Taylor Swift Songs as Books, Characters and/or Relationships

You're probably hearing A LOT about Taylor Swift right now. The eras tour started a little bit ago, she released an album that swifties think hinted to the fact that her next re-record is Speak Now, Anti-Hero is all over the radio (of all the songs off Midnights...), so every single place you find entertainment is filled with Taylor Swift content.

Wings and Roses shall be no different. If you cannot tell by the fact that the title says Taylor Swift in it, or the fact that this is categorized as a Teso Ramble and I am currently rambling, I'm going to talk about Taylor Swift. As a Swiftie (or as my mother calls me, a roomba, like the little robot machine thingy), someone who listened to 23,000 hours of Taylor Swift in 2022 and also a person who reads more than she does much anything, I hereby give myself permission to ramble about Taylor Swift songs and how they relate to books. And, once again, I shall do this in a dropdown menu format because I love using it to unspoilerize things. As per usual, don't click on the dropdown if you don't recognize the title part of it (not the taylor swift song, but the book mentioned in the title) unless you are certain you don't care about whether or not I spoil it for you.

Enjoy the ramble.

Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson and The Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, small appearances in all the rest of the Camp Half Blood Chronicles) -It's Nice To Have a Friend (Lover, 2019)

We have to talk about the fact that this song perfectly fits their relationship. It goes from being friends as children ""Wanna hang out?"/ Yeah, sounds like fun" to awkward teenageness, "Twenty questions, we tell the truth/You've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too", which leads us to them being amazingly adorable and definitely relationship goals. "Call my bluff, call you "babe"/Have my back, yeah, everyday". And yeah, that's basically their whole relationship. It's very subdued and quiet, without the booming glitz and glamour of like, Paper Rings. It's not big and flashy, which their relationship isn't. They're not showy in their affection, like this song isn't showy when it comes to production.

I love their relationship to death, and I love this song as well.

Lara De La Cruz and the LKJC (How To Be The Best Third Wheel) Fifteen (Fearless, (Taylor's Version) 2021)

I have yet to review how to be the best third wheel because my friend has my copy and all my annotations (which I gave to her to borrow, that's on me PLEASE GIVE IT BACK ONCE YOU'RE DONE I NEEDS IT), which means that all my wonderful(ly snarky and probably quite excessive) notes are not in my posession, so none of you probably will understand this, but it is important to me that I complete this ramble, so here I am.

This song is very quintessentially teenage (I'm a teenager therefore I can talk like I know what I'm talking about), and so is this novel. It's a little immature at times (like me!)-think about Carol's character-but the charming steadfastness of teenage love is influential. Laughing at the people who think they're too cool? Check. Going on a date with a dude with a car that makes you feel like you're flying? Check. Believing that this guy who tells you he loves you is the last guy you'll ever be in love with? Check, check check. The important part of this connection that makes it different than the connection it has with other books is that this book as well as this song talks about female friendship in a way that others may not. The female "villain" (looking at you Better Than Revenge and You Belong with Me) who the main character hates is taken over by the fact that she has wonderful friends. The LKJC may be quite weird at times ( and vaguely toxic) but they're also supportive of Lara and who she becomes over the course of the book, which is highly important. Why? Because I said so.

Jude Duarte (The Cruel Prince) Look What you Made me do (Reputation, 2017)

This song was Taylor's "angry woman with a sword" song and that's perfect because Jude is, in fact, an angry woman with a sword. She's angry. She's vengeful. She has "a list of names and yours is in red underlined.". Yeah, that is Jude. Only thinking about Karma? JUDE! She completely changes over the course of the series which is literally "I'm sorry the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, cuz she's dead" and I love it for her.

The opening verse, of her talking about how much she hates everyone because she can lead but they're not letting her, is Jude in book one. Rising up from the dead? JUDE EATS POISON! FOR FUN! Jude gets smarter, harder and usually does it like, seconds before it kills her. She's cunning and mean, which is what the media portrayed Taylor to be. Of course, she's soft for a few people, and people know who she really is, but Jude is what people thought Taylor was.

If this song didn't exist, Jude would be Mastermind, but this song perfectly fits who she is, more so than Mastermind ever could.

America and Maxon (The Selection)-Ms. Americana and the Heartbreak Prince (Lover, 2019)

The name similarity-Ms. Americana: Ms. America Singer and the Heartbreak Prince: Prince Maxon Schreave aka sad boy supreme-was too strong to ignore, but I'd actually propose a change. I (hot take) think America is the Heartbreak Prince and Maxon the Ms.Americana. Let's put this in my terms. Maxon is a popular guy. He's the Crown Prince, who also happens to have a weakness for crying girls. Which is bad considering he's put into a gauntlet of 35 women who are fighting for his hand (well, thirty four, considering America...Americas), which means he has depressed damsels galore.

I mostly picked this for the bridge, which...Taylor Swift is the queen of bridges and I am the queen of making small things the most important thing I judge on, therefore, I'm going to allow it. The "Go, Fight, Win," chant, while quintessentially high school (literally so high school), is also used to illustrate an important contextual thing. Maxon is in love and America left. When does that happen? BOOK THREE! Maxon literally writes her a letter that says "I miss you come home I love you and don't want to fight please marry me I'm sad and you're pretty" (Paraphrased by me). Therefore, I'm going to call this my greatest idea yet.

Also, the fact that people don't think they should be together-check- and that Maxon has a "pageant smile" makes this a very well thought out connection, I promise. "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes?" The selection is a game. Maxon and America's relationship is a prize. I win. Bingo bango bongo please high five me for my truly masterful rambling.

Daphne Deighton (American Royals)-Better Than Revenge (Speak Now, 2010)

I don't hate Daphne as much as I probably should. I hate characters who manipulate others and then say it's because of their tragic backstory, but for some reason, she's allowed to do it. Don't ask me how my weird brain works, but it's the truth. I couldn't specify one specific person she'd sing this about (she's hilariously territorial over Jefferson for no reason, like babe he's a grown man he can pick his own woman if he doesn't pick you he doesn't like you move on), because she's super angry at somebody or another. This song is angry. It's loud. It's upbeat, like something you'd scream in a room with the door shut while home alone because you're mad but also really sad and have nothing else to do. It's cathartic and I think she'd benefit from blasting this song on repeat in her bedroom and just vibing.

Yes, this song is kinda rude to the other girl, but Daphne telling Jeff she's pregnant and/or selling out his girlfriend's life to the tabloids is also kinda rude so I believe they're the same, especially believing they have personal claim about a man. Daphne needs to have a title so she sells out her boyfriend and the girl he's dating and pushes her best friend down a flight of stairs and puts her into a coma, which if that doesn't sound like doing nothing better than revenge that I don't know what does. So basically, she's a rude person.

So, there it is, five Taylor Swift specific song to book connections. I hope you enjoyed it!

Teso

Post Publishing Edit: I forgot how to spell Jude's last name when I was writing it. I have now fixed it. This concludes the Post Publishing Edit.