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
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46:19
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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
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47:46
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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
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1:04:06
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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
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47:35
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47:35
The Indirect Characterization of Death By A Thousand Cuts
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Uncle Jerry and Angela analyze Death By A Thousand Cuts from Taylor Swift's 2019 album, Lover. Uncle Jerry finds literary devices aplenty in the lyrics, and discusses how she uses those devices to deftly handle the storytelling in the poem via indirect characterization.They also discuss the roundabout inspiration of this song and the Swiftie tradition of friendship bracelets.Works Cited:A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare – Affiliate LinkLingchiDeath By A Thousand Cuts – Timothy Brook, Jérôme Bourgon, Gregory Blue – Aff LinkMandarin SquaresGreat Expectations — Charles Dickens – Aff LinkKyn You Believe It — IDK Traffic LightAnaphora Indirect CharacterizationFollow 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.
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