It's about Jake Gynaecologist (Gyllenhaal or whatever I guess), but yeah, The TS vs John Mayer discography is great too. Dear John is...she literally rips his riffs and then tears into him lyrically and it's poetry
Yes, listen to Dear John off of Speak Now (the I Can See You and Superman Vault Tracks as well, but those are more before and during songs). Would've Could've Should've is an absolute must about him from the perspective of an older Swift.
What the others said 😂 but I would add a few songs. In order I think I would go: I can see you Ours Superman (it's about him buut I kinda hate the song, sooo.. your choice) The story of us Dear John Would've could've should've Plus maybe Bigger than the whole sky, wich seems to be lyrically connected to would've could've should've, but there are many interpretations. Mine would be that it could be about mourning the loss of the person you could have been if certain traumas had not happend to you, the version of yourself that was taken away from you
It is speculated that this one is about Jake Gyllenhaal. I believe the 10 min version of the song came about because she let it slip in an interview that she actually wrote a 10 min version of the song and had to shorten it for the Red album and then Swifties went crazy and she ended up not only releasing it when she did the re-record but also turning it into a short film.
@@becauseisaacyou shouldn't edit: y'all this was just a stupid joke 😅 . Ik this was more than a decade ago and her ex boyfriends are none of my business. Please don't be mad
@@Lucky-xw1tsjust because he was a bad boyfriend to Taylor doesn't mean people have to start hating him. He even acknowledged that he was wrong and congratulated her on the Red TV release.
To me the most impressive thing about the 10 minute version is that it's still just all story. When I think of other 10+ minute songs, there's usually a lot of time taken up in intros or guitar solos or something else. This is 10 minutes of nonstop, meticulous storytelling. And it still just feels like 3 minutes.
i told my mom that to be an iconically amazing artist, you should be able to write a good 9+ minute song that isnt taken up by guitar solos. my top 3 are taylor (atw obvi), green day (jesus of suburbia), and queen (bohemian rhapsody)
i absolutely agree. i listen to alot of classic rock and so many songs are are over 7 mins and most of them are guitar riffs and instrumental (which is great) but this song is so lyric heavy.
@@AmandaPanda531i disagree with the slander of solos. To me what makes a 10+ minute song great is if it can touch your feelings for the whole duration regardless of the amount of solos, silent moments, singing etc. An example of that to me is Dogs by Pink Floyd
To be honest, this song never felt like 10 minutes to me. It always goes by SO fast for me when I listen to it and it’s crazy. Even the first time I listened to it, i didn’t even realize how long the song is
It's honestly a strange phenomenon really because I felt that way as soon as the song finished when I first heard the original; I looked at it and it was like five and a half minutes but it felt like three. This version feels like six minutes or something
She was ashamed for how badly she let him treat her. She was ashamed for how much she put up with and all the ways she compromised herself to try to make him stay. She was ashamed for all the love she felt for him for a man who turned around acted like their relationship never even happened. Also for all the work she put in just to be tossed scraps of attention from a man who treated her body like a woman’s but disrespected her mind like she was a child. She tells you why she was ashamed the entire song 🥲
You nailed something so specific about how to many men you're an adult when they want to sleep with you yet simultaneously a child when you have thoughts and feelings. Dismissive
Jake had broken up with Taylor who was devastated about the way it was done. Taylor was angry and hurt and during a band practice she (unplanned) started playing and writing the song. The band clued in immediately, backed off and let her just go at it until she was finished. That was the version of All to Well that was the original 10 minute version. At the end I believe it was Taylor’s mom Andrea that went to the sound board and asked if they had recorded the song. Sound man luckily said yes. Because of that recording we got to hear All to Well which might never have been released if not for that recording.
In a Variety interview, Directors on Directors with Martin McDonah, she says what is in the short movie is exactly what she was going through at 22. The interview is a great way for you to know more about her creation process.
@rhondajohnson515 it's not, and Taylor said that herself. The song was initially written as a 10 min song, then cut to normal length the first time it was recorded, and at the fan's request, she finally released the 10 min. Nothing accidental about it.
There are several amazing lines in it, my favorite is "You call me again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest."
If you’re a fan of John Mayer it might be interesting for you to check out dear John from the speak now album, which she wrote about him in around 2009, when she was 19 and he was 32 and also the song would’ve could’ve should’ve from the midnights album, in which she reminisces and contemplates on that relationship 13 years later (her lucky number) when she’s finally 32 Amazing lyricism in both! FYI, these songs might make you change your perspective on him
@@MarkFreedmanNY Ah, well I didn’t realize you were talking about #1 songs…drove 4 hours today & thought I’d lost $700 in cash (found it!). Been a long day! ✌🏼
you definitely have to check out some of her performances from the long pond studio sessions! she played through the entire folklore album with jack antonoff & with aaron dessner (from the national), who she wrote/produced the album with, remotely, during lockdown. they also discuss the process of writing each song before playing them. must watch performances are exile ft. bon iver, my tears ricochet, cardigan, mad woman & peace!
And if you're looking for a more fun, light-hearted story-telling song from this album, go with The Last Great American Dynasty - it's about the woman who used to own her house in Rhode Island, but there are parallels to her life, too.
@@kellib1563 Her whole discography is epic and well-written dating back to her debut album. "Fearless" is so well written and she actually wrote that whole album by herself. Her co-writer Liz Rose clarified what her real role was and it was simply an editor who edited down Taylor's extremely long well-written songs on "Fearless" down to 3 to 4 minutes each. She said that the original version of "All Too Well" was actually TWENTY MINUTES! I think Taylor and other co-workers on that song say it is 10 minutes because the mysterious missing 10 minutes went above and beyond and into extreme TMI territory regarding she and Jake.
Okay but can we talk about the production YOU are delivering with these videos? Seriously, it feels like you're inside a blockbuster movie set. I'm obsessed with that light!
Agreed. Also I value his videos cause a lot of RUclips creators are jumping on the Taylor hype cause they know she has a massive audience and some of the reactions you can tell aren’t genuine. But this is, which makes it actually valuable.
keep the taylor content coming pls, as a swiftie i keep sending your videos to my brother who is also studying music production and has a similar point of view when it comes to taylor as you do. it is very interesting and pleasing to see people open their minds to her talent and not just her most radio played songs.
I've never really been a swiftie, in fact your last video really turned me onto a couple of songs by her, but when she released this version I saw her perform it on SNL and she 100000% hooked me. I'm obsessed with this song, makes me feel like I'm re-living a relationship I had with Jake Gyllenhaal that I somehow remember vividly, how is that possible?? hahaha
Check out the music video that Taylor wrote and directed solo. She confirmed via a literal re-enactment of what happened between she and Jake. Even namedropping Maggie Gyllenhaal ("his sister") who supposedly still has her missing scarf that she left behind accidentally 🤣. The ages of the man and woman in the video are the same ages as Taylor and Jake at the time of their relationship. The man even has the same facial hair and beanie as Jake had back then. The whole song/video combo is so interesting.
I recommend My Tears Ricochet. Its speculated to be about her "breakup" with her record label and the man that was like a father figure that betrayed her. Listen to the long pond session. The song is so beautiful. If you enjoyed Tolerte It this will be right up your alley.
My Tears Rixochet is, for personal reasons, my favourite Taylor song, but I think the studio version is worth listening to first. The instrumentation and overall production is part of the song’s value for me
As others have mentioned, this was about Jake Gyllenhaal, but the most scathing song she’s written about John Mayer is “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve.” It’s a banger, highly recommend.
The main accomplishment of this song is that it's a 10 minute song filled with lyrics from start to finish and there aren't any repeating parts and the song is still very melodic and enjoyable. Different transitions keep you engaged without sounding jarring at any point. I think this song changed the hearts and minds of a lot of people towards Taylor.
The thing is the song was already released in a shorter version over 10 years earlier in the "Red" album. But sadly the media and her PR kept wanting her to clown around about boytalk with Ellen DeGeneres and Katie Couric and not seriously get deeply into her songs and her songwriting process. The media and her old PR were the main reasons why most people thought she was a clown. Thankfully the Grammys recognized her talent by awarding her Album of the Year for her sophomore album "Fearless".
It upsets me that her record label told her that she couldn’t have a 10 minute song on a record. If you ask anyone from the 60’s and 70’s they were all writing 10+ minutes songs and some of them were radio hits.
