What are your eras?

Our music sommelier will guide you through nine of them, Swiftly

Now that Taylor Swift’s Eras concert is on Disney Plus and we can see it without it costing an arm and a leg — or at least $19.89 — casual fans and undecideds can take in the spectacle. And they should. Because it might deepen their appreciation of music, and life.

Great artists touch us in powerful ways, helping us relate to their humanity even if we’re nothing alike. Although our real-life emotional eras don’t come in tidy segments the way Swift’s albums do — some last a day, some a decade, some pop up like Punxsutawney Phil — her words still resonate with us.

So today I’m taking nine of Swift’s songs, then putting on my music sommelier hat to pair each with two other songs from before 2000. The pairings are based on the emotions that Swift is sharing, not the sound, which is why you’ll hear stuff ranging from the Sex Pistols to Etta James. There’s a playlist at the end with all 27 songs, and I’ll link to a few others just for fun.

I’m sure you can do something similar with artificial intelligence, but trust me: My intelligence is as artificial as it gets. 

Here goes:

Innocence

Even though it won’t make the playlist, I can’t resist the charm of “Our Song,” from when Swift was 17. If you want, pair it with Paul Anka’s “Puppy Love” and Melissa Manchester’s “Through the Eyes of Love.”

Sometimes innocence comes in another guise: the feeling that you can rule the world, even if you know deep down that it’s not true. That’s why the first song on the playlist is “Long Live.”

Long live all the mountains we moved
I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you

It pairs easily with David Bowie’s “Heroes” — but nothing else is nearly as obvious. So I ended up tipping my cap to the energy and innocence it takes to tilt at windmills, dreaming impossible dreams.

Not fitting in

Lin-Manuel Miranda has spoken about how often an inner truth pops out when he’s writing songs, and I’m sure any Swiftie could give you dozens of examples in her case. This podcast offers some great background.

One of life’s biggest challenges is finding where you belong, from a soul mate to a posse, and it can feel nearly impossible when you’re young. I’m sure book series like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson caught on a lot at first because their characters had trouble fitting in, then eventually thrived. Just a hunch: Swift is thriving, too.

“The Archer” is on the playlist, along with “Creep” by Radiohead and “Behind Blue Eyes” by The Who, because sometimes we blame ourselves — fairly or unfairly — for those struggles.

One tip for non-Swifties watching her on Disney Plus: If the stadium show feels overwhelming, start at the absolute end, after the credits, where there are six acoustic songs as an added bonus. This is one of them.

Fitting in

When you do find that posse, or even one special friend, it’s cause for celebration, loudly or quietly. That’s brings us “22,” “La Vie Bohème” and “Stand By Me.”

Internal demons

Even the best of us are not always pure of heart, and Swift touches on our ulterior motives with “Mastermind” and our even darker side with “Anti-Hero.” The latter is on the playlist with songs by the Sex Pistols and Fiona Apple.

If you’re looking for a the-world-is-a-dark-place supplement, might I suggest a sampling of “Everybody Knows” by Leonard Cohen and “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin.

External demons

If you hear “My Tears Ricochet” without knowing the backstory, you’d think Swift is singing about a lover’s betrayal rather than a business one.

I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace
And so the battleships will sink beneath the waves
You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same

It’s joined by two more traditional out-of-love songs: “Back Stabbers” by The O’Jays and “Say My Name,” which gives us a chance to sneak Beyoncé in with Destiny’s Child. Obviously singers like Beyoncé and even Olivia Rodrigo pair well with Swift’s songs, but our sommelier wanted the vintages to come before 2000.

For a slightly different flavor, try this added song. Sometimes the only demon is putting your faith in the wrong place.

Anger

I’m really gonna miss you picking fights
And me falling for it, screaming that I’m right

It was a slap in the face
How quickly I was replaced
And are you thinking of me when you fuck her?

I want to be around to see how he does it
When he breaks your heart to bits

When you’re never ever getting back together, sometimes a great screaming-into-the-void song can help. Let Alanis Morissette and Tony Bennett be your spirit guides.

Heartbreak

Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” is a classic, and almost nothing can capture the anguish of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” but give Swift 10 minutes and she can top them both. Consider this USA Today list of Swift’s best lyrics. Four of the top 10 are from “All Too Well,” including:

They say all’s well that end’s well, but I’m in a new hell
Every time you double-cross my mind

And

You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath

And

You call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest

Joy

We began our sampling with some relatively innocent versions of infatuation, but now we’re entering the land of what could be full-fledged love. That leads our playlist to “Enchanted,” “I’m a Believer” and “The Last Time I Felt Like This.” While we’re at it, let’s throw in this one.

Greatest hits

Ask 10 Swifties for their favorite song and you might get 10 different answers, but that’s not really what this era is about. Sure, the playlist will have “Love Story” and songs from Whitney Houston and Etta James that I don’t even have to name, but what are your greatest hits? What are you proudest of? Do you avoid getting stuck in our negative eras for too long?

Two last things inspired by Swift: First, go back to “Our Song” and take it in. Especially one line:

And when I got home, ’fore I said, “Amen”
Asking God if he could play it again

Be innocent enough to appreciate moments as they’re happening — not 20 years later. That’s an easy skill to lose.

Now consider the song that ended the concert: “Karma.” A lot of times, we’re told to fear it:

Karma’s on your scent like a bounty hunter
Karma’s gonna track you down

But she embraces it. Aspire to that. If you’re living a life that makes you see karma as an ally, you’ve come to the right era.

Murphy Slaw

Something old: You never know what someone is going through. Be kind. Maybe you’ll help someone find their posse.

Something new: One great item on a pre-marriage checklist is making sure the future spouses’ attitudes about personal finance are compatible. Want proof? This Money story says 1 in 3 divorced Americans blame credit card debt as a factor in their separation.

Something borrowed: If you want a little visual quiz on artificial intelligence, try this. Then learn the details from MIT.

Something blue: Don’t need anything depressing this week, so let’s just go with this.