Come walk through the door with us, cause the air is getting cooooold. Our 10th episode is here, and we were hoping you had 10 minutes to spare for this one. We are digging deep into the All Too Well universe, and Uncle Jerry compares both the original version and the 10 minute version, what he thinks about the lyrics that were redacted for the edited version, and Taylor Swift’s masterful use of metaphor and other literary devices in every line of this song. Works Cited:The Prelude – William Wordsworth – Affiliate LinkOrality and Literacy – Walter J. Ong – Aff LinkBirches – Robert FrostMending Wall – Robert FrostMetaphors We Live By – George Lakoff and Mark Johnson – Aff LinkIn Just – Spring – e.e. CummingsPoetry – Nikki GiovanniLet me not to the marriage of true minds (Sonnet 116) – William ShakespeareA Rose for Emily – William FaulknerFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
--------
1:50:57
--------
1:50:57
The Rhythmic Power of Champagne Problems
Dom Perignon, did you bring it? Today we’re toasting to Champagne Problems from Taylor Swift’s 2020 album, evermore. Uncle Jerry discusses the different meter used throughout the lyrics, and also wonders if there’s a deeper meaning with society’s expectations and the narrator’s autonomy throughout the story.Angela brings up the Swiftie discussion about which word they’ll never say again, and they also tell the story of Uncle Jerry officiating Angela’s wedding.Works Cited:Night Train – Jimmy ForrestTake the A Train – Duke EllingtonIn Medias ResHeart of Glass – BlondieIambic PentameterTrocheeDactylAnapest Disnarration and the Unmentioned in Fact and Fiction – Marina Lambrou – Affiliate LinkSociological CriticismFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
--------
46:19
--------
46:19
The Self-Reflection of Getaway Car
Today we’re putting the money in the bag and stealing the keys, and discussing Taylor Swift’s Getaway Car from 2017. This cult Swiftie fave is our first track from Reputation, and Angela chose it because she knew Uncle Jerry would love the Dickens reference in the first line.Watch as the duo dissects each line, and Uncle Jerry picks up on the self-reflection Taylor wrote into the song.Works Cited:A Tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens – Affiliate LinkShades of Gray – Carolyn Reeder – Aff LinkNicholas Nickleby – Charles Dickens – Aff LinkLexical AmbiguityGetaway Car Shirt – Girl Tribe Co.Writing BTS with JackFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
--------
47:46
--------
47:46
The Complex Poetics of So Long, London
Let's talk through So Long, London!In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Uncle Jerry and Angela dissect the poetic lyrics of the fifth track from Taylor Swift's 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department.They find tons of literary devices and references, and Uncle Jerry even makes another correct prediction on the song's intro.Stay until the end to hear Uncle Jerry's grade for the song as a whole. Works Cited:Life of Johnson – James Boswell – Affiliate LinkPerrine’s Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry – Aff LinkThe Bells — Edgar Allan PoeIgnis fatuusWill-o’-the-wisp – Irish FolkloreOdd Man Out – 1947 filmThe Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison – Aff LinkLyric VideoEras Tour PerformanceFollow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela’s Instagram
--------
1:04:06
--------
1:04:06
The Diction Study of Cold As You
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Angela and Uncle Jerry are taking it waaayyy back to 2006 with Taylor Swift’s first ever track 5, Cold As You. It might seem like a weird choice, but Angela wanted to present Uncle Jerry with some of Taylor’s earliest work so he could gain context around her growth as an artist over her entire career. Uncle Jerry finds a few redeeming qualities in the song, and together they explore other break-up poetry from the greats. Works Cited:Percy Bysshe ShelleyModern Love: I – George Meredith SonnetIt’s Not You, It’s Me – Jerry Williams – Affiliate LinkThe Research Society for Victorian PeriodicalsRosemary VanArsdel PrizeHer Kind – Ann SextonHeavy – Mary OliverA Broken Appointment – Thomas Hardy The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson – Aff LinkHeart! We will forget him! – Emily DickinsonI held a Jewel in my fingers – Emily DickinsonEras Tour Surprise Song — Houston Follow Us:YouTubeTikTokInstagramAngela's Instagram
A weekly podcast exploring the lyrics, lore, and literary legacy of Taylor Swift. Hosted by Angela McDow, the Swiftie, and Dr. Jerry Coats, the Scholar, we read between the lines AND the liner notes. Join us each week for lyrical deep dive through Taylor Swift's eras.
USA