A masterpiece. ‘You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath’ is a knife to the heart every time. She describes heartbreak with the precision of surgeon
I guess this song is more about the story telling and honest lyricism than the instrumental. They keep the instrumental rather light, and easy to digest to highlight and engage you more with the words. It's one of the Taylor songs I really appreciate because it's quite evident she didn't write it for anyone but herself.
Great point! I think a really great way to see how that difference is felt in Taylor's songs is the acoustic version of Death By a Thousand Cuts vs. the album version. It's wacky and interesting, the studio version, but the words get lost on every reactor I've ever watched hear that song first. It's fascinating.
I think this song in particular resonates with a lot of people because many of us have been in a relationship where the other person tried to dismiss it later as nothing. But "I remember it all too well I was there" just speaks to that. Like you can claim whatever you want but I was there in that moment and I know the reality of what it was.
@@JS-ji2ux this has happened to so many people. We identify with All to Well. We aren’t alone. Others have been in this much pain. Taylor is singing and writing about what happened to her, but she sees us.❤️ Taylor Swift and I am 68 years old.
Like many people in the comments, I think this song is a masterpiece. I think the lyrics are superb, as well as being deeply personal and emotionally raw. Her voice is so expressive, and I think the range you are looking for is in her voice, rather than the music,. The music rightly leaves her voice fully exposed. I honestly think this is one of the best songs ever written, which will probably make you roll your eyes. For the record, I am a 67-year-old man from Australia.
The best way I can describe why she's popular us that she onlr speaks from personal experience, so we can hear the honesty, but in ways that can also be extremely relatable. Even if you've never been in such a toxic relationship with an older person, where in hindsight all the love and anger come out, listening to this song gives you an idea of the emotional process. One moment she sings affectionately and softly, the next screaming and ranting, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. It's like reading short stories, all related to one another. Finding connections, thematic, lyrical or musical, throughout different songs, and piecing together the whole story. Examples of this are: •all too well 10 minute version x the moment I knew x 22 •cornelia street x paper rings x the great war x you're losing me x how did it end •Guilty as sin x fresh out the slammer x But daddy I love him x down bad •london boy x so long, London •the tortured poets department x peter x chloe or sam or sophia or marcus x loml
Taylor never thought this song would mean anything to anyone but her, but its simple imagery resonates with a lot of people. She would sometimes cry when she sang it in concert, actually choking up with the emotion and falling silent once, and then she heard the fans singing back to her. The very fact that it links everyday moments to twists of emotion makes it relatable combined with the easy melody that makes cathartic to sing to while reliving echoes of those feelings. The story behind the writing.... it wasn't really written. Taylor was depressed when she arrived at practice, sat down at the piano, started messing around and proceeded to play and sing THIS, her band joining in. As it ended, her mom leaned over to the guy at the soundboard and said "tell me you recorded this" and he had. It was cut down to 5 minutes and placed as a track 5, never released as a single.
Interested in how you feel when you’ve listened 4 or 5 more times… such a simple melody, & beautiful story - with tendrils of emotion that reach like fingers, through the skin and deep into the soul. It feels like it doesn’t take long before it’s impossible to disentangle from this. Sacred prayer… I was there.. I remember it… 😢🙏🏼. So thankful to be a witness to the magical emotion that is Taylor Swift. Thanks for sharing your experience Izzy.
She’s massively popular because even if you can’t connect with the specifics you can connect with the concept and the emotion. The very fact that you constantly pause because a lyric has provoked a memory or thought you feel like dissecting IS what keeps people coming back to her music.
The “paint by numbers” for her lyricism kills me. This was her free styling during a practice session. Imagine sitting at a piano and this entire heart breaking story just spilling out in 1 go? It’s amazing and beautiful, and so relatable.
it's very autobiographical and most taylor's fans are very interested in taylor's lore especially her past relationships. the song tells very extreme details of what the relationship was and what taylor felt which also resonated with a lot of fans that's why we like it. Also, it's just very sad.
Her lyrical masterpiece so far. There are so many great lines in this song. She is so popular, because she writes from personal experience and you can feel in her lyrics how she felt and that makes it relateable.
Wonderful wonderful song,showcases her lyricism....and she wrote this at 21😮 It paints the picture beautifully,you are there with her,and noone paints a picture like Taylor. The "and you call me up again just to break me like a promise" breaks me in two because of personal circumstances. The film is a masterpiece directed by Taylor ,the famous argument scene was improvised,she told the actors just to go with it 😊 Don't think l've ever watched it without dissolving in ugly tears.
"5% of you are in Brazil..." 🙋🏻♀️😂Just had to mention it. 😊 But why this song particularly speaks to me? I guess it's because I'm Taylor's age, and when the song came out (the 5 minute version) in 2012 all these feelings were there for me too. And I guess the lyrics are impressive for the honesty and for the story telling. Like, I wouldn’t be able to tell a whole story full of details through a song in 5 or in 10 minutes, and she has the ability to do that. I can kinda imagine how the relationship was, the autumn's vibe, the scarf, the pain "I'm a crumpled up pice of paper laying here..." "time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it" "after plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own, now you mail back my things and I walk home alone" this one breaks me, every time.... But I do understand your point of view, the melody is simple , the focus was on telling the story she needed to get out of her system. And it's fine, you don't have to like all her songs, we understand. Don't be scared to say your honest opinion, as long as it's from an analytical respectful way, we can take it. Some songs will only speak to the 21 year old broken hearted girl in us. 😅 Fun fact about this song is how she wrote it. She was sad and mad about the break up but she had to go rehearse with her band, but she was feeling really down during the rehearsal and she started strumming her guitar and venting about how she felt. Some people from the band accompanied her with other instruments and she vented for a while. Since it was a rehearsal the sound guy recorded it, put in on a CD and gave it to her. Later Taylor listened back to it and decided to edit it with Liz Rose and the original All Too Well 5 minute version was born. She told this story in an interview and mentioned it was about 10 minutes originally, and the fans started demanding to get to know the entire unedited version. So when she re-recorded Red, she put the complete version on the album as a gift for us.
Oi, Ketlin! Tudo bem? Falo um pouco Portugues, mas preciso praticar mais, não sei muito palavras ainda. Mas um dia, eu vou falar muito fluentemente! Espero! kkkk Thanks for sharing what it means to you. I understand I'm not the target audience for this song or this story, but it does give me things to think about, which I enjoy doing. Tchau!
Taylor did get her start in country music, but has gone on to write and sing music in all genres of music, hence the eras tour...each era representing a different genre of music, and gaining fans from each of those genres. I think she did this song orginally 2010, 2011, (Swifties correct me if I am wrong), she was 20 to 21 years old at the time. Taylor was controlled for years by her record company, she is free now, able to control her own career and music, and very soon own all rights to her music. This song appeared on her 4th album, Red...an amazing piece of work for an artist that age.
Great reaction, the honesty is appreciated! Some of Taylor's songs are literally like reading her journal. When one gains more context to the story behind the song, the lyrics take on deeper meaning; the video will flesh this out more. Thanks, Izzy!
This wasn't a song she sat down and decided to write. It was more stream of consciousness that happened to be recorded during a rehearsal. My understanding is when she was done, her mother asked the sound engineer if he'd recorded it. It's not an American thing that it appeals, because the appeal is on an emotional level. She is singing about an experience many of us have had or can at the very least relate to. I'm trying to not be sexist and say its only something girls/women can understand because I'm sure men have had similar experiences. Women however, historically, get to be emotional, whereas men are usually told to suck it up. The understated of everything is really just her raw emotion and hurt, trying to understand and put this relationship in perspective. Like someone else said, it's possible she was being gaslit later because she's insisting, she knows what happened because she was there.
I think this song speaks to people who have experienced a relationship where they were gaslighted and lied to so they would develop feelings for someone who then dumped them and walked away seemingly not affected. That would be most girls and women and some men. The repeated line 'I remember it well' suggests that she is answering an expartner who tries to gashlight her into thinking that her version of the relationship never happened. I had a very strong reaction to the lines 'you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath' and 'then break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.' Others have had the same reaction. Perhaps it would help you to see the short film/music video that Taylor directed for the song?
@@kmjkmjkmj the “so casually cruel in the name of being honest” line is my favorite in the song just because it’s such a gut punch. It doesn’t matter if it was in a relationship, friendship, or from a family member I feel like we all have had our feelings hurt by someone who said something incredibly mean but gave the disclaimer of “I’m just being honest”
I've always thought it was not gaslighting, but instead the type of guy that talks about "we," "us," and the future so effortlessly, warmly, and deeply, then cuts it off and dismisses it instead of having regrets and hurting. I've known guys who try on relationships like that. The trick is that they authentically believe what they're saying until the moment they change their mind and end it. It's like a switch is flipped. THE WORST is when you see them with someone else with the same warm looks and inside jokes and realize that's just how he is when trying on every relationship.
Every time you hear this song you will get a little bit more wrapped up into it. Some times it takes a few listens for a song to grow. Fans have had 10 years to love this song. It spoke to them at such a critical time of their lives.
Well, it finally happened. After watching probably more than a hundred reaction videos of this song, (probably alot more)someone didn't like what is considered her Magnum Opus. Sadly it was bound to happen. If this song doesn't do it for you, then Taylor may not be your thing. I appreciate you trying and keeping it respectful. 🙏
@@Yephimł I don’t think just because someone doesn’t like this song doesn’t mean Taylor isn’t their thing. The magnum opus of some really famous authors doesn’t do it for everybody but they can still love other things in the body of work. I’ve loved Taylor for years and though I do love this song I enjoy a lot of songs off of Folklore and Evermore better because they speak to me more. We all like what we like and it’s totally ok! I definitely agree that as long as somebody keeps it respectful and give her music a try I don’t even care if they dislike every song because at least they gave it an honest try!
