The Swiftie and The Scholar
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.
Episodes
The Tragedy of Miscommunication in Exile
Continuing along our folklore journey, this episode covers exile, the collaboration between Taylor Swift and Bon Iver. Uncle Jerry teaches us about different types of exile and how they appear across literature and folk tales. We then dig into the poem and Uncle Jerry admits to Angela that he almost cheated and listened to the song because he was so ready to hear how they spoke over each other. Al
Finding Life’s Meaning in Epiphany
We are tackling one of the most underrated tracks from Taylor Swift’s folklore album, epiphany. The poem compares past war tragedies to 2020’s pandemic, and Uncle Jerry uses the poem to teach us about Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory. *Links with an asterisk are affiliate links, which allow us to make a small commission on your purchase at no cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!Works Cited:Wilf
Imagined Futures in Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus
We are back in our Tortured Poets Era with Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus. This song was much-requested and was voted on by our Patreon subscribers. Angela and Uncle Jerry talk through the poem and Uncle Jerry concedes that sometimes we try to find too much meaning in certain images.Works Cited:Sadie and Maud – Gwendolyn Brooksmaggie and milly and molly and may – e.e. cummings[in Just-] – e.e. c
Finding Agency in Dear John
We’re back in our Speak Now era with Dear John. Angela explains the lore behind this quintessential track 5 from Taylor Swift, and Uncle Jerry talks himself into being a fan of this poem. *Links with an asterisk are affiliate links, which allow us to make a small commission on your purchase at no cost to you. Thanks so much for your support!Works Cited:Dear John LetterAgnes von Kurowsky*A Farewell
The Peak of Innocence in Seven
This week is the one year podcast anniversary, and Angela saved this song especially for this episode. But before we tackle seven from folklore, Angela and Uncle Jerry reflect on the past year and Angela surprises him with a little quiz to see just how much he’s learned about Taylor Swift and swiftie culture.Thanks for being here with us!*Links with an asterisk are affiliate links, which allow us
Superficial Celebrity Criticism in Shake It Off
We’re taking it back to 1989 with the only Taylor Swift song Uncle Jerry knew before we started this project. Angela expected this to be a quick, simple episode, but Uncle Jerry found a lot of deeper meaning in the glitter gel pen poem.Works Cited:Catalog PoemDr. J. Don VannA Handbook to Literature – William Harmon & Hugh Holman – Aff LinkGoblin Market – Christina RossettiWhy We Oppose Pockets
The Mosaic of Love in State of Grace
Today we return to Angela’s beloved Red era with State of Grace! Uncle Jerry surprises her with his excitement about the poem, and they go through all the ideas of love Taylor presents throughout the opening track.And there’s gravy all over the plate!Works Cited:In medias resKinetic or kinesthetic imageryMetonymyParallel structureA Midsummer Night's Dream – William Shakespeare – Aff LinkConcre
The Coming of Age Narrative in You’re On Your Own, Kid
Angela finally introduces Uncle Jerry to a pivotal track 5 from Taylor Swift’s discography—You’re On Your Own, Kid. They discuss the real life events that could have inspired the song and Uncle Jerry talks about other pieces of pop culture that tell a similar story.Works Cited:AnaphoraColloquial dictionDramatic ironyFree indirect discourseVerbal ironyAuditory imageryMetonymyAdventures of Huckleber
The Chronicles of Conflict in The Great War
In this episode, Uncle Jerry and Angela tackle The Great War from 2022’s Midnights. Uncle Jerry wrestles with the idea of using a horrific event as a metaphor, and he teaches all about the many floral symbols used throughout the poem.Works Cited:The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady – Edith Holden – Aff LinkThe Great War and Modern Memory – Paul Fussell – Aff LinkThe Strange Destiny of Rupert Bro
The Parachute of Childhood in I Knew It, I Knew You
Man, it’s been a while! Today we’re covering the newly released I Knew It, I Knew You from Toy Story 5 and current #1 on the Billboard 100 chart.Uncle Jerry takes us through the poem, talking all about childhood and friendship and how both this song and the movie franchise showcase the magic of being a kid. We bring in a special guest–an expert–at the end to grade the song.Works Cited:HomonymRunni
The Light of Stardom in Clara Bow
We are taking it back to the 1920s (and then the 1970s) today with Clara Bow from The Tortured Poets Department. Uncle Jerry talks all about the early film industry, Stevie Nicks, the violence of beauty and fame for women, and so much more. Works Cited:Clara BowThe Jazz Singer (1927)Greta GarboDouglas FairbanksJohn GilbertMichael CurtizCasablanca (1942)The Lodger (1947)World’s Columbian Exposition
The Nature of Fame in Mirrorball
We’re back in our folklore era with mirrorball today! Uncle Jerry had some extra time with this one and doesn’t even know where to start the discussion. We get into the uses of mirrors in folklore, how this was made during the pandemic, and discuss the many facets of celebrity. Make sure you come back next week for another song discussing the nature of fame.Works Cited:The Philosophy of Reflection
The Inquisitive Human Nature in How Did It End?
