The Prolific Song Output and Seasonal Sehnsucht of Franz Schubert and Taylor Swift

Abstract: The juxtaposition of the nineteenth-century German lied composer Franz Schubert and the twenty-first century country/pop songwriter Taylor Swift serves as the inspiration for this article. Schubert composed over 630 songs before his death at age thirty-one; Swift had written over 250 songs by age thirty-five. The prolific song output of Schubert and Swift is a correlation between these two composers, along with a common theme of Sehnsucht associated with the seasons. From Winterreise to “Cruel Summer,” both Schubert and Swift are masterminds who provide the vocal repertoire with a plethora of songs about longing, friendship, and the seasons of life.