As a huge Taylor Swift fan, my first thought to hearing this song referred to as possibly bland was to get very defensive. But, after a bit of reflection, I get your reaction and I actually appreciate the honesty. I’ll have to admit that I wasn’t completely impressed With the song the very first time I heard it. This is coming from the perspective of a now older guy who first heard this song 12 or 14 years ago . I couldn’t relate to the lyrics the way a young woman would. But after hearing the song several times, it’s the lyrics and the imagery that really make this song a masterpiece. So I get your initial reaction which is much like mine, but I would bet you that if you were to revisit this song a few times and listen to it and especially think about it from the perspective of a young woman who has just had her heartbroken, then I think you’ll really appreciate the emotion and the incredible lyrics it contains.
It's interesting isn't it! One thing I'm enjoying about reacting is realising and noticing that we all see the world through our lens of experience and prejudices and then trying to move past that. I do see the value in this on repeat listens. Thanks, Nathan!
I agree about autumn time😂. I think you definitely appreciate it more the older you get. Great reaction as always, even if this one wasn't your cup of tea! 😊
I think she is so popular because despite the specificity we can still find ways to relate it to ourselves and our past relationships. The specificity is good storytelling but the story is one so many have been through. To me generic pop songs that are written for the masses don’t hit the emotions as well because they are so vague but with Taylor we get the storytelling aspect where we know it’s autobiographical but we can take those specifics and apply the specifics of our own story and apply them. I like the details more than songs that just say things in the broadest sense because those just don’t seem as sincere.
I'm in a new hell every time you double cross my mind is genius lyricism. This song, and many of her songs, make me feel what Taylor was feeling. I'm a 42 year old happily married man but I feel this breakup she had as a young woman dating an older guy.
Here's a piece from one of my favorite music critics, and mad Swift fan, Rob Sheffield, who wrote this for Rolling Stone in placing All Too Well at #1 in his ranking of her 274 songs. Written with affection, charm, and his usual wit, it makes me smile: So casually cruel in the name of being awesome. This towering ballad is Swift’s zenith, building to peak after peak. For “All Too Well,” she teams up with her songwriting sensei Liz Rose to spin a tragic tale of doomed love and scarves and autumn leaves and maple lattes. And her greatest song just got even greater in the definitive 10-minute version, with Taylor digging up her lost verses, to bring it to a whole new level of All Too Unwell. What kind of artist takes her own masterpiece and tears it all up? This one. Only this one. Result: an even bolder masterpiece. Every version of “All Too Well” tells a different story. There’s the “Sad Girl Autumn” version from Long Pond Studio, with Aaron Dessner on piano. The acoustic-guitar solo version from the theater premiere for her short film. But each version feels like it’s all her, because this isn’t really a song about a boy - never was. It’s about a girl, her piano, her memory, and her refusal to surrender her most painful secrets, even when it’s tempting to forget. It’s full of killer moments: the way she sings “refrigerator,” the way she spits out the consonants of “crumpled-up piece of paper,” the way she chews up three “all”’s in a row. No other song does such a stellar job of showing off her ability to blow up a trivial little detail into a legendary heartache. That scarf should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though in a way it already is. You can schaeden your freude all over the celebrity she reputedly sings about, but on the best day of your life you will never inspire a song as great as “All Too Well.” Or write one. Best line: “Maybe we got lost in translation/Maybe I asked for too much/Maybe this thing was a masterpiece till you tore it all up/Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well.”
Regarding this being about “middle America”. I’m in Europe and a huge fan. I understand the specifics, but for me it’s like reading a book or watching a movie. I can put myself in that setting and almost feel what she’s describing
Taylor is a lyrical genius, and her fans really appreciate her vulnerability and relatability. This song is about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, whom she dated when she was 20 and he was 32.
She made a video that went with this and got director credit for it. That is when it went big. I don't think of this as a country but more as folk music, ex. Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and so on.
I think people love the storytelling. My favorite line, and one of my all time favorite lines, is "so casually cruel in the name of being honest." The popularity of this song was buoyed by an amazing video as well.
It's a response to men who gaslight you that it didn't mean anything all the while previously trying to gaslight you that they loved you. We remember it all.
If you can’t understand a teenage girl just becoming a woman and having her first heartbreak… then you can’t remember how BIG those feelings are… and even a lot older now… us women remember, to try to teach/guide our kids.
Taylor’s popularity is global. Even though I’m Canadian, I take umbrage with your “air quotes middle America” comment. How a masterpiece like All Too Well about a “successful” older actor and a young, talented, highly successful songwriter hardly screams “middle America.”
From Canada. I would say count yourself lucky that you have never been in a relationship that you were gaslight to high heaven. Also count your self lucky that you haven’t been prayed upon by an older more experienced person. At the end of the song she just keeps repeating herself because of the gaslighting. She is telling herself no I was there I remember what happened I’m not crazy! People who gaslight have an incredibly uncanny way of making you doubt your self or feel crazy.
You said, "We probably suffer worse in our memories and imaginations, don't we?" I am going to commit that to MY memory. As an eternal optimist, hopeless romantic, over-thinker, constant worrier, high-anxiety individual, I know what you're saying to be true. I live, primarily in my mind, and I suffer deeply, when in fact, as you said, "Nothing is as good as we remember, and nothing is as bad as we imagine." Yet, even with that knowledge, I don't know how to stop it. I'm going to make your words my mantra when those kinds of self-sabotaging, intrusive thoughts start coming. Thank you!
Glad to hear it has helped, Minerva! I too am an eternal optimist, but managed to avoid those other things, I think. Another useful story, I've mentioned in another reaction somewhere; is the aboriginals think of us as having 2 minds (or was it 3? 2 will do for the purpose of the story anyway), one of the head and one of the gut. The head brain should only be used for problem solving and we should live in the gut brain mostly. And the most interesting part about this to me is that they have the same word for the brain of the head and for a tangled fishing net.
I personally feel this song is a master class in songwriting. Who else can write a 10 min song and not be repetitive or boring you…but keeps you engaged the entire time.
@@melaniaarnett1755 everyone can have different thoughts and it's OK. Personally i love "All Too Well" but because I love Taylor and I am very interested in ANYTHING she has to say in her songwriting, but for someone who doesn't really know much of her, this song could be a little "boring" and it's TOTALLY FINE. Also, this is not her best song, not even close, but it is one of her most famous songs yes. Anyway, try not to treat badly someone only because they have different thoughts on one matter!!
@@melaniaarnett1755 literally wasn’t being negative, was just stating what is historically very much up there as being one of her best songs, it’s interesting to have his take on it. It’s not that deep 😅 Eager to see if the video might help the song grow on him 🤙🏼 I’m enjoying his reactions 🤷🏻♂️
@@valenbaden9446 I totally agree that this isn’t my favorite song of hers either even though I do love it! I think songs off of Folklore and Evermore are superior lyrically but everyone has their song that speaks to them more so I don’t judge anybody who doesn’t care for a certain song. She has some that I just don’t like at all. I don’t ever say which ones they are because some fans just attack anybody who doesn’t like every single of hers. I prefer when reactors are actually honest if they don’t like a song as much as long as they are respectful and gave it a chance.
@@Amandaarford83 I don't recomend you to say which songs you don't listen either hahahah, swifties can be agressive sometimes. But people can be agressive in general so... I think too that folklore and evermore are two of her best written albums. In personal I do like all her songs but I don't think everyone has to like them all, or that you can't be swiftie if you don't listen to some songs, that is ridiculous! haha
As many have said - we relate to this since it is an experience we had in one way or another and it kind of says "it was real and it is ok to be sad/mad and confused by it". She shares and put words to our thoughts and feelings so we feel validated 🙂 / from Sweden
I’m actually thrilled to watch you react to the movie version, you might probably get a complete different reaction to this one since every single word comes alive there.
I think, for me, this song is powerful for three reasons: 1) I've listened to the entire Red album, so I can feel deeply how this relationship devastated Taylor and tore her apart by listening to many songs with many different perspectives. It's kind of a heartbreak album. 2) It's a very relatable song to me, because I've had many relationships that have followed the same pattern as what she's described in this song. Her finding just the right words, even though her circumstances and details are different, help me to process out the same pain. 3) I can actually sing this song halfway decent. I am not a skilled singer, but because it's musically not challenging, I can sing it, and getting those emotions out in such a gorgeous way is incredibly healing. I think you might like the 5 minute version better, because it's more concise and moves more quickly. It's also important to remember that she was only 21 years old when she wrote it. Great reaction! I am very happy to have found your channel!
Swift's song writing is relatable for many because she's able describe the psychological and emotional impact of relationships through story telling in her lyrics.
Adding this was a NYC/ upstate NY ( where people who live in NYC go often to their country homes for the weekend) based relationship. She mentions going upstate, Brooklyn…he lived/s in Bklyn as do a number of famous actors of a certain age, including his sister( I’ve worked w her when I lived in Brooklyn). Her reference to charming her Dad drinking coffee like he was on a late night show…he has been on Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert numerous times. She waited to spend her birthday, an important one, with him and he didn’t show.
I know you said you couldn't relate to her in this song. This song is about when she was dating Jake Gyllenhaal when he was 29 and she was 20. Another song that she wrote before this, Dear John is about when her and John Mayer dated. He was 32 and she was only 19. He was her mentor. I think it be great for you to listen to the live performance during her Speak Now tour of this song. Then listen to Would've, could've, Should've off her Midnights album. She wrote this song about him when she was the age 32 (the age that John Mayer was when they dated) reflecting how that relationship affected her. It will give you a little bit of what Taylor has been through.
