Cruel Summer’s real meaning is devilishly clever of Taylor Swift

Summary

Decoding Taylor Swift: "Cruel Summer’s Real Meaning Is Devilishly Clever of Taylor Swift"

Podcast: Decoding Taylor Swift
Hosts: Joe Romm & Toni (Antonia) Romm
Episode Date: February 3, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Joe and Toni Romm dissect Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" from the Lover album. They explore the song’s layered lyricism, dense metaphors, Shakespearean storytelling, and the clever, often misunderstood themes that underpin its viral appeal. By decoding "Cruel Summer," the Romms not only reveal the song's deeper meanings but also offer storytelling techniques listeners can use to better connect with audiences and create impactful content.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Taylor Swift as Modern Shakespeare (01:19)

• Joe: "We’re really going to dive into the surprising aspects of this song that are not well understood by most people."
• Emphasis on Taylor's lyricism and storytelling mastery.
• Parallels drawn between Taylor’s storytelling and Shakespeare’s use of foreshadowing and metaphor.

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2. Imagery & Metaphor: Heaven, Hell, and Hyperbole (02:04–05:05)

• The song’s opening lines are unpacked, focusing on vivid, fever dream imagery and religious metaphors.
• Antonia: “It feels like the love is so vivid. Like, vivid. Like Donald Trump trapped in the body of an elephant who eats you.”
• Discussion of anthropomorphism/personification in the title "Cruel Summer".

Memorable Quote:
Antonia (03:04): “Cruel Summer is a figure of speech ... because, as you know, summer can't be cruel. That'd be pretty silly.”

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3. Shakespeare References & Literary Devices (05:35–06:03)

• Antonia notes a parallel to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and other recurring Shakespeare motifs.
• Joe: “We have a Shakespeare reference. There will be more Shakespeare references in this song.”
• Taylor’s use of recurring images of fate, good vs. evil, and literary allusion.

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4. Metaphors of Desire, Danger, and Cost (06:17–07:46)

• Discussion of "bad, bad boy" and "shiny toy with a price" as metaphors for temptation and consequences.
• Antonia: “She extends metaphors that are very commonly used ... It's kind of a bit of foreshadowing, if you can even believe that.”

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5. Song Structure: Foreshadowing and Karmic Twists (07:05–07:50)

• Joe highlights how Taylor’s songs often set up the ending within the opening lines.
• Taylor's penchant for twisting common phrases, e.g., changing “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” to “makes me want you more”.

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6. Religious and Literary Symbolism (08:13–10:11)

• The duality of angels/devils ("Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes") examined.
• Balcony scene referenced as an allusion to Romeo and Juliet.

Memorable Quote:
Antonia (08:13): "Kill me slow out the window. I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below. Below where, in hell?... Because devils roll the dice and angels roll their eyes!"

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7. Creative Writing and The Art of Embodied Action (10:11–11:20)

• Antonia connects Taylor’s description to lessons from creative writing about showing, not telling, emphasizing embodied action and vivid imagery.

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8. Dissecting the Chorus: Blue Feelings & No Rules (13:12–16:39)

• The hosts analyze the lines:
  • “It's new, the shape of your body, it’s blue, the feeling I've got...no rules in breakable heaven.”
• Emotional undertones: sadness, yearning, and desperation in a fleeting summer romance.
• Taylor's public statements about the song’s theme of secrecy and pain.
• Comparison to themes in the song “Lover,” where “we make the rules” versus the casual “no rules” of “Cruel Summer.”

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9. Symbolism: Vending Machine & “We’re Not Trying” (16:55–17:37)

• Discussion about ambiguous imagery ("vending machine") and shifting responsibility in relationships.
• Joe: “What a silly goof. She’s saying to this guy, you’re not trying. I mean, she’s saying we’re not trying. But what she really means is you're not trying.”

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10. Pain as a Motif: Knives, Secrecy, and Cutting to the Bone (19:49–22:14)

• Dissection of lines: “Summer’s a knife,” “I’m always waiting for you just to cut to the bone.”
• Connection to other pop lyrics using "knife" as metaphor.
• Analysis of secrecy, risk-taking (“cut the headlights”), and emotional pain.

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11. The Legendary Bridge (22:37–28:06)

• Antonia (22:58): Recites the famous bridge:
  “I’m drunk in the back of the car / And I cried like a baby coming home from the bar, oh / Said I’m fine but it wasn’t true...I screamed for whatever it’s worth, I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard? / He looks up grinning like a devil.”
• Joe describes this as a “killer bridge” that “blows up the whole song and really brings it to the karmic twist of the price that she’s paid.”
• Secret relationships and emotional vulnerability; referencing the Garden of Eden and the biblical fall as metaphors for giving in to forbidden love.

Memorable Quote:
Joe (27:29): “This is the Garden of Eden and she’s sealing her fate. She is going to eat the forbidden fruit. In this case, she’s having sex with the guy.”

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12. Garden of Eden, Knowledge, and the Role of the Devil (25:06–28:17)

• Analysis of biblical imagery: Garden, serpent, temptation, and knowing good/evil.
• Antonia: Questions the purpose of the forbidden tree in Eden, channeling a subversive take.

