![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/A-Complete-Guide-to-Taylor-Swifts-Literary-References-Before-%E2%80%98The-Tortured-Poets-Department-1.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>![\"Taylor](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Taylor-Swift-Connection-to-Rebekah-Harkness-Explained-The-Last-Great-American-Dynasty-and-More.jpg?crop=0px%2C16px%2C2000px%2C1130px&resize=400%2C225&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Taylor Swift’s Connection to Late Heiress Rebekah Harkness Explained<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tTaylor Swift\u2019s connection to Rebekah Harkness has made headlines ever since her 2020 song \u201cThe Last Great American Dynasty.\u201d And in honor of Harkness\u2019 birthday on April 17, two days before the 2024 release of Swift\u2019s next album The Tortured Poets Department, Us Weekly is breaking it all down. Folklore was the first time Swift\u2019s [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Bible<\/h3>\n
\u201cNow That We Don\u2019t Talk\u201d from 1989 (Taylor\u2019s Version)<\/em>, released in 2023, includes an allusion to a Bible story from the book of Exodus. \u201cYou part the crowd like the Red Sea, don\u2019t even get me started,\u201d Swift sings, referencing Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.<\/p>\n\u2018Compassion\u2019<\/h3>\n
In the song \u201cIvy\u201d from 2020\u2019s Evermore<\/em>, Swift borrows a line from Miller Williams<\/strong>\u2019 poem \u201cCompassion,\u201d published in 1997. \u201cI\u2019d meet you where the spirit meets the bones,\u201d she sings in the first verse. Williams\u2019 poem, meanwhile, reads, \u201cYou do not know what wars are going on down there where the spirit meets the bone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/A-Complete-Guide-to-Taylor-Swifts-Literary-References-Before-%E2%80%98The-Tortured-Poets-Department-3.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>TAS2023 via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u2018The Great Gatsby\u2019<\/h3>\n
Swift made her first reference to the F. Scott Fitzgerald<\/strong> novel on \u201cThis Is Why We Can\u2019t Have Nice Things\u201d from 2017\u2019s Reputation<\/em> with the lyric, \u201cFeeling so Gatsby for that whole year.\u201d As former high school students may recall, titular character Jay Gatsby (a.k.a. Jimmy Gatz) is famous for throwing lavish parties that hide his shady background.<\/p>\nThree years later, Swift nodded to the book again in \u201cHappiness\u201d from Evermore<\/em>. The lyric, \u201cI hope she\u2019ll be a beautiful fool who takes my spot next to you\u201d is a play on the character Daisy\u2019s remark that she hopes her daughter will be a \u201cbeautiful little fool,\u201d while the line, \u201cAll you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness\u201d recalls the book\u2019s famous green light, which symbolized the unattainable nature of Gatsby\u2019s dreams.<\/p>\n\u2018Humpty Dumpty\u2019<\/h3>\n
\u201cThe Archer\u201d from Lover quotes the classic nursery rhyme \u201cHumpty Dumpty\u201d with the lyrics, \u201cAll the king\u2019s horses, all the king\u2019s men \/ Couldn\u2019t put me together again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018The Iliad\u2019<\/h3>\n
1989 bonus track \u201cYou Are in Love\u201d includes an oblique reference to The Iliad<\/em> in the line, \u201cAnd you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars.\u201d While it\u2019s not explicit, this seems to be a nod to the mythological Trojan War, where the Greeks and the Trojans fought over Paris taking Helen from her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta.<\/p>\n\u201cState of Grace\u201d from Red<\/em> includes an allusion to Achilles, a hero of the Trojan War, with the lyric, \u201cThese are the hands of fate, you\u2019re my Achilles heel.\u201d Homer\u2019s Iliad<\/em>, however, makes no mention of Achilles having a weakness in his heel.<\/p>\nKing Midas<\/h3>\n
Swift is apparently something of a mythology buff because \u201cChampagne Problems\u201d features a reference to King Midas, who could turn anything to gold by touching it. Swift mentions the mythological royal while describing a character in the song, singing, \u201cYour Midas touch on the Chevy door.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018One for the Money\u2019<\/h3>\n