She wrote this song after her break up with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal she was 20 at the time and he was older I think 29 or 30. She was in love with him and thought that feeling was reciprocated because of how amazing it felt! But when when he ended it she felt her world crash and was devastated. She talks about how he told her if maybe she was older it would be different but he is a guy who continually dates women around the age of 20 even now so it had nothing to do with her age. It took her a long time to recover from that heartbreak, and I think many women go through similar relationships where we put everything into the relationship only for the other person to just devastate them. So people relate to the lyrics which is why this song is such a fan favourite. Taylor is first and foremost about lyrics and her story telling which paints a picture and a lot does relate to the things she personally goes through in life or sees, reads about, or watches others go through. So her songs are very relatable human experiences!
I see the comments but it's also, for many of us, going through Taylor's life story and many of us having grown up alongside Taylor as well as the lyrics just resonating with our personal lives. I know many people who don't listen to her music have this notion about Taylor being this little country girl who only sings break-up songs but if you actually hop off the band-wagon of hating on her (not you specifically), there is actually something for everyone in her catalog. She has quite the genres under her belt in my opinion.
Oh, such a rare masterpiece✨ Her writing in this song is just genius. She is a prolific songwriter, this song is PROOF! It’s very relatable to millions of people! It was a very tumultuous relationship with the back and forth, push, pull thing. WE, #Swifties even changed the meaning of this song to her, she says, this song has 2 lives - 1. Writing it out of pain, confusion, etc. And us turning it into 2. A montage of all of us singing it with our friends, getting the lyrics tattooed on our skin, etc. She’s in a much better place now singing the song. I mean, maybe sit with for a bit. I think you’ll respect it more as you go on to learn more about the song. Thanks for doing this✨
The thing I've heard (and felt) is that her lyrics sound like something you might have written in your diary. You may not have had an experience just like this one, but you can imagine what it would be like to be in that situation. If you haven't experienced it personally, you probably have a friend who has, who maybe vented their feelings to you, and said things like what Taylor sings. (I'm assuming here that "you" is female - not sure how well this relatability holds up for men.) I'd say, she's voicing things most people have some experience with. (For example, I think everyone probably has an example of someone being "casually cruel" but excusing it as just being honest or straightforward from some time in their life.) The songs that aren't relatable to most people are usually good stories (like The Last Great American Dynasty or Blank Space). And although the details in the songs are usually very American, or at least Western, the feelings and experiences the songs talk about are usually pretty universal.
i think you'll find it's more interesting and more of a great and tragic story when you watch the short film version because it brings the words to life and adds so much context.
Most songs of any kind evoke an emotion that is relatable even if not the details. In my imagination I feel the feeling being sung and can imagine MY details. It’s across genres and generations. When I was young, or just yesterday.
7:16 asking about why Taylor is so popular. I think that yes, it’s relatable to middle America, or the average person. But there is a magical way her very specific lyrics are still incredibly relatable. I may not have been in that exact situation, but I’ve DEFINITELY felt like that before. Never danced in the kitchen in refrigerator light, but definitely forgotten about someone long enough to forget why I needed to. Never driven upstate, skipping town, but have definitely had someone be casually cruel in the name of being honest.
I'd propose that if anything can be said about these lyrics, it's that they offer something close to nostalgia. Judging by your commentary, you heard it too. This, I believe, is its universal appeal. Want to also say that I do so appreciate your reaction. & your eyes.
Wow. Some of the most beautiful, heart-rending lyrics she’s ever written - including the iconic lines she says are the ones she’s most proud of - and your next comment is, “smells are important aren’t they”. Okay, so maybe Taylor’s not for you after all. Never mind, thanks for trying
not everyone can relate at first!!! i don't understand why people get mad hahahaha even though i love taylor with all my heart, i can't expect everyone to love her the way that i do. Also, the song is telling a sad story about a break up and what he put her through, but Taylor has most deep lyrics, like in "The archer", "How did it end?", "Long story short", "Clean", "Marjorie", "Mirrorball", "Never grow up", and I could go on all day.
@@valenbaden9446 in my opinion “This is me trying” and “Epiphany” are also up with those that you mentioned. What I love about her music is that she has such a huge body of work with wide ranging themes that there is usually something for everyone the more they dive into it. Just because someone doesn’t like what a lot of fans consider her best song doesn’t mean Taylor isn’t for them. This is nowhere near the top of her songs for me but I still absolutely love her and her music. We shouldn’t judge people based on their music preferences
@@valenbaden9446I’m not the slightest bit mad - I’m just reacting to his reaction. I know not everyone can relate at first - I didn’t like Finding Nemo at first 😂
@@Amandaarford83 I wasn’t judging Izzy and I’m sorry if it sounded like I was. I would never form an opinion about someone I don’t know based on a few minutes of monologue. It shocked me when he called this song “bland” (twice). In any reaction video what I want is reaction, and his reaction to 10 minutes of lyrics is pretty minimal - not judging, not even criticising, just observing. The only person I’m judging is myself: I’ve formed the opinion that maybe this channel isn’t for me 🙂
Fair enough, the main carrying point of this song is the imagery and lyricism. the instruments are just a supporting act. I disagree with the comment saying its famous because its detailed and autobiographical. ppl dont (or shouldnt, rather) listen to all too well for getting the 'tea' on her relationships and honestly no offense but i dislike that form of art consumption, esp wrt to taylor. this song got famous because of the original 5 minute version being a great story that was able to paint a picture of a love gone bad and made you empathise with the narrator. As someone who has never faced that kind of heartbreak/ that riot of emotions, it actually made me feel like i went through it, while for others it resonated because of their own experiences. The 10 min version isnt as good, its good for the lore but the 5 min version is a better song. Good reaction, and i respect that you kept it real. i would suggest it better not to get into the details of her life etc and just evaluate the music for what it is.
Thanks, Augustine. I'll do that. The Short Film Reaction is coming tomorrow and I'll probably check out the original 5 minute version at some point too.
Again thank you for your reaction ❤ fans had only the shorter version for years, it's from her album Red the one before she went pop. The original has more guitar and drums, goes more of a country. Her first three albums were country but you can see even then she had even country/pop, pop/rock tracks. I guess she's very good in traping feelings and memories in her songs and even when you specifically don't relate to you can at least understand the situation or see it like a movie. The interesting thing for me is that she's one of the most unrelatable people in the world - famous, billionaire, beautiful, talented etc. ... But anyone can see himself in at least couple of her songs. Also I like how not once she has made you feel poor, never heard her sing about money or materialistic stuff. Other interesting thing she's the same towards her fans from 16 years old to now, not once have I heard she's been rude or without a smile, always ready for a hug or a picture.
This is def 100% lyrically driven. She basically put her diary to music as a way to heal from the heart break of this relationship. So many young and older women relate and see themselves in her lyrics. It’s like a shared healing session lol! Very dramatic for sure but loved to our core. Prob doesn’t hit as hard for guys (although for some it does I’m sure). If you want more of “My Tears Ricochet”, that’s Taylor dipping her quill in the ink (as opposed to writing with her glitter gel pen which we love as well), and flexing her poetry muscle which happens more and more the older she gets. This was written when she was 21 or 22, so from that standpoint, wow. I laugh when I think about what I was doing at that age! Taylor has loved her fans so wholeheartedly, and many grew up with her. When she hurts, her fans care. She’s able to describe and put her heartbreak into words in a way her adoring fans relate to and turn to at pivotal moments in their lives. I think her fans literally count on her to help them get through hard times. Taylor seems to understand and accept that responsibility, and at the same time exhibits a high silly factor and joy for life, which shows fans she got through it, and so will they. Keep on keepin’ on and all that.
It's cool that she has that relationship with fans. I've heard nothing but good things about that. Good that she can be a light for so many. Looking forward to checking out the later stuff, which I expect I'll relate to more. But also, the early and middle stuff, as I'm interested to see the journey and progression.
@@IzzyIzenstain I’m so excited for you to continue to explore her music. I feel like when you understand how talented she is, esp when listening to her newer music, it’s easy to develop an appreciation for her and you become more open to enjoying her earlier music. She’s always been well spoken and able to put feelings into words in a way that leaves me thinking…how does she do that? She’s said in interviews that she loves words, and more than once I’ve had to hit pause and look up the meaning of a word that she’s included in a lyric where I’m like…what the hell? She’s just an extremely hard worker. She has a lyric “I’m not a natural, all I do is try try try”.
It’s interesting watching a reaction with no background context. Obviously for fans this was a decade in the making, and it was the most prevalent myth surrounding her music, the fact that she had a 10 min version unreleased. So once she announced she’d be releasing it, there was huge hype surrounding it. I agree though, even though Jack Antonoff produced it, they kind of took the wind out of the original by muting the instrumental so much. I assume they felt they had to find a way to elongate the instrumental to “make room” for ten minutes of lyrics. Taylor originally wrote it as a stream of consciousness during a tour rehearsal so the incoherent swirling thoughts aspect makes sense in that regard. It also gave fans more context on the break up it’s referring to, since prior to this release we only knew the relationship lasted a few months. These added lyrics showed it went on much longer than that in private.
Can I suggest you watch her sing this live at the eras tour. With the crowd singing along. It’s very powerful. The song spoke to me personally as I could so relate with memories of a past love I had. I first heard it and I cried saying, yes, that’s how I felt 😢❤
So apparently when she first wrote this in the studio.. the band were just riffing these 4 chords over and over and she just ‘went for it’.. luckily the sound engineer recorded it for reference. But the final version was cut down… I felt the same as you on first listen but honestly a few listens and the music video just makes this song a ‘simple masterpiece’
I appreciate your honest reaction. I personally love it, but I have loved it for a very long time- in my opinion, so many people love this song because it was so relatable when we first heard it in our younger days and experiencing that first heartache like in the song. It was also when Taylor was transitioning from country to pop and the lyrics were a lot deeper than many of her previous songs. Many people think it's her best song- I personally am more of a fan of Folklore and forward and think her songwriting on these past 4 albums is heads and tails above her previous albums, but I do still love it for the nostalgia still think it's a.great song.
