Messy as the mud on your truck tires. We couldn’t let a holiday season go by without THE song about THE damn season, could we? Continuing the conversation from our Show and Tell episode on holidays, this week we deep dive “tis the damn season,” from evermore (2020). We start by diving into Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” to get a better understanding of the song. Then our hosts spend a lot of time trying to figure out who the characters are, what their relationship is to one another, and what exactly they’re trying to call “even.” From examining what makes this a small town song, to figuring out why it “always” leads to “you” and “my hometown,” to imagining this song as a movie–we go on a whole deep dive journey on this one, with a lot of film, TV, and music references. Listen to see what “300,” “Groundhog Day,” and “Friends” all have in common with this song!
Mentioned in the episode:
“tis the damn season,” evermore (2020)
“The Road Not Taken,” Robert Frost
“Midnight Rain,” Midnights (2022)
“Say don’t go,” 1989 (Taylor’s Version), 2023
“You’re On Your Own Kid,” Midnights (2022)
“300” (2007)
“Phantom of the Opera” (2004)
“Before Sunset” (2004)
“Before Sunrise” (1995)
“Groundhog Day” (1993)
“Friends: The One With the Red Sweater” (S8 E2)
“Don’t Blame Me,” reputation (2017)
“Enchanted,” Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) 2023
E2: Deep Dive - Enchanted 
“The Great” (2020)
“Everything Everywhere All At Once” (2022) 
 
***
 
Episode Highlights: 
[01:09] We could call it even: Who are the characters here?
[06:25] The road not taken looks real good now: The role of Robert Frost’s poem
[08:58] You can call me babe for the weekend: What’s the relationship here?
[12:45] Remember how you watched me leave: Why do they only have the weekend together?
[19:16] So I’ll Go Back to LA: Choosing big-city life over small town life
[22:26] And the heart I know I’m breaking is my own: Y tho?
[29:40] To leave the warmest bed I've ever known: Debating the emotions of the song
[33:15] And I’ll be yours for the weekend: It’s always the bridge!
[39:40] It always leads to you in my hometown: What is the purpose of this song?
 
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social! 
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts


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.