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13. Taylor’s Patterns: Metaphorical Death and Resurrection (30:08–31:26)

• Comparing “Cruel Summer” to “Love Story” and other songs featuring secret relationships, metaphoric death, and heartbreak as part of the hero’s journey.
• Quotes from “All Too Well” and “Death By A Thousand Cuts” illustrating repetition of dying and rebirth motifs.
• Antonia (31:32): “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Because she’s dead.”

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14. Takeaways & Storytelling Lessons (32:27–38:54)

• Using pain, secrecy, and risk as creative engines.
• The song as a model for content that is both emotionally resonant and designed to “go viral.”
• Reiteration of universal relatability: the short, intense summer fling and its inevitable end.

Notable Segment:
Joe (33:42): “She keeps putting herself through this metaphorical death, but not really having a rebirth.”

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15. Broader Context in the Lover Album and Taylor’s Discography (34:19–38:15)

• “Cruel Summer”’s role as the energetic opener for the Eras tour setlist.
• Reflection on themes of flawed love, regret, and self-awareness, woven throughout Taylor’s work (references to “August,” “Betty,” “Anti-Hero”).

Antonia: “If a man cheats on you, by the way, you’re allowed to hit him. That’s a law.” (35:06)
Joe (dryly): “I don’t know that... In our house we can create our own rules.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Antonia (02:43): “It feels like the love is so vivid. Like... Donald Trump trapped in the body of an elephant who eats you. Very vivid like that.”
• Joe (07:05): “There’s always foreshadow of the ending, and there’s always karmic twist at the end that bites you back.”
• Antonia (08:13): “I’m always waiting for you to be waiting below... in hell?... Because devils roll the dice and angels roll their eyes. That’s pretty crazy.”
• Joe (13:50): “So she’s attracted to the shape of his body.”
• Antonia (24:30): “They’re love. I mean, they’re not—it’s just a summer romance, you know, they’re not going public with it or anything.”
• Joe (27:29): “This is the Garden of Eden and she’s sealing her fate. She is going to eat the... the forbidden fruit. In this case, she’s having sex with the guy.”
• Antonia (31:32): “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Because she’s dead.”

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Timestamps for Significant Segments

• 00:00–01:19 | Introductions & Podcast Framing
• 02:04–05:35 | Dissecting opening lyrics and fever dream metaphor
• 05:35–06:03 | Shakespeare references and deeper symbolism
• 07:05–07:50 | Foreshadowing and setup for heartbreak
• 13:12–16:39 | Chorus analysis, “blue” feelings, and relationship rules
• 19:49–22:14 | Knife imagery and metaphorical pain
• 22:37–28:06 | The bridge: emotional climax, confession, Garden of Eden, “grinning like a devil”
• 30:08–33:42 | Taylor’s storytelling style: death and rebirth motifs
• 34:19–38:15 | Role of “Cruel Summer” in broader discography and Eras tour
• 38:27–39:54 | Episode wrap-up and closing remarks

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The Heart of the Song: Why “Cruel Summer” Endures

• “Cruel Summer” is about the thrill and pain of a forbidden, ultimately doomed love affair.
• Swift interweaves religious, literary, and pop-cultural references, crafting a narrative that’s immediately accessible but rewards deeper scrutiny.
• The song’s bridge exemplifies vulnerability and the consequences of emotional risk, resulting in a karmic twist that is both heartbreaking and cathartic.
• The episode closes with encouragement to study “Cruel Summer” as a masterclass in viral storytelling—melding relatability, emotional honesty, and literary craft.

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Final Takeaway

The Romms illuminate how "Cruel Summer" is a perfect study in storytelling power: bold metaphors, secret pain, and the bittersweet wisdom of fleeting love. For content creators and Swifties alike, it's both a high-energy pop anthem and a lesson in turning real emotions into art that resonates across generations.

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Transcript

[Antonia]

Welcome to Decoding Taylor Swift, where we dig into the deeper meaning of every song on the Heiress tour with the help of my swifty father, a storytelling expert recognized by Rolling Stone magazine. Today, it's Cruel Summer.

[Joe Rome]

Hello, I'm Joe Rome and my daughter Antonia is great at decoding lyrics, writing, and making people laugh. And Taylor Swift is a modern day Shakespeare and Cruel Summer, I think, is one of her greatest songs and I would put it in the top five. And I hope you'll stick around because we're really going to dive into the surprising aspects of this song that are not well understood by most people. And we're also going to get a ad from my daughter for our sponsor, which is Liquid iv.

[Antonia]

Liquid iv. Thank you for sponsoring us. And you're also going to get a view into my mysterious illness that I have seemed to have cotton that is taking over my college.

[Joe Rome]

And we just hit number 80 on Spotify's trending podcast. So, you know, we, again, we appreciate all of our fans and if you very much do.

[Antonia]

Thank you.

[Joe Rome]

If you enjoy this, please share it with people. We are in the top three comments, 3% of podcasts whose listeners share the content.

[Antonia]

So, like, thank you, guys. Oh, my gosh.

[Joe Rome]

So let's talk. Let's just dive into Cruel Summer. We did this the first season and we're really gonna really focus on the lyrics here and because I think this is one of the finest examples of her lyricism, her storytelling, and some of the secrets of storytelling that if you yourself use, you will find your content will go viral the way Taylor does. And this song is in particular is known for her use of hyperbole and a metaphorical battle between good and evil. Let's dive in. Fever Dream. Do you want to start the lyrics or.

[Antonia]

Yeah, I can start the lyrics.

