Sunday, April 10, 2022

All's Well That Ends Well: The Journey of Taylor Swift's Ten Minute Song


Red (Taylor's Version) album photoshoot 

Since its initial release in 2012, the song “All Too Well” has widely been considered Taylor Swift’s best song, by fans and critics alike. The wistful and nostalgic tone, as well as the vivid imagery of the song, chronicles the bright spots of a relationship before its tragic, yet the almost poetic end. In particular, the bridge (a specialty of Swift’s) of this song stands out - with lines like “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.”


Over the years in interviews and social media posts, Swift has alluded to the original version of the song - which was ten minutes long. (Swift even joked that the song’s original lyrics are lost somewhere in her house.) This captured the imagination of fans - the notion that there is a missing version of this song, that already is so vulnerable, specific, and heartfelt. In order to fit the ten-minute ballad on her Red album, she worked with songwriter and collaborator Liz Rose to adjust the lyrics to fit the album. Even with the revisions, the song ended up being five minutes and thirty seconds. 


In 2021, nine years after the release of the album Red, Swift once again revisited All Too Well, when she released a re-recorded version of her album in an ongoing project of re-recording her back catalog to ensure creative control over her music. Through this experience, Swift was able to revisit her old work, and release songs “from the vault” - combining her old lyrics and song ideas with her current collaborators and musical development and growth. This highlights Swift’s creative process, and how foundational songwriting, while also collaborating with other musicians, writers, and producers is essential in her process of forming an album. The last song on Red (Taylor’s Version) includes the mysterious ten-minute version of All Too Well. 


Draft of lyrics for All Too Well included in one of Swift's journals


Since Taylor Swift announced that she was re-recording her old music to gain creative control of her work, I have been looking forward to the release of Red, which is one of my favorite albums. "All Too Well" has been a song I’ve loved for years, and I looked forward to having the chance to hear more of Taylor Swift’s songwriting through the longer version of the song. But there was honestly no way I could have predicted what listening to the ten-minute version of the song was like - it completely changed how I viewed the song, the album, and Swift’s songwriting as a whole.


While there are many similarities to the original version, the ten-minute All Too Well begins with a low, thrumming sound in the production - which only intensifies through drums throughout the course of the song. This shift in production shifts the overall tone of the song, which is heightened by the added lyrics. While the original song sings of a relationship marked by “singing in the car getting lost upstate” and “dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light,” this innocent and positive tone shifts with the longer version of the song. The additional lyrics provide more light on the circumstances of the relationship, and the negative emotional toll and repercussions it had through the actions of the person in the song. This includes (a particularly heartbreaking, in my opinion) line: “There we are again when nobody had to know / You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath.” Here, Swift reflects on her own dedication and commitment to the relationship, while her partner did not carry the same amount of reverence for their connection. 


Scene from the All Too Well shortfilm, directed by Swift and release in 2021

The main reason I love the ten-minute version of "All Too Well" so much is is that it truly is her version - where she expresses her full range of emotions and feelings as the sole songwriter through her music, without the restraints of record labels and expectations of how long a song should be. While the original "All Too Well" is nostalgic, wistful, and sad, with moments of frustration, in the ten-minute version, Swift showcases the emotion of anger - and her anger is taken seriously and valued in the song. This includes the perceptive and biting line about her ex-partner: “I was never good at telling jokes / But the punchline goes / I’ll get older but your lovers stay my age.” Swift expresses her experiences of being undermined and belittled in the relationship freely in this song throughout the ten minutes, in a way that extends beyond the scope of the song's release in 2012, adding nuance and perspective to her words.


Ultimately, I see the ten-minute All Too Well as a remarkable opportunity for a songwriter to revisit a beloved song and add depth and context to a piece of art that already meant so much to people’s lives. Nine years later, this song has changed how people view Swift’s songwriting and creative choices. (The ten-minute version includes a detail of how Swift’s ex-partner did not attend her 21st birthday party - which gives more context to why the upbeat pop anthem “22” immediately follows "All Too Well" on the Red tracklist. Because her 21st birthday was marked by heartbreak, Swift wanted a joyous 22nd birthday celebration.)  As someone who has listened to Taylor Swift’s music for years, there are many aspects of her songwriting and creative process that I could write about. But "All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)" is, and I believe will remain, one of the most fascinating and innovative creative pursuits of Swift. (It also is, and will remain, my top-played song on Spotify.)




Swift performing All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) on SNL



4 comments:

  1. As an avid Taylor Swift fan, I completely agree with you - the 10 minute version of All Too Well changed everything and reaffirmed my love for Taylor. I also love how Taylor allowed herself to express anger over the relationship and her past lover's manipulation of her. Those moments of anger, mixed in with the sadness, created a full emotional picture that really shows Taylor's skill as a lyricist.

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  2. The difference in tone between the 10 minute version and the original release of "All Too Well" is so interesting. The 5 minute version has a very nostalgic feel and it seems like Taylor Swift looks back on the relationship with fondness. But the 10 minute song shows her anger and hurt over the relationship. I feel like that what makes so many people resonate with this particular song; most people have gone or will go through a similar sort of relationship.

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  3. The ten minute version of this song is like 63% of my life sustenance. I wasn't a huge Swiftie before Red (Taylor's Version) and still wouldn't necessarily consider myself one, but I went to a listening party for the re-release and was absolutely hooked. So, while I don't necessarily have the connection to the original version, I can still appreciate the incredible lyrics. One of my favorite lines from the new version is "The idea you had of me, who was she? / A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel, whose shine reflects on you?" I think the ten minute version not only returns creative autonomy to Swift but also allows listeners to see a little into how she has learned and matured since the original release of the song.

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  4. One of my favorite things about the Taylor's Version Era and the re-recordings of her albums with additional songs is that she is able to have much more creative freedom this time around. The reason for her re-recordings calls to light an important aspect of the music industry and other creative fields: creatives often do not have full ownership and control over their work, even when they should. Taylor Swift being so public about how her masters were bought out from under her calls attention to this larger issue because she is so popular and has such a far reach with his platform.

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