Maybe it’s harder to get the full impact of this song if you’ve never been a 21 yr old young woman who had your heart broken by an older man… who was/is likely just a player who took full advantage of your youthful innocence 🤷♀️
I think that's true. Although I've been enjoying thinking about it and trying to put myself in those shoes, and also reflecting on moments I can relate to. It's certainly got me thinking and I love that.
I LOVE an honest reactor I do think listening to the drums as opposed to the lyrics isn’t gonna end well either way but again, the honesty just is appreciated and is going to make reactions going forward more interesting to me Her writing the last four albums, in her 30s, has become more substantive imo The original “stolen” version of All Two Well from 2012 does sound more dynamic to my ears. The band kicks in harder. Live at the Grammys is even better Keep up the great work
Thanks, Zoey! I'm interested to check out the other versions. I'm looking forward to checking out a variety of her stuff, whether I connect with it our now, it's all interesting.
One of the main appeals of her music is touching on a broad topic through very specific and evocative imagery, because it comes from a true experience. Even when you look at the songs she says are through the lens of imaginary characters it taps into raw and honest feelings. I've never been with a person who is 10 years older than me (as taylor did) but I can connect with that feeling of devastation when you realise you were giving your 100% on a relationship while the other person didn't have the same commitment or even the same feelings, you were just the new accessory or the new thing to show off. I think she's also managed to encapsulate some (unfortunately) very universal womanhood/girlhood experiences. And you'll probably be able to understand better with the official short movie. But it's also why I understand that some people won't connect with a lot of her songs. Last thing: I think it's a mistake to listen to long version first (not your fault if people recommended it that way). The short version has a whole different feeling to it. It's nostalgic in a less negative way and I think that the long version can be boring if lyrics are not your main focus because it sounds very similar all the time. We love the long version because it brought a different punch to it and hit us in the guts. We learned the depth of hurt that this chapter of her life brought to Taylor. But that's why I never use the 10minute version with someone who doesn't already have an interest in Taylor's personal life.
My reaction to the Short Film is coming tomorrow and I am interested to listen to the shorter original version for comparison, so I'll probably react to it at some point.
Oh blasphemy.😂 This is the beloved song of we Swifties. We must forgive him. But he's breaking my heart.😢The why is her concrete imagery that is so specific and resonates with the majority of her fans. Most of us could care less about musical dynamics or drum variations when her lyrics mean so very much to us. She was a young woman when she wrote this about a specific heartbreaking experience that so many of her fans relate to. Hate that you were unable to discern the same emotional depths that we do. In almost all the rankings of Taylor's songs, "All Too Well" is at the top. Thank you for reacting to it, though.❤
This actually isn't a song I'd have recommended to you until later in your journey into her music. I definitely would have stuck with her more obviously poetic stuff. Don't get me wrong. I adore ATW10 but Evermore, Folklore and TTPD: the Anthology are gold imo. Some of the more story telling songs, (this is what happened, this is why it hurt stuff) is more relatable if you've experienced it or have a lot of background knowledge of her and her music. I also think you should have watched the short film with it because it's truly a wonderful visual expression of the song lol. I hope you also look into the song "Renegade" that she co-wrote and sings on for Aaron Dessner's band with Justin Vernon, Big Red Machine.
It being rambling is something I kind of understand; I actually think the original 5 minute version from the main album is "better" in terms of technicality and storytelling, while this version hits better as a cathartic vent to scream/sing along to. Unfortunately, this is basically the only version most fans will consider exists now, and the only one people will recommend 😅 I think her popularity stems from the elements of relatability to the female experience, particularly the white female American experience, like you mentioned, but also she has a lot of fans who are around her age that more or less grew up with her, and her story often intersects with theirs in a lot of ways in terms of life experiences (gaining independence, traumatic relationships, facing adversaries and/or bullying, crushes and the whole romantic spectrum, etc). I'm a nerd who loves to overanalyze lyrics and stories, so I very much enjoy her overall use of metaphor and general sense of creativity with song structure and genre, but I actually can't really relate to most of her songs either dsfsdfds
I think you're thinking too hard on what you can say related to the song or what it reminds you of, instead of actually listening to the lyrics and appreciating them. It's a lyrical masterpiece. I recommend watching some videos of people breaking them down and talking about the song. This might help.
All to Well is for the girlies that dated an artsy guy that was older and seemed so cool. And then he doesn't want to be seen with you and acts two completely different ways in private vs public. Charms your friends while he makes you feel insignificant in front of his own. Tells you you're the love of his life, everything to him bla bla in private while he tells everyone else it's casual. That's why she repeats that she was there and she remembers. While it happened it might have been confusing to her and left her wondering if she made this intense relationship up and if it truly didn't mean that much after all but in hindsight it's very clear that how she lived and felt it was real. Also classic to blame her age for the relationship failing but then continue only ever dating younger women...
You might appreciate it more, when you have seen the short movie. It makes the story clearer. But maybe it just isn't for you. That's ok too. ;-) If you want to check out the original version, I suggest the Grammy performance 2014. That's my favourite! 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks, Thomas! I certainly enjoyed contemplating the subject matter in the short film (reaction out tomorrow), it gave me a lot to think about. I've made a note of that version, I will check it out at some point! Thanks!
She’s pouring her heart out about a real but devastating relationship that really hurt her. She loved him so much. Jake Gyllenhall is the person who she was dating. Yeah. You look quite bored. It’s not meant to be a pop hit because it’s her real life. It’s more about the lyrics.
I wouldn’t say Taylor’s popularity has anything to do with middle America specifically. She’s popular because her songs speak to many people around the world who identify with the feelings she describes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone else suggest this song doesn’t tell enough of a story. It’s got virtually no repeated lyrics beyond ‘All too well’. The music is simple because the lyrics are not.
I personally love the production on this, prefer it to the original, but production isn't everything. This is a lyric and storytelling song and in my opinion it's Taylor's magnum opus. Her masterpiece.
I consider myself a pretty hardcore swifty and it took quite a few listens before this one clicked with me. And it’s more so the ERAS version than film or other. If I ever want to just go watch some ERAS on Disney I’ll skip around and almost always include this song.
You actually got it- it IS rambling and droning because the story is that she entered the studio and just started improvising and the band started just playing along and this version was born 😂
TS often gets flak for writing about her own life but those people don’t understand that there’s nothing Taylor’s been through that hasn’t already happened, or will happen, to millions of other women. This makes her music and stories very relevant and relatable, the back story doesn’t really matter. The fact that she’s a lyrical genius and sublime storyteller makes her the phenomenon that she is. I’ve never paid as much attention to an artists lyrics as I do those of Taylor Swift.
So, Taylor’s music is Ordinary American?? And Ordinary British would be The Beatles!!! Is that how this works?? This song is poetic lyricism and they went right over your head. Please don’t sling mud without expecting it to come back. Just came across you watching All Too Well, the short film. Hope you got some insight. I can’t bring myself to watch your reaction.
I think you should watch her perform this song on Saturday Night Live and then watch the short film she directed. I also think you would like her Folklore and Evermore album. I just started down the rabbit hole with Taylor 7 months ago but I think why people loves her so much is her story telling. I also think she sounds much better live than on her albums.
Short Film reaction coming tomorrow and I may check out other versions in the future. I expect I will like her more recent stuff more, but I'm also interested to see where she's come from and the variety of things she's done, regardless of whether I like the material or not. Thanks, Patricia!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
A masterpiece. ‘You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath’ is a knife to the heart every time. She describes heartbreak with the precision of surgeon
One of my favourite song lyrics of all time.
@@AsMr-km6ex “so casually cruel I the name of being honest” is the one that always gets me!
@@Amandaarford83both of these plus “I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to”.
I guess this song is more about the story telling and honest lyricism than the instrumental. They keep the instrumental rather light, and easy to digest to highlight and engage you more with the words. It's one of the Taylor songs I really appreciate because it's quite evident she didn't write it for anyone but herself.
100% agree
Great point! I think a really great way to see how that difference is felt in Taylor's songs is the acoustic version of Death By a Thousand Cuts vs. the album version. It's wacky and interesting, the studio version, but the words get lost on every reactor I've ever watched hear that song first. It's fascinating.
I think this song in particular resonates with a lot of people because many of us have been in a relationship where the other person tried to dismiss it later as nothing. But "I remember it all too well I was there" just speaks to that. Like you can claim whatever you want but I was there in that moment and I know the reality of what it was.
@@JS-ji2ux this has happened to so many people. We identify with All to Well. We aren’t alone. Others have been in this much pain. Taylor is singing and writing about what happened to her, but she sees us.❤️ Taylor Swift and I am 68 years old.
All rise for the national anthem
YES!
Like many people in the comments, I think this song is a masterpiece. I think the lyrics are superb, as well as being deeply personal and emotionally raw. Her voice is so expressive, and I think the range you are looking for is in her voice, rather than the music,. The music rightly leaves her voice fully exposed. I honestly think this is one of the best songs ever written, which will probably make you roll your eyes. For the record, I am a 67-year-old man from Australia.
Houses for courses, Philip! It's all subjective isn't it. Totally respect that you and others love it so! Variety is the spice of life and all that.
The best way I can describe why she's popular us that she onlr speaks from personal experience, so we can hear the honesty, but in ways that can also be extremely relatable.
Even if you've never been in such a toxic relationship with an older person, where in hindsight all the love and anger come out, listening to this song gives you an idea of the emotional process. One moment she sings affectionately and softly, the next screaming and ranting, trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
It's like reading short stories, all related to one another. Finding connections, thematic, lyrical or musical, throughout different songs, and piecing together the whole story.