[Joe Rome]

Okay.

[Antonia]

Here. There. Fever dream high in the quiet of the night you know that I caught it. Oh yeah, you're right. I want it bad. Bad boy shiny toy with a price you know that I bought it oh yeah, you're right. I want it Kill me slow out the window I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below Devils roll the dice Angels roll their eyes what doesn't kill me makes me want you more. Wow. And we'll stop there because I know my father would like to stop there and talk about the wonderful imagery of heaven and hell. And I'm sure very, very popular in the western canon is using religion as sort of this means to describe love. You know, she has another song on the same album called False God. And it's kind of about a similar type of thing, so.

[Joe Rome]

Yeah, absolutely. Well, let's start with the title. Cruel Summer.

[Antonia]

Yeah, Cruel.

[Joe Rome]

Cruel Summer is a figure of speech.

[Antonia]

It is. Because, as you know, you know, summer can't be cruel. That'd be pretty silly.

[Joe Rome]

So this is anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism.

[Antonia]

Or personification.

[Joe Rome]

Or personification. And the question that raises. Why is the summer cruel?

[Antonia]

Why is the summer cruel? It's a great question, Joe. And.

[Joe Rome]

Then we jump straight into fever dream high in the quiet of the night.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Okay.

[Antonia]

So kind of like what's happening to me today?

[Joe Rome]

Yes, exactly.

[Antonia]

So what is the fever?

[Joe Rome]

What is a fever dream?

[Antonia]

It is when you are very feverish and sick and your dream are just so vivid and weird. It's like taking a lot of melatonin or smoking weed before you go to bed. Not that I'd know that anyway, but it's truly insane. The dreams, they can get very, very, very real. I know mostly from the melatonin. I can't lie. Sometimes I'll take. Like, once I was at a sleepover at a friend's house and I took 5 milligrams of melatonin because that was all she had. I normally take 0.2 milligrams, by the way. And I felt an elephant with Donald Trump's face, like, actively eat me. And I felt that. Like, I felt that all over my body. And then I woke up, and it was terrifying. And I still remember it to this day. And I will never take ever again more than 2 milligrams of melatonin because of that.

[Joe Rome]

Well, so this is a fever dream, you know.

[Antonia]

No comment on that. No comment.

[Joe Rome]

I did not know that. Five milligrams, that's not a lot for me. But you have been taking 0.2 all your life, so this is definitely. That's a big dosage, and it's important to. Yes.

[Antonia]

No comments on the Donald Trump elephant thing. I don't know. I guess it was a few weeks before the election, so.

[Joe Rome]

Well, and you know, the Republicans are elephants.

[Antonia]

That's true. That's true. I'm sure my mind made. Yeah. Wow. Living in D.C. will do things to you. You know, it might not even have been the melatonin, so. And that's what she's talking about here. I mean, it feels like the love is so vivid. Like, vivid. Like Donald Trump trapped in the body of an elephant who eats you. Very vivid like that. And, you know, she feels that she's Trapp trapped In it, and she kind of is. Is like, whoa, what's happening? It's kind of entrancing. You know, she's never seen this kind of, you know, shiny toy with a price. There's a price to this.

[Joe Rome]

I don't know if it's exactly the same, but it is very similar. A simple, similarly hyperbolic metaphor.

[Antonia]

It's pretty much the same.

[Joe Rome]

Well, one thing that. Actually, the first time we discussed this, you brought up this is a cruel summer dream night. Midsummer Night's Dream.

[Antonia]

That's so true. That is so true. I did bring that up. I forgot how wise I was.

[Joe Rome]

You were so wise during the summer. That was. We did that in the summertime. And yes, so we have a Shakespeare reference. There will be more Shakespeare references in this song.

[Antonia]

So much more. It is true.

[Joe Rome]

She loves Shakespeare. And of course, we did the fate of Ophelia. And as we'll see, there's always love story. So she caught this fever dream now. Bad, bad boys.

[Antonia]

Shiny toy with a price. Yeah, I think. I think I like that line a lot, actually. It's a very, very stereotypical Taylorism, you know, taking a symbol or kind of a. I don't know, something commonly said, like, oh, it's a new shiny toy to play with, kind of pointing out something else about it to add on to another part of the metaphor. Like shiny tor. Shiny toy with a price, you know?

[Joe Rome]

Well, and she is gonna pay a price.

[Antonia]

Yes, right, exactly.

[Joe Rome]

She bought.

[Antonia]

So the shiny toy. She extends metaphors that are very commonly used, you know, like, it's a new shiny toy to play with. But all toys have prices. And similarly, you know, this dude has a price. So it's. It's kind of a bit of foreshadowing, if you can even believe that. Oh, it's almost like he's a little cruel. Imagine that.

[Joe Rome]

The whole opening line here, as we see in Taylor's best songs, there's always foreshadow of the ending, and there's always karmic twist at the end that bites you back. Now, other interestingly. Hello, my daughter.

[Antonia]

Yes, what's up? I'm just playing with my fidget.

[Joe Rome]

Oh, you're playing with your fidget?

[Antonia]

Is that allowed? No, I'm not on my phone, okay? My phone is safely tucked away. Because you know what? You know what? I'm not a screenager, unlike somebody that's in this zoom room right now.

[Joe Rome]

I'm a. I'm a. I'm a screwmer. I'm a screen. Screen.