Although back then it also wasn't easy to get such long songs on the radio! I remember reading that Freddie Mercury apparently got told he had to shorten Bohemian Rapsody for it to be eligible for radio! Fortunately he refused to do it and told every radio station he would sue them if they played a shortened version without permission!
Came here so early! Most of Red album is about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, if you want to hear songs about her time with John Meyer I recommend Ours, Dear John and Would've Could've Should've, all of them are great in terms of storytelling
I love that you chose this one, and you're right that it's her story telling we like. This particular song gets me every time. It starts out like she's remembering a relationship, but then she gets angrier and she says "it was rare, YOU remember it all too well" and suddenly it's about how he destroyed it, not her. Very relatable. Thank you for giving it a try!
If you're a John Mayer fan you should definetly react to "Dear John" and "Would've, could've, shoud've" since both is speculated to be about their relationship. Would be perfect to do them both in a video together, since they both give two different perspectives on the relationship. One right after, and one 13 years after.
You’ve have to add in the John mayor songs in there rumored to be about her. I saw John Mayor on his solo tour in Detroit and he’s outstanding. He sang the song Half of My Heart live (originally with Taylor Swift) for the first time in over a decade and the audience went wild. Definitely thought he put that one away forever.
Taylor writes songs to heal her soul. She keeps working on it till she has a healing. It was 10 minutes and it got cut down for the album. She made the mistake of mentioning it was originally 10 minutes. The fans pushed her till they got to hear the 10 minute version. Then she made a short film of the 10 minute version. Taylor never confirms who her songs are about. It is speculated this one was about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal. I really enjoy your knowledge of music and the things you point out about her choices and the mix. I'm glad I found your channel. You are not just another guy jumping on the swift ride you have insightful observations from a good music background. I love that your sisters like Taylor. I was drawn in by her humanitarian work and then her music. Oh yes and the shame thing. Women tend to feel ashamed of that pull to give it one more chance and hope you were wrong, the pull for the fantasy, and then when she got hurt by his cold hard honesty she was ashamed for still wanting him. Humans are so complicated. Your comment about writing with a knife is was spot on and well said.
I'm so here for the Taylor content. I do hope you keep digging into her discography, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. Trust the Swifties to take you on your own personal journey. I would love to see your reaction to some of her best live performances from the Reputation Tour (Ready For It, I Did Something Bad, and DON'T BLAME ME). She's truly best live, and I think you'd enjoy the production value of Taylor at full force.
Reputation is AMAZING. I am still angry at myself for refusing to listen to that album for 3 years because "Look What You Made Me Do" turned me off from her during that era. Now that I listen to that song within the context of her whole album when listening to Reputation it fits perfectly. That was a horrible debut single for that album though.
Taylor doesn't want her fans hating on the subjects of her songs. She writes songs to help her process her feelings and what happens in her life. I think she and John Meyer are on good terms these days. Not all of her songs are about relationships though. And not all of them are about her life either. But it's fun for fans to speculate on these things. Taylor also plays with her fans by scattering Easter Eggs around her music/music videos - and her social media posts. She's really good at that stuff. I really like her music, for the lyrics, but also for how they sound. I think she, and her producers over the years, has done a great job of marrying her story telling with music that enhances it. I also like how she uses her voice. She may not sing like Adele or Ariana Grande, but she doesn't need to. Her voice is perfect for her songs and I actually like that she's not a perfect singer. Her sound is unique to her.
I recommend " I Almost Do " from Red (Taylor's Version). Even after all these years when listening it it, I still get tears in my eyes. Talks about the same period as All Too Well (Red TV) around her 21st birthday
@@nikkis7375 I just think it is amazing that Taylor wrote and directed solo a literal reenactment of her and Jake's relationship. After all this time she confirmed via the music video that that song is about Jake and the ten minute version included extra stuff. I thought that was just some ridiculous rumor mill garbage from 2014 but she confirmed it all in the music video. Missing scarf at his sister's home and the 21st birthday incident.
10:06 Taylor rewrote most of her songs because Big Machine Records didn’t grant her the rights to own the lyrics that she wrote. That’s why it says “Taylor’s Version”. She rewrote or added lyrics to the re-releases of songs which she now has ownership of. Also, I just became a Swifter myself. I read a lot about her and talked to friends who have always loved her. Here’s a couple of thoughts. She wrote, produced, and released folklore and evermore during the pandemic (with Jack Antonoff). I think that’s why both albums are so heartfelt and heavy ~ because of the lockdown. There’s a documentary on Disney+ where they talk through the writing process and she discusses her inspiration for each song. She weaves threads and stories about different characters throughout her albums that follow the theme/stages of various relationships. You might like Invisible String from folklore. It’s a happier vibe.
The shame was of lowering herself to being used because she loved him so much. She never thought she would settle for that kind of treatment. All of us have felt that at one time.
you should watch the short film of All Too Well, it kinda gave us an overview what happened to the relationship really on a visual perspective. btw really enjoyed your reactions alot
The original version hooked me into being a Swiftie, now that i've heard her entire catalogue (everyday) i still think this is her best song to date, this song is her Magnum Opus ❤
SO HAPPY you're getting into Taylor! I would recommend anything from her albums folklore and evermore they have some of her best writing. My personal favorites: this is me trying, ivy, right where you left me, my tears ricochet, champagne problems
I really appreciate the care.you take when you do these. I love that you don't pause the song and you try to pay careful attention to the lyrics and also I love your opinions on the production and melody. You are a gift!
I think Ronan would be a good one to react to. It is a sad one… but it’s so beautiful. A mom wrote a blog about her son, and Taylor took it and made it into a song. She gave the mom song writing credit on it. All proceeds from that song go to charity. It’s one of my favorites from her, definitely worth checking out
The poor man said he doesn’t want to cry listening to music! Don’t make him listen to Ronan! 😢 As a mom, that song is absolutely gut wrenching. I have TS Playlist with almost all of her songs ever but not Ronan. I can’t have that randomly turning on when I shuffle! I absolutely CANNOT listen to that or to Soon You’ll Get Better without bawling like a baby. (My mom is dying, and there’s no hope for her to get better so that makes Soon You’ll Get Better excruciating to listen to.)
It’s not about John Mayor, it’s about Jake Gyllenhaal. So the story behind it is that Taylor was in rehearsals for her Speak Now tour and it was a really hard time in her life. So before the rehearsal started she was playing these four chords again and again on the guitar (C, G, Am, F) and then the band started to join in and she started ad-libbing and singing. It lasted for over 10 minutes and then after that they just went along with the normal scheduled rehearsal. After the rehearsal Taylor’s mom asked her sound guy “Is there any chance you recorded that?” And the sound guy was like “Here it is” and hands them the recording. And after that she wanted to shorten it (because a 10 minutes song just seemed CRAZY) to put it on to her album RED. When she performed it on the RED tour, it was always really difficult for her. In one of the shows in Jakarta Indonesia, you could see her crying as she performs it. But it became a fan favourite song and every time she would hear the fans screaming the words back to her and it changed the song for her, it made it more enjoyable to perform. Now because she had to re-record her early albums because of trouble with her masters, she was able to add songs that she wrote a long time ago that almost made the album but didn’t (she calls them “From the Vault songs). And the 10 minute version of All Too Well was one of the vault songs on the re-recorded RED album. And she also wrote and directed a short film that became an award-winning music video. And now it is one of the most popular Taylor Swift songs among the Swifties. So in simple terms, she wrote a song that is long than the relationship it is about😂
“Dear John” and “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” are great for a combo reaction. Same relationship in different points in time. “My tears ricochet” from Folklore ‘Long Pond Studio Sessions’ is rumored to be about the fallout with her previous label because of her masters, and the betrayal she felt from the owner, who knew her since she was 15. Other recommendations: exile ft. Bon Iver from folklore, right where you left me from evermore (the lyrics and tempo of that song are amazing), and production-wise, I think “vigilante shit” from midnights is a very surprising song coming from Taylor
I'm new to seeing your reactions ( through V Tiny Desk), and I really appreciate your respectful visual framing, so that the artist performance fills most of the space and we can enjoy it with you and with your commentary. This is actually my first exposure to seriously listening to Taylor Swift, and I am amazed that it took me so long. Thank you for the invitation to explore more of her music. As a longtime fan of Joni Mitchell, I hear her strongly in this song, and the storytelling and rhyme scheme are just perfection here.
