What the Austen? Podcast

Episode 32: Taylor Swift x Persuasion by Jane Austen

March 12, 2023 Episode 32
What the Austen? Podcast
Episode 32: Taylor Swift x Persuasion by Jane Austen
Show Notes Transcript

In this series we are matching Taylor Swift songs to Jane Austen characters and novels! This was highly requested from you all so I’m excited to share this content with you. 

I have split the content up into shorter episodes so you can binge the lot, pick the novels you like the most or enjoy this series in stages. This was a fun series to create, and I am joined by Ann and Martha who have been on the podcast before and are good friends of mine.

Thanks again to our sponsor Haus of Bennet: https://hausofbennet.com/ Use code whatthediscount at the checkout for 15% off!

TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lbg54tnj_g 

Series order: 

Introduction 

Sense and Sensibility (12th March) 

Persuasion (12th March)

Northanger Abbey (19th March)

Emma (19th March) 

Pride and Prejudice (26th March) 

Mansfield Park (26th March) 

We have created Spotify playlist for the series so you can listen to the songs based on the novels!

Where can you find Martha? 

Instagram: @marthabethanreads
Episode 10: Bridgerton Gossip (S1, S2 and the books)
Episode 21: The Mysteries of Udolpho and the Gothic in Northanger Abbey

Where can you find Ann? 

Instagram: @paper.hearts.library & @disneyprincesslessons
Youtube: PrincessLessons YouTube Channel
What the Austen? Episodes: The Disney Princess & Disney Villain series on the podcast 

Support the show

Where can you find your host (Izzy)?
Website: www.whattheausten.com
Podcast Instagram: @whattheausten
Personal Instagram: @izzy_meakin
Youtube: What the Austen? Podcast

Izzy Meakin  00:19

Hi, Janeites s. And welcome back to the what the awesome podcast we're continuing on our Taylor Swift times Jane Austen journey. And today we're going to be covering off persuasion. So we've already covered sentence sensibility. And that was a really great episode that one's already out. So go ahead and check it out if you haven't already, because there's a pretty good introduction, as well as like how we all got into Taylor Swift originally. So that's a lot of fun. And yeah, today we're on to persuasion and which I'm really looking forward to, obviously, Martha and Anna still with me as we continue on. So let's get into it. Martha, do you want to kick this one off?

 

Martha  00:52

Yeah, so I have, I've been I've tried to keep myself to three again, but I do have some bonus ones that I kind of thought of. So my first one that I thought of was treacherous, which is similar to what you said with Elena and this song. I feel like I'm kind of knows like talking about young Anne and Wentworth, like kind of before we actually meet them. But I can see her kind of knowing the risks and kind of knowing the risk of falling for someone that's not really the same station as her. And he's not really launched his career. And obviously, she she thinks it's quite a big risk, but she is going to go for that. But then obviously, as we all know, which she gets persuaded not to, but I thought treacherous, like matched it really well. And that kind of like, I didn't know that what as soon as I heard it, I was like this is worth, obviously we never actually see them at that point. We just hear about it, but I thought it suited them really well.

 

Ann  01:41

Yeah, I love that. That's really good.

 

Izzy Meakin  01:44

I love that one as well. It's like a slow burn song for a slow burn love. I love it. I love it. That's okay, Martha, you can carry carry on with you, if you like.

 

Martha  01:55

Okay, so I also have another song from red, which is one of my favourites actually. And I think he's really underrated because I love all too well. But I think that because all two hours like so loved I think I almost do kind of get eaten. And that's one of my favourites on the album. So I think that I almost do is perfect for Anna Westlife, as well, because like, she doesn't really give him a lot when they when they're like reunited. She kind of won't rise to anything. She tries not to speak to him because it just causes her too much pain. And he thinks like there's a bit in the song where she's like, Oh, I'm sure you think I've moved on. And actually, he thinks and has moved on. But she hasn't she just she can't risk getting hurt again. So that one suits their relationship really, really well. And I feel like just the lyrics were just absolutely perfect. When I was listening to it, it just it matches them so well where he's convinced like, and he talks openly about all women don't love love for as long as men are more constant. And then there's that really pivotal scene, which was one of my favourites where he was having a conversation with one of his friends and he kind of overhears. And she's like, No women do love for as long it may it may be quieter, but what we're really dedicated and I absolutely love that scene in the book. And then he kind of has hoped from that. So I almost do was one that I really really liked for their relationship. I

 

Ann  03:15

like that a lot. Yeah, that's really good.

