Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Content

Welcome back to Evolution of a Snake. In this episode, we're introducing a new format: Sister Songs. This is a series where we draw parallels and themes between two (or more!) songs from different points in Taylor Swift's discography. On the menu today is an evergreen connective tissue: Taylor's musings on fame, being replaced, and ageing. Initially, we were inspired by the mashup she performed for Stevie Nicks in Dublin. But as we got into our in-depth lyrical analysis, it quickly became clear there are more than just two songs to pay attention to. We delve into Nothing New and Mirrorball to flesh out our analysis and better understand how Taylor's relationship to the public eye has evolved but also stayed the same over the years.

Files

Taylor Swift's Sister Songs: The Lucky One & Clara Bow

Listen to this episode from Evolution of a Snake: The Taylor Swift Podcast on Spotify. Welcome back to Evolution of a Snake. In this episode, we're introducing a new format: Sister Songs. This is a series where we draw parallels and themes between two (or more!) songs from different points in Taylor Swift's discography.

Comments

Aleesha Hunter

YES! Love this new series idea! 💡 🪢 🐍

lyrium

omg HYPE!!! I love Madelizard at her Lizardest!!! and Zack always brings out the best in her <3 fantastic idea!!!

Cat

LOVE this series! More pwease

Bethany

Loved this so much!!!!

Lacey Pinto

LOVE THIS SERIES!!! More please!!!

kody

I just had an idea for the tour, you guys should do like Suprise songs and like react to the songs and like tell us the history idk just a way to make each show different maybe?!? idk 😭

Erica

Absolutely loved this episode! To me, one of the most rewarding things about being a Swiftie in the year of our lord 2024 is seeing how her perspective has changed over the years, so I am SO excited that you’re going to be exploring this on the podcast. I was a teenager in the 90s, and my “popstar” of choice was Courtney Love. When Clara Bow came out I was instantly reminded Hole’s song Awful, which also explores similar themes: “And they royalty rate all the girls like you And they sell it out to the girls like you To incorporate little girls”

Abby

She's so lucky, she's a star But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking If there's nothing missing in my life Then why do these tears come at night? 💅

Anna

Loved it! Can’t wait for more ❤️

Lain Pierce

The Snakes have hit their STRIDE! I have loved the commentary but THIS is what I really want. Deep lyrical analysis across the discography. You could do one on all her color references. I am particularly interested in "the stiches." Now I'm fastening myself to you with a stich/stitches undone- I know there are more I am not thinking of. How about an episode of just her literary/cultural references? This will COOK for all time!

Terry B

is Clean sister song of Fortnight?! “flowers”, “drug” 🫨😱🌷💊

Terry B

Bowie was innovative in his music as well as business— if she’d set her sights on that goal…then she’d be THE MAN! Slay! hm… I don’t think our war-fear mongering society “are ready for it” though… which is a viscous cycle: women receive less support affirmation and room to try/grow/ make mistakes the less innovative we’d be. A cactus is strong, but it’d drown in a rainforest… we’re still products of our environment. Her supportive parents can no longer protect their grown daughter “The Best Day” “Never Grow Up” “Soon You’ll Get Better” 🤔💭😮‍💨

Sophia

LOVE this series! So much snake potential. I’d love to hear a sister songs about the anxiety Taylor feels at the beginning of a relationship and how that has changed over time (electric touch, treacherous, slut, delicate).

Swiftologist

ooooh SO TRUE!!! I wonder if taylor has ever listened to hole .... doesn't really seem like her thing .... I know olivia does lol

Swiftologist

ooooh great ideas!!! this is truly an ENDLESS source of inspiration for us....exciting times ahead....

Jovana Temelkovska

Cant wait for more! Im sure Zach already is planing holy ground, last kiss, forever and always episode🥰

Rebecca Mueller

Love this kind of series! It’s so interesting how referential Taylor continues to be to herself in her body of work. It shows growth but also that deep down she’s still that same girlie with the fake country accent and cowboy boots. I think you’re both so right that Britney had a huge influence on Taylor’s generation of pop girls. Just even in the parallels between Lucky by Britney and The Lucky One by Taylor and the similarities of their music videos. We know Taylor has always had that paranoia of the public and media turning on her and the repercussions of being an aging woman in the music industry

Lauren Bingham

you guys were so in your bag my friend texted me about how good this was!!!! i love this so much. sort of the parts of the album you don’t get into as much in the yearly format.🤍🤍

Erica

I don’t even know if taylor can perceive hole…lolol I think Courtney and Lana toured together? Are friendly? Something?

Lain Pierce

What about an Unanswered Questions episode? What's the note on the polaroid picture??? What's the note with the joke we made??? What the eff is going on in the entirety of Question..?

Maja Gunhold

SMALLEST MAN & FOREVER + ALWAYS

Lisa Emerson

Kim Wilde..."Set me free why don't you babe...get out of my life why don't ya babe, you don't really love me...but you keep me hanging on." Pop princess of the 80s ( I am an old Swiftologist fan)

Lisa Emerson

Also this is so good want to hear more

Rachel

Re: simple writing on Poets songs, I think the black dog and clara bow both fit that style of her writing! Not surprising that those are two of my favorite songs on that album

Lain Pierce

Oh I def know that song but I didn't know the artist!