The reason that songs tend to be 3-4 minutes is because record labels believe radio won't play longer songs. With the song Hey Jude, which is 7 minutes or there abouts was a fight because the record labels didn't believe radios would play it. John Lennon said they will if it's us.
The lyric I'm most proud of is from "All Too Well": "And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest." That was something I came up with while ranting during a soundcheck. I was just playing these chords over and over onstage and my band joined in and I went on a rant. Those were some of the lines I thought of. [...] I was going through a really hard time then, and my band joined in playing, and one of the first things that I came up with, just, like, spat out, was "And you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest. - Swift on the beginnings of writing "All Too Well" In an interview with Good Morning America, Swift said that the song was "the hardest to write on the album", saying: "it took me a really long time to filter through everything I wanted to put in the song without it being a 10-minute song, which you can't put on an album. I wanted a story that could work in the form of a song and I called my co-writer Liz Rose and said, 'Come over, we've gotta filter this down,' and it took me a really long time to get it."[6] Rose also said that the song was originally "10, 12 or 15 minutes long" before cutting down to "the important pieces".[2] In a later interview, Rose described "All Too Well" as originally being "probably a 20-minute song when [Swift] called me."[7] Even after cutting it down, the song is the longest track on the album, clocking in at five minutes and twenty-eight seconds (5:28). In a 2020 interview on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums podcast, Swift later confirmed that the original version was about 10 minutes long and also revealed that it was explicit.[8] The song's studio recording was produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman.[9] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Liz Rose explained how "All Too Well" came to be, stating "When we did 'All Too Well,' I hadn't heard from her in awhile. She hadn't really been writing." After receiving a call from Swift asking her to collaborate on the song, Rose explained that "[Swift] had a ''lot'' of information. I just let her go. She already had a melody and she started singing some words, and I started writing things down, saying, 'Ok, let's use this, let's use that." Rose later stated "It was the most emotional, in-depth song we've ever written."[10] The song's secret message in Red's liner notes is "MAPLE LATTES".[11][12][13] The first of four Target-exclusive deluxe editions of Swift's 2019 album Lover contained her old diary, in which some of the scrapped lyrics of "All Too Well" can be found: "There we are again / You're crying on the phone / Realized you lost the one real thing you've ever known" was the original bridge of the song, while the original opening lines were "I walked through the door with you / The air was cold / Pictures on the fireplace, you're showing me around." Additional original lyrics included "There we are again / When you blew the candle out / Took this blazing love and steered it right into the ground / Running scared, I was there," and "You'll mail back my things in a box with no note / Except for that scarf from the very first week / Yeah you keep it in your drawer 'cause it smells like me."[14][15]
evermore and folklore have out of this world lyrics and storytelling, her reputation album is just such cool production and overall more upbeat if you’d want to review something that won’t make your eyes sweat, and of course “dear john” paired with “would’ve could’ve should’ve” are 100% worth listening to if you’d be interested in her relationship with John Mayer when they were together at the ages of 19 and 32 !!
YES YES YES YES!!! IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO YESSSSS! edit: nooo, it’s most likely *Jake Gyllenhaal* because he was about 9 years older than her and he missed her 21st birthday, hence the part that says “But then he watched me watch the front door all night, willin' you to come And he said, "It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one" “ it’s not really confirmed but-all too well the 10 minute ver really gives key details that it is
Hi there. First off, thank you for listening to Taylor and making these videos of you listening to Taylor for our entertainment. Though there are many songs to recommend, three immediately came to my mind. This is me trying - a song about addiction and struggling to stay sober. Marjorie - a song about her late grandmother Dear reader - an underrated song written to her past self about how to navigate the challenges of celebrity and being in the industry
Hopefully you get to listen to either “You Are In Love” from 1989 Taylor’s Version or “Lavender Haze” from Midnights or maybe even the song “…Ready for it?” from Reputation. I think these two can offer some more variety into what Taylor’s musical soundscape can reach. Great Reaction vid, cheers to more!
I don't know if you're planning on doing any more of these (because it was really interesting to hear your thoughts on this song!) but since you liked this song, I recommend checking out "Would've, Should've, Could've" (from Midnights 3am Edition), "Suburban Legends (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)" (from 1989 (Taylor's Version)), "right where you left me - bonus track" (evermore (deluxe version)), "marjorie" (evermore), "The Archer" (Lover), and "my tears ricochet - the long pond studio sessions" (folklore - the long pond studio sessions).
even just the title being all too well really stands out to me more now that I’m an adult when she’s released the 10 min version. I feel she was gaslit and manipulated and it’s her way of reminding and reassuring herself she was there and her experience was real. the outro of the 10 min version also feeling like a come down from an emotional crescendo also solidifies it for me. this song is incredible
The thing I love about this song is how lyrically aligned Taylor's experiences are with so many of us, you can pick lines like "You kept me like a secret, I kept you like an oath" and apply them to our life story. Anyway, My Tears Ricochet is haunting, Vigilante Shit is deliciously revengeful and somehow i just love how Betty is a song from a guy called James's perspective
This song DESTROYS me after a BILLION times hearing all 10 minutes. I will still cry every time. No matter what. And you're right, it never feels like 10 minutes. It feels like a painful moment that rips your soul into shreds. Keep deep diving Taylor. If you want to learn some things? She's you're girl.
I recommend "Dear John (live version)" (pay attention to lyrics though) also, "Would've, Could've, Should've" both about John Mayer, this one was supposed to have been about Jake Gyellenhall.
Both those songs of hers about John Mayer also mention the exact age stuff. She dated John Mayer first then proceeded to date another much older guy in her next relationship.
One cool thing about the song is that even the way the melody sounds show the story and the timeline. At 5:59 where you thought the song was ending it goes suddenly from them fighting and a line about her turning 21, to being quiet. He actually broke up with her on her birthday and so the pause in the song is almost like a moment oh shock and then it continues with her recovering from the break up and remembering. It is shown beautifully in the short film where the movie is divided into parts called "the first crack" and so on. Great video and great song!
The painting behind you blew my mind! I'm a swiftie and this is the second video I watched of yours, the first one was you reacting to 6 songs by her. I'll watch every reaction of yours if they are about Taylor :D So please, go for it! I recommend you listen to them by album... :)
Thank you for how attentive you are when listening. We all know her best lyrics and wait for your reaction and you always deliver. Even if you do not want to rock out to her in the shower, we love and appreciate the sincere reviews ❤.
I have enjoyed these videos, thanks. I'm also someone with a new curiosity about Taylor for the first time, found you that way. Her lyricism is really something special. On that note I think it'd be cool if you paused and took a moment to note and reflect on really banger lines when one sticks out to you. I know your focus is production so do what you want of course 😅 but I'd enjoy hearing what they evoke for you, professionally or just as a human. She's an emotional marksman, so feel free to pause to shoot the shit when one of her arrows hits true.
The 10 minute version is everything. The best parts were cut out of the original. The build, her anger growing, the lyrics and rhythm change ups. Chefs kiss!
Highly recommend the live 10 minute SNL performance of All to Well, it's quite impressive, and also feels like only a couple of minutes have gone by when the song ends.
The accepted length of a pop song has a lot to do with the early limitations of vinyl, if I’m not mistaken. It was a huge deal for the Beatles to cram all of Hey Jude onto an A side of a 7” record, that was considered an engineering feat at the time.
Oh my gosh. And the lakes. An absolutely stunning song, with the most beautiful lyrics. Bonus track in evermore. And illicit affairs again lyrical masterpiece
Subscribed! Listen to “Clean” (1989 TV), “My Tears Ricochet”, “Mirrorball”, “This Is Me Trying”, “Invisible String” & “The Lakes” (Folklore), “Right Where You Left Me” (Evermore)… just a few 😂💜✨🦋 If your sisters didn’t make a Swifty of you yet, WE will. I appreciate your candor and knowledge. I like the way you speak about the production of the music. I am also happy to read (in the comments) you know who Aurora is! She’s another of my faves ✨🧚♀️✨ Now, get busy on Folklore 😂🥳🧩🧚♀️💜
The 10 version is actually the original version, that she shortened and then released. But then we got the full version on red Taylor’s version bc she told us about it in an interview
One thing you should know about this song is she was with her band/producers in the studio to work on other things, but she was so upset about the relationship she ended up just singing this song. Her band slowly joined her, and it ended up being around 10 minutes. Her producer was recording it all and that's where this came from. I find it really impressive that this song just poured out of her.
