E101: Magic, Madness, Heaven, Sin: A Line-by-Line Analysis of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”

2025-09-24

"Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things..." In this deep dive episode, we dissect one of Taylor Swift's most iconic satirical masterpieces. From the enchanted references that bookend her career to the Shakespeare allusions hidden in plain sight, we explore how "Blank Space" operates as both brilliant satire and surprisingly authentic commentary on complex womanhood. Join us as we unpack the magic, madness, heaven, and sin of a song that dared to ask: what if we owned the narrative instead of fighting it? Subscribe for episode updates and After School premium content:...

"Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things..." In this deep dive episode, we dissect one of Taylor Swift's most iconic satirical masterpieces. From the enchanted references that bookend her career to the Shakespeare allusions hidden in plain sight, we explore how "Blank Space" operates as both brilliant satire and surprisingly authentic commentary on complex womanhood. Join us as we unpack the magic, madness, heaven, and sin of a song that dared to ask: what if we owned the narrative instead of fighting it?

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Mentioned in this episode:

A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare
Pretty Little Liars (TV series)
The Office (TV series)
Wife of Bath from The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer

Episode Highlights:

[02:29] Diving into “Blank Space”

[08:15] “New money, suit and tie” - character analysis

[15:27] Analyzing the chorus

[22:31] Shakespearean references

[28:50] “Cherry lips, crystal skies” vs. “stolen kisses, pretty lies”

[35:25] "I get drunk on jealousy"

[38:44] Bridge analysis: "Boys only want love if it's torture"

[44:59] Getting into the purpose of “Blank Space”

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

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