[Antonia]

Screen boomer. Yes, exactly. That is what he is like. Parents will make fun of you, but it's like they're always on their phone. Like, you guys are the people that Taylor Swift is trying to, like, talk down to in Eldest Daughters.

[Joe Rome]

Well, let me just point out bad, bad boy we discussed in Miss Americana. She says I'm a bad, bad girl.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

So the same album.

[Antonia]

She's a bad girl, technically. So not like I'm. But she's so.

[Joe Rome]

No, I'm just saying here. She's attracted to a bad, bad boy.

[Antonia]

That's true.

[Joe Rome]

Right. So she's a bad, bad girl. So now we switch over to killing.

[Antonia]

Me Slow out the window. I'm always waiting for you to be waiting below Below where in hell? Oh, my gosh. Because devils roll the dice and angels roll their eyes. That's pretty crazy. How does she know to do that?

[Joe Rome]

Yes. And also the. The balcony scene.

[Antonia]

Yes. In Romeo and Juliet.

[Joe Rome]

In Romeo and Juliet.

[Antonia]

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[Joe Rome]

Yes. So devils roll the dice, angels roll their. So this is again, you got the devil on one shoulder, the angel on the other shoulder. Taylor.

[Antonia]

And it's a lot of imagery. I'm in my creative writing class learning about, you know, embodied action right now. And you're very, you know, kind of whenever she's describing how, you know, the devils roll the dice and the angels roll their eyes, you're not just. It's not just like she's saying, you know, it's like, I don't know, it's like a demonic, dark, satanic level. She's like kind of giving you exactly what's happening and you're like, wow.

[Joe Rome]

Well.

[Antonia]

And there you go.

[Joe Rome]

The point is she's rolling the dice with this guy.

[Shopify Ad Narrator]

Right.

[Antonia]

And by the way, it was very clear that I'm in a very, very good creative writing class, by the way, I just described that so eloquently. Yes, exactly.

[Joe Rome]

Well. And you're gonna major. One of your two majors is gonna be creative writing.

[Antonia]

Oh, I was joking. The joke is that. That was so nonsensical what I just said. But no, don't worry. I am also going to major in creative writing. So creative writing and physics, you know, don't want to be jobless. Which is also why I work as a barista. Because I know that either way, I'm going to need to do that at some point. Well, and probably for the rest of my life.

[Joe Rome]

I don't know about that. We, we. But the point is, the point is she's rolling the dice.

[Antonia]

She's rolling the dice.

[Joe Rome]

And with the bad, bad boy.

[Antonia]

With the bad, bad boys.

[Joe Rome]

And the angels roll their eyes.

[Antonia]

Angels roll their eyes again. Taylor says, doing it again.

[Joe Rome]

Kill me. Makes me want me.

[Antonia]

Want you more.

[Joe Rome]

Right. So she's now twisting that famous saying.

[Antonia]

Which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

[Joe Rome]

Comes from Frederick.

[Antonia]

Comes from Kelly Clarkson.

[Joe Rome]

What apparently comes from Frederick Nietzsche.

[Antonia]

That's crazy.

[Joe Rome]

Ms. One Time Philosophy Major.

[Antonia]

It's not like, you know, I might minor in philosophy. The thing about philosophy is just like everybody is so goddamn pretentious. Like, they're always like, oh, my God. It's like, it's like you try to ask them about whether you think a soul exists or whether you think it's moral. Like certain. Like you ask them about certain real life things and whether you think they're moral or not. And they're like. Well, according to Hegel, the theory of diametric opposition is like. Can you actually, like, be quiet for, like, one moment of your life? Like, holy moly. Like, how is that going to help anybody who's actually worried about, like, an ethical quandary that they're facing? Oh, my God. Like, you're not going to be able to point out a logical flaw in an argument any better than I am. But what we can do is find emotional truths in arguments because we're both human beings that have souls. Allegedly. So, anyway.

[Joe Rome]

All right, let's dive back.

[Antonia]

Yeah. It just freaking pissed me off. That's why I'm not a philosophy major anymore.

[Joe Rome]

Well, I'm glad that you have found where you do want a major and where you don't want a major.

[Antonia]

Okay, let's go back to Taylor Swift.

[Joe Rome]

What doesn't kill me makes me want you more. So the point is that instead of killing, what doesn't kill me makes me stronger. We're learning that this guy is treating her poorly, but instead of. And this just makes her want him more. And then we get the chorus.

[Antonia]

Yes. Excuse me. And it's new. The shape of your body it's blue the feeling I've got Ooh, whoa, whoa It's a cruel summer it's cool. That's what I tell them no rules in breakable heaven My dad likes that line. But. Ooh, whoa, whoa It's a cruel summer with you yeah, yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Yes.

[Antonia]

So, my reading. Can you do some snaps? Snaps.

[Joe Rome]

I do snaps. Thank you. Just like the Addams Family.

[Antonia]

Thank you.

[Joe Rome]

Yes. Nicely done.

[Antonia]

Thank you.

[Joe Rome]

So she's attracted to the shape of his body.

[Antonia]

Sure, you could say that.

[Joe Rome]

But he's.