Liz Rose, her co-writer (really just an editor according to Rose's own words, haha), said that the first version of the song was not 10 minutes long but TWENTY MINUTES long! I have a feeling the full version had way TMI private info lyrics so Taylor and others who were in that room try to claim the first version was ten minutes instead.
You are me. Did not care for TS for 20 years. When you have a 15 y.o. daughter, you start listening, and Dang, I'm off to the Eras Tour with my daughter. Since I heard Shake It Off, she has grown up ... musically and as a business woman. As an intellectual property attorney, her move to rerecord her music to own the rights ... just brilliant. So talented. As for the tradition of songs being 3-4 minutes, I'm pretty sure thats a relic of when we listened to music on the radio. A radio station would not play songs over 4.5 minutes. It messes up the commercial schedule. I hope the success of this song inspires more artists to do away with the 3 minute song. Some my favorite songs are up there in the 8-10 minute range: Guns N Roses (November Rain, Estranged), Live (Pillar of Davison), Oasis (Champagne Supernova), etc.
You should definitely watch/listen to the long pond studio sessions! The performances are beautiful, and includes really great insights into how the songs were made.
Jake Gyllenhall. A lot of the songs on her Red album are about him. The John Meyer songs are on her previous album, Speak Now. Most notably, “Dear John” which is worth a listen. Since you’re trying to check out newer Taylor, I would suggest “Cardigan” from Folklore. It’s really special.
I would suggest EVERYTHING from Folklore and Evermore. Hearing those tracks out of order and separately in his first Taylor reaction video just felt strange. I can only listen to those tracks in the order she organized them from first track to last track, non-stop.
Watch the short film and her interview on how it came to be. It’s truly incredible. It was a one take that she wrote with her band during one of her tour practices from my understanding. She sang this in the middle of her ERAS show and it was amazing. Next up, look into her vault tracks, how they came to be and why fans are fanatical. 1989 has some amazing vault tracks.
Before the Internet and streaming services, singles were released for radio; advertisers and radio stations deemed a single should be no more than three or four minutes long.
she made a short film for this song! directed by her and everything, I highly recommend watching! it's basically a music video but there is some dialogue in the middle and it's all just beautifully done
Songs are short because of radio play. Producers and artists realized that the average attention span isn’t very long and back in music was distributed by radio, musicians had to write a short story to hook the listener essentially. This song is believed to be about Jake Gyllenhaal. His sister Maggie said Taylor never left a scarf 🧣 but that’s symbolic of saving a sweet, innocent memory. The fact that’s it’s red indicates 💔, which is the unspoken theme of Red. Taylor Swift weaves compelling stories that resonate with fans and make audiences feel something. She is the best songwriter of our generation. I love the Autumn Sad Girl version of this song. It’s hauntingly sad and beautiful.
Isaac I'm genuinely so excited for you to find out more about her music, magnetic lyricism and genius mind. Some recent songs I'd recommend are my tears ricochet, coney island, ivy, exile, peace, hoax. Oldies but goldies: haunted, the best day, last kiss, innocent, enchanted, long live, dear john, mary's song, I know places. And of course I'd love to get an in depth reputation reaction. Hope you enjoy the ride!
3-4 minute songs work well for radio plays so most songs go with this format…as for the song itself the swifties will fill you out but yes this is a lovely song
I appreciate the candidness of this reaction a lot. I would be very curious to hear your reaction to Wonderland (Taylor's Version) from 1989 (Taylor's Version) or coney island feat The National from Evermore because those are two of my favorite songs of hers in storytelling unless you want more Red content cause then I'd recommend The Moment I Knew (Taylor's Version). Her storytelling and ability to paint vivid pictures is and always has been one of my most favorite things about her as a lifelong fan (since the age of 10/11) so I appreciate your appreciation.
here's a list of songs you should do next : 1. you're on your own, kid 2. my tears ricochet 3. Illicit Affairs 4. back to December 5. Marjorie 6. mastermind I am sure you are going to love these songs very much...
hey i wanna say i really liked your reactions to taylor's music, and i'm so glad that you appreciate her writing it's the most important thing to touch on i think in her music. if you want to know somethings about john mayer and taylor's relationship you can listen to "dear john(she wrote it when she was 19) and would've could've should've(and she wrote it when she was 32) in their relationship taylor was 19 john mayer was 32 so it's very clever to do that i think. i hope you react them and keep reacting her music i really enjoyed it.
For a song with a very, very simple and repetitive chord progression, she manages to keep you engaged and interested with little variations in the melody (and of course, her storytelling). It really does not feel like 10 minutes. I always recommend "Cornelia Street" from Live from City of Lover (Paris). "Death By a Thousand Cuts" from the same concert is also phenomenal.
Looks like I’m gonna need to dive into the Taylor Swift Vs. John Mayer discography…
It's about Jake Gynaecologist (Gyllenhaal or whatever I guess), but yeah, The TS vs John Mayer discography is great too. Dear John is...she literally rips his riffs and then tears into him lyrically and it's poetry
As you should LOL. Start with the Speak Now album and then listen to Would've, Could've, Should've from Midnights.
Yes, listen to Dear John off of Speak Now (the I Can See You and Superman Vault Tracks as well, but those are more before and during songs). Would've Could've Should've is an absolute must about him from the perspective of an older Swift.
Dear John from Speak Now (2010) and Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve from Midnights.
What the others said 😂 but I would add a few songs. In order I think I would go:
I can see you
Ours
Superman (it's about him buut I kinda hate the song, sooo.. your choice)
The story of us
Dear John
Would've could've should've
Plus maybe Bigger than the whole sky, wich seems to be lyrically connected to would've could've should've, but there are many interpretations. Mine would be that it could be about mourning the loss of the person you could have been if certain traumas had not happend to you, the version of yourself that was taken away from you
It is speculated that this one is about Jake Gyllenhaal. I believe the 10 min version of the song came about because she let it slip in an interview that she actually wrote a 10 min version of the song and had to shorten it for the Red album and then Swifties went crazy and she ended up not only releasing it when she did the re-record but also turning it into a short film.
Oooh, okay. I didn’t know they were in n a relationship. I like Jake too 😄
@@becauseisaacyou shouldn't
edit: y'all this was just a stupid joke 😅 . Ik this was more than a decade ago and her ex boyfriends are none of my business. Please don't be mad
@@Lucky-xw1tsjust because he was a bad boyfriend to Taylor doesn't mean people have to start hating him. He even acknowledged that he was wrong and congratulated her on the Red TV release.
Be for real that was like more than 10 years ago
@@Lucky-xw1ts he can like whoever he want what's wrong with you
To me the most impressive thing about the 10 minute version is that it's still just all story. When I think of other 10+ minute songs, there's usually a lot of time taken up in intros or guitar solos or something else. This is 10 minutes of nonstop, meticulous storytelling. And it still just feels like 3 minutes.
Exactly how I feel!
i told my mom that to be an iconically amazing artist, you should be able to write a good 9+ minute song that isnt taken up by guitar solos. my top 3 are taylor (atw obvi), green day (jesus of suburbia), and queen (bohemian rhapsody)
i absolutely agree. i listen to alot of classic rock and so many songs are are over 7 mins and most of them are guitar riffs and instrumental (which is great) but this song is so lyric heavy.
It feels so short!
@@AmandaPanda531i disagree with the slander of solos. To me what makes a 10+ minute song great is if it can touch your feelings for the whole duration regardless of the amount of solos, silent moments, singing etc. An example of that to me is Dogs by Pink Floyd
To be honest, this song never felt like 10 minutes to me. It always goes by SO fast for me when I listen to it and it’s crazy. Even the first time I listened to it, i didn’t even realize how long the song is
Same.