Examples of this are:
•all too well 10 minute version x the moment I knew x 22
•cornelia street x paper rings x the great war x you're losing me x how did it end
•Guilty as sin x fresh out the slammer x But daddy I love him x down bad
•london boy x so long, London
•the tortured poets department x peter x chloe or sam or sophia or marcus x loml
This comment needs to be a video. 🥰
Taylor never thought this song would mean anything to anyone but her, but its simple imagery resonates with a lot of people. She would sometimes cry when she sang it in concert, actually choking up with the emotion and falling silent once, and then she heard the fans singing back to her. The very fact that it links everyday moments to twists of emotion makes it relatable combined with the easy melody that makes cathartic to sing to while reliving echoes of those feelings.
The story behind the writing.... it wasn't really written. Taylor was depressed when she arrived at practice, sat down at the piano, started messing around and proceeded to play and sing THIS, her band joining in. As it ended, her mom leaned over to the guy at the soundboard and said "tell me you recorded this" and he had. It was cut down to 5 minutes and placed as a track 5, never released as a single.
Some good points there, Anastasia! Thanks!
Interested in how you feel when you’ve listened 4 or 5 more times… such a simple melody, & beautiful story - with tendrils of emotion that reach like fingers, through the skin and deep into the soul. It feels like it doesn’t take long before it’s impossible to disentangle from this. Sacred prayer… I was there.. I remember it… 😢🙏🏼. So thankful to be a witness to the magical emotion that is Taylor Swift. Thanks for sharing your experience Izzy.
@@delainemwright Thanks!
Keep in mind, she was only 21/22 when she wrote this. It's so relatable regardless of the US setting.
The lyrics are everything - everything - in this song. The melody, drums etc quite rightly don’t fight with them
She’s massively popular because even if you can’t connect with the specifics you can connect with the concept and the emotion. The very fact that you constantly pause because a lyric has provoked a memory or thought you feel like dissecting IS what keeps people coming back to her music.
Good point!
The “paint by numbers” for her lyricism kills me. This was her free styling during a practice session. Imagine sitting at a piano and this entire heart breaking story just spilling out in 1 go? It’s amazing and beautiful, and so relatable.
it's very autobiographical and most taylor's fans are very interested in taylor's lore especially her past relationships. the song tells very extreme details of what the relationship was and what taylor felt which also resonated with a lot of fans that's why we like it. Also, it's just very sad.
Her lyrical masterpiece so far. There are so many great lines in this song. She is so popular, because she writes from personal experience and you can feel in her lyrics how she felt and that makes it relateable.
Wonderful wonderful song,showcases her lyricism....and she wrote this at 21😮
It paints the picture beautifully,you are there with her,and noone paints a picture like Taylor.
The "and you call me up again just to break me like a promise" breaks me in two because of personal circumstances.
The film is a masterpiece directed by Taylor ,the famous argument scene was improvised,she told the actors just to go with it 😊
Don't think l've ever watched it without dissolving in ugly tears.
"5% of you are in Brazil..." 🙋🏻♀️😂Just had to mention it. 😊
But why this song particularly speaks to me? I guess it's because I'm Taylor's age, and when the song came out (the 5 minute version) in 2012 all these feelings were there for me too. And I guess the lyrics are impressive for the honesty and for the story telling. Like, I wouldn’t be able to tell a whole story full of details through a song in 5 or in 10 minutes, and she has the ability to do that. I can kinda imagine how the relationship was, the autumn's vibe, the scarf, the pain "I'm a crumpled up pice of paper laying here..." "time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it" "after plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own, now you mail back my things and I walk home alone" this one breaks me, every time....
But I do understand your point of view, the melody is simple , the focus was on telling the story she needed to get out of her system. And it's fine, you don't have to like all her songs, we understand. Don't be scared to say your honest opinion, as long as it's from an analytical respectful way, we can take it. Some songs will only speak to the 21 year old broken hearted girl in us. 😅
Fun fact about this song is how she wrote it. She was sad and mad about the break up but she had to go rehearse with her band, but she was feeling really down during the rehearsal and she started strumming her guitar and venting about how she felt. Some people from the band accompanied her with other instruments and she vented for a while. Since it was a rehearsal the sound guy recorded it, put in on a CD and gave it to her. Later Taylor listened back to it and decided to edit it with Liz Rose and the original All Too Well 5 minute version was born. She told this story in an interview and mentioned it was about 10 minutes originally, and the fans started demanding to get to know the entire unedited version. So when she re-recorded Red, she put the complete version on the album as a gift for us.
Oi, Ketlin! Tudo bem? Falo um pouco Portugues, mas preciso praticar mais, não sei muito palavras ainda. Mas um dia, eu vou falar muito fluentemente! Espero! kkkk
Thanks for sharing what it means to you. I understand I'm not the target audience for this song or this story, but it does give me things to think about, which I enjoy doing.
Tchau!
@@IzzyIzenstain 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Você está se saindo muito bem! Sei como é difícil aprender uma segunda língua. Bons estudos! 🤓
Sim, nós estamos aqui 😂
Taylor did get her start in country music, but has gone on to write and sing music in all genres of music, hence the eras tour...each era representing a different genre of music, and gaining fans from each of those genres. I think she did this song orginally 2010, 2011, (Swifties correct me if I am wrong), she was 20 to 21 years old at the time.
Taylor was controlled for years by her record company, she is free now, able to control her own career and music, and very soon own all rights to her music.
This song appeared on her 4th album, Red...an amazing piece of work for an artist that age.
My favorite lyrics are " maybe we got lost in translations maybe i asked for too much but maybe this thing was a masterpiece till you tore it all up "
Great reaction, the honesty is appreciated! Some of Taylor's songs are literally like reading her journal. When one gains more context to the story behind the song, the lyrics take on deeper meaning; the video will flesh this out more. Thanks, Izzy!
Thanks, Timothy!
Incredible song. I just watched the live performance of this on Saturday Night Live and it could be a standalone art piece in a museum.
This wasn't a song she sat down and decided to write. It was more stream of consciousness that happened to be recorded during a rehearsal. My understanding is when she was done, her mother asked the sound engineer if he'd recorded it. It's not an American thing that it appeals, because the appeal is on an emotional level. She is singing about an experience many of us have had or can at the very least relate to. I'm trying to not be sexist and say its only something girls/women can understand because I'm sure men have had similar experiences. Women however, historically, get to be emotional, whereas men are usually told to suck it up. The understated of everything is really just her raw emotion and hurt, trying to understand and put this relationship in perspective. Like someone else said, it's possible she was being gaslit later because she's insisting, she knows what happened because she was there.
Good points! Thanks!
I think this song speaks to people who have experienced a relationship where they were gaslighted and lied to so they would develop feelings for someone who then dumped them and walked away seemingly not affected. That would be most girls and women and some men. The repeated line 'I remember it well' suggests that she is answering an expartner who tries to gashlight her into thinking that her version of the relationship never happened.
I had a very strong reaction to the lines 'you kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath' and 'then break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.' Others have had the same reaction. Perhaps it would help you to see the short film/music video that Taylor directed for the song?
Short Film Reaction coming tomorrow. Thanks for your breakdown, it's useful.
@@kmjkmjkmj the “so casually cruel in the name of being honest” line is my favorite in the song just because it’s such a gut punch. It doesn’t matter if it was in a relationship, friendship, or from a family member I feel like we all have had our feelings hurt by someone who said something incredibly mean but gave the disclaimer of “I’m just being honest”
I've always thought it was not gaslighting, but instead the type of guy that talks about "we," "us," and the future so effortlessly, warmly, and deeply, then cuts it off and dismisses it instead of having regrets and hurting. I've known guys who try on relationships like that. The trick is that they authentically believe what they're saying until the moment they change their mind and end it. It's like a switch is flipped. THE WORST is when you see them with someone else with the same warm looks and inside jokes and realize that's just how he is when trying on every relationship.
Every time you hear this song you will get a little bit more wrapped up into it.
Some times it takes a few listens for a song to grow.
Fans have had 10 years to love this song. It spoke to them at such a critical time of their lives.
Well, it finally happened. After watching probably more than a hundred reaction videos of this song, (probably alot more)someone didn't like what is considered her Magnum Opus. Sadly it was bound to happen. If this song doesn't do it for you, then Taylor may not be your thing. I appreciate you trying and keeping it respectful. 🙏
I’m a bad swiftie. I went to the bathroom during ATW at the concert. 🫣
Thanks!
@@Yephimł I don’t think just because someone doesn’t like this song doesn’t mean Taylor isn’t their thing. The magnum opus of some really famous authors doesn’t do it for everybody but they can still love other things in the body of work. I’ve loved Taylor for years and though I do love this song I enjoy a lot of songs off of Folklore and Evermore better because they speak to me more. We all like what we like and it’s totally ok! I definitely agree that as long as somebody keeps it respectful and give her music a try I don’t even care if they dislike every song because at least they gave it an honest try!
My husband and I were so happy for the 10 min break to sit down honestly. 😂
Not true..I’m sure there are many who don’t care for this particular song or others. They can still like other songs she has.
As a huge Taylor Swift fan, my first thought to hearing this song referred to as possibly bland was to get very defensive. But, after a bit of reflection, I get your reaction and I actually appreciate the honesty.
I’ll have to admit that I wasn’t completely impressed With the song the very first time I heard it. This is coming from the perspective of a now older guy who first heard this song 12 or 14 years ago . I couldn’t relate to the lyrics the way a young woman would. But after hearing the song several times, it’s the lyrics and the imagery that really make this song a masterpiece. So I get your initial reaction which is much like mine, but I would bet you that if you were to revisit this song a few times and listen to it and especially think about it from the perspective of a young woman who has just had her heartbroken, then I think you’ll really appreciate the emotion and the incredible lyrics it contains.
It's interesting isn't it! One thing I'm enjoying about reacting is realising and noticing that we all see the world through our lens of experience and prejudices and then trying to move past that. I do see the value in this on repeat listens. Thanks, Nathan!
I agree about autumn time😂. I think you definitely appreciate it more the older you get. Great reaction as always, even if this one wasn't your cup of tea! 😊
Thanks! I seem to enjoy it more each year now!
