"You Drew Stars Around My Scars" - Taylor Swift's Scars as Symbols in Cold As You, Cardigan & CANCELLED!

"You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding." This week, we're doing a Show & Tell episode on one of Taylor's most recurring literary devices: scars. From the ice-cold wounds of “Cold As You” from her debut album to the wistful “cardigan” of folklore and the Kingpin-Taylor energy of “CANCELLED!” from The Life of a Showgirl, we trace how Taylor's use of scars has evolved from pure pain to reclaimed power. We talk Odysseus, Harry Potter, Death Eaters (yes, really), shattering glass ceilings, and what it means to turn a mark of suffering into a VIP passport. Join us as we explore what scars say about heroes, villains, and the very specific experience of being a woman in your 30s who has finally decided the wounds were worth it. Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics! Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com Songs Discussed in This Episode: Cold As You — Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift, 2006) — written by Taylor Swift & Liz Rose Cardigan — Taylor Swift (folklore, 2020) — written by Taylor Swift & Aaron Dessner CANCELLED! — Taylor Swift (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025) — written by Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift Referenced in This Episode: Hamlet, William Shakespeare Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling The Odyssey, Homer The Mufasa (2024 film) Episode Highlights: [00:03] Intro: Welcome to the Show & Tell on Scars — not the Lion King villain (but kind of) [07:17] Cold As You (debut, 2006): Ice burns, emotional wounds, and counting scars vs. counting stars [14:20] Cardigan (folklore, 2020): "You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding" [25:00] CANCELLED! (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025): Matching scars as passport to the underworld Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast 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 Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com, use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro 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.