“Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me” This week, we're diving into the timeless influence of Greek mythology in Taylor Swift's music by exploring connections between Taylor's songs and classic Greek myths. Jodi finds links between Demeter and Persephone’s sorrow in The Hymn to Demeter and the Folklore song "My Tears Ricochet.” Maansi shows us how "Long Story Short” sounds like Odysseus recounting his epic journey as he returns home. And Jenn gets into the ancient story of the Labyrinth and how it reflects themes of self-discovery and transformation in "Labyrinth." Is Taylor Swift a modern-day Homer? Listen and find out!
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Mentioned in this episode:
Mythology, Edith Hamilton
The Iliad, Homer
The Odyssey, Homer
Metamorphoses, Ovid
Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan
E44: Metaphors + “The Tortured Poets Department”
E22: Mastermind
Homeric Hymns
The Hymn to Demeter
Hadestown (musical)
Hercules (Disney animated film)
E54: One Year Anniversary of AP Taylor Swift
Circe, Madeline Miller
Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
Stephen Fry’s Mythos, Heroes, and Troy
Episode Highlights:
[01:40] Introduction to Greek Mythology
[08:25] "my tears ricochet" folklore
[19:49] "long story short" evermore
[32:11] "Labyrinth" Midnights
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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.
