Taylor Swift is a musical artist who has enchanted us with her lyricism. While she is known for her lyrics, did you know she has been pulling influence from the literary greats? From references to Daphne du Maurier and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Swift’s songs weave iconic tales into her storytelling.
Last holiday season, I was given “Taylor Swift By the Book” by Rachel Feder and Tiffany Tatreau. This book covers Swift’s musical discography, pinning her albums to specific literary movements like romanticism and modernism. Let’s explore the literary influences of Taylor Swift together.
First, let’s review some of her lyrics that have direct connections to literary works from poems, plays, and novels.
Lyrics & Literary Connections
“The road less traveled by” is featured in “The Outside”. This is a direct reference that most of us know from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”, a poem most of us have read in middle school. This poem follows the narrator who met at a crossroads between two paths.
“On a balcony in summer air” from “Love Story” is a reference to Romeo and Juliet. Specifically, it alludes to the infamous balcony scene in Act 2, Scene 2. This scene has inspired numerous scenes where young lovers profess their love to a maiden on a balcony. Swift romanticizes this idea in the song “Love Story”, where she infamously casts herself as Juliet. However, at the end of this song, Romeo and Juliet run away together and get married (a rather inaccurate discrepancy from the Shakespeare play).
“Did the twin flame bruise paint you blue” is a line from “All Too Well (10 minute version)”. This line reflects the concept of the twin flame, a notion similar to that of a “soulmate”. The idea of twin flames has been brought up throughout history, but the true coining of “twin flames” as being similar to soul mates or intense love is in “A Romance of Two Worlds” by Marie Corelli (1886). Corelli describes the twin flame as an electric spark.
The 1989 song “Wonderland” revolved around key elements of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (who would have guessed). Swift describes a relationship through iconic features of Carroll’s story through lyrics like “fell down a rabbit hole”, “what becomes of curious minds”, and “we both went mad”.
“Getaway car” starts with the line “it was the best of times and the worst of crimes”. This is an allusion to Dickens’ famous opening lines in “A Tale of Two Cities“, where he says, “It was the best of times, and the worst of times”.
“Dear Reader” is the main line in (you guessed it) “Dear Reader”. This line is very familiar to those who have read “Jane Eyre”. Similar to in the novel where Brontë says “reader, I married him”, Swift addresses the listener directly, bringing them into the story of the song, subsequently breaking the fourth wall.
“You’re not Dylan Thomas/I’m not Patti Smith” are two lines from The Tortured Poets Department referencing real people. Thomas was a poet, and Patti Smith is a singer, songwriter, and writer. They famously stayed at the “Chelsea Hotel,” also referencing the song. The Hotel Chelsea (the hotel’s actual name) was known for being the home to many bohemian artists like Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen. Swift fights against the romanticization of this “tortured poets” culture and ideals in the relationship she is reflecting on. Swift’s ex-lover seems to have believed himself to be a kindred spirit to those who used to live at the Hotel Chelsea and wants to create art reminiscent of them.
“They killed Cassandra first ‘cause she feared the worst” is a line from Cassandra. If you had a Greek mythology phase in middle school or high school, you’re probably familiar with our titular character, Cassandra. Cassandra was gifted the ability to see prophecies by Apollo, but was cursed so no one would believe her. She predicts major events in mythology like the Fall of Troy, but no one listens to her. Many believe this song is a reference to Taylor Swift calling out Kanye West. At the very least, it reflects women’s experiences of not being believed.
“The Fate of Ophelia” is a song and lead single from “The Life of a Showgirl,” where Swift is singing about how her relationship with Travis Kelce has “saved her from the fate of Ophelia”. Who is Ophelia? In Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Ophelia is the potential wife of Hamlet. She is in love with Hamlet, but he can’t express his love to reciprocate. Ophelia eventually goes mad and drowns herself. Swift is claiming to be “saved” from unhealthy relationships now that she is with Kelce.
Now that we’ve covered the lyrics that tie into literary influences, I thought I’d recommend some books that have influenced Taylor Swift. These are perfect suggestions for the Swiftie community to read.
Taylor Swift’s book List
First is “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier. This is a book that Swift cites as being the inspiration for “Tolerate It”. “Rebecca” follows the main character (who is never named) who marries a wealthy widower, but is left in the shadows of his previous wife, Rebecca. The husband “tolerates” the narrator, treating her similarly to the dog. Swift was inspired to write the song after reading it and identifying the dynamics, where the narrator tries hard to earn her husband’s approval and love, but can’t seem to earn it.
Next is “The Secret Garden“. In “I Hate It Here,” Swift expertly references reading this book when she was young. A classic childhood novel, it follows Mary, who moves in with her Uncle to find that he has a secret garden hidden on his gloomy property. Through her hard work and character growth, she brings the garden and the rest of the estate back to life.
Lastly, we have “The Great Gatsby.” A commonly read assigned book in high school, this book follows 1920s New Yorkers in the battle of New Money vs Old Money. Jay Gatsby is known for throwing outrageous parties in hopes of attracting his first love, Daisy. Swift makes references to “new money”, feeling “Gatsby”, and attending 1920s-esque large parties. She also references the character of Daisy in a few of her lyrics.
I’ve loved and listened to Taylor Swift since I was in kindergarten. I think many are drawn to her writing style and her tendency to take you to a different place. Her music’s listening experience is similar to a reader’s experience when reading a book. It’s all about transportation. As a lifelong reader, I think it’s fascinating to see how Swift pulls from the books many of us know and love to help craft her own stories.
Before you leave, check out this playlist of the songs from the article: