Two things that I love: Taylor Swift and Thanksgiving. Comparing and combining them?? What a great way to get in the holiday spirit!
Turkey: Better Man
Although I do like turkey (especially with cranberry sauce), I would’ve been in love if it was a better man main dish. The sides tend to outshine it, but I do recognize the importance of having this carnivorous option.
Cranberry Sauce: Bejeweled
I hope everyone agrees that cranberry sauce dresses up every dish and makes the whole plate shimmer!! Homemade cranberry sauce with some orange zest is one of my all time favorite parts of the holiday, just like how “Bejeweled” is a highlight of Midnights!
Mashed Potatoes: august
Although we enjoy potatoes in all forms year round, having them in November for Thanksgiving is a little more special, with or without gravy. I love the song “august,” but we all know that song gets the most attention and love during its namesake month.
Stuffing: This Love
I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but stuffing might be my favorite Thanksgiving side dish (specifically the recipe that I use). Therefore, stuffing gets to be matched with the 1989 love song “This Love,” since just when I need this comfort dish to enjoy the holidays, it comes back to me.
Sweet Potatoes: You Belong With Me
A sweet potato and marshmallow side (in any form) reminds me of southern comfort food (like young Taylor), so I’m assigning “You Belong With Me” to this one. I’ve loved eating my mom’s sweet potato and marshmallow dish since I was a kid, the same way that I’ve loved jamming out to Fearless as long as I could remember.
Mac ‘n’ Cheese: Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)
I don’t even eat mac ‘n’ cheese for Thanksgiving, but I know this dish is a staple for some. Due to the kid-like comfort feel of eating the food, it gives “Mary’s Song (Oh My My My)” vibes since I could be seven or eighty-seven years old and still look at mac ‘n’ cheese “like the stars that shine.”
Bread: Ours
Simple, but very necessary at every Thanksgiving feast: bread can come in the form of rolls, biscuits, sourdough slices, or anything that helps us fill up our plate. I think the uncomplicated but beloved bread can be assigned “Ours” because who doesn’t love that song?
Salad: ME!
Perhaps unnecessary, but sometimes we need something fresh and healthy. And some of us skip the salad during our feasts the same way that some of us repeatedly skip “ME!”
Creamed Corn: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
Corn is a fine vegetable, so why do we have to drown it in some dairy and seasonings that don’t improve the food at all? Maybe Taylor wrote “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” about people choosing to make vegetables more complicated for Thanksgiving instead of keeping it simple.
Champagne: gold rush
Connecting champagne to “champagne problems” would be too easy, and honestly wouldn’t make sense since “champagne problems” is a pretty sad song. But another evermore song, “gold rush,” better encapsulates the feeling of flying and red flush one gets from sipping on some sparkly and sweet champagne.
Wine: Maroon
I have to relate “‘Maroon” to drinking wine since some lively debates during family gatherings can lead to wine spilling and staining shirts burgundy. And maybe there are some years where we resort to drinking our “roommate’s cheap-ass screw-top rosé.”
Apple Cider: All Too Well
Apple Cider will forever be reminiscent of cozy fall weather, just like Taylor’s renowned “All Too Well.” And, sometimes, in the summer, I remember the taste of this special seasonal drink and seeing “autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place,” and remember the memories of the holidays all too well.
Pumpkin Pie: Forever & Always
A classic staple, pumpkin pie will forever and always be on your Thanksgiving table, but you may face different recipes and enjoy the dish with lots of different loved ones.
Apple Pie: King of My Heart
If done well, apple pie can be outstanding and make me want a second slice and therefore deserves to be assigned one of my favorite reputation songs, “King of My Heart.” Taylor literally could’ve written this jam about it: “The taste of your lips is my idea of luxury/Salute to me, I’m your American Queen.” A good slice of apple pie, which is a very American dessert, can certainly be called a luxury.