There’s so many words in it that it goes by so fast😂
whenever i don’t have any motivation to run a 5k, i put the tmv on and after 2.5 plays i’m back home😅
So true! I never felt like it was 10 minutes
It's honestly a strange phenomenon really because I felt that way as soon as the song finished when I first heard the original; I looked at it and it was like five and a half minutes but it felt like three. This version feels like six minutes or something
She was ashamed for how badly she let him treat her. She was ashamed for how much she put up with and all the ways she compromised herself to try to make him stay. She was ashamed for all the love she felt for him for a man who turned around acted like their relationship never even happened. Also for all the work she put in just to be tossed scraps of attention from a man who treated her body like a woman’s but disrespected her mind like she was a child. She tells you why she was ashamed the entire song 🥲
You nailed something so specific about how to many men you're an adult when they want to sleep with you yet simultaneously a child when you have thoughts and feelings. Dismissive
Exactly! Beautifully said. I edited a fanvideo to this song and really tried to capture that in the scene I chose to match that lyric.
Exactly!
And she was young and new to love and he also didn't respect that innocence, he acted like she was a dirty little secret. He is gross.
This 100 times!!!! We all been there before. We look back, thinking I can't believe I let you treat me like this.
Jake had broken up with Taylor who was devastated about the way it was done. Taylor was angry and hurt and during a band practice she (unplanned) started playing and writing the song. The band clued in immediately, backed off and let her just go at it until she was finished. That was the version of All to Well that was the original 10 minute version. At the end I believe it was Taylor’s mom Andrea that went to the sound board and asked if they had recorded the song. Sound man luckily said yes. Because of that recording we got to hear All to Well which might never have been released if not for that recording.
That’s an awesome story! Inspiring
Correction - the sound crew had started recording these warmups in case something like All Too Well happened 😊
In a Variety interview, Directors on Directors with Martin McDonah, she says what is in the short movie is exactly what she was going through at 22. The interview is a great way for you to know more about her creation process.
Cute story but this is not an accidental capture of a song played for the first time.
@rhondajohnson515 it's not, and Taylor said that herself. The song was initially written as a 10 min song, then cut to normal length the first time it was recorded, and at the fan's request, she finally released the 10 min. Nothing accidental about it.
"You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath" is my one my favorite lyrics by Taylor, and I love that it made you smile :)
Yes!!! And casually cruel in the name of being honest 💔
was about to write this @@KatieBSewCrafty
There are several amazing lines in it, my favorite is "You call me again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest."
Same
If you’re a fan of John Mayer it might be interesting for you to check out dear John from the speak now album, which she wrote about him in around 2009, when she was 19 and he was 32 and also the song would’ve could’ve should’ve from the midnights album, in which she reminisces and contemplates on that relationship 13 years later (her lucky number) when she’s finally 32
Amazing lyricism in both! FYI, these songs might make you change your perspective on him
@@RatedFforFUGlenda pahahah how did I miss this . Apparently I can’t read . I’ll delete my comment now
It has not changed my perspective of John. He's a good guy, but not perfect.
@@willinguyen1 I think he’s just a guy not perfect, like literally any of us but I wouldn’t say he’s good, but it’s all a matter of perspective
no man could ever understand would've could've should've. that said, please react to it
@@Adouglasses lol same now no one will know.
“All Too Well” proved that a song does not have to be just 3 or 4 minutes. It broke “American Pie”’s record of longest #1 song ever.
Uhmm, there are several songs by other artists that are 15+ minutes long. 🤔
@@lynnhoffmann247 Not #1 on the charts. I know songs well over 15 minutes too, but that is not what I meant.
@@MarkFreedmanNY Ah, well I didn’t realize you were talking about #1 songs…drove 4 hours today & thought I’d lost $700 in cash (found it!). Been a long day! ✌🏼
@@lynnhoffmann247 Glad you found it. I'd be freaked.
@@MarkFreedmanNY I was! That’s why I wasn’t thinking clearly before. 😂
you definitely have to check out some of her performances from the long pond studio sessions! she played through the entire folklore album with jack antonoff & with aaron dessner (from the national), who she wrote/produced the album with, remotely, during lockdown. they also discuss the process of writing each song before playing them. must watch performances are exile ft. bon iver, my tears ricochet, cardigan, mad woman & peace!
And if you're looking for a more fun, light-hearted story-telling song from this album, go with The Last Great American Dynasty - it's about the woman who used to own her house in Rhode Island, but there are parallels to her life, too.
Yes! This changed me in different ways. I appreciate her more so after that session. I prefer her songs from that, they’re so beautiful
@@kellib1563 Her whole discography is epic and well-written dating back to her debut album. "Fearless" is so well written and she actually wrote that whole album by herself. Her co-writer Liz Rose clarified what her real role was and it was simply an editor who edited down Taylor's extremely long well-written songs on "Fearless" down to 3 to 4 minutes each. She said that the original version of "All Too Well" was actually TWENTY MINUTES! I think Taylor and other co-workers on that song say it is 10 minutes because the mysterious missing 10 minutes went above and beyond and into extreme TMI territory regarding she and Jake.
Agree! You must follow this advice. Please. 😊
Okay but can we talk about the production YOU are delivering with these videos? Seriously, it feels like you're inside a blockbuster movie set. I'm obsessed with that light!
You’re a legend. Thanks for the comment .
Agreed
yeees the light is amazing
Agreed. Also I value his videos cause a lot of RUclips creators are jumping on the Taylor hype cause they know she has a massive audience and some of the reactions you can tell aren’t genuine. But this is, which makes it actually valuable.
keep the taylor content coming pls, as a swiftie i keep sending your videos to my brother who is also studying music production and has a similar point of view when it comes to taylor as you do. it is very interesting and pleasing to see people open their minds to her talent and not just her most radio played songs.
It’s so fun watching the facial expressions. She’s definitely growing on you. 🎉
I've never really been a swiftie, in fact your last video really turned me onto a couple of songs by her, but when she released this version I saw her perform it on SNL and she 100000% hooked me. I'm obsessed with this song, makes me feel like I'm re-living a relationship I had with Jake Gyllenhaal that I somehow remember vividly, how is that possible?? hahaha
Check out the music video that Taylor wrote and directed solo. She confirmed via a literal re-enactment of what happened between she and Jake. Even namedropping Maggie Gyllenhaal ("his sister") who supposedly still has her missing scarf that she left behind accidentally 🤣. The ages of the man and woman in the video are the same ages as Taylor and Jake at the time of their relationship. The man even has the same facial hair and beanie as Jake had back then. The whole song/video combo is so interesting.
@@nogoodnameleftI just watched it with my husband yesterday. She is a tall talented genius.
I recommend My Tears Ricochet. Its speculated to be about her "breakup" with her record label and the man that was like a father figure that betrayed her. Listen to the long pond session. The song is so beautiful. If you enjoyed Tolerte It this will be right up your alley.
I second this! I’m surprised that wasn’t included in the first six songs he reacted to.
Up!!
My Tears Rixochet is, for personal reasons, my favourite Taylor song, but I think the studio version is worth listening to first. The instrumentation and overall production is part of the song’s value for me
Yess!! I would say hoax too
fuking scott. never trust a dude w a goatie
Her ALL TOO WELL short film really adds so much with the visuals.
when she says, "it's supposed to be fun turning 21", i lose it, everytime. I'm sad that day was not fully hers.
Her dad tells her that. It reminds me of when my late father told me the same. 😢
As others have mentioned, this was about Jake Gyllenhaal, but the most scathing song she’s written about John Mayer is “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve.” It’s a banger, highly recommend.
I take WCS personally 🫠 whew
The main accomplishment of this song is that it's a 10 minute song filled with lyrics from start to finish and there aren't any repeating parts and the song is still very melodic and enjoyable. Different transitions keep you engaged without sounding jarring at any point. I think this song changed the hearts and minds of a lot of people towards Taylor.
The thing is the song was already released in a shorter version over 10 years earlier in the "Red" album. But sadly the media and her PR kept wanting her to clown around about boytalk with Ellen DeGeneres and Katie Couric and not seriously get deeply into her songs and her songwriting process. The media and her old PR were the main reasons why most people thought she was a clown. Thankfully the Grammys recognized her talent by awarding her Album of the Year for her sophomore album "Fearless".
This is the song that led me to listen to her other music. I listened to this on repeat for like three weeks straight 😂
It upsets me that her record label told her that she couldn’t have a 10 minute song on a record. If you ask anyone from the 60’s and 70’s they were all writing 10+ minutes songs and some of them were radio hits.
Although back then it also wasn't easy to get such long songs on the radio! I remember reading that Freddie Mercury apparently got told he had to shorten Bohemian Rapsody for it to be eligible for radio! Fortunately he refused to do it and told every radio station he would sue them if they played a shortened version without permission!
@@annika9196 And it would've been more difficult with the limitations of vinyl back in 2012. We've come a long way since then!
In fairness I do think this version is about two minutes too long and not as good a song as the original version because of that.
@@saltydog7038 I mean I respect you're opinion, but I've never heard anyone say that and it sounds so crazy to me 😭😂
Came here so early! Most of Red album is about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, if you want to hear songs about her time with John Meyer I recommend Ours, Dear John and Would've Could've Should've, all of them are great in terms of storytelling
I love that you chose this one, and you're right that it's her story telling we like. This particular song gets me every time. It starts out like she's remembering a relationship, but then she gets angrier and she says "it was rare, YOU remember it all too well" and suddenly it's about how he destroyed it, not her. Very relatable. Thank you for giving it a try!
There is a live SNL version of this that is phenomenal.
If you're a John Mayer fan you should definetly react to "Dear John" and "Would've, could've, shoud've" since both is speculated to be about their relationship. Would be perfect to do them both in a video together, since they both give two different perspectives on the relationship. One right after, and one 13 years after.
Agree with this. And make it the live version of Dear John from back then 🔥
@@shazstar13 yes!!
Would’ve could’ve should’ve is one of her best songs lyrically. So so good!!!!
You’ve have to add in the John mayor songs in there rumored to be about her. I saw John Mayor on his solo tour in Detroit and he’s outstanding. He sang the song Half of My Heart live (originally with Taylor Swift) for the first time in over a decade and the audience went wild. Definitely thought he put that one away forever.
It’s speculated that The Story of Us, Ours, Superman, Sad Beautiful Tragic, and Foolish One are all about John Mayer as well. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Taylor writes songs to heal her soul. She keeps working on it till she has a healing. It was 10 minutes and it got cut down for the album. She made the mistake of mentioning it was originally 10 minutes. The fans pushed her till they got to hear the 10 minute version. Then she made a short film of the 10 minute version. Taylor never confirms who her songs are about. It is speculated this one was about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal. I really enjoy your knowledge of music and the things you point out about her choices and the mix. I'm glad I found your channel. You are not just another guy jumping on the swift ride you have insightful observations from a good music background. I love that your sisters like Taylor. I was drawn in by her humanitarian work and then her music. Oh yes and the shame thing. Women tend to feel ashamed of that pull to give it one more chance and hope you were wrong, the pull for the fantasy, and then when she got hurt by his cold hard honesty she was ashamed for still wanting him. Humans are so complicated. Your comment about writing with a knife is was spot on and well said.
I'm so here for the Taylor content. I do hope you keep digging into her discography, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. Trust the Swifties to take you on your own personal journey. I would love to see your reaction to some of her best live performances from the Reputation Tour (Ready For It, I Did Something Bad, and DON'T BLAME ME). She's truly best live, and I think you'd enjoy the production value of Taylor at full force.
Reputation is AMAZING. I am still angry at myself for refusing to listen to that album for 3 years because "Look What You Made Me Do" turned me off from her during that era. Now that I listen to that song within the context of her whole album when listening to Reputation it fits perfectly. That was a horrible debut single for that album though.
I absolutely love Reputation. Hope he breaks down a few tracks from that album.
Taylor doesn't want her fans hating on the subjects of her songs. She writes songs to help her process her feelings and what happens in her life. I think she and John Meyer are on good terms these days. Not all of her songs are about relationships though. And not all of them are about her life either. But it's fun for fans to speculate on these things. Taylor also plays with her fans by scattering Easter Eggs around her music/music videos - and her social media posts. She's really good at that stuff.
I really like her music, for the lyrics, but also for how they sound. I think she, and her producers over the years, has done a great job of marrying her story telling with music that enhances it. I also like how she uses her voice. She may not sing like Adele or Ariana Grande, but she doesn't need to. Her voice is perfect for her songs and I actually like that she's not a perfect singer. Her sound is unique to her.
Actually totally agree about her voice. Makes her more relatable than the big hitters vocally.
@@becauseisaac - exactly! Part of her appeal to people is her relatability.
I recommend " I Almost Do " from Red (Taylor's Version). Even after all these years when listening it it, I still get tears in my eyes. Talks about the same period as All Too Well (Red TV) around her 21st birthday
It’s 100% not possible for me to like Jake personally 😂like I just can’t like someone who did all the things he did.
@@nikkis7375 I just think it is amazing that Taylor wrote and directed solo a literal reenactment of her and Jake's relationship. After all this time she confirmed via the music video that that song is about Jake and the ten minute version included extra stuff. I thought that was just some ridiculous rumor mill garbage from 2014 but she confirmed it all in the music video. Missing scarf at his sister's home and the 21st birthday incident.
10:06 Taylor rewrote most of her songs because Big Machine Records didn’t grant her the rights to own the lyrics that she wrote. That’s why it says “Taylor’s Version”. She rewrote or added lyrics to the re-releases of songs which she now has ownership of. Also, I just became a Swifter myself. I read a lot about her and talked to friends who have always loved her. Here’s a couple of thoughts. She wrote, produced, and released folklore and evermore during the pandemic (with Jack Antonoff). I think that’s why both albums are so heartfelt and heavy ~ because of the lockdown. There’s a documentary on Disney+ where they talk through the writing process and she discusses her inspiration for each song. She weaves threads and stories about different characters throughout her albums that follow the theme/stages of various relationships. You might like Invisible String from folklore. It’s a happier vibe.
The shame was of lowering herself to being used because she loved him so much. She never thought she would settle for that kind of treatment. All of us have felt that at one time.
you should watch the short film of All Too Well, it kinda gave us an overview what happened to the relationship really on a visual perspective. btw really enjoyed your reactions alot
This song is just perfect 💜
I love the lyrics, the way she tells the story it makes me feel so connected to it, it’s incredible
She made this song into a short film and it's amazing! It has Dylan O'Brien from the Maze Runner movies and Sadie Sink from Stranger Things.
The original version hooked me into being a Swiftie, now that i've heard her entire catalogue (everyday) i still think this is her best song to date, this song is her Magnum Opus ❤
She's really not only a great singer and songwriter, she's a storyteller ❤
SO HAPPY you're getting into Taylor! I would recommend anything from her albums folklore and evermore they have some of her best writing.
My personal favorites: this is me trying, ivy, right where you left me, my tears ricochet, champagne problems
I really appreciate the care.you take when you do these. I love that you don't pause the song and you try to pay careful attention to the lyrics and also I love your opinions on the production and melody. You are a gift!
I suggest you react to Dear John, she not only references him by name and lyrics but also musically in how It was produced and the instruments.
Loving your Taylor Swift content. Will be back for more of you and Swift for sure.
My new favourite song. The lyrics are so heartfelt and cleverly crafted. The song unfolds like a series of diary entries during heartbreak.
I think Ronan would be a good one to react to. It is a sad one… but it’s so beautiful. A mom wrote a blog about her son, and Taylor took it and made it into a song. She gave the mom song writing credit on it. All proceeds from that song go to charity. It’s one of my favorites from her, definitely worth checking out
It is so beautifully written. That song and Never Grow Up are two that make me sob.
The poor man said he doesn’t want to cry listening to music! Don’t make him listen to Ronan! 😢 As a mom, that song is absolutely gut wrenching. I have TS Playlist with almost all of her songs ever but not Ronan. I can’t have that randomly turning on when I shuffle! I absolutely CANNOT listen to that or to Soon You’ll Get Better without bawling like a baby. (My mom is dying, and there’s no hope for her to get better so that makes Soon You’ll Get Better excruciating to listen to.)
It’s not about John Mayor, it’s about Jake Gyllenhaal.
So the story behind it is that Taylor was in rehearsals for her Speak Now tour and it was a really hard time in her life. So before the rehearsal started she was playing these four chords again and again on the guitar (C, G, Am, F) and then the band started to join in and she started ad-libbing and singing. It lasted for over 10 minutes and then after that they just went along with the normal scheduled rehearsal. After the rehearsal Taylor’s mom asked her sound guy “Is there any chance you recorded that?” And the sound guy was like “Here it is” and hands them the recording. And after that she wanted to shorten it (because a 10 minutes song just seemed CRAZY) to put it on to her album RED.
