Hello, sad girls and gays. I swiftly ran to my computer this morning to ponder over the one track that has the power to divide families, conquer wars, and that will most definitely one day be featured in an Oscar-worthy movie.
Yes, I’m talking about the 10-minute version of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well” (Taylor’s Version).
js-subbuzz__attribution “>Taylor Swift / Republic Records / Via youtube.com
Taylor confirmed last night on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that this version is indeed the raw version — the version she wrote immediately post-breakup when she was feeling all the feels and pouring her heart out.
NBC / Via youtube.com
“The 10-minute version of ‘All Too Well’ is what was originally written for the song before I had to cut it down to normal length,” she added.
So, in order to help us all process, let’s dissect.
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I…don’t even know where to begin with this song, but let’s start with familiar lyrics including the scarf:
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
This scarf imagery has haunted my deepest breakup woes for 10-odd years now. Also, as most of us know, Jake Gyllenhaal — who is rumored to be the subject of this song — has a sister, Maggie, who lives in Brooklyn.
“You told me ’bout your past thinking your future was me” — yes, this is also part of the 2012 released version of this song, but just wanted to say — I’m STILL WRECKED.
The new version hits different.
OK, now for the new lyrics!! I was very caught off guard by this line:
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
So Mr. Jake Gyllenhaal is all about power to the people, interesting. I guess I’m just wondering…did he actually say this? Did they go on little “topple the patriarchy” road trips?
Taylor (like many women who date men have experienced) was clearly confused about her relationship with Jake, wondering if he ever really loved her and what their relationship meant.
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
This line is immediately followed by, “til we were dead and gone and buried, check the pulse and come back swearing it’s the same, after three months in the grave,” which makes me think he did eventually admit he loved her, but not until after they broke up and it was too late. To quote another pop icon Olivia Rodrigo — “damn, it’s brutal out here.”
Now, my absolute favorite lyric in this entire new version — the lyric that summons an almost ethereal sorrow from a place deep within me I didn’t know existed, is this:
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
Taylor…has a way with words that is unmatched, and this feels like a sister lyric to “you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.” She’s heartbreakingly describing what it’s like to make someone your whole world, only to realize they didn’t do the same. Jake also historically has preferred to keep his relationships private, as is evident from the line, “when nobody had to know.”
But in case we needed further confirmation that Jake Gyllenhaal is definitely the man behind Taylor’s 21-year-old heartbreak, the line “if we had been closer in age” only further confirms it was indeed him.
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
Taylor was 21 and Jake was 29 when they dated back in 2010 — an age gap that, according to these lyrics, he clearly had a problem with.
Mmk…LOTS to unpack here.
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
Taylor feels like she could never live up to the “idea” Jake had of her in his mind. She wasn’t the “never-needy, ever lovely jewel” but instead was the girl that cried in the bathroom at some A-lister party, over a boy she loved for three months. I wonder if “some actress” is listening to this now, thinking, “hey, that was me.”
Damn, son.
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
Jake didn’t show up for Taylor on her 21st birthday??? Not a good look, pal. And according to Taylor, Jake also had a good rapport with her dad who he joked with over coffee. I’m guessing her dad’s opinion of him was slightly hampered by Jake’s absence at Taylor’s birthday.
The age gap between Taylor and Jake is once again referenced in this line, which could also be a nod to Jessica Lowndes, who Jake dated a few months after breaking up with Taylor in 2011. (Jessica was 23 at the time.)
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
Because age difference was stated as one of the reasons for Jake and Taylor’s breakup, it’s obvious that Taylor would be irritated (hence, “the punchline goes”) that he immediately started dating another young woman following her, and is now 40 years old dating dating 25-year-old Jeanne Cadieu.
In the next lines, Taylor talks about the scars she has from losing her “twin flame” — her other half. Brooklyn held a lot of painful memories for Taylor for a long time, so returning there probably felt like she had to bravely “soldier” through.
Andria Moore / BuzzFeed
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This song was perfect before, but the 10-minute version feels almost like a battle cry — a Shakespearean sonnet written to anyone who’s ever experienced the deepest kind of heartbreak. It’s — dare I say – perfect.
Taylor Swift / Republic Records / Via youtube.com
Mental health check — where’s everyone at? Are we able to process better now, or still sobbing into the void?
And remember, we still have a SHORT FILM version of this song as well to get through later today!! But until then, let me know your thoughts on the re-recorded Red album, and particularly, “All Too Well.”
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