[Antonia]

Or she's just saying that. It's new. It's a statement. Like, maybe she's never seen him before anyway. And blue. But what is very fascinating is that the feeling she's got is blue. Because there's this. There's this. There is this disconnect between wanting to be in a romantic relationship with him and knowing that it's just for the summer. You know, that's a kind of a sad feeling. Any type of casual romantic relationship, there's always kind of a sadness in it because you always feel like there could be more. But you know that both of you are actually just not gonna have that and that you want it.

[Joe Rome]

But she did say about this song. This song is one that I wrote about the feeling of a summer romance and how oftentimes a summer romance can be layered with all these Feelings of, like, pining away and sometimes even secrecy. It deals with the idea of being in a relationship where there's some element of desperation and pain in it, where you're yearning for something you don't quite have yet. It's just right there and you just, like, can't reach it. So, yes, she is not going to reach it, at least in this song. And she also does this thing with the oah, where she makes a rhyme simply by repeating just oo, woah, woeing. Yes. Just repeating the sounds.

[Antonia]

He's such a goof.

[Joe Rome]

Rather than coming up with different lyrics. But presumably she just wants people to focus on Cruel Summer.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Then we get it's cool. That's what I tell him.

[Antonia]

So no rules. Like, she's trying to be casual. She's trying to be casual.

[Joe Rome]

She's trying to secretly tend to be casual.

[Antonia]

Right, right.

[Joe Rome]

Even though that's what I tell him.

[Antonia]

Right. Because it's clear that he is probably the person who wants it to be casual and she is perhaps not.

[Joe Rome]

And there's that.

[Antonia]

Always the case with men.

[Joe Rome]

Well, and we. She. The key word here is rules. Because on the same album, in the song Lover, she says, this is our house. This is our home. We make the rules. Right. So in a serious relationship, they both.

[Antonia]

You have to establish rules. Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Right.

[Antonia]

And in unseers one, there are no rules. Oh, that's sad. Men are such frustrating creatures.

[Joe Rome]

Or he gets to make the rules. She's basically. He's made the rules. The rules are. Guess what? There's no rules.

[Antonia]

Yeah. The rules are you. We're done, basically, at the end of the summer, so.

[Joe Rome]

And Breakable Heaven. You know, I do like that as a two. As a metaphor for a relationship until it gets broken.

[Antonia]

So true, dad. Isn't that how it always is?

[Joe Rome]

And it's Cruel Summer with you.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Which is also the same as saying, it's a cruel summer without you. So, yes. Hang your head low in the glow.

[Antonia]

Of the vending machine. We're not dying. You say that. We'll just screw it up in these trying times. We're not trying. Gosh. I actually can't find the lyrics. I'm just doing this for memory because I'm trying to find the actual lyrics.

[Joe Rome]

And this is one of her tailor.

[Antonia]

Where are they? Oh, my God. Yeah, continue.

[Joe Rome]

This is one of the Taylorisms where we'll just screw it up in these trying times. We're not trying. But the point is, what a silly goof. She's saying to this guy, you're not trying. I mean, she's saying we're not trying. But what she really means is you're not trying. Right. And that will become clear again very soon.

[Antonia]

Very, very soon.

[Joe Rome]

And this, the vending machine remains a mystery. Exactly. There are many theories about this. In the hospital, some people have said this seems to be like this notion of the vending machine in a hospital. Some people say that the vending machine is a symbol for the guy of just hey, you can have whatever food you want, right? You can take this food now and that food. So it's, it's, it's, she's just the thing, the item that he's got for now.

[Shopify Ad Narrator]

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[Antonia]

Right? And. And then the next line is so cut the headlights Summer's a knife I'm always waiting for you Just to cut to the bone Devils roll the dice Angels roll their eyes and if I bleed you'll be the last to know Right? Yeah, I think. Another thing, since we have been analyzing some Charli XCX too, you know she has a Song called Sympathy is a knife and Summer is a knife. I think like a lot of people like the knife as a metaphor, you know, not like a double edged sword. A knife is just cutting. It's for cutting. And you know, well. And it's a lot of pain.

[Joe Rome]

It is pain. And she said, so cut the headlights.

[Antonia]

Right? That's pretty good.

[Joe Rome]

And of course, cutting the headlights is something famously the opening of Style.

[Antonia]

Yeah, right, right.

[Joe Rome]

Where. Where Harry Styles.

[Antonia]

Headlights come and pick me up at midnight.

[Joe Rome]

Yeah, right. But the headlights off. The headlights are off.

[Antonia]

Oh, no headlights.

[Joe Rome]

Yeah, no headlights.

[Antonia]

No headlights. Yeah. Long drive. Anyway.

[Joe Rome]

Yes, this is chill. Yet we've talked many times. She likes to go out with guys who are not the greatest drivers in the world.

[Antonia]

But I think that's just because Harry Styles is British and British people aren't usually good at things, so.

[Joe Rome]

Well, but the point is, you know, cut the headlights is again, we're doing this in secret and it's a little dangerous, of course, to drive around without your headlights.

[Antonia]

Like, why are you doing that? And obey the traffic safety regulations of the place you live.

[Joe Rome]

And now she's gonna repeat cut again. You cut the headlights. But then just cut to the bone. I'm always waiting for you just to cut to the bone. So again, this is this notion that wasn't that what? That what doesn't kill me, makes me want you more. Right. So he says that. She says that he cuts her to the bone.

[Antonia]

Right.

[Joe Rome]

But if I bleed, you'll be the last to know.

[Antonia]

Precisely.