 

Izzy Meakin  03:18

Oh, sorry, I was just gonna say on read just in general because they think he made a great point that all too well is so popular and things become more popular since you released the longer version. But there are some other like amazing songs on read that just really give you all the fields and I feel like I almost do it's just one of them. It's that that thing of being like, you want to speak to somebody but you don't know how it's gonna go down. And that's so Anna Wentworth, like neither of them know how to communicate with each other because they've had all this like history. So I love that thing.

 

Martha  03:48

Yeah, yeah, that one I really like felt for them with it. And then my final one is a happier one. And I went for daylight, because I feel like when they finally come together, they've gone through like the emotions of kind of the red album. And finally, like they're happy, and they're both in the right place in their life to have that relationship. And they've both matured a lot in the time that they've been apart. And I just want them to be happy. She's my favourites. And it's one of my favourite novels. So they like was my last pick. And then I think Ann's favourite album would be evermore because she's quite mature.

 

Ann  04:18

Yeah, I can see that. I like that.

 

Izzy Meakin  04:20

I haven't heard like daylight and so long. I'm just gonna play it just so I can remember how even goes, Oh, yeah, I remember it now. Yeah, I feel that

 

Martha  04:29

yeah, that was my that was my main three.

 

Izzy Meakin  04:31

I like the pics it happy. I feel like sometimes the listeners can be kind of sad. So it's good to pick out some of our happiest,

 

Martha  04:39

obviously, and go through a lot, not just with Wentworth so I didn't even dig into the whole family thing I couldn't even think about. So I would have been there forever. But I think that daylight sums up really well because they are just so happy at the end. And they've been through so much and they've both matured so much and I think you could that's kind of what Taylor has been through the whole point of the song data is she's been through these relationships that are like read and all of the drama and actually now she's like, that's not what love is meant to be. Love is meant to be simple and beautiful. And that's why I thought it's super down.

 

Izzy Meakin  05:11

Yeah, I like that. Yeah. And your pics. Okay, so

 

Ann  05:14

my top one is from 1989. And it's this love because it has a lot of ocean imagery. And it talks about the tide brought you in current swept you out again sinking ships. So this love is alive back from the dead. But I'll go back to the ocean imagery because I mean, obviously Captain Wentworth and the whole naval captain thing so that goes together. But then I also liked the lyrics like this love is alive back from the dead because we all thought it was dead. She thought it was dead and Captain Wentworth is back. These hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me. And you showed up just in time, so I just I think that's kind of like a perfect theme song for their relationship.

 

05:55

Oh my god, I'm kind of shocked I didn't take that one. But yeah, I really liked Yeah, that's kind of blew my mind a little bit.

 

Martha  06:03

Also the seaside so important, isn't it in persuasion, because they literally go to Lyme Regis, so they see plays such an atmospheric part, not just because it's his career, but also because that is where kind of the big turning point is, is in ages, isn't it? And my favourite bit from persuasion is literally one line. And it's when when we have what is who's the one that falls? Louisa Yeah, so when Louisa falls off the steps on the cob, and obviously she could be dead. And they all rushed over and went was like get out the way and knows what she's doing and in her head and like, oh my god, he knows that I'm good. Because her cousin is literally like half dead. And she's like it just reminds you like Han is still so human even though she's amazing. And she puts up with all this crap from all these people deep down she just wants to be loved and that line cry love it

 

Izzy Meakin  07:02

it's so true. Oh my gosh, the Louisa fall is honestly next level I was thinking as well when you were saying all about like the the ocean and sea side imagery as well. I bet there's like something to be said about how that's portrayed and persuasion and what that means for the the emotions of the characters. I'd love to like, look into that at some point, because I feel like that would be a real thing.

 

Ann  07:24

I love it.

 

07:24

I mean, is it okay on you, Korea and Korea. Okay,

 

Ann  07:27

so my next one is mine because it still has a little bit of water imagery. And I liked that it sort of tells the story. And while I mean they all tell the story, but it tells the story of that sort of like younger love and it feels like it's going through different time periods. And we've got nothing figured out. And when it was hard to take this is what I thought about you remember we were sitting there by the water so it makes me think of that kind of like navel vibe. And she's just like thinking about what it was like when they were younger. And I really love that line. You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter because even though she's not really a rebel I mean just even deciding to marry him for an is really rebellious and he and her father is a careless man and so she's kind of become careful because her father is a careless man. So yeah, I just learned that's one of my favourite songs from speak now and I think it kind of could be like an ending credits kind of song for the story of Anne and Captain Wentworth.