She was singing about her own personal experiences.
I think she is so popular because despite the specificity we can still find ways to relate it to ourselves and our past relationships. The specificity is good storytelling but the story is one so many have been through. To me generic pop songs that are written for the masses don’t hit the emotions as well because they are so vague but with Taylor we get the storytelling aspect where we know it’s autobiographical but we can take those specifics and apply the specifics of our own story and apply them. I like the details more than songs that just say things in the broadest sense because those just don’t seem as sincere.
I'm in a new hell every time you double cross my mind is genius lyricism.
This song, and many of her songs, make me feel what Taylor was feeling. I'm a 42 year old happily married man but I feel this breakup she had as a young woman dating an older guy.
Here's a piece from one of my favorite music critics, and mad Swift fan, Rob Sheffield, who wrote this for Rolling Stone in placing All Too Well at #1 in his ranking of her 274 songs. Written with affection, charm, and his usual wit, it makes me smile:
So casually cruel in the name of being awesome. This towering ballad is Swift’s zenith, building to peak after peak. For “All Too Well,” she teams up with her songwriting sensei Liz Rose to spin a tragic tale of doomed love and scarves and autumn leaves and maple lattes. And her greatest song just got even greater in the definitive 10-minute version, with Taylor digging up her lost verses, to bring it to a whole new level of All Too Unwell. What kind of artist takes her own masterpiece and tears it all up? This one. Only this one. Result: an even bolder masterpiece.
Every version of “All Too Well” tells a different story. There’s the “Sad Girl Autumn” version from Long Pond Studio, with Aaron Dessner on piano. The acoustic-guitar solo version from the theater premiere for her short film. But each version feels like it’s all her, because this isn’t really a song about a boy - never was. It’s about a girl, her piano, her memory, and her refusal to surrender her most painful secrets, even when it’s tempting to forget.
It’s full of killer moments: the way she sings “refrigerator,” the way she spits out the consonants of “crumpled-up piece of paper,” the way she chews up three “all”’s in a row. No other song does such a stellar job of showing off her ability to blow up a trivial little detail into a legendary heartache. That scarf should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though in a way it already is. You can schaeden your freude all over the celebrity she reputedly sings about, but on the best day of your life you will never inspire a song as great as “All Too Well.” Or write one.
Best line: “Maybe we got lost in translation/Maybe I asked for too much/Maybe this thing was a masterpiece till you tore it all up/Running scared, I was there, I remember it all too well.”
Regarding this being about “middle America”. I’m in Europe and a huge fan. I understand the specifics, but for me it’s like reading a book or watching a movie. I can put myself in that setting and almost feel what she’s describing
Taylor is a lyrical genius, and her fans really appreciate her vulnerability and relatability. This song is about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, whom she dated when she was 20 and he was 32.
She made a video that went with this and got director credit for it. That is when it went big. I don't think of this as a country but more as folk music, ex. Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and so on.
I think people love the storytelling. My favorite line, and one of my all time favorite lines, is "so casually cruel in the name of being honest." The popularity of this song was buoyed by an amazing video as well.
God this song will forever be my favorite. The lyricism is unmatched. You kept me like a secret, I kept you like an oath kills me every time
It's a response to men who gaslight you that it didn't mean anything all the while previously trying to gaslight you that they loved you. We remember it all.
The details are intentional, he wanted her to pretend it didn't happen at all, so she is proving she remembers it all, and she knows so does he.
For me it’s the poetry of the lyrics, deciphering the meaning for me personally and it feels like it applies to relationships in general.
If you can’t understand a teenage girl just becoming a woman and having her first heartbreak… then you can’t remember how BIG those feelings are… and even a lot older now… us women remember, to try to teach/guide our kids.
Thank you for always reacting in a respectful and open way, I love your reactions 🇧🇷❤️
De nada, Liza! Obrigado!
Taylor’s popularity is global. Even though I’m Canadian, I take umbrage with your “air quotes middle America” comment. How a masterpiece like All Too Well about a “successful” older actor and a young, talented, highly successful songwriter hardly screams “middle America.”
From Canada. I would say count yourself lucky that you have never been in a relationship that you were gaslight to high heaven. Also count your self lucky that you haven’t been prayed upon by an older more experienced person. At the end of the song she just keeps repeating herself because of the gaslighting. She is telling herself no I was there I remember what happened I’m not crazy! People who gaslight have an incredibly uncanny way of making you doubt your self or feel crazy.
You said, "We probably suffer worse in our memories and imaginations, don't we?" I am going to commit that to MY memory. As an eternal optimist, hopeless romantic, over-thinker, constant worrier, high-anxiety individual, I know what you're saying to be true. I live, primarily in my mind, and I suffer deeply, when in fact, as you said, "Nothing is as good as we remember, and nothing is as bad as we imagine." Yet, even with that knowledge, I don't know how to stop it. I'm going to make your words my mantra when those kinds of self-sabotaging, intrusive thoughts start coming. Thank you!
Glad to hear it has helped, Minerva! I too am an eternal optimist, but managed to avoid those other things, I think. Another useful story, I've mentioned in another reaction somewhere; is the aboriginals think of us as having 2 minds (or was it 3? 2 will do for the purpose of the story anyway), one of the head and one of the gut. The head brain should only be used for problem solving and we should live in the gut brain mostly. And the most interesting part about this to me is that they have the same word for the brain of the head and for a tangled fishing net.
I absolutely love the lyrics in this song. I think she is very vulnerable and it explains the emotions she felt during this time in her life.
I personally feel this song is a master class in songwriting. Who else can write a 10 min song and not be repetitive or boring you…but keeps you engaged the entire time.
When he says he’s not impressed with what’s known as her best song 😝
That is what happens when you are a shallow human who thinks they are deep
@@melaniaarnett1755 everyone can have different thoughts and it's OK. Personally i love "All Too Well" but because I love Taylor and I am very interested in ANYTHING she has to say in her songwriting, but for someone who doesn't really know much of her, this song could be a little "boring" and it's TOTALLY FINE. Also, this is not her best song, not even close, but it is one of her most famous songs yes. Anyway, try not to treat badly someone only because they have different thoughts on one matter!!
@@melaniaarnett1755 literally wasn’t being negative, was just stating what is historically very much up there as being one of her best songs, it’s interesting to have his take on it. It’s not that deep 😅 Eager to see if the video might help the song grow on him 🤙🏼 I’m enjoying his reactions 🤷🏻♂️
@@valenbaden9446 I totally agree that this isn’t my favorite song of hers either even though I do love it! I think songs off of Folklore and Evermore are superior lyrically but everyone has their song that speaks to them more so I don’t judge anybody who doesn’t care for a certain song. She has some that I just don’t like at all. I don’t ever say which ones they are because some fans just attack anybody who doesn’t like every single of hers. I prefer when reactors are actually honest if they don’t like a song as much as long as they are respectful and gave it a chance.
@@Amandaarford83 I don't recomend you to say which songs you don't listen either hahahah, swifties can be agressive sometimes. But people can be agressive in general so... I think too that folklore and evermore are two of her best written albums. In personal I do like all her songs but I don't think everyone has to like them all, or that you can't be swiftie if you don't listen to some songs, that is ridiculous! haha
As many have said - we relate to this since it is an experience we had in one way or another and it kind of says "it was real and it is ok to be sad/mad and confused by it". She shares and put words to our thoughts and feelings so we feel validated 🙂
/ from Sweden
I’m actually thrilled to watch you react to the movie version, you might probably get a complete different reaction to this one since every single word comes alive there.
It was a different experience. Interested to hear the original now.
this song is beautiful
This 10 min version is designed to be played alongside the short story movie.
This particular song is how it went with the video story. Her words and melody is what gets me. She gets me almost every time.
I think, for me, this song is powerful for three reasons: 1) I've listened to the entire Red album, so I can feel deeply how this relationship devastated Taylor and tore her apart by listening to many songs with many different perspectives. It's kind of a heartbreak album. 2) It's a very relatable song to me, because I've had many relationships that have followed the same pattern as what she's described in this song. Her finding just the right words, even though her circumstances and details are different, help me to process out the same pain. 3) I can actually sing this song halfway decent. I am not a skilled singer, but because it's musically not challenging, I can sing it, and getting those emotions out in such a gorgeous way is incredibly healing.
I think you might like the 5 minute version better, because it's more concise and moves more quickly. It's also important to remember that she was only 21 years old when she wrote it.
Great reaction! I am very happy to have found your channel!
Thanks for sharing, Minerva! Glad to have you here!
Swift's song writing is relatable for many because she's able describe the psychological and emotional impact of relationships through story telling in her lyrics.
Adding this was a NYC/ upstate NY ( where people who live in NYC go often to their country homes for the weekend) based relationship. She mentions going upstate, Brooklyn…he lived/s in Bklyn as do a number of famous actors of a certain age, including his sister( I’ve worked w her when I lived in Brooklyn). Her reference to charming her Dad drinking coffee like he was on a late night show…he has been on Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert numerous times. She waited to spend her birthday, an important one, with him and he didn’t show.
I know you said you couldn't relate to her in this song. This song is about when she was dating Jake Gyllenhaal when he was 29 and she was 20. Another song that she wrote before this, Dear John is about when her and John Mayer dated. He was 32 and she was only 19. He was her mentor. I think it be great for you to listen to the live performance during her Speak Now tour of this song. Then listen to Would've, could've, Should've off her Midnights album. She wrote this song about him when she was the age 32 (the age that John Mayer was when they dated) reflecting how that relationship affected her. It will give you a little bit of what Taylor has been through.
