“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.