[Joe Rome]

Because I'm not. Either I'm not going to show you my pain or you're going to be too oblivious to see it.

[Antonia]

Right, Right.

[Joe Rome]

So you either, you know, or both together. Right. But one way or another, not a lot of communications. And she is. She is putting up with a lot of crap from this guy. And so now this song has been cruising along and we're gonna get the. The. The. The chorus again and then.

[Antonia]

And then the bridge.

[Joe Rome]

The bridge to break all bridges. So let's do it. This is a. This is considered oftentimes her greatest bridge. Certainly she is taking a song that was already a good song and ramping it up, ramping it up to one more level.

[Antonia]

Ahem. I'm drunk in the back of the car and I cried like a baby coming home from the bar oh Said I'm fine But it wasn't true I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you and I snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer Just to seal my fate oh, and I screamed, for whatever it's worth, I love you. Ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard? He looks up, grinning like a devil, right?

[Joe Rome]

And this is like, damn, girl.

[Antonia]

Like, she was, like, authentic AF girl.

[Joe Rome]

This. This is just such a killer bridge. And.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

One which. Which blows up the whole song and really brings it to the karmic twist of the price that she's paid. Right? So why. So she's drunk in the back of the car again. Why? You know that. That's a. That's a. Why is she in the back of the car?

[Antonia]

I know.

[Joe Rome]

You know, did. As opposed to.

[Antonia]

Maybe they Ubered. Maybe they're both drunk and they took a cab.

[Joe Rome]

Maybe he just stuck her in the back, threw her over his shoulder and had to get her out of the bar or whatever. She cries like a baby coming home from the bar, said, I'm fine. Once again, lying to him. But it wasn't true. I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you. So. What secret? What's the secret?

[Antonia]

They're love. I mean, they're not. It's just a summer romance, you know, they're not going public with it or anything.

[Joe Rome]

So it's a secret romance. And there's also. She's keeping a secret, which she's about to spill out all over the world because she says, I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you. So then I snuck in through the garden gate. Okay. Every night that summer just to seal my fate. So. Garden gate.

[Antonia]

Don't forget about the O. O. Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

So the garden gate. A famous metaphor when we're talking.

[Antonia]

Yes.

[Joe Rome]

Beyond the garden gate, we're talking about devils and angels. There's a famous garden in which there was a desert.

[Antonia]

Oh, my God. The Eden. Wow.

[Joe Rome]

The Garden of Eden. That's crazy.

[Antonia]

Y' all remember that? That was a crazy time.

[Joe Rome]

It was a crazy time. It was. It was a happy time. Take me back, to be honest, because everything.

[Antonia]

I miss having no legs. I really do. No, I'm just kidding.

[Joe Rome]

Well, the thing about the Garden of Eden is that you had everything you wanted, but there was a tree which had apples. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And God said, don't eat from that tree.

[Antonia]

Why did he put the tree there if he didn't want people to eat from it? That's what I'd be asking.

[Joe Rome]

That is one of the most famous questions.

[Antonia]

And I think he's just kind of.

[Joe Rome]

A dick, since he's all knowing. He had to know what they were going to do. But the point is they wanted to be like him and have the knowledge of good and evil. But the key player here is the serpent, the devil, Satan, who if he.

[Antonia]

Was all powerful, I feel like the devil wouldn't be able to do very much, you know?

[Joe Rome]

Well, and we'll get to that. But in this particular case, the serpent is able to persuade her. Come on, you know, why shouldn't you know what's it looks like a tasty.

[Antonia]

Because like, that's like a fair point. Like, can we talk about it? It's like, why is this bitch up in the sky hoarding this knowledge from you? And then being like, hey, look at this tree. And if you pick the knowledge, you can have it, but like, you shouldn't. Yeah, cuz like I'm better than you, basically. Like, whoa. Like why shouldn't you have knowledge? Like, why, why are you created and then not endowed with all the knowledge that you could normally have? Like, what is the point of your existence then? To like, I don't know, go poop, have sex and then eat more food. Like, well, here you go.

[Joe Rome]

You are channeling Satan himself.

[Antonia]

Famously, I'm channeling paradise loss.

[Joe Rome]

It is better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven.

[Antonia]

I agree. So he was onto something with that one. I'm also minoring in religious studies probably, so I do respect all religions. I just want to say the point is, I don't know, major or minor.

[Joe Rome]

In this is the Garden of Eden and she's sealing her fate. She is going to eat the. The forbidden fruit. In this case, she's having sex with the guy.

[Antonia]

Yeah, but she says, I love you.

[Joe Rome]

I screamed, for whatever it's worth, I love you. Ain't that the worst thing you ever heard? And this comes the bombshell line. He looks up, grinning like a devil, right? So at this moment, he realizes he's got her. He's treated her poorly, but she's now in love with him.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Which is not a good place to be. This is the price she has paid. She's.

[Antonia]

Never let yourself simp over a man like this, ladies. Never let this be you fallen for.

[Joe Rome]

The bad, bad boy. And, and so what you have here, this is breakable heaven. Right? And the point of course is that heaven broke to some extent when the fallen angel Lucifer, the battle was kicked out of heaven and in the fall.

[Antonia]

Bring him back four more years.