When she performed it on the RED tour, it was always really difficult for her. In one of the shows in Jakarta Indonesia, you could see her crying as she performs it. But it became a fan favourite song and every time she would hear the fans screaming the words back to her and it changed the song for her, it made it more enjoyable to perform. Now because she had to re-record her early albums because of trouble with her masters, she was able to add songs that she wrote a long time ago that almost made the album but didn’t (she calls them “From the Vault songs). And the 10 minute version of All Too Well was one of the vault songs on the re-recorded RED album. And she also wrote and directed a short film that became an award-winning music video. And now it is one of the most popular Taylor Swift songs among the Swifties.
So in simple terms, she wrote a song that is long than the relationship it is about😂
“Dear John” and “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve” are great for a combo reaction. Same relationship in different points in time. “My tears ricochet” from Folklore ‘Long Pond Studio Sessions’ is rumored to be about the fallout with her previous label because of her masters, and the betrayal she felt from the owner, who knew her since she was 15.
Other recommendations: exile ft. Bon Iver from folklore, right where you left me from evermore (the lyrics and tempo of that song are amazing), and production-wise, I think “vigilante shit” from midnights is a very surprising song coming from Taylor
I'm new to seeing your reactions ( through V Tiny Desk), and I really appreciate your respectful visual framing, so that the artist performance fills most of the space and we can enjoy it with you and with your commentary. This is actually my first exposure to seriously listening to Taylor Swift, and I am amazed that it took me so long. Thank you for the invitation to explore more of her music. As a longtime fan of Joni Mitchell, I hear her strongly in this song, and the storytelling and rhyme scheme are just perfection here.
The reason that songs tend to be 3-4 minutes is because record labels believe radio won't play longer songs. With the song Hey Jude, which is 7 minutes or there abouts was a fight because the record labels didn't believe radios would play it. John Lennon said they will if it's us.
Jake Gyllenhall. Dear John is about John Mayer. The scarf she refers to was photographed on Jake, his sister Maggie and Taylor at different points.
The lyric I'm most proud of is from "All Too Well": "And you call me up again just to break me like a promise / So casually cruel in the name of being honest." That was something I came up with while ranting during a soundcheck. I was just playing these chords over and over onstage and my band joined in and I went on a rant. Those were some of the lines I thought of. [...] I was going through a really hard time then, and my band joined in playing, and one of the first things that I came up with, just, like, spat out, was "And you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest.
- Swift on the beginnings of writing "All Too Well"
In an interview with Good Morning America, Swift said that the song was "the hardest to write on the album", saying: "it took me a really long time to filter through everything I wanted to put in the song without it being a 10-minute song, which you can't put on an album. I wanted a story that could work in the form of a song and I called my co-writer Liz Rose and said, 'Come over, we've gotta filter this down,' and it took me a really long time to get it."[6] Rose also said that the song was originally "10, 12 or 15 minutes long" before cutting down to "the important pieces".[2] In a later interview, Rose described "All Too Well" as originally being "probably a 20-minute song when [Swift] called me."[7] Even after cutting it down, the song is the longest track on the album, clocking in at five minutes and twenty-eight seconds (5:28). In a 2020 interview on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums podcast, Swift later confirmed that the original version was about 10 minutes long and also revealed that it was explicit.[8] The song's studio recording was produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman.[9]
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Liz Rose explained how "All Too Well" came to be, stating "When we did 'All Too Well,' I hadn't heard from her in awhile. She hadn't really been writing." After receiving a call from Swift asking her to collaborate on the song, Rose explained that "[Swift] had a ''lot'' of information. I just let her go. She already had a melody and she started singing some words, and I started writing things down, saying, 'Ok, let's use this, let's use that." Rose later stated "It was the most emotional, in-depth song we've ever written."[10]
The song's secret message in Red's liner notes is "MAPLE LATTES".[11][12][13] The first of four Target-exclusive deluxe editions of Swift's 2019 album Lover contained her old diary, in which some of the scrapped lyrics of "All Too Well" can be found: "There we are again / You're crying on the phone / Realized you lost the one real thing you've ever known" was the original bridge of the song, while the original opening lines were "I walked through the door with you / The air was cold / Pictures on the fireplace, you're showing me around." Additional original lyrics included "There we are again / When you blew the candle out / Took this blazing love and steered it right into the ground / Running scared, I was there," and "You'll mail back my things in a box with no note / Except for that scarf from the very first week / Yeah you keep it in your drawer 'cause it smells like me."[14][15]
This song makes me cry every time I listen to it. Love you Taylor.
evermore and folklore have out of this world lyrics and storytelling, her reputation album is just such cool production and overall more upbeat if you’d want to review something that won’t make your eyes sweat, and of course “dear john” paired with “would’ve could’ve should’ve” are 100% worth listening to if you’d be interested in her relationship with John Mayer when they were together at the ages of 19 and 32 !!
Glad you came back to give her another shot!
YES YES YES YES!!! IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO YESSSSS!
edit:
nooo, it’s most likely *Jake Gyllenhaal* because he was about 9 years older than her and he missed her 21st birthday, hence the part that says
“But then he watched me watch the front door all night, willin' you to come
And he said, "It's supposed to be fun turning twenty-one" “
it’s not really confirmed but-all too well the 10 minute ver really gives key details that it is
Hi there. First off, thank you for listening to Taylor and making these videos of you listening to Taylor for our entertainment.
Though there are many songs to recommend, three immediately came to my mind.
This is me trying - a song about addiction and struggling to stay sober.
Marjorie - a song about her late grandmother
Dear reader - an underrated song written to her past self about how to navigate the challenges of celebrity and being in the industry
Hopefully you get to listen to either “You Are In Love” from 1989 Taylor’s Version or “Lavender Haze” from Midnights or maybe even the song “…Ready for it?” from Reputation. I think these two can offer some more variety into what Taylor’s musical soundscape can reach. Great Reaction vid, cheers to more!
False God from Lover and Peace from folklore too.
Your reactions to these songs make me teary eyed 😢 this song is so beautiful ❤❤❤
Her music does something to our hearts. It's so touching beautifully sung. Wow perfection
This song is just a masterpiece. Periodtttttttt
You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath
Such a cutting line but so simple. She’s just an expert with language.
Enjoying these videos of you discovering Taylor Swift, she's a very interesting artist to follow I think for many reasons
I don't know if you're planning on doing any more of these (because it was really interesting to hear your thoughts on this song!) but since you liked this song, I recommend checking out "Would've, Should've, Could've" (from Midnights 3am Edition), "Suburban Legends (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)" (from 1989 (Taylor's Version)), "right where you left me - bonus track" (evermore (deluxe version)), "marjorie" (evermore), "The Archer" (Lover), and "my tears ricochet - the long pond studio sessions" (folklore - the long pond studio sessions).
even just the title being all too well really stands out to me more now that I’m an adult when she’s released the 10 min version. I feel she was gaslit and manipulated and it’s her way of reminding and reassuring herself she was there and her experience was real. the outro of the 10 min version also feeling like a come down from an emotional crescendo also solidifies it for me. this song is incredible
The Masterpiece ❤
more Taylor Swift songs please ❤
Addicted to these!! It’s so good to see someone have an open mind and really connecting to the music that’s awesome, thank you☺️
The thing I love about this song is how lyrically aligned Taylor's experiences are with so many of us, you can pick lines like "You kept me like a secret, I kept you like an oath" and apply them to our life story. Anyway, My Tears Ricochet is haunting, Vigilante Shit is deliciously revengeful and somehow i just love how Betty is a song from a guy called James's perspective
This song DESTROYS me after a BILLION times hearing all 10 minutes. I will still cry every time. No matter what.
And you're right, it never feels like 10 minutes. It feels like a painful moment that rips your soul into shreds.
Keep deep diving Taylor. If you want to learn some things? She's you're girl.
I recommend "Dear John (live version)" (pay attention to lyrics though) also, "Would've, Could've, Should've" both about John Mayer, this one was supposed to have been about Jake Gyellenhall.
Both those songs of hers about John Mayer also mention the exact age stuff. She dated John Mayer first then proceeded to date another much older guy in her next relationship.
The live version blows me away, and is what made me a Swiftie.