\u201cChampagne Problems\u201d also includes a nod to the classic children\u2019s rhyme \u201cOne for the Money,\u201d which has been around since the 19th century. Swift\u2019s lyrics read, \u201cOne for the money, two for the show \/ I never was ready, so I watch you go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Peter Pan<\/h3>\n
On the Folklore track \u201cCardigan,\u201d Swift references the fictional character created by J.M. Barrie<\/strong>. At one point, she names Peter directly, saying, \u201cTried to change the ending \/ Peter losing Wendy.\u201d Later in the track, she discusses \u201cchasin\u2019 shadows in the grocery line,\u201d which seems to be an allusion to the way Peter chases his own shadow while visiting the Darling children.<\/p>\nThe Red Thread of Fate<\/h3>\n
\u201cInvisible String\u201d draws inspiration from the idea of the red thread of fate, a concept from East Asian mythology. The red thread of fate is an invisible cord tied around the fingers of people who are destined to meet. In the Chinese version of the tale, Yue Lao, the god of marriage and love, is in charge of binding people with the red thread.<\/p>\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/A-Complete-Guide-to-Taylor-Swifts-Literary-References-Before-%E2%80%98The-Tortured-Poets-Department-4.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>John Medina\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRobert Frost<\/h3>\n
Swift has not but three songs that include nods to Frost\u2019s \u201cThe Road Not Taken.\u201d The first came on \u201cThe Outside\u201d from her 2006 debut album when she sang, \u201cI tried to take the road less traveled by, but nothing seems to work the first few times, am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n
She then quoted the same line on \u201cIllicit Affairs\u201d from Folklore<\/em>, singing, \u201cTake the road less traveled by, tell yourself you can always stop.\u201d The road appears one more time on \u201c\u2018Tis the Damn Season\u201d from Evermore<\/em> in the lyric, \u201cAnd the road not taken looks real good now.\u201d<\/p>\n\u2018Romeo and Juliet\u2019<\/h3>\n
Swift\u2019s most famous literary reference came in \u201cLove Story\u201d from 2008\u2019s Fearless<\/em>, where the narrator is Juliet to her love interest\u2019s Romeo. Unlike Shakespeare\u2019s tragedy, this version has a happy ending, with Romeo getting permission from Juliet\u2019s dad to marry her. The song ends with the proposal, but presumably Dad\u2019s approval means they don\u2019t have to fake their own deaths to tie the knot.<\/p>\n\u2018The Scarlet Letter\u2019<\/h3>\n
Swift has two references to Hawthorne\u2019s 1850 novel in her discography. The first came in \u201cLove Story\u201d with the lyric, \u201cCause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter.\u201d<\/p>\n
The second came in 2014 on the 1989<\/em> bonus track \u201cNew Romantics,\u201d which includes the line, \u201cWe show off our different scarlet letters, trust me, mine is better.\u201d<\/p>\nFor a little high school English class refresher: The Scarlet Letter<\/em> is about a woman named Hester Prynne who must wear a red \u201cA\u201d after she conceives a child out of wedlock. (The \u201cA\u201d is for adultery.)<\/p>\n
\u2018Compassion\u2019<\/h3>\n
In the song \u201cIvy\u201d from 2020\u2019s Evermore<\/em>, Swift borrows a line from Miller Williams<\/strong>\u2019 poem \u201cCompassion,\u201d published in 1997. \u201cI\u2019d meet you where the spirit meets the bones,\u201d she sings in the first verse. Williams\u2019 poem, meanwhile, reads, \u201cYou do not know what wars are going on down there where the spirit meets the bone.\u201d<\/p>\n Swift made her first reference to the F. Scott Fitzgerald<\/strong> novel on \u201cThis Is Why We Can\u2019t Have Nice Things\u201d from 2017\u2019s Reputation<\/em> with the lyric, \u201cFeeling so Gatsby for that whole year.\u201d As former high school students may recall, titular character Jay Gatsby (a.k.a. Jimmy Gatz) is famous for throwing lavish parties that hide his shady background.<\/p>\n Three years later, Swift nodded to the book again in \u201cHappiness\u201d from Evermore<\/em>. The lyric, \u201cI hope she\u2019ll be a beautiful fool who takes my spot next to you\u201d is a play on the character Daisy\u2019s remark that she hopes her daughter will be a \u201cbeautiful little fool,\u201d while the line, \u201cAll you want from me now is the green light of forgiveness\u201d recalls the book\u2019s famous green light, which symbolized the unattainable nature of Gatsby\u2019s dreams.