FIXED AUDIO!Call all your friends and cousins, we’re finally covering How Did It End? from The Tortured Poets Department. Uncle Jerry finds tons of beautiful poetics and dark humor in this one, and Angela discusses its connections to both The Prophecy and But Daddy I Love Him. If you want to vote for a specific song for June, join us on Patreon to play along!Works Cited:General Reference PronounAu
The Christian Tendrils of But Daddy I Love Him
Buckle up for a long one! We are flooring it through the fences today with But Daddy I Love Him from Taylor Swift’s 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department. We discuss common movie tropes, conservative small towns, and the lyrics Angela wants to have tattooed from this song.Works Cited:Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – Susanna Clarke – Aff LinkEast of Eden – John Steinbeck – Aff LinkRebel With
The Sentimentalism of Marjorie
In this episode, we are tackling marjorie, a track from Taylor Swift’s evermore album from 2020. Uncle Jerry teaches us about sentimentalism in literature, and Angela blows his mind by telling him the real life Marjorie’s backstory. Works Cited:AphorismDavid HumeImmanuel KantSentimentalismSentimental Novels in Early American FictionThe Man of Feeling – Henry Mackenzie – Aff LinkPamela: Or Virtue R
Dr. Uncle Jerry University: Poetry 101
We’re doing something a bit different today! Some conversations have popped up in various comment sections about why Uncle Jerry prefers specific types of poetry, and which lenses we use to dissect those poems, whether we’re talking about Charles Dickens, Emily Dickenson, or Taylor Swift. So Uncle Jerry put together a lecture explaining how and why he views certain poetic styles the way he does, a
Fate vs. Free Will in The Prophecy
We are getting witchy today as we dive deep into The Prophecy from Taylor Swift’s 2024 album, The Tortured Poets Department. Uncle Jerry teaches us about some specific references to tarot and the occult in literature, and how that shaped a few of his interests. Angela tells the story of a tarot reading that Taylor received from a friend, and how she thinks it inspired this song. Works Cited:The C
Cardigan – The Folklore Love Triangle Part 3
We’ve made it to the third and final episode of our beloved Folklore Love Triangle! We hope you’ve enjoyed this little series as much as we have. This episode dives into all the poetry and themes of cardigan, and then Uncle Jerry wraps up all the themes and questions and answers found in these three songs.Works Cited:Rashomon EffectThe Rashomon Effect: When Ethnographers Disagree – Karl G. HeiderD
Betty – The Folklore Love Triangle Part 2
We’re back for the second installment of the folklore love triangle! Uncle Jerry really changed his tune on these lyrics, both as a poem and as a song, while Angela notices some “teenage diction” that she’s never picked up on before. Come back next week to wrap this all up with us!Works Cited:Rashomon EffectThe Rashomon Effect: When Ethnographers Disagree – Karl G. HeiderDisnarration and the Unmen
August – The Folklore Love Triangle Part 1
Friends, it's finally here! Over the next three episodes, we are diving into our beloved Folklore Love Triangle. First up is August. Uncle Jerry begins by talking about the narrative of these three songs and how they are woven together across the album, and then we dissect the poem of August. These three episodes will all build on each other, and we’ll round out the discussion in week 3. Works
The Feminist Critique of Mad Woman
We are getting angry and witchy today with mad woman from Taylor Swift’s 2020 album, folklore. Uncle Jerry teaches us where the word hysteria comes from, how women have been written about for centuries, and how sometimes, we make our own monsters. Listen to the song with us on Patreon!Works Cited:The Madwoman in the Attic – Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar – Aff LinkIn Medias Res: Definition and
The Psychological Burden of The Albatross
We have a much-requested poem for you in this episode! Uncle Jerry and Angela tackle The Albatross from The Tortured Poets Department, but first, Uncle Jerry lets us all know how disappointed he is with us as a class lololol. Oops! Join us as we discuss relationships in the public eye, and the journey of repudiation and redemption the song takes us on.Works Cited:The Rime of the Ancient Mariner –
The Depth Without Darkness in Opalite
Join us today for some lighthearted fun as we discuss Opalite from 2025’s The Life of a Showgirl. When Taylor Swift made this song a single and gave us the most perfect music video in the history of music videos, I felt like we had to cover it. Be on the lookout for more Opalite content on Patreon!Works Cited:How to Write a Dizain IambsTrocheesPluperfect tensePossession – A.S. Byatt – Aff LinkAbou
The Exploration of Depression in Evermore
In this episode, we are taking a trip through the wildest winter with evermore from 2020. Uncle Jerry once again blows Angela’s mind with some folklore tropes relating to the dog days, and with some tidbits about Carl Jung’s theory on the Anima.If you’d like to see us listen to the song and enjoy the episode ad-free, you can now join us on Patreon!Works Cited:Cats (2019)Fats WallerApostrophe liter
