Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Author
German · 18th–19th century
German writer and polymath, author of Faust, one of the greatest works of German literature.
Connection to Taylor Swift
His Faust, the story of a man who sells his soul to the devil, provides a thematic parallel for Taylor's recurring 'deal with the devil' imagery across her catalogue, including Father Figure's 'I can make deals with the devil.'
Notable Works
- Faust, The Sorrows of Young Werther, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
Appears in the Archive
Context within the Archive
Faust
“I can make deals with the devil because my dick's bigger”
Uncle Jerry mentions Faust by Goethe as a 'deal with the devil' reference echoed in the song's chorus line about making deals with the devil. He groups it with other deal-with-the-devil narratives (Bedazzled, Damn Yankees) as contributing to the song's thematic register.
Podcast analysis