Rolling Stone recently released a power ranking of every Taylor Swift song ever. I’ve been reading Rolling Stone for awhile now, and whenever they cover Taylor Swift songs, “All Too Well” always comes out on top; this new article is not an exception, as “All Too Well” received first place compared to every single one of her other songs. They’ve put it in their 500 and 100 best songs of all time, and I’d say that’s a pretty big deal. “All Too Well” is deemed to be Taylor’s magnum opus by tons of “Swifties”, and I’d have to say that’s very valid; “All Too Well” is so well received by fans that Red (Taylor’s Version) includes a 10 minute long version of the song. Personally, I adore the song, and I’m probably a little too excited to religiously stream a 10 minute long version. Since the anticipation is so high for “All Too Well”‘s rerecording, I figured analyzing the lyrics we hold so dearly was a no-brainer. Happy Red season!
OG album vs. the Taylor’s Version revamp!
I walked through the door with you The air was cold But something about it felt like home somehow
And I left my scarf there, at your sister’s house And you’ve still got it in your drawer, even now
The first three lines of the song truly encapsulate the setting of the beginning of her love story. She mentions how he “felt like home somehow” after stating “the air was cold”, representing that although their relationship is brand new, they are moving quickly (which we know to be true based on factual evidence) and inviting one another into each other’s lives with love and trust. The line “left my scarf there at your sister’s house” has this same effect. These first few lines alone prove that this song is about Mr. Gyllenhaal without directly stating it. But, the last line kind of foreshadows the almost inescapable memories of a love that turned sour that she talks about later (ie. the scarf).
This is the photo that broke the internet back in 2010.
Oh, your sweet disposition And my wide-eyed gaze We’re singing in the car, getting lost upstate
Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place And I can picture it after all these days
“Your sweet disposition, and my wide-eyed gaze” represents the innocence of the aforementioned new relationship. Taylor’s perspective presents how she once viewed her partner in an excited, yet unknowing way. The last three lines express how much fun she had and the good memories see still remembers, which she’ll reference multiple times throughout the song. “Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place” expresses the “honeymoon” phase of a relationship, supporting the innocence at the start of their relationship.
And I know it’s long gone and that magic’s not here no more And I might be okay but I’m not fine at all
And, the “honeymoon” phase ends. She remembers the bad, giving her an internal struggle because she feels disappointed about her boyfriend’s actions (like not showing up to her birthday, *cough cough*) and is finally ready to open up about her memories through this song. It kinda reminds me of “Dear J*hn” in that way.
‘Cause there we are again on that little town street You almost ran the red ’cause you were lookin’ over me
The second line here is absolute perfection; the cleverness of this line is unbeatable. “You almost ran the red”, (get it, the album is called Red) “cause you were lookin’ over me” represents her memories of his recklessness/uncaring nature and also represents her heartbreak. She feels like she was neglected.
Wind in my hair, I was there I remember it all too well
Enter, chorus.
Taylor walking with Jake’s sister Maggie Gyllenhaal and her kid.
Photo album on the counter Your cheeks were turning red You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed
And your mother’s telling stories ’bout you on the tee-ball team
You told me ’bout your past thinking your future was me
This chunk expresses the levels of intimacy in their relationship and how they met each other’s families. The connotation associated with “meeting the parents” in the US represents a serious relationship, and her description of the scene proves this. The last line is also very clever; “you told me ’bout your past thinking your future was me” shows a snap back to reality from innocence to harshness. But she did what had to be done.
And I know it’s long gone and there was nothing else I could do And I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to
Repetition and the internal struggle of initial heartbreak. The last line really packs a punch; forgetting about a regretful experience or a bad time in her life just to remember it once again and forget why she needed to forget in the first place. Kind of jumbled, but very clever and relatable.
‘Cause there we are again in the middle of the night We’re dancing ’round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there I remember it all too well, yeah
Again, memories of a simpler time consume Taylor’s mind. She remembers the good parts “all too well”.
And maybe we got lost in translation Maybe I asked for too much But maybe this thing was a masterpiece ’til you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there I remember it all too well
Here we have one of the best bridges to ever exist, and it continues through the next section. “Maybe we got lost in translation”? Genius. But, she also blames herself for being herself. So sad But, the blame goes straight back to the source of her hurt. “But maybe this thing was a masterpiece ’til you tore it all up” paints a perfect image of the beauty in her memories and how he destroyed everything good that they had, once again emphasizing the battle in her mind.
And you call me up again just to break me like a promise So casually cruel in the name of being honest I’m a crumpled up piece of paper lying here ‘Cause I remember it all, all, all Too well
“Just to break me like a promise” is perfection; whether it be breaking her heart, breaking literal promises, or damaging her mental health, Ms. Swift is implying a lot here. Fun fact: “casually cruel” is a little call out to Fearless (Taylor’s Version) vault track “Mr. Perfectly Fine”. Or, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” is a call out to “All Too Well”. Either way, the alliteration adds a nice punch to the harshness of Mr. Gyllenhaal. “Crumpled up piece of paper lying here” expresses how embarrassed and distraught she feels, and it’s executed perfectly.
Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it I’d like to be my old self again But I’m still trying to find it
Taylor expresses how she feels as though she is frozen in time because of the memories that haunt her. She explains that she lost herself while with her partner and how she’s now on a journey to find what she had left behind.
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone
The “plaid shirt days” line references the chill fall air that was described earlier in the song along with more good memories. He “[mailed]” back [her] things”…everything except the scarf (see next line).
But you keep my old scarf from that very first week ‘Cause it reminds you of innocence And it smells like meTaylor is getting her bag by selling an “All Too Well” scarf in honor of Taylor’s Version.
Another call out to the fall time at the beginning of their relationship. The innocence also referenced the “wide-eyed gaze” and “sweet disposition” during their “honeymoon” phase from the beginning of the song.
You can’t get rid of it ‘Cause you remember it all too well, yeah
Perspective change! I love this part of the song where she kind of says “you know what you did”.
‘Cause there we are again when I loved you so Back before you lost the one real thing you’ve ever known
She hints that she was probably more in love with him than he was in love with her; she states “you lost the one real thing you’ve ever known” proves how true her love was to him and how he took her love for granted. The continued use of “you” switches the point of view as seen in the previous section to prove that there’s no way he doesn’t think about their past together too.
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well
Wind in my hair, you were there, you remember it all Down the stairs, you were there, you remember it all It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well
A beautiful way to wrap up the story. She references the previous versions of the chorus (which depends on the verse before it). Wind representing the car from the very start of the song, “down the stairs” representing the second portion of the song; it’s a full circle moment. So much repetition! I love to see it.
“All Too Well” will always have a special place in my heart; it’s definitely in my top 10 favorite Taylor songs of all time. Maybe I’ll do my own ranking (if Ms. Hurt lets me, that is) of all 199 of her songs. Stay tuned for 12 November for my Taylor’s Version review!
And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