 

Martha  08:26

Yeah, absolutely love that. Speaking that was one of my favourite albums. And I'm really hoping that she's not going to make us wait too long for the tables version of it because she's been hinting and I

 

Ann  08:35

Oh, all the hands on the video and music video. I loved it. Yeah, excited to for that one. And I even like the part where it says I ran out crying though she wasn't crying. He followed me out into the street. Now I can't remember if it happens in the book, or if I'm just thinking about the movies, but like, at least in the movie, I know that he follows her out into the street. I know that he takes her on a walk but she doesn't run I think it's more dramatic in the movies, but I don't know I like that as long for that. And my final pig, sweet nothing. I really love that for Midnight's I just that's one of my favourite songs because it is so sweet. And I feel like that's kind of all about this chaos on the outside which and life has been with all the other people in her life. And it's just like, a lot of people want something from her and it's just the Lyric is all you ever wanted was sweet nothing and I feel like that Captain Wentworth like he doesn't want something from her in a way that other people do. Other people just want to use her like her sisters want to use her for advice. They want to use it to take care of their kids. It's just like they're everyone's just rude to her and everyone just wants to abuse her user and like Captain Wentworth is like the sweet nothing like they just have like, I don't know, it's just got this nice kind of like slow afternoon it's just peace finally the like Taylor has pieced with Joe so that's kind of how it feels like was Anne and Captain Wentworth like after they were married that like that's her kind of looking back on like how it all happened.

 

Izzy Meakin  09:57

Yeah, I feel that for sure. Absolutely, it's kind of somebody's not even wanting anything from you. They're just happy to be with you.

 

Ann  10:05

Yeah, so those are mine.

 

Martha  10:07

Pretty and I really liked those.

 

Izzy Meakin  10:10

I did I love that you guys really different approaches as well as and I heard her photo taken a different approach, but I've got I've got different pics at least. So I have a love story first. And this is kind of thinking, like pre novel, because some of the lyrics are, you know, we were both young when I first saw you. And my daddy said stay away from Juliet. And they feel like that's so much like, you know, the Elliott's and Lady Russell, kind of preventing Wentworth and and getting together in the waiting obviously like in that song a lot of it is about like them waiting and wanting to be together and it'd be in, you know, not the easiest of if loves him romances but um, you know, with time they're able to be together and be happy. But also that sense of faith fade in on whether or not the relationship is going to work because I feel like in a lot of persuasion, I mean, us as readers as well, we're thinking, oh my gosh, is this ever gonna work out? So yeah, I really think that that's kind of encapsulated in, in love story. And then another one that I had, again, from the fearless album is the way I loved you. So I kind of thought this like between what she feels like when she's chatting with like, Mr. Eliot, and I'm a really big advocate for thinking that Mr. Eliot does Anna Favier favour in the sense that he makes her see that she is worthy and she is a value and could be a great catch, like, just because it didn't work out with Wentworth doesn't mean that it in terms of finding happiness, and obviously when she thinks that when we're going to be with Louisa, I think that's a really comforting notion for her to get. And I think it builds her confidence again, so I feel like in the song, the way I loved you, it's kind of somebody's going backwards and forwards of being like, you know, I could have a potential just like a, you know, normal relationship that on people looks really good. But I really miss all of the, you kind of deep burning glove that I had to somebody else. So yeah, I picked up one. And then the last one that I had on the list was back to December. Because I feel like that song is all about just longing for like a past love and things that didn't work out. And also like, kind of regretting the part that you played in it if something not working out. So yeah, I definitely picked that one out. Because like one of the lines that really stood out to me was the fact that she's like the last time you saw him he still burns in the back of your mind and I feel like that's so when when when he turns up in his get it because he's like really snorting khaki have to start with like, kind of making comments in public that are real digs to add. And I feel like back to December's kind of, you know, kind of living in it in that shame a little bit that you know, you did something that there wasn't great and well, there was right, that's great.

 

Martha  12:57

I love that we've all gotten like really different approaches, but I read the ones we pick, they will be too. It's so

 

Ann  13:01

fun hearing them. No, I

 

Izzy Meakin  13:03

love how we all had like extra rounds, because we're worried we'd all have the same songs and we've all managed to pick different ones. I think that's amazing. Did any of you have anything on your extras list for persuasion?