The Exploration of Truth in Cassandra
JOIN US ON PATREON!In this episode, we are learning all about Cassandra from Greek Mythology, and Cassandra, the Taylor Swift song. Uncle Jerry teaches us Cassandra’s story, we dive into all the rich metaphors, and Angela spills the beans about Taylor’s Kim and Kanye feud. There’s also an existential moment where Angela can’t deal with the question of one universal truth versus many personal truth
The Tangled Ambiguity of Ivy
Affairs and graves and Emily Dickinson, oh my! Today, we are slowly meandering through Taylor Swift’s 202 poem, ivy. This track from evermore is full of ambiguous symbols, double meanings, and beautiful poetic elements. Uncle Jerry walks us through his many interpretations, and Angela’s brain short circuits through it all.Compassion – Miller WilliamsThe Ways We Touch – Miller Williams – Aff linkDo
The Cultural Critique of The Last Great American Dynasty
We’re off to Rhode Island by way of St. Louis in this episode! We’re breaking down Taylor Swift’s ‘the last great american dynasty’, a track from 2020’s folklore and the final song she submitted for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Uncle Jerry explains how his opinion on this poem changed from his first few readings, and Angela talks through her thoughts on the five submitted songs as
The Satire of Blank Space
In this episode, we are covering the fourth song that Taylor Swift submitted to be considered for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame—Blank Space. This 1989 track was one of her first pop hits, and Uncle Jerry finds the humorous and feminist lenses the poem was written through to be interesting to dissect. We’ll wrap the conversation up and talk about the songs as a whole collection next w
The Self-Deprecation of Anti-Hero
We’re back and we’re kicking 2026 off with the three remaining tracks from Taylor’s submission to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Spoiler alert: she was inducted! We’ll talk more about that in the final of these three episodes, but today we are focused on Anti-Hero. Uncle Jerry wonders about Taylor’s psychological status when writing this song and Angela has an A-ha! moment about how the music cues
The Resolutions of Love in New Year’s Day
Happy New Year! With New Year’s Day on our episode release day, it only felt right to cover this masterpiece from Reputation. Uncle Jerry unknowingly connects this song with many others, blowing Angela’s mind once again. We’re taking a short break after this episode, but we’ll see you back here in a few weeks with more poetry!Works Cited:Nine Princes in Amber – Roger Zelazny – Aff LinkWhen Harry M
The Intertextuality of ‘Tis the Damn Season
Merry Christmas! Sorry for the sad song choice, but it just felt right. We’re trudging down the road not taken with evermore’s ‘tis the damn season. Uncle Jerry isn’t so sure about this one at first, but he comes around by the end. Works Cited:TropeSweet Home Alabama (2002)The Family Man (2000)Frank CapraAutofictionCatcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger – Aff LinkThe Road Not Taken – Robert FrostInter
The Double Entendre of LOML
This is one of our most requested episodes, and here it is, just in time for the holidays! Uncle Jerry picked up on something that Angela had never noticed in the poem, and they get into a bit of the Tay-lore about what inspired The Tortured Poets Department. Works Cited:e.e. cummingsThe Fates of Greek MythologyJust Kids – Patti Smith – Aff LinkBreaking Up Is Hard to Do – Neil SedakaWater Lilies –
The 80s Club Vibes of New Romantics
After all the talk about Romanticism in the last episode, we’re taking it to the New Romantics this week. Uncle Jerry teaches us all about the sociocultural movement of the late 1970s and 1980s called New Romanticism, featuring The Blitz Kids, the London club scene, and all the fun and freedom of the era.Works Cited:Neoclassicism vs. RomanticismDavid BowieBoy GeorgeAnnie LennoxThe Blitz KidsSweet
The Romanticism of The Lakes
We are letting Taylor Swift take us to the lakes today! These are the lyrics Angela used to convince Uncle Jerry to do this podcast, and his analysis does not disappoint. Come with us to learn all about Romanticism, The Lakes Poets, and how Taylor expertly weaves those two into this poem.Works Cited:A Brief Guide to RomanticismThe Lake PoetsLyrical Ballads – William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Co
The Fairytale Diction of Enchanted
We are finally covering a song from Speak Now! I’m so sorry to all the Speak Now stans that it took this long, but we got here. Uncle Jerry takes us through Taylor’s word choice throughout Enchanted, and how it reveals the specific fairy tale inspiration behind the song. Angela explains the lore of this being Taylor’s only completely self-written album and the moment that inspired the song. Works
The Gothic Tradition of The Black Dog
In this episode, we dig into one of most requested songs of late, The Black Dog. Taylor Swift mentioned in an interview that no one really understood this song, so we got Uncle Jerry on the case. Tune in to hear his take!Works Cited:Roland Barthes – The Death of The AuthorShe Walks in Beauty – Lord ByronThe Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Aff LinkThe Malleus Maleficarum – Hein