Marymary08

Yay I love this! I need to go through FB her albums to find the sister songs, but obviously Forever and Always, Last Kiss, and Holy Ground go together, and also Dear John and Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve

Megan

This was delicious. So much potential and a nice change from the regular yearly format, because even tho the focus is on the songs, you do get a bit of history alongside the analysis!

Terry B

yep I thought of Britney’s (un)Lucky 😢🤧

vick

regarding the “did you think all your life you’d be picked like a rose” of it all; i think that picking roses can potentially be a rather violent thing too. the picker can be pricked by thornes on the rose but also, once you pick that rose, it dies eventually. you are killing that rose by picking it

Terry B

more reasons to upgrade coinage…in medieval times you two’d travelling minstrels summoned by the queen to be her court jesters… 🤹‍♂️🤹‍♀️🎭🤣

majesticwestwick

“That’s why I could never sell my cookies” IM DEAD😂

diya

a ridiculous idea but would love a deep dive into the cheating songs— illicit affairs, ivy, high infidelity and guilty as sin. i personally just love these songs but also i think it’s a very interesting shift in ms. morality’s view on relationships and also right and wrong. oooh maybe should’ve said no, girl at home contrasted with high infidelity and guilty as sin!

Michaela Wagner

Girls Kim Wilde sings Bette Davis Eyes 😭😭😭

anna stimac

To me, state of grace and fearless have always been sister songs ❤️ would love to see that explored

Bryn

same!!

Abby

LOVED this!!! Can't wait for more of this series 💖 You just can't get this kind of thing anywhere else...

Abby

Would love to see you explore themes like death/ghosts/haunting, fate or writing/words/stories!

Lain Pierce

Thanks for informing me of my own childhood 🤣why did I think that was Kim Carn?

Lain Pierce

Illicit Affairs- High Infidelity- Hits Different

Aleesha Hunter

I was thinking of The Black Dog too! 🤍

Aleesha Hunter

Friendship would be a topic I'd love to hear ya'll explore more re: Mz Swift...I always find myself wondering about her platonic relationships and how many "true" friends she's had over the years. Combing through the discography for friendship takes would be super interesting!

Michaela Wagner

Oh you’re so right lol I was mixing up my blonde one hit wonders hahaha

Lain Pierce

Ok well I had to look. The most famous song I recognized was Kids in America.

Lauren Pollini

Long time listener, first time commenter: this was the best episode y’all have ever done. Incredible work. Sometimes I feel a little extravagent paying to spend time in a Swiftie community, but your in depth critique in this episode is exactly why I do. You can’t get this kind of thoughtful, deep, multi-faceted, funny, compassionate analysis on Reddit or anywhere else. And that’s on periodt! Thanks Snakes! PS: Come to the Bay Area for your live show!

Swiftologist

Thank you so much diva!! We love to see a sleeper cell spy in the comment section....

Terry B

This episode is spot on! In Barbie monologue: something about women should work hard but not want $ too much, i.e. become and stay as successful assistants / mistresses / moms to important men— anyone breaks the mold / ceiling will be burnt as witches, no compassion! Saw an old clip about how mean Ellen show set up their guests with personal questions (Mariah was pushed to drink alcohol to prove she’s not pregnant! Taylor was asked to ring a hand bell every time a picture of her ex is on screen—she almost cried in panic!) and the comments went sorry for Mariah but SUSPECTED Taylor’s panic was fake because she’s a calculating person!! Like, media STILL only accepts successful women who are goofy non-threatening like Goldie Hawn and Lucille Ball!! She’s too SMART and too SUCCESSFUL like, she JUST turned billionaire and is already grouped with the shameful rich group. But how long have Bezos and Musk been slave driving their staff (Taylor’s WAY MORE generous), pushing out their competitors, using (or buying out) media platforms to control their own images?! Hm??? Go steam roll the ceiling, Queen!

Casey Fison

i second bay area , or central coast :)

Isabella Lumenlehto

There is a common thread that runs through Tis the damn season, Dorothea and Midnight Rain. There is a man who prefers a quiet small town life and a woman who left the town to pursue her dreams of fame and he only sees her on TV, or during the holidays. I know a part of the fandom insists that all Taylor's songs must be autobiographical, whereas I find her perfectly capable of writing fictional stories about made-up characters to explore an idea - so these songs could all be about a fictional couple she made up in her mind (maybe to explore an alternate reality where the turkey didn't accept her level of fame or she chose her job over her lover)

Aspen

Also first time commenter but have listened for years & I agree with everything you said. This episode alone was worth the price of admission.

Lain Pierce

Another one for the UNANSWERED QUESTIONS episode: spending my last coin just so someone will tell me it will be ok. Is this a payphone? A therapist? A psychic? We NEED to know!

Lain Pierce

Episode on every song Matty Healy appears at her imaginary "doorway"

Elli

I was also thinking of the Black Dog! A universal experience with specific details, written in simple yet affecting language. Also one of my favs 🐾

Vikki

Loved this episode (and also just here to note that Stevie Nicks has a song called Rose Garden).

Ksenia

Don’t forget castles crumbling! Love you Zack & Madeline💕