“I cry a lot but I am so productive, it’s an art.” This week, we’re doing a deep dive on “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” (The Tortured Poets Department, 2024, Track 13), written by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. A continuation of our Strong Women series, this episode goes line by line through one of Taylor’s most devastatingly relatable songs. We explore the rhetorical triangle of the I, the you, and the they; the “performative perkiness” of the chorus; why the poetry meter literally snaps to the beat of a performance; the crucial evidence hiding in drawers; and how dark humor becomes a coping mechanism. Whether you’re a Type A eldest daughter, a new mom, or anyone who has ever had to show up for work when their heart was broken, this one hits. Try and come for our job.

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• The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift (2024)
• The Eras Tour Concert Film / Documentary
• Moulin Rouge! (2001 film)
• Harley Quinn / Birds of Prey (2020 film)
• Barbie (2023 film)

• [02:17] Verse one: “She’s having the time of her life” — glittering prime, sequined stars, and the opening twist
• [08:23] Pre-chorus: “I’m a real tough kid” — internalizing what we’re told as little girls
• [20:23] The chorus: “I’m so depressed I act like it’s my birthday every day” — dark humor as coping
• [39:24] “Try and come for my job” — who is she talking to?
• [50:54] Why this is a twofer song: the sad version and the celebration version

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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.