Gallows
The gallows as a site of public execution and condemnation: the speaker has been sentenced and brought to the point of death by society's judgment, but escapes or transcends the execution. In Taylor's writing the gallows evoke Salem witch trials and public punishment of women deemed deviant.
The gallows represent society's ultimate punishment for the speaker's perceived transgressions - public condemnation and attempted destruction. The escape from the gallows transforms the site of death into the launching point for supernatural power.
Appears in 2 songs
“So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street”
The gallows represent the speaker's condemnation by society/culture, she has been sentenced to death (metaphorically) for her perceived transgressions. But instead of dying, she escapes, transforming the execution into a display of supernatural power. Angela specifically pictures Salem witch trials when hearing this line.
“And you find something to wrap your noose around”
Uncle Jerry reads the noose as 'hanging like a witch', the gallows imagery of public execution and condemnation directed at women deemed deviant. The noose represents the antagonist finding a way to publicly condemn and destroy the speaker, connecting directly to the witch-trial tradition of hanging.