 

Martha  13:18

Hi, had a couple. I had death by 1000 carts. Because I feel like that is what she experiences when she sees him again and when he's like potentially pursuing a relationship with Louisa. And then the other one which just makes me think about is this is me trying because she tries so hard and her family is so difficult, and she just keeps doing her best the whole time. So that was the other one that I

 

Ann  13:39

had felt like that one a lot. That's really good.

 

Izzy Meakin  13:43

Yeah, I love that. And did you have any on your list for extras

 

Ann  13:46

actually had several extras but the two that really stood out for me. I liked haunted from Captain Wentworth perspective when and turns him down. Like I kind of picture that like he's feeling just like so haunted by by her and by her memory. And then I also I know this doesn't totally fit, but it really made me smile to think about it bejewelled for Midnight's just thinking about when she sees Mr. Elliot or meets Mr. Elliot and he's kind of like noticing that she's really pretty and so I really wish and would like have this moment where she's just like okay Wentworth isn't noticing me but I guess I'm still be jewelled when I walk in the room it's really see it more like fan that's like an fanfiction I think but yeah, she's like

 

14:30

she walks into the foliage just like filthy still put your Did you just like that, like all this stuff? I can

 

Izzy Meakin  14:40

honestly say that song. I do really like it but I also it kind of reminds me of you guys to see Mallanna but she knew when they go in this crowd and you've got all this like shiny, shiny stuff on him. It really makes me think of

 

Martha  14:56

I love Yeah. It's so funny.

 

Izzy Meakin  15:01

So I only had one thing on my extras for persuasion. And that was kind of similar to what you were saying Martha about the. I almost do like the arguments you made for that I pot I wish you would on there and kind of for the exact same reasons, you know, in in that song, one of the lyrics is, I'll never forget you as long as I'd live. So it's kind of like, you know, I feel like that's on she's never gonna forget what I'm worth, even if it didn't work out, which obviously it does. It's something that she's always held on to and you know, she's she was never going to forget him. So

 

Ann  15:32

oh, I'll say my last thing that because I kind of thought about different albums as far as like not as much like Martha did, which I absolutely love of like what the character would listen to but what the book had a vibe for for me. So my vibe for persuasion was Midnight's because I think it's very introspective and it's thinking about a lot the it's thinking about the past a lot.

 

Martha  15:50

Yeah, like Yeah,

 

Izzy Meakin  15:52

I feel like it has kind of like a it always makes me think about like deep colours like you know, dark blue and maroon and yeah, yes. And forest green and stuff. Yeah, it makes me think of like really? I don't really know what the word is like sophisticated colours. I think that's that's probably the way and I feel like Midnight's is that kind of album as well? Yeah, it's a little less chaotic than some of the others and a little less playful than some of Taylor's earlier albums, but I honestly loved Midnight's but that's the one that I feel is kind of reignited my love because I kind of although I did, I did appreciate like folklore and things. They were just a little bit slow for me. I was a bit like, oh, I don't I just feel a bit like, oh, but um, yeah, but now it's I've just been like, feel this in every way. And I just listened to it on repeat. So yeah,

 

Ann  16:45

yeah. I love it. I love it.

 

Martha  16:46

Yeah, I think it's pretty. I like the fact that any of the songs got into my top 100 of the year on Spotify was quite impressive. Bear in mind, it came at the end of October. That shows I literally had it on repeat.

 

Ann  16:58

Midnight rain was my number one song of the year. And I'm like this is almost embarrassed.

 

Izzy Meakin  17:04

I think yeah, no, I think my number one song quiz. Well, one of them was from the Midnight's album, pause. Oh my god, I've literally just gone like brain blank, then you're on your own kid that would leave. I couldn't believe it. When he hit malaise. I was like, Okay, I've definitely been listening to that alive. That's to get up.

 

Ann  17:24

I love that when that was on my top five, two.

 

Izzy Meakin  17:26

That's such a good one. There's so many great ones like karma. That's another great one on that album. She's really nailed it. Honestly, I also can't wait for the tour because I feel like this is one that I definitely want to go to. I really regretted not going to the reg talk because that elements was the best. So jealousy

 

Martha  17:43

was really good. When we had we had really good seats. We were really lucky.

 

Izzy Meakin  17:47

That is everything from as in this episode and also for this weekend. So we're going to be back next weekend with another two instalments of this series. So I hope you're enjoying it so far. I'm really looking forward to covering off all the other novels. As I said in the previous episode, all of Martha and Ann's information will be attached in the bio if you want to find them outside of the podcast. And also if you want to follow me on Instagram at what the Austin I would love to see you over there. That's everything from us today and we will see you in another episode.