaphor for something else. Tune in to hear us discuss “Clean,” “Getaway Car,” and “epiphany,” and join us as we try to “make some sense” of the language Taylor uses to so effectively communicate some very powerful emotions. 
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
Oxford languages definition of “metaphor”
Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
Bonnie and Clyde, 1967
Thelma & Louise, 1991
The Highwaymen, 2019
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:25] Songs that are metaphors
[01:18] “Clean,” - Gone was any trace of you
[14:13] “Getaway Car,”  - Nothing good starts in a getaway car
[23:55] “epiphany,” - Somethings you just can’t speak about
[40:18] What do these metaphors have in common?
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E12: Deep Dive - the last great american dynasty

"I had a marvelous time..." Take a step back in time with us as we deep dive into “The Last Great American Dynasty,” from folklore. Our hosts expand on what we learned in our Marxist Criticism episode to take an even closer look at Rebekah Harkness, who she was, and why Taylor Swift wrote a song about her. What do Taylor and Rebekah Harkness have in common, besides owning the same home?Is Rebekah Harkness really “middle class”? How does Taylor build empathy for someone called “mad” and “shameless”? We had a marvelous time diving into this one! 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Blue Blood,” Craig Unger 
“Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand
Rebekah Harkness NYT Obituary, June 1982
"Is There a Chic Way To Go?" Blue Bloods NYT Book Review, May 1988
The Humble Beginnings Of an Elegant Mansion, NYT July 1971
“Hamilton”
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:49] Who is Rebekah Harkness?
[06:03] How Taylor’s country storytelling roots enrich the story 
[10:53] What is an “American Dynasty”?
[15:52] Who’s mad, Rebekah or the townspeople?
[25:24] Why did Taylor write this song?
***
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
 
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E11: Show and Tell - Marxist Theory

What does a 19th century philosopher and economist have to do with Taylor Swift? In this week’s episode we put on our Marxist Theory glasses to consider how the ideas of ownership, value, and class differences help us understand Taylor’s music in a whole new way. Maansi teaches us what it means to belong to someone in “Mine.” Jenn digs into the political metaphors in “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince.” And Jodi teaches us about social class differences with the incredible true story behind “the last great american dynasty.” Tune in to learn all of this and see how much fun it can be to play with new literary lenses (even if you don’t necessarily agree with the underlying philosophy). 
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Mine," Speak Now 
“Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince," Lover 
“the last great american dynasty," folklore 
Who Cooked Adam Smith’s Dinner by Katrine Marçal
“Politics of Love and Love of Politics: Towards a Marxist Theory of Love” by Raju Das
1984 by George Orwell
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Bluebood by Carl Unger (Rebekah Harkness biography) 
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
***
 
Episode Highlights: 
[00:25] Introduction to Marxist Theory
[04:07] “Mine” from Speak Now
[23:05] “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” from Lover
[38:57] “the last great american dynasty” from folklore
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E10: Deep Dive - Red

Loving him was like…what? You may know all the words to this old favorite song, but do you know what they mean? In today’s deep dive, we’re unpacking “Red” from Red (Taylor’s Version). After our previous episode on Fall where we talked about why this is an autumn-coded song, our hosts spend more time trying to understand the many (many) metaphors (or is it similes? Analogies?) Taylor Swift uses to describe this relationship. We’ll get a High School English lesson, references to some Millennial-favorite TV shows, and a chance to explore Red as an analogy for Taylor’s transition from country to pop. And then we realize…there’s no right answer!
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Red,” Red (Taylor’s Version) 
“Shortcut: How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation, and Sell Our Greatest Ideas”, John Pollack
Aesop’s Fables
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”
“august,” folklore
“Bridgerton”
E2: Deep Dive - Enchanted
E6 - Deep Dive - It’s Time to Go 
“Picture to Burn,” Taylor Swift
“The Hills: New Beginnings”
“Complicated,” Avril Levigne 
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:20] Introducing today’s deep dive song, “Red” 
[01:42] 1st person, 2nd person…whose experience is this?
[04:38] How Taylor uses metaphors to make things universal
[08:07] Similes, Metaphors, Analogies, oh my!
[11:50] Are these tangible, universal metaphors?
[16:59] Red as a metaphor for Taylor’s career
[20:06] Our favorite part of any Swift song: the bridge!
[26:40] Do we actually understand this song?
 
***
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
 
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
 
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.