She wrote this song after her break up with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal she was 20 at the time and he was older I think 29 or 30. She was in love with him and thought that feeling was reciprocated because of how amazing it felt! But when when he ended it she felt her world crash and was devastated. She talks about how he told her if maybe she was older it would be different but he is a guy who continually dates women around the age of 20 even now so it had nothing to do with her age. It took her a long time to recover from that heartbreak, and I think many women go through similar relationships where we put everything into the relationship only for the other person to just devastate them. So people relate to the lyrics which is why this song is such a fan favourite. Taylor is first and foremost about lyrics and her story telling which paints a picture and a lot does relate to the things she personally goes through in life or sees, reads about, or watches others go through. So her songs are very relatable human experiences!
I see the comments but it's also, for many of us, going through Taylor's life story and many of us having grown up alongside Taylor as well as the lyrics just resonating with our personal lives. I know many people who don't listen to her music have this notion about Taylor being this little country girl who only sings break-up songs but if you actually hop off the band-wagon of hating on her (not you specifically), there is actually something for everyone in her catalog. She has quite the genres under her belt in my opinion.
Fair points, Pablo! I definitely appreciate some of her other work, for sure!
7:41 I wouldn't say America. People around the world experience loss of relationships.
Oh, such a rare masterpiece✨
Her writing in this song is just genius. She is a prolific songwriter, this song is PROOF!
It’s very relatable to millions of people! It was a very tumultuous relationship with the back and forth, push, pull thing. WE, #Swifties even changed the meaning of this song to her, she says, this song has 2 lives -
1. Writing it out of pain, confusion, etc. And us turning it into 2. A montage of all of us singing it with our friends, getting the lyrics tattooed on our skin, etc.
She’s in a much better place now singing the song. I mean, maybe sit with for a bit. I think you’ll respect it more as you go on to learn more about the song.
Thanks for doing this✨
Thanks, I'll revisit it at some point.
The thing I've heard (and felt) is that her lyrics sound like something you might have written in your diary. You may not have had an experience just like this one, but you can imagine what it would be like to be in that situation. If you haven't experienced it personally, you probably have a friend who has, who maybe vented their feelings to you, and said things like what Taylor sings. (I'm assuming here that "you" is female - not sure how well this relatability holds up for men.) I'd say, she's voicing things most people have some experience with. (For example, I think everyone probably has an example of someone being "casually cruel" but excusing it as just being honest or straightforward from some time in their life.) The songs that aren't relatable to most people are usually good stories (like The Last Great American Dynasty or Blank Space). And although the details in the songs are usually very American, or at least Western, the feelings and experiences the songs talk about are usually pretty universal.
i think you'll find it's more interesting and more of a great and tragic story when you watch the short film version because it brings the words to life and adds so much context.
Most songs of any kind evoke an emotion that is relatable even if not the details. In my imagination I feel the feeling being sung and can imagine MY details. It’s across genres and generations. When I was young, or just yesterday.
It's all about the lyrics with this one
She's ❤d cuz she's a poet
7:16 asking about why Taylor is so popular. I think that yes, it’s relatable to middle America, or the average person. But there is a magical way her very specific lyrics are still incredibly relatable.
I may not have been in that exact situation, but I’ve DEFINITELY felt like that before. Never danced in the kitchen in refrigerator light, but definitely forgotten about someone long enough to forget why I needed to. Never driven upstate, skipping town, but have definitely had someone be casually cruel in the name of being honest.
True story when she was 20-21 yrs old. About the actor, Jake gyllenhall
She wrote this after a breakup. So this is an old song… this is just an unreleased 10 min version (Taylor’s version)
I'd propose that if anything can be said about these lyrics, it's that they offer something close to nostalgia. Judging by your commentary, you heard it too. This, I believe, is its universal appeal.
Want to also say that I do so appreciate your reaction. & your eyes.
Thanks!
Wow. Some of the most beautiful, heart-rending lyrics she’s ever written - including the iconic lines she says are the ones she’s most proud of - and your next comment is, “smells are important aren’t they”. Okay, so maybe Taylor’s not for you after all. Never mind, thanks for trying
not everyone can relate at first!!! i don't understand why people get mad hahahaha even though i love taylor with all my heart, i can't expect everyone to love her the way that i do. Also, the song is telling a sad story about a break up and what he put her through, but Taylor has most deep lyrics, like in "The archer", "How did it end?", "Long story short", "Clean", "Marjorie", "Mirrorball", "Never grow up", and I could go on all day.
@@valenbaden9446 in my opinion “This is me trying” and “Epiphany” are also up with those that you mentioned. What I love about her music is that she has such a huge body of work with wide ranging themes that there is usually something for everyone the more they dive into it. Just because someone doesn’t like what a lot of fans consider her best song doesn’t mean Taylor isn’t for them. This is nowhere near the top of her songs for me but I still absolutely love her and her music. We shouldn’t judge people based on their music preferences
@@valenbaden9446I’m not the slightest bit mad - I’m just reacting to his reaction. I know not everyone can relate at first - I didn’t like Finding Nemo at first 😂
@@Amandaarford83 I wasn’t judging Izzy and I’m sorry if it sounded like I was. I would never form an opinion about someone I don’t know based on a few minutes of monologue. It shocked me when he called this song “bland” (twice). In any reaction video what I want is reaction, and his reaction to 10 minutes of lyrics is pretty minimal - not judging, not even criticising, just observing. The only person I’m judging is myself: I’ve formed the opinion that maybe this channel isn’t for me 🙂
Fair enough, the main carrying point of this song is the imagery and lyricism. the instruments are just a supporting act.
I disagree with the comment saying its famous because its detailed and autobiographical. ppl dont (or shouldnt, rather) listen to all too well for getting the 'tea' on her relationships and honestly no offense but i dislike that form of art consumption, esp wrt to taylor.
this song got famous because of the original 5 minute version being a great story that was able to paint a picture of a love gone bad and made you empathise with the narrator. As someone who has never faced that kind of heartbreak/ that riot of emotions, it actually made me feel like i went through it, while for others it resonated because of their own experiences. The 10 min version isnt as good, its good for the lore but the 5 min version is a better song.
Good reaction, and i respect that you kept it real. i would suggest it better not to get into the details of her life etc and just evaluate the music for what it is.
Thanks, Augustine. I'll do that. The Short Film Reaction is coming tomorrow and I'll probably check out the original 5 minute version at some point too.
You don't have to be impressed, but it is on the top 100 of best songs ever written 😂🙄🙄🙄
Again thank you for your reaction ❤ fans had only the shorter version for years, it's from her album Red the one before she went pop. The original has more guitar and drums, goes more of a country.
Her first three albums were country but you can see even then she had even country/pop, pop/rock tracks.
I guess she's very good in traping feelings and memories in her songs and even when you specifically don't relate to you can at least understand the situation or see it like a movie.
The interesting thing for me is that she's one of the most unrelatable people in the world - famous, billionaire, beautiful, talented etc. ... But anyone can see himself in at least couple of her songs. Also I like how not once she has made you feel poor, never heard her sing about money or materialistic stuff.
Other interesting thing she's the same towards her fans from 16 years old to now, not once have I heard she's been rude or without a smile, always ready for a hug or a picture.
Thanks, Joanna! I did feel it had country vibes. I'm interested to hear the original. It is cool how she is with the fans.
This is def 100% lyrically driven. She basically put her diary to music as a way to heal from the heart break of this relationship. So many young and older women relate and see themselves in her lyrics. It’s like a shared healing session lol! Very dramatic for sure but loved to our core. Prob doesn’t hit as hard for guys (although for some it does I’m sure). If you want more of “My Tears Ricochet”, that’s Taylor dipping her quill in the ink (as opposed to writing with her glitter gel pen which we love as well), and flexing her poetry muscle which happens more and more the older she gets. This was written when she was 21 or 22, so from that standpoint, wow. I laugh when I think about what I was doing at that age! Taylor has loved her fans so wholeheartedly, and many grew up with her. When she hurts, her fans care. She’s able to describe and put her heartbreak into words in a way her adoring fans relate to and turn to at pivotal moments in their lives. I think her fans literally count on her to help them get through hard times. Taylor seems to understand and accept that responsibility, and at the same time exhibits a high silly factor and joy for life, which shows fans she got through it, and so will they. Keep on keepin’ on and all that.
It's cool that she has that relationship with fans. I've heard nothing but good things about that. Good that she can be a light for so many. Looking forward to checking out the later stuff, which I expect I'll relate to more. But also, the early and middle stuff, as I'm interested to see the journey and progression.
@@IzzyIzenstain I’m so excited for you to continue to explore her music. I feel like when you understand how talented she is, esp when listening to her newer music, it’s easy to develop an appreciation for her and you become more open to enjoying her earlier music. She’s always been well spoken and able to put feelings into words in a way that leaves me thinking…how does she do that? She’s said in interviews that she loves words, and more than once I’ve had to hit pause and look up the meaning of a word that she’s included in a lyric where I’m like…what the hell? She’s just an extremely hard worker. She has a lyric “I’m not a natural, all I do is try try try”.
It’s interesting watching a reaction with no background context. Obviously for fans this was a decade in the making, and it was the most prevalent myth surrounding her music, the fact that she had a 10 min version unreleased. So once she announced she’d be releasing it, there was huge hype surrounding it. I agree though, even though Jack Antonoff produced it, they kind of took the wind out of the original by muting the instrumental so much. I assume they felt they had to find a way to elongate the instrumental to “make room” for ten minutes of lyrics. Taylor originally wrote it as a stream of consciousness during a tour rehearsal so the incoherent swirling thoughts aspect makes sense in that regard. It also gave fans more context on the break up it’s referring to, since prior to this release we only knew the relationship lasted a few months. These added lyrics showed it went on much longer than that in private.
Yeah, I appreciate it more now, with added context and since I've got to know her work more.
I’m anxious for your reaction of the eras tour performance of who’s afraid of little old me
I've made a note of it and I'll see what I can do. Thanks, Ashley!
@@IzzyIzenstain awesommmmme!!!!
