"It's nice to believe, when you think Tim McGraw." This week on AP Taylor Swift, we're going line-by-line through Taylor Swift's "Tim McGraw" (debut, 2006) — her very first single. We trace a Chevy truck down some back roads, argue about whether "that's a lie" means something different by the end of the song than it did at the beginning, float (and mostly reject) a death theory, and land on why a 16-year-old writing about one summer might be one of the most quietly ambitious songwriting choices of her career.

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift:

Substack: free subscribers get episode updates.

Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next.

Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes

Mentioned in this episode:

[03:38] "He said the way my blue eyes shined put those Georgia stars to shame that night. I said, that's a lie."

[05:43] "Just a boy in a Chevy truck"

[08:01] "I was right there beside him all summer long"

[10:46] "When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song"

[11:35] "When you think happiness, I hope you think that little black dress"

[15:58] "September saw a month of tears"

[19:25] "In a box beneath my bed is a letter that you've never read from three summers back"

[33:55] Purpose of the song

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

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.

“Why you gotta be so mean?”

In this week’s episode of AP Taylor Swift, we put “Mean” (Speak Now), “nothing new” (Red, Taylor’s Version), and “mirrorball” (folklore) under the lens of feminist literary theory. We talk about the male gaze, the ingenue, gendered violence imagery, the punishment of “unlikeable” women, and why a song written over a decade ago can still feel like it was written yesterday.

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift:

Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next.

Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes.

Mentioned in this episode

Episode Highlights

[00:23] Welcome to the Show & Tell — Women’s History Month and a primer on feminist literary theory

[04:59] “Mean” (Speak Now) — gendered weapon imagery and “you, with your words like knives and swords”

[20:37] “nothing new” (Red, Taylor’s Version) — false empowerment and “girls go out and have your fun”

[37:32] “mirrorball” (folklore) — adapting yourself for others’ approval

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

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.

"I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you" This week on AP Taylor Swift, we're going line-by-line through Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" (Lover, 2019). This episode turns into a deep dive into fever dreams, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, attachment theory, and the surprising twist that the real red flag in this song might be Taylor herself.

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: 

Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. 

Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes

Mentioned in this episode:

The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Romeo and Juliet

A Midsummer Night's Dream 

Attached

***

Episode Highlights: 

[04:02] How we do a deep dive 

[06:48] “Fever dream high in the quiet of the night”

[11:34] “Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes”

[13:20] “It’s blue, the feeling I’ve got”

[19:20] “Hang your head low in the glow of the vending machine”

[25:10] “Cut the headlights, summer’s a knife”

[29:47] “I’m drunk in the back of the car” 

[34:15] “He looks up grinning like a devil”

[40:08] Purpose of the song 

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

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.

"Now the sun burns my heart and the sand hurts my feelings" This is a re-air of one of our favorite episodes. We’re  looking at the literary symbolism of summer — freedom, danger, nostalgia, and everything in between. Jenn breaks down "Cruel Summer" (Lover, 2019), Jodi covers "August" (folklore, 2020), and Maansi digs into "hits different" (Midnights, 2023). Along the way we bring in The Great Gatsby, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and more to unpack why summer shows up in literature as both a season of freedom and a season that can cut you to the bone.

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: 

Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. 

Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode Highlights:

[02:30] Topic introduction — Summer in literature

[09:32] "Cruel Summer" (Lover, 2019)

[20:05] "August" (folklore, 2020)

[34:05] "hits different" (Midnights, 2023)

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.

"I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings." To celebrate Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding, we each picked a song from Taylor's discography that captures a different perspective on marriage:  the fairy tale proposal of "Love Story" (Fearless, 2008), the anti-materialist love declaration in "Paper Rings" (Lover, 2019), and the suburban married-life contentment of "Wi$h Li$t" (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025). 

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift:

Mentioned in this episode:

***

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Congratulations to the happy couple!

[06:52] "Love Story" — the fairy tale proposal

[17:09] "Paper Rings" — I don't need the shiny things 

[32:35] "Wishlist" — boss up, settle down 

[46:00] The songs we didn't pick (and why)

[48:44] What was their first dance?

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.

“Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind”  This week, we finally try to find the actual meaning behind Taylor Swift's "willow" (evermore, 2020), starting with the witchy mythology behind the title (hello, Hecate, Greek goddess of magic and the underworld) and tracing a real power dynamic underneath it. 

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift:

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Intro — continuing last week's Odyssey deep dive into "willow" 

[01:59] The title: willow mythology, Hecate, and witchy vibes 

[05:26] “I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night”

[17:07] “Lost in your current like a priceless wine”

[28:55] “Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind”

[42:49] “I come back stronger than a 90s trend”

[59:04] The purpose of the song 

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.

“In silent screams and wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this. This love is good. This love is bad. This love is alive back from the dead.”

This week we’re setting sail on one of history’s greatest epics, Homer’s The Odyssey, and asking a very important question... did Taylor Swift write it? (We’re mostly joking. Mostly.) In this Show & Tell episode, we each make the case for a Taylor Swift song that illuminates a different facet of the Odyssey, from Penelope’s 20-year vigil to Odysseus weeping on a gorgeous island, to the sirens, the wine-dark sea, and a very significant scar. Along the way, the hosts dig into questions of translation and interpretation — particularly the significance of Emily Wilson’s landmark female translation of the text — discuss the role of Athena in the story of the epic, and geek out about the archery contest that shows up in both the Odyssey and two Indian epics. Plus: the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation, the musical Epic by Jorge Rivera, Madeline Miller’s Circe, and why All Too Well (10 Minute Version) might just be Taylor’s own Odyssey.

Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift:

Contact us at [email protected]

Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com | Use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.

"A mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you." This week we're deep diving "Cold As You" from Taylor Swift's self-titled debut album (2006) — and it's a heavy one. What reads on the surface as a teen heartbreak song turns out to be a meditation on indifference, power imbalance, and the particular kind of scar that forms not from cruelty, but from being simply not cared about. 

Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

 Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode Highlights:

[11:06] "What a shame, what a rainy ending given to a perfect day" 

[16:42] "You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray" 

[29:00] Bridge: "You never did give a damn thing, honey, but I cried, cried for you"

[35:43] "Every smile you fake is so condescending — counting all the scars you've made"

[41:59] Purpose: what this song is really about 

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

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.

"How's your heart after breaking mine?" This is a preview of our paid After School episode,  a continuation of our "Fearless" album deep dive. 

We go through every Platinum Edition bonus track and Fearless (Taylor's Version) vault track and ask the only question that matters: why didn't these make the original 13? We argue "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was too pointed for a 19-year-old still being marketed as "sweet, neat, and age-appropriate," that "Superstar" was the PR-safe version of the same heartbreak, and that the "Forever & Always" piano version is the stages of grief in song form. 

Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe.

After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

Mentioned in this episode:

Luna Halo’s original “Untouchable” (2007)

Valentine’s Day (2010)

Hacks (HBO Max)

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Ep 98: Unreliable Narrators (Mr. Perfectly Fine)

Extra Credit essay on Forever Winter and the stages of grief

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.

"You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding." This week, we're doing a Show & Tell episode on one of Taylor's most recurring literary devices: scars. From the ice-cold wounds of “Cold As You” from her debut album to the wistful “cardigan” of folklore and the Kingpin-Taylor energy of “CANCELLED!” from The Life of a Showgirl, we trace how Taylor's use of scars has evolved from pure pain to reclaimed power. We talk Odysseus, Harry Potter, Death Eaters (yes, really), shattering glass ceilings, and what it means to turn a mark of suffering into a VIP passport. Join us as we explore what scars say about heroes, villains, and the very specific experience of being a woman in your 30s who has finally decided the wounds were worth it.

Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

Songs Discussed in This Episode:

Referenced in This Episode:

Episode Highlights:

[00:03] Intro: Welcome to the Show & Tell on Scars — not the Lion King villain (but kind of)

[07:17] Cold As You (debut, 2006): Ice burns, emotional wounds, and counting scars vs. counting stars

[14:20] Cardigan (folklore, 2020): "You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding"

[25:00] CANCELLED! (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025): Matching scars as passport to the underworld

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Contact us at [email protected]

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com, use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.