In another of my ‘when fandoms collide’ moments – author, radio presenter, stand up and classicist Natalie Haynes has just created a thread pairing Taylor Swift songs with goddesses from the pantheon!
Hooray! And ht to @ StefArchivist who sent me this first thing, knowing I’d be in awe!
Meet me at Midnight.
I’m sure Taylor Swift is no stranger to the ‘where do you get your ideas from?’ Question …?
Perhaps she – like so many creatives before her – is grateful to The Muses.
This is it! The final era of the Divine Might Goddess Eras Tour. We cannot leave without honouring those responsible for all mortal creations, including art and music, The Muses, represented by Midnights.
For this album, Taylor gave us 13 songs written on 13 sleepless nights throughout her career. It might sound awful, to be kept up all night with pressing thoughts, but if that is when a Muse chooses to give you inspiration there’s nothing you can do.
We’re told there are 9 Muses – Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polymnia, Terpsichore, Talia and Urania. We must thank Terpsichore, Muse of Dance, for Taylor’s live performance of Vigilante Shit, and Polyhymnia, Muse of Sacred Songs, for the worship in Karma.
Hesiod says that the Muses pour sweet dew onto tongues, and this certainly measures up with the Sweet Nothings Taylor gives us. It is their divine gift to men, since it eases grieving hearts. This power is Bigger Than The Whole Sky, and the grieving hearts who can see themselves
in Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve certainly need it.
Thank you to the Muses for letting Taylor give us her Eras – from sprinkler splashes to fireplace ashes, she gave her blood, sweat and tears for this.
Pictured: @taylorswift13’s Midnights album cover, and Polyhymnia by Giuseppe Fagnani (in the @metmuseum)
LeedsBookClub 