[Joe Rome]

There you go. So, yes, we have here a complete story from the price. She buys the shiny toy of the bad bad boy and she pays the price. And this is the price. The price is fallen in love with this guy who's a dick, who's a devil. Now it's also, you know, true that, you know, this has also been sometimes seen as perhaps relating to Joe Alwyn.

[Antonia]

Yeah. But they were together for six years, right?

[Joe Rome]

They were. But in the beginning she kept it a secret.

[Antonia]

I see.

[Joe Rome]

She kept it a secret for a few months until paparazzi saw her. Alwyn, I think, famously didn't like her fame. He wasn't that keen.

[Antonia]

Well, men are just like low key haters. Like what the hell.

[Joe Rome]

Well, yeah. I mean, again, he wanted it both ways.

[Antonia]

I know. Ew. Disgusting.

[Joe Rome]

Sorry. That's sometimes how it goes. Thank you.

[Antonia]

Should apologize. As men like. Well, support successful women.

[Joe Rome]

Wanted to remember here, which I had written down in the song Love Story.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet. Cause we're dead. If they knew.

[Antonia]

Wow.

[Joe Rome]

Right. This is the Romeo and Juliet story. But again, the reference to the garden, reference to Shakespeare, reference to death. And this song has a lot of deaf language starting all the way back with, you know, killing me slow. And what doesn't kill me makes you want you. Right. So this.

[Antonia]

Yeah. And if I bleed you'll be the last to know.

[Joe Rome]

Right. So this is one of those songs where the hero's journey. As often there is a metaphorical death. There is a metaphorical death and she has. And she metaphorically dies in a whole lot of her songs.

[Antonia]

Right?

[Joe Rome]

She very much. Yeah. I mean, she. Metaphor. In. In. In all too well. Right. The. Until you.

[Antonia]

The relationship. Until we were dead and gone and buried. Check the Pauls and come back swearing it's the same after three months in the grave. Then you wonder where it went to As I reached for you but all I felt was shame as you held my lifeless frame.

[Joe Rome]

Right.

[Antonia]

Not pull that out of my brain, you know. But I have a lot of these in here. I know all of them.

[Joe Rome]

We've said this many times. She dies. I mean, you know, death by a thousand cuts. Right.

[Antonia]

By a thousand cuts. Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

The old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why?

[Antonia]

Why? Because she's dead.

[Joe Rome]

Dead. Right. This is a very important theme. It will be a theme.

[Antonia]

And then also in Florida when she's like, you know. And your husband turned out murdered. Well, nobody asks any questions here. Yeah. Right. Well, that's my best to lay to rest all of the bodies that ever have been in my body and in my mind. They sink into the swamp.

[Joe Rome]

Right. Getaway car Jet set Bonnie and Clyde, who definitely do not end up well. If you see the movie, they are done well.

[Antonia]

And I mean, Romeo and Juliet famously both end up dead, so.

[Joe Rome]

And that's why she rewrites that ending.

[Antonia]

Yes, she does.

[Joe Rome]

And ultimately, of course, Ophelia ends up dead and she rewrites that ending.

[Antonia]

She does, but it's real, actually. But she doesn't necessarily rewrite Ophelia. She says, like, I wasn't met by the fate of Ophelia.

[Joe Rome]

Right, true.

[Antonia]

And if you never called me.

[Joe Rome]

Anyway, so, yeah, I mean, I think that in terms of takeaways, this is a song that. From the Lover album. You know, this is the. She opens. This is really the opening song of the Eras tour. I mean, she has one verse, she has the chorus from Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince, but she really opens up with this song. And this song is really a masterpiece because on the surface it's a banger, but it has the lyrical storytelling depth under the surface.

[Antonia]

It's also a banger.

[Joe Rome]

It is a banger.

[Antonia]

Banger after banger after banger.

[Joe Rome]

It's. It's.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

Again, you know, she keeps making the same mistake she does. You know, eventually she'll write, you know, she writes a song later, you know, anti Hero, where she realizes, you know, that she's the problem. But yes, you know, she keeps putting herself through this metaphorical death, but not really having a rebirth.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

You know, and. But, you know, a great, great song to begin the tour with. And it's. It is. It's a song that people really, really, really get into. Everybody has the experience of a summer fling and understands that it's. It's generally gonna be a short term thing. And you're subjecting yourself to the pain of the ending simply because you enjoy the thrill of. Of the short term relationship. And of course, you were mentioning, you were watching, you've been listening to folklore again, right?

[Antonia]

Yes.

[Joe Rome]

You got a whole song. August, the song August. And her name in the song is August.

[Antonia]

But the point is, actually, technically she's nameless. But Taylor just kept calling her August.

[Joe Rome]

Right. But that's a summer fling.

[Antonia]

Yeah, it is.

[Joe Rome]

And it ends very badly for. Sadly for August. But it also, of course, ends badly for Betty because she's stuck with this guy who cheated on her and keeps coming back. And keeps coming back and keeps coming back.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

So she's in this pattern here. But, you know, this is what she writes great songs about. And, you know, I think this is. This is definitely one of the, you know, one of her. Really.

[Antonia]

If a man cheats on you, by the way, you're allowed to hit him. That's a law.

[Joe Rome]

I don't. I don't. I don't know that. That's.

[Antonia]

That's because in our house, we can create our own rules. And in my house, I think that if a man cheats on you, you should be able to hit him.

