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
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44:28
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44:28
BONUS: Ramblings on The Life of A Showgirl
In this bonus episode, Uncle Jerry and Angela discuss the excitement of the last week, including the cryptic Taylor Nation and New Heights posts, the countdowns, the new album announcement, and the two hour podcast episode heard 'round the world.Uncle Jerry teaches us a little bit about Ophelia and Hamlet to give some context around the album's opening track title, The Fate of Ophelia, and they discuss how Uncle Jerry got just a lilllll excited about the news.
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28:35
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28:35
The Dramatic Monologue of Cowboy Like Me
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Angela asks Uncle Jerry about his favorite music before they dive into cowboy like me from Taylor Swift’s 2020 album evermore. Uncle Jerry teaches us about the dramatic monologue and how Taylor uses this device in the song. They also talk about the use of cliches, indeterminate endings, and they discuss whether they think the couple in the song ends up together or not. Works Cited:Blondie Stardust — Hoagy Carmichael Georgia on my Mind — Hoagy CarmichaelCantigas de Santa MariaCantiga Medieval BabesPomplamoosePokey LaFargeGilbert and SullivanLa BohemeTosca Yeoman of the GuardPirates of Penzance HMS PinaforeIn Medias ResThe Odyssey – HomerDramatic MonologueMy Last Duchess – Robert BrowningPorphyria's Lover – Robert BrowningThe Most Dangerous Game – Richard Connell
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1:04:15
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1:04:15
The Faith Crisis of Would've Could've Should've
In this episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Uncle Jerry and Angela dissect Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve from Taylor Swift’s 2022 album Midnights. They briefly discuss their own church connections, explore the various religious imagery and references used throughout the song, and come to understand that they relate to the song in similar but different ways. Uncle Jerry grades the song and brings in some poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to round out his thoughts on the sadness of the track.Works Cited:Rhetorical Theory and PracticeImmortal Technique – Dance with the DevilLove Story (1970 film)Sonnets from the Portuguese – Elizabeth Barrett Browning – Affiliate LinkLes Miserables – Victor Hugo, Christine Donogher – Aff LinkThe Legend of Rose Latulipe
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.
New Zealand