Can I suggest you watch her sing this live at the eras tour. With the crowd singing along. It’s very powerful. The song spoke to me personally as I could so relate with memories of a past love I had. I first heard it and I cried saying, yes, that’s how I felt 😢❤
I'll check it out, thanks!
So apparently when she first wrote this in the studio.. the band were just riffing these 4 chords over and over and she just ‘went for it’.. luckily the sound engineer recorded it for reference. But the final version was cut down…
I felt the same as you on first listen but honestly a few listens and the music video just makes this song a ‘simple masterpiece’
I appreciate your honest reaction. I personally love it, but I have loved it for a very long time- in my opinion, so many people love this song because it was so relatable when we first heard it in our younger days and experiencing that first heartache like in the song. It was also when Taylor was transitioning from country to pop and the lyrics were a lot deeper than many of her previous songs. Many people think it's her best song- I personally am more of a fan of Folklore and forward and think her songwriting on these past 4 albums is heads and tails above her previous albums, but I do still love it for the nostalgia still think it's a.great song.
Thanks, Allie! I think I'll check out some more of her recent stuff before going back further again.
19:24 guess you need the backstory to get it. She is an international star. She pulls 10s of 1000s at her concerts. Not just Americans.
there's a shorter version of this ssong is better sonically in my opinion. Thiss version is all about the storytelling. Check out the short version.
Maybe it’s harder to get the full impact of this song if you’ve never been a 21 yr old young woman who had your heart broken by an older man… who was/is likely just a player who took full advantage of your youthful innocence 🤷♀️
I think that's true. Although I've been enjoying thinking about it and trying to put myself in those shoes, and also reflecting on moments I can relate to. It's certainly got me thinking and I love that.
I LOVE an honest reactor
I do think listening to the drums as opposed to the lyrics isn’t gonna end well either way but again, the honesty just is appreciated and is going to make reactions going forward more interesting to me
Her writing the last four albums, in her 30s, has become more substantive imo
The original “stolen” version of All Two Well from 2012 does sound more dynamic to my ears. The band kicks in harder. Live at the Grammys is even better
Keep up the great work
Thanks, Zoey! I'm interested to check out the other versions. I'm looking forward to checking out a variety of her stuff, whether I connect with it our now, it's all interesting.
One of the main appeals of her music is touching on a broad topic through very specific and evocative imagery, because it comes from a true experience. Even when you look at the songs she says are through the lens of imaginary characters it taps into raw and honest feelings. I've never been with a person who is 10 years older than me (as taylor did) but I can connect with that feeling of devastation when you realise you were giving your 100% on a relationship while the other person didn't have the same commitment or even the same feelings, you were just the new accessory or the new thing to show off.
I think she's also managed to encapsulate some (unfortunately) very universal womanhood/girlhood experiences. And you'll probably be able to understand better with the official short movie. But it's also why I understand that some people won't connect with a lot of her songs.
Last thing: I think it's a mistake to listen to long version first (not your fault if people recommended it that way). The short version has a whole different feeling to it. It's nostalgic in a less negative way and I think that the long version can be boring if lyrics are not your main focus because it sounds very similar all the time. We love the long version because it brought a different punch to it and hit us in the guts. We learned the depth of hurt that this chapter of her life brought to Taylor. But that's why I never use the 10minute version with someone who doesn't already have an interest in Taylor's personal life.
My reaction to the Short Film is coming tomorrow and I am interested to listen to the shorter original version for comparison, so I'll probably react to it at some point.
Oh blasphemy.😂 This is the beloved song of we Swifties. We must forgive him. But he's breaking my heart.😢The why is her concrete imagery that is so specific and resonates with the majority of her fans. Most of us could care less about musical dynamics or drum variations when her lyrics mean so very much to us. She was a young woman when she wrote this about a specific heartbreaking experience that so many of her fans relate to. Hate that you were unable to discern the same emotional depths that we do. In almost all the rankings of Taylor's songs, "All Too Well" is at the top. Thank you for reacting to it, though.❤
So interesting to watch this through someone else's lens and see them not connect with it at all. Try the 5 minute version
I'll give it a go.
This actually isn't a song I'd have recommended to you until later in your journey into her music. I definitely would have stuck with her more obviously poetic stuff. Don't get me wrong. I adore ATW10 but Evermore, Folklore and TTPD: the Anthology are gold imo. Some of the more story telling songs, (this is what happened, this is why it hurt stuff) is more relatable if you've experienced it or have a lot of background knowledge of her and her music. I also think you should have watched the short film with it because it's truly a wonderful visual expression of the song lol. I hope you also look into the song "Renegade" that she co-wrote and sings on for Aaron Dessner's band with Justin Vernon, Big Red Machine.
I agree, I think I'll explore more of her recent stuff before going back further again. Thanks!
It being rambling is something I kind of understand; I actually think the original 5 minute version from the main album is "better" in terms of technicality and storytelling, while this version hits better as a cathartic vent to scream/sing along to. Unfortunately, this is basically the only version most fans will consider exists now, and the only one people will recommend 😅
I think her popularity stems from the elements of relatability to the female experience, particularly the white female American experience, like you mentioned, but also she has a lot of fans who are around her age that more or less grew up with her, and her story often intersects with theirs in a lot of ways in terms of life experiences (gaining independence, traumatic relationships, facing adversaries and/or bullying, crushes and the whole romantic spectrum, etc). I'm a nerd who loves to overanalyze lyrics and stories, so I very much enjoy her overall use of metaphor and general sense of creativity with song structure and genre, but I actually can't really relate to most of her songs either dsfsdfds
A good analysis! Thanks! I'll check out the original version.
I think you're thinking too hard on what you can say related to the song or what it reminds you of, instead of actually listening to the lyrics and appreciating them. It's a lyrical masterpiece. I recommend watching some videos of people breaking them down and talking about the song. This might help.
Exactly!!
All to Well is for the girlies that dated an artsy guy that was older and seemed so cool. And then he doesn't want to be seen with you and acts two completely different ways in private vs public. Charms your friends while he makes you feel insignificant in front of his own. Tells you you're the love of his life, everything to him bla bla in private while he tells everyone else it's casual. That's why she repeats that she was there and she remembers. While it happened it might have been confusing to her and left her wondering if she made this intense relationship up and if it truly didn't mean that much after all but in hindsight it's very clear that how she lived and felt it was real.
Also classic to blame her age for the relationship failing but then continue only ever dating younger women...
You might appreciate it more, when you have seen the short movie. It makes the story clearer. But maybe it just isn't for you. That's ok too. ;-)
If you want to check out the original version, I suggest the Grammy performance 2014. That's my favourite! 🔥🔥🔥
Thanks, Thomas! I certainly enjoyed contemplating the subject matter in the short film (reaction out tomorrow), it gave me a lot to think about. I've made a note of that version, I will check it out at some point! Thanks!
@@IzzyIzenstain You're welcome! ☺️
Izzy to really feel this song you should watch Taylor sing it live on SNL. Amazing.
She’s pouring her heart out about a real but devastating relationship that really hurt her. She loved him so much. Jake Gyllenhall is the person who she was dating.
Yeah. You look quite bored. It’s not meant to be a pop hit because it’s her real life. It’s more about the lyrics.
I wouldn’t say Taylor’s popularity has anything to do with middle America specifically. She’s popular because her songs speak to many people around the world who identify with the feelings she describes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone else suggest this song doesn’t tell enough of a story. It’s got virtually no repeated lyrics beyond ‘All too well’. The music is simple because the lyrics are not.
I think I was looking for more of a set up, more about why the relationship was good.
@@IzzyIzenstain there's like three verses of that in this song? I honestly get the vibe you barely processed the lyrics from this video
I personally love the production on this, prefer it to the original, but production isn't everything. This is a lyric and storytelling song and in my opinion it's Taylor's magnum opus. Her masterpiece.
I think the video will give you a new layer of the story
I consider myself a pretty hardcore swifty and it took quite a few listens before this one clicked with me. And it’s more so the ERAS version than film or other. If I ever want to just go watch some ERAS on Disney I’ll skip around and almost always include this song.
I'm interested to check out the other versions. Especially now knowing the backstory.
You actually got it- it IS rambling and droning because the story is that she entered the studio and just started improvising and the band started just playing along and this version was born 😂
Makes sense, Melissa! Thanks!
If you’re still reacting to the long pond sessions I suggest doing the “the lakes” I think you will really resonate with it. I know as a writer I do.
Thanks, Nina. Probably will do everything from that session.
TS often gets flak for writing about her own life but those people don’t understand that there’s nothing Taylor’s been through that hasn’t already happened, or will happen, to millions of other women.
This makes her music and stories very relevant and relatable, the back story doesn’t really matter.
The fact that she’s a lyrical genius and sublime storyteller makes her the phenomenon that she is.
I’ve never paid as much attention to an artists lyrics as I do those of Taylor Swift.
I think the part of the story that I missed was the age difference. It all makes more sense with that in mind.
So, Taylor’s music is Ordinary American?? And Ordinary British would be The Beatles!!! Is that how this works?? This song is poetic lyricism and they went right over your head. Please don’t sling mud without expecting it to come back. Just came across you watching All Too Well, the short film. Hope you got some insight. I can’t bring myself to watch your reaction.
Please link the song you recited a piece of in the video notes. Thank you!
I don't have it out yet. But I'm working on it. So look out for it soon. It's called We Are Made Of The Things That We Lose. Thanks for the interest.
She sings about the FEMALE experience, babe
I think you should watch her perform this song on Saturday Night Live and then watch the short film she directed. I also think you would like her Folklore and Evermore album. I just started down the rabbit hole with Taylor 7 months ago but I think why people loves her so much is her story telling. I also think she sounds much better live than on her albums.
Short Film reaction coming tomorrow and I may check out other versions in the future. I expect I will like her more recent stuff more, but I'm also interested to see where she's come from and the variety of things she's done, regardless of whether I like the material or not. Thanks, Patricia!