[Joe Rome]

Well, how about this? If a man cheats on you, you can write a hit song about him. And that's going to be a price he's going to be paying for a long time. As, for instance, Rake Jake found out, or Mr. Dear John found out, or the smallest man who ever lived found out.

[Antonia]

I would just rather hit him, like, physically, like, punch him in the nose.

[Joe Rome]

Short term, she's much. You know, she's.

[Antonia]

Well, then you expose him. Then you expose him to everybody as, like, a cheater. And that's like, long term. But, like, first when you hit him, I'm sure it feels great. If somebody cheated on my friend, I would also hit him. And if somebody cheats on your friend, you should hit him, too. And if you see a guy and you cheated on somebody, you can hit him, too.

[Joe Rome]

I am not gonna condone the violence. I do understand it.

[Antonia]

I will say my friends got cheated on. Woof. By a man. Disgusting.

[Joe Rome]

Well, I think you'll find your teenage boys, college boys, you know, they're not like you're fully developed adults.

[Antonia]

Disgusting.

[Joe Rome]

It's. It's. But demand. Better just demand tell. You know, look, I've always thought it's really straightforward. If Just break up with the girl.

[Antonia]

I know, it really is.

[Joe Rome]

It's not that hard on the girl. You don't want to be with someone else.

[Antonia]

Why would you do that?

[Joe Rome]

Yeah. You know, and it's because guys hate breaking up with girls. They just don't appreciate. I mean, they do appreciate. It's more hurtful to cheat than to break up. I mean, just break up with somebody.

[Antonia]

Just break up with somebody. Seriously. Woof.

[Joe Rome]

Yes. And, you know, this is off the Lover album. And, you know, very ironic.

[Antonia]

Different types of love are seen on this album.

[Joe Rome]

Well, and, you know, she. We'll get to the song Lover. Cause that's in the opening set, in fact. The opening set.

[Antonia]

Yes. The next song we're doing is the man and then it is. What's it called? Face. You need to calm down.

[Joe Rome]

You need to calm down. Then Lover. Lover. And then the Archer.

[Antonia]

Then the Archer. Ugh, I love the Archer. It's my favorite song on the album.

[Joe Rome]

Yeah. And as we said, why didn't she start the ERAS tour with Lover album? She didn't get to tour the Lover album.

[Antonia]

Wait, really? I didn't know the Archer was in the ERAS tour.

[Joe Rome]

Yeah, no, look. I'm looking right here. I am looking at the songs for. Yeah. Miss Americana Cruel Summer. The man, you need to calm down. Love her. The Archer.

[Antonia]

I don't think she did the whole thing of the Archer.

[Joe Rome]

No, that's true. I'd have to listen to it. Cause I. She does all. Pretty much all a cruel summer. I'm gonna have to go listen again because she only did the.

[Antonia]

She does most of the man. Most of you. Some of you need to calm down. All of Lover. Yeah, Right.

[Joe Rome]

And then she goes to Fearless.

[Antonia]

Yes, she does.

[Joe Rome]

Which is. She'll sing Fearless and you'd belong with me and Love Story. These are all songs we're gonna cover this season.

[Antonia]

Wow. Look at how beautiful that is.

[Joe Rome]

And so, yeah, I think that for those who want actionable advice, this song is as good a song to study if you want to understand how to write something that is both a banger and lyrically deep and metaphorically rich.

[Antonia]

Yeah.

[Joe Rome]

And.

[Antonia]

Yeah, I mean. That's right. Exactly.

[Joe Rome]

And I think, as I say, we. We have really been getting a lot of traffic lately, and we would love for you to share this and ask questions. Ask.

[Antonia]

Ask questions. Preguntar ninjas. Preguntar. Wait, that's completely wrong. It should be Preguntan ninos. Preguntan.

[Joe Rome]

Give us some. Give us some.

[Antonia]

Sorry, I had to lock into Spanish there. I might minor in it. So. You know.

[Joe Rome]

Philosophy you're gonna minor in?

[Antonia]

I might not minor philosophy. Over the course of this one podcast, I've realized that I actually just might minor in Spanish or in religious studies.

[Joe Rome]

So you could double major and still do a minor.

[Antonia]

Yeah, some people do that because.

[Joe Rome]

So.

[Antonia]

So thank you guys so much for tuning in, and we'll see you next week with the Man. We have one right here. Of course we do.

[Joe Rome]

Okay.

[Antonia]

Yes. Bye.

[Glass Cannon Podcast Narrator]

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying. The darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins. This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time, and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs in the 80s. And man, it is so good to be back. Join the Glass Cannon Podcast as we plunge into the Shadowdark every Thursday night at 8pm Eastern on YouTube.com theglasscanon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join us in the dark.

[Vulgar History Podcast Narrator]

Oh the Regency era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place or the time when Jane Austen wrote her books, but the Regency era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the worst king in British history. And on the Vulgar History podcast, we're going to be looking at the balls, the gowns and all the scandal of the Regency era. Vulgar History is a women's history podcast and our Regency Era series will be focusing on the most rebellious women of this time. That includes Jane Austen herself, who is maybe more radical than you might have thought. We'll also be talking about queer icons like Anne Lister, scientists like Mary Anning and Ada Lovelace, as well as other scandalous actresses, royal mistresses, rebellious princesses and other lesser known figures who made history happen in England in the Regency era. Listen to Vulgar History wherever you get Podcast.