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Archer\u201d from Lover quotes the classic nursery rhyme \u201cHumpty Dumpty\u201d with the lyrics, \u201cAll the king\u2019s horses, all the king\u2019s men \/ Couldn\u2019t put me together again.\u201d<\/p>\n 1989 bonus track \u201cYou Are in Love\u201d includes an oblique reference to The Iliad<\/em> in the line, \u201cAnd you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars.\u201d While it\u2019s not explicit, this seems to be a nod to the mythological Trojan War, where the Greeks and the Trojans fought over Paris taking Helen from her husband, Menelaus, the king of Sparta.<\/p>\n \u201cState of Grace\u201d from Red<\/em> includes an allusion to Achilles, a hero of the Trojan War, with the lyric, \u201cThese are the hands of fate, you\u2019re my Achilles heel.\u201d Homer\u2019s Iliad<\/em>, however, makes no mention of Achilles having a weakness in his heel.<\/p>\n Swift is apparently something of a mythology buff because \u201cChampagne Problems\u201d features a reference to King Midas, who could turn anything to gold by touching it. Swift mentions the mythological royal while describing a character in the song, singing, \u201cYour Midas touch on the Chevy door.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cChampagne Problems\u201d also includes a nod to the classic children\u2019s rhyme \u201cOne for the Money,\u201d which has been around since the 19th century. Swift\u2019s lyrics read, \u201cOne for the money, two for the show \/ I never was ready, so I watch you go.\u201d<\/p>\n On the Folklore track \u201cCardigan,\u201d Swift references the fictional character created by J.M. Barrie<\/strong>. At one point, she names Peter directly, saying, \u201cTried to change the ending \/ Peter losing Wendy.\u201d Later in the track, she discusses \u201cchasin\u2019 shadows in the grocery line,\u201d which seems to be an allusion to the way Peter chases his own shadow while visiting the Darling children.<\/p>\n \u201cInvisible String\u201d draws inspiration from the idea of the red thread of fate, a concept from East Asian mythology. The red thread of fate is an invisible cord tied around the fingers of people who are destined to meet. In the Chinese version of the tale, Yue Lao, the god of marriage and love, is in charge of binding people with the red thread.<\/p>\n Swift has not but three songs that include nods to Frost\u2019s \u201cThe Road Not Taken.\u201d The first came on \u201cThe Outside\u201d from her 2006 debut album when she sang, \u201cI tried to take the road less traveled by, but nothing seems to work the first few times, am I right?\u201d<\/p>\n She then quoted the same line on \u201cIllicit Affairs\u201d from Folklore<\/em>, singing, \u201cTake the road less traveled by, tell yourself you can always stop.\u201d The road appears one more time on \u201c\u2018Tis the Damn Season\u201d from Evermore<\/em> in the lyric, \u201cAnd the road not taken looks real good now.\u201d<\/p>\n Swift\u2019s most famous literary reference came in \u201cLove Story\u201d from 2008\u2019s Fearless<\/em>, where the narrator is Juliet to her love interest\u2019s Romeo. Unlike Shakespeare\u2019s tragedy, this version has a happy ending, with Romeo getting permission from Juliet\u2019s dad to marry her. The song ends with the proposal, but presumably Dad\u2019s approval means they don\u2019t have to fake their own deaths to tie the knot.<\/p>\n Swift has two references to Hawthorne\u2019s 1850 novel in her discography. The first came in \u201cLove Story\u201d with the lyric, \u201cCause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter.\u201d<\/p>\n The second came in 2014 on the 1989<\/em> bonus track \u201cNew Romantics,\u201d which includes the line, \u201cWe show off our different scarlet letters, trust me, mine is better.\u201d<\/p>\n For a little high school English class refresher: The Scarlet Letter<\/em> is about a woman named Hester Prynne who must wear a red \u201cA\u201d after she conceives a child out of wedlock. (The \u201cA\u201d is for adultery.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\u2018The Great Gatsby\u2019<\/h3>\n
\u2018Humpty Dumpty\u2019<\/h3>\n
\u2018The Iliad\u2019<\/h3>\n
King Midas<\/h3>\n
\u2018One for the Money\u2019<\/h3>\n
Peter Pan<\/h3>\n
The Red Thread of Fate<\/h3>\n
<\/div>Robert Frost<\/h3>\n
\u2018Romeo and Juliet\u2019<\/h3>\n
\u2018The Scarlet Letter\u2019<\/h3>\n
![\"Taylor](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/Taylor-Swift-and-Aaron-Dessner-Complete-Friendship-Timeline-03.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=400%2C225&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n