As an astonishing songwriter since her teen days, Taylor Swift has made many tracks considered hidden gems. However, "All Too Well" is well-known as the brightest star of her album "Red." In 2021, she highlighted that by giving this song the perfect short film it deserves. Let us show you the top ten moments that left us speechless, those that will change you forever!
10. All the Lyrics That She Didn't Put in the Original…
Swift is one of the best songwriters of this century
…Are too good to be left out. Can Miss Swift explain how she could cut out some of the song's parts just to make it fit into a regular length in 2012? The tracks like these deserve a length that "All Too Well" has now, thanks to the rerecording. Hence, this Scooter Braun drama might have actually given us the best gift ever!
It's hard to even choose the best lyric out of these that we didn't hear before the "Taylor's Version." Still, "Cause in this city's barren cold / I still remember the first fall of snow / And how it glistened as it fell / I remember it all too well" could win as one of the most moving parts. This song is heartbreaking in so many ways.
9. The Way the New Lyrics Merge with the Old Ones
Listen to the "old" version if you haven't done it yet
You know, some artists publish an extended version of a track by putting out new parts after the old ones. However, Taylor Swift proved that this brilliant version was authentically written in 2012 together with all the pieces you already know by heart since everything flows so naturally!
In conclusion, people who didn't discover "All Too Well" in the past wouldn't easily tell which parts were added. None of the lyrics were actually forced into the story. Instead, they were supposed to flow like this, and we're so glad Swift had a chance to fix the mistake of not letting this song shine the way it was made!
8. The Easter Eggs in the Short Film
Did you notice any of the moments?
We hope you've already seen the short film for this cinematic song, directed by Taylor herself. The story is profound and has the potential of a movie script, but the actual experience is even better! You'd never tell that this is Swift's first time behind the camera since even the smallest detail is so cleverly created.
Luckily, Swift never was a stranger to teasing her fans with Easter eggs. Hence, her capability to hide some details in the movie didn't take too much effort. Have you noticed that red scarf around Dylan O'Brien's neck when he comes to see his girlfriend after all the years? Think again because you've seen it somewhere already. And that's not the only detail!
7. The Mix of Pain, Fear, and Rage in the Song
"Better Man" is a lot like "All Too Well" in terms of emotional outburst
The best songs in the world never awaken only one emotion in you – they make you feel so much that you have no idea how to explain it. "All Too Well," in its initial release, was about a heartbroken girl who is upset, losing herself, and crying in her bed every night. However, the original ten-minute version brought a rainbow of sentiments!
Behind the cut-out lyrics, Swift has hidden rage, extreme bitterness as the intensity goes to a whole new level. They say there's a good Taylor Swift tune for any mood, but "All Too Well" is the ultimate song that already gives you everything. Three songs in one, and more than that!
6. The Feeling That This Song is Swift's Manifesto
"I Bet You Think About Me" is Blake Lively's directorial debut
"All Too Well" isn't only her longest song – numbers and counts don't matter here. It's about the magnificence of everything she narrated in these ten minutes. It feels like the whole life summed up in one work of art, and even Swift's own manifesto, explaining her whole existence and way of loving.
Moreover, "All Too Well" (the full version) is the first thing from "Red" that you should listen to because it will make it easier for you to understand one of her best albums. The entire project is based on the story behind this track. For example, her vault song "I Bet You Think About Me" is way better understood if you listened to "All Too Well" first!
5. The "Personal" Aspect of the Ballad
"The Moment I Knew" is another track from "Red" that's connected to "All Too Well"
They say the best ballads are based on the singer's experience because the only emotion you can transmit naturally is the one you really went through. Unfortunately, Swift suffered from the most immense pain of her love life ever when she wrote this work, so she used to cry while performing this song for years.
Furthermore, while you listen to the ten-minute version, you feel like you just opened someone's journal, and you're lurking where you shouldn't. It gets so personal that it would feel wrong, but that just displays the song's splendidness. It's tough to capture emotions with words the way she does here!
4. The Pain in Her Voice
She just knows how to make the audience feel what she sings
...Even after all these years, you still can feel it. You really can. From her incredible styling to the stage presence that is extraordinary, Swift is someone you'd like to see live at a concert for sure. A good reason for that is obviously her singing, too. The crooning is incredible because of the emotions in her voice!
Hence, it's still easy for her to transmit the pain she felt in the early 2010s, even in 2021. Of course, her new "All Too Well" doesn't lack emotions at all. On the contrary, Swift can make you relate to the song even if you have never had such an experience. Her storytelling on "folklore" was based on other people's lives, and she still delivered the pain – what a genius!
3. Her SNL Performance That Proved How Incredible Storyteller and Entertainer She Is
This might be her best performance ever, but it's hard to determine that since she's always been a captivating performer
Taylor Swift really gives us both – we're stunned by her storytelling, but her stage presence as well. You can tell how she puts her whole heart in every "All Too Well" performance, especially the ten-minute version that she delivered on SNL. These ten minutes will feel like two or three, and you'll want way more!
We can't even highlight a moment from this incredible performance. It could be the short film playing in the background, autumn leaves "falling down like pieces into place," or "the first fall of snow." Actually, it might be Swift's powerful hair flip or the way she plays the guitar and wears her heart on her sleeve. Everything about this performance is insane!
2. The Red Flags You Probably Won't Ignore After This Film
Swift portrayed many of these toxic traits that manipulative people do in a relationship
All the times when the guy made the girl feel stupid because she's way younger than him, and when he didn't include her in the conversations with his friends... And when he dropped her hand! He literally made her feel insignificant and then hugged her to solve things! All these red flags aren't there just for fun – these are lessons.
The girl from the short film, portrayed by Sadie Sink, suffered the most because she got attached to someone who didn't appreciate her at all. Most people think that being in a relationship is better than being alone, so they lose themselves along the way and tolerate so many problems. Don't be that girl; Swift is begging you!
1. The Lessons About Manipulation
The relationship that inspired this song is something you should never have in your life
After all the artistic traits that make this song outstanding and mind-blowing, there is a real story hidden behind all the lyrics you scream at the top of your lungs. Listen carefully, and let this be Swift's lesson that we all have to learn. If she had to suffer in her earliest 20s in a manipulative relationship, you shouldn't do that as well.
You could be Jake Gyllenhaal's fan or an obsessive Swiftie who wants to execute him, but the facts are facts. Don't let anyone make you feel how he made his girlfriend suffer because songs like "All Too Well" can be created only by genuine pain. We hope you'll never relate to it indeed – appreciate it, but don't even be a victim of manipulation.
To make a perfect ballad, you have to work on your music naturally, without any pressure, because the right moments always come unintentionally. Taylor Swift did precisely this in a relatively early phase of her career, which impressed the world and deserved a top ten list. You can say anything's overrated, but her magnum opus, "All Too Well," deserves every Grammy in this world!
What's your favorite lyric from "All Too Well" (the full version)? Is it even possible to have an ultimate favorite? Let us know in the comments section!
Photo: YouTube Screenshot