The Loss of Youth and Innocence in Peter
Well friends, I think we did it. Stay all the way to the end for a big surprise out of Uncle Jerry.In this episode, we're covering one of Angela's favorite TTPD tracks, Peter. Uncle Jerry finds layer after layer in the poem, and decides that this is a beautiful, melancholic reflection on the loss of innocence and youth, told through the lens of Peter Pan.Works Cited:Peter Pan - the Origina
The Traditional Tropes of Love Story
We’re taking it back to high school this week and exploring the country phenomenon that is Love Story. This is our first track from Fearless (2008), and Uncle Jerry explores all of the themes and tropes that are missing from the poem when compared to her current work, like complex metaphors and twisted idioms.Works Cited:Romeo and Juliet – William Shakespeare – Affiliate LinkCatullus – Roman PoetL
The Cinematic Imagery of Father Figure
Step into our office and leave it with us. We protect the family! Join us as we walk through Father Figure from The Life of a Showgirl. Uncle Jerry gives his theories on the inspiration for the song, including many different movies, and Angela works out where she thinks the narrator changes mid-track.Pour yourself some brown liquor and you won’t be sleeping with the fishes.Works Cited:A Star is Bo
The Reinterpretation of The Fate of Ophelia
We have officially entered our Showgirl era, and we’re kicking it off with The Fate of Ophelia. Uncle Jerry teaches us all about Ophelia’s role in Hamlet, one of the Ophelia paintings Taylor may have drawn inspiration from, and a couple of feminist critics’ takes on Ophelia. We then get into the song, Angela weaves in a few nuggets of Tay-lore, and they round it out by discussing the feminist issu
The Sensory Imagery of Maroon
We are wiping the incense dust off the shelf and picking ourselves up off the floor with Maroon this week. This Midnights track from 2022 is full of imagery, senses, colors, and so much more. Uncle Jerry also surprises us all with an interpretation from left field, which allows Angela the space to explain a specific sect of swifties.Enjoy!Works Cited:Richard Wright – Black American novelistParalle
The Growth and Healing of Clean
We’re coming down from our Showgirl high, and taking it back to 1989 this week. Uncle Jerry takes us through Clean, and breaks down the metaphors and themes found in the poem, including addiction, healing, personal growth, and personal agency.He also asks Angela who this song was inspired by, and admits that he’s now wondering about that in all of these songs. :) There are links below to (most of!
BONUS: The Release Party of A Showgirl Recap
The Swiftie and The Scholar took a field trip to the movie theater this weekend to hang out with Taylor and the Swifties! This was Uncle Jerry's first in-person swiftie experience, and he gives us his thoughts, along with his first impressions of a few of the new tracks. Angela gives her first impressions on the album and discusses which songs the podcast will cover first.Follow Us:YouTube
Answering Your Questions - Volume 1
In this episode, Uncle Jerry and Angela get caught up on the latest Swiftie news, including the engagement and The Release Party of a Showgirl, and then they get into answering your questions from Instagram and TikTok. We cover poetry curriculum, how to get into scholarly pursuits, how Angela convinced Uncle Jerry to do the podcast, and how we select which songs we cover.There are links below to (
The Many Literary Themes of All Too Well
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 m
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
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:
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
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 th
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 trad
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
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
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
The Monstrous Femininity of Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?
Uncle Jerry and Angela tackle Taylor Swift’s ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?’ in the second episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar. Uncle Jerry talks about his journey from hate to appreciation of this track, he introduces the concept of Monstrous Femininity, and they talk about the cultural image of the witch throughout history. Angela gives a (not so) brief look into her role as a Swiftie, and t
The Folklore Elements of My Tears Ricochet
In the debut episode of The Swiftie and The Scholar, Angela McDow, the Swiftie, and her uncle Dr. Jerry Coats, the Scholar, dig into My Tears Ricochet, the fifth track from Taylor Swift's Folklore album. They discuss the different folklore elements that Taylor uses in the song, the prevailing fan theory on the song's inspiration, and Uncle Jerry watches his first Eras Tour performance.Work
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