One cool thing about the song is that even the way the melody sounds show the story and the timeline. At 5:59 where you thought the song was ending it goes suddenly from them fighting and a line about her turning 21, to being quiet. He actually broke up with her on her birthday and so the pause in the song is almost like a moment oh shock and then it continues with her recovering from the break up and remembering. It is shown beautifully in the short film where the movie is divided into parts called "the first crack" and so on. Great video and great song!
The painting behind you blew my mind! I'm a swiftie and this is the second video I watched of yours, the first one was you reacting to 6 songs by her. I'll watch every reaction of yours if they are about Taylor :D So please, go for it!
I recommend you listen to them by album... :)
Thank you for how attentive you are when listening. We all know her best lyrics and wait for your reaction and you always deliver. Even if you do not want to rock out to her in the shower, we love and appreciate the sincere reviews ❤.
You should definitely check out “you’re losing me”. It’s very heart wrenching and sad.
Yes also one of her best songs lyrically
Love these videos!! I think my tears ricochet is a must when listening to Taylor
I have enjoyed these videos, thanks. I'm also someone with a new curiosity about Taylor for the first time, found you that way. Her lyricism is really something special.
On that note I think it'd be cool if you paused and took a moment to note and reflect on really banger lines when one sticks out to you. I know your focus is production so do what you want of course 😅 but I'd enjoy hearing what they evoke for you, professionally or just as a human.
She's an emotional marksman, so feel free to pause to shoot the shit when one of her arrows hits true.
Great thoughts thanks!
My all time favorite song to play on piano and sing to. Always raises my vibe. Much more respect to her as an artist learning to play her songs.
Who else sang along like they've just experienced an heartbreak?
The 10 minute version is everything. The best parts were cut out of the original. The build, her anger growing, the lyrics and rhythm change ups. Chefs kiss!
Highly recommend the live 10 minute SNL performance of All to Well, it's quite impressive, and also feels like only a couple of minutes have gone by when the song ends.
I absolutely love Taylor swifts music and ability to write such amazing lyrics as a song writer myself she really inspires me for my own music
The accepted length of a pop song has a lot to do with the early limitations of vinyl, if I’m not mistaken. It was a huge deal for the Beatles to cram all of Hey Jude onto an A side of a 7” record, that was considered an engineering feat at the time.
Oh my gosh. And the lakes. An absolutely stunning song, with the most beautiful lyrics. Bonus track in evermore. And illicit affairs again lyrical masterpiece
Subscribed! Listen to “Clean” (1989 TV), “My Tears Ricochet”, “Mirrorball”, “This Is Me Trying”, “Invisible String” & “The Lakes” (Folklore), “Right Where You Left Me” (Evermore)… just a few
😂💜✨🦋
If your sisters didn’t make a Swifty of you yet, WE will. I appreciate your candor and knowledge. I like the way you speak about the production of the music. I am also happy to read (in the comments) you know who Aurora is! She’s another of my faves ✨🧚♀️✨
Now, get busy on Folklore
😂🥳🧩🧚♀️💜
I think only TS could pull this kind off. Music wise and she is just so nice. Wow Taylor 😍
The 10 version is actually the original version, that she shortened and then released. But then we got the full version on red Taylor’s version bc she told us about it in an interview
When you said, "done that" with a little smile on your face... you are officially one of us swifties now lol
One thing you should know about this song is she was with her band/producers in the studio to work on other things, but she was so upset about the relationship she ended up just singing this song. Her band slowly joined her, and it ended up being around 10 minutes. Her producer was recording it all and that's where this came from. I find it really impressive that this song just poured out of her.
Liz Rose, her co-writer (really just an editor according to Rose's own words, haha), said that the first version of the song was not 10 minutes long but TWENTY MINUTES long! I have a feeling the full version had way TMI private info lyrics so Taylor and others who were in that room try to claim the first version was ten minutes instead.
Loving the taylor content. Taylor is an amazing story teller, I recommend Right Where You Left Me and Nobody No Crime from evermore.
You are me. Did not care for TS for 20 years. When you have a 15 y.o. daughter, you start listening, and Dang, I'm off to the Eras Tour with my daughter.
Since I heard Shake It Off, she has grown up ... musically and as a business woman. As an intellectual property attorney, her move to rerecord her music to own the rights ... just brilliant. So talented.
As for the tradition of songs being 3-4 minutes, I'm pretty sure thats a relic of when we listened to music on the radio. A radio station would not play songs over 4.5 minutes. It messes up the commercial schedule.
I hope the success of this song inspires more artists to do away with the 3 minute song.
Some my favorite songs are up there in the 8-10 minute range: Guns N Roses (November Rain, Estranged), Live (Pillar of Davison), Oasis (Champagne Supernova), etc.
This songs predates Shake It Off
I found this song 2 weeks ago, and now this song is on repeat. beautiful outro.
You should definitely watch/listen to the long pond studio sessions! The performances are beautiful, and includes really great insights into how the songs were made.
On long road trips I play this song a few times and it does make time go by really fast
Jake Gyllenhall. A lot of the songs on her Red album are about him. The John Meyer songs are on her previous album, Speak Now. Most notably, “Dear John” which is worth a listen. Since you’re trying to check out newer Taylor, I would suggest “Cardigan” from Folklore. It’s really special.
I would suggest EVERYTHING from Folklore and Evermore. Hearing those tracks out of order and separately in his first Taylor reaction video just felt strange. I can only listen to those tracks in the order she organized them from first track to last track, non-stop.
Watch the short film and her interview on how it came to be. It’s truly incredible. It was a one take that she wrote with her band during one of her tour practices from my understanding. She sang this in the middle of her ERAS show and it was amazing. Next up, look into her vault tracks, how they came to be and why fans are fanatical. 1989 has some amazing vault tracks.
Before the Internet and streaming services, singles were released for radio; advertisers and radio stations deemed a single should be no more than three or four minutes long.
Also the song:-
CARDIGAN AUGUST BETTY are connected, so listen to as a story
she made a short film for this song! directed by her and everything, I highly recommend watching! it's basically a music video but there is some dialogue in the middle and it's all just beautifully done
Songs are short because of radio play. Producers and artists realized that the average attention span isn’t very long and back in music was distributed by radio, musicians had to write a short story to hook the listener essentially. This song is believed to be about Jake Gyllenhaal. His sister Maggie said Taylor never left a scarf 🧣 but that’s symbolic of saving a sweet, innocent memory. The fact that’s it’s red indicates 💔, which is the unspoken theme of Red. Taylor Swift weaves compelling stories that resonate with fans and make audiences feel something. She is the best songwriter of our generation. I love the Autumn Sad Girl version of this song. It’s hauntingly sad and beautiful.
Not just radio, it also has to do with the time/length allowed for on og records etc
Taylor said that they were her songs but now they’re our songs. She is a lyrical, genius. 🫶
I'm 1:11 in but are we seriously not watching the video to go along with it?!?!
Isaac I'm genuinely so excited for you to find out more about her music, magnetic lyricism and genius mind. Some recent songs I'd recommend are my tears ricochet, coney island, ivy, exile, peace, hoax. Oldies but goldies: haunted, the best day, last kiss, innocent, enchanted, long live, dear john, mary's song, I know places. And of course I'd love to get an in depth reputation reaction. Hope you enjoy the ride!
3-4 minute songs work well for radio plays so most songs go with this format…as for the song itself the swifties will fill you out but yes this is a lovely song
I appreciate the candidness of this reaction a lot. I would be very curious to hear your reaction to Wonderland (Taylor's Version) from 1989 (Taylor's Version) or coney island feat The National from Evermore because those are two of my favorite songs of hers in storytelling unless you want more Red content cause then I'd recommend The Moment I Knew (Taylor's Version). Her storytelling and ability to paint vivid pictures is and always has been one of my most favorite things about her as a lifelong fan (since the age of 10/11) so I appreciate your appreciation.
here's a list of songs you should do next :
1. you're on your own, kid
2. my tears ricochet
3. Illicit Affairs
4. back to December
5. Marjorie
6. mastermind
I am sure you are going to love these songs very much...
Literally all the ones I was thinking!
You’re on your own kid, back to December and mastermind for sure! Back to December makes me sob!
@@jenniferwalker8788 me tooo 🥺🥺🥺🥺
hey i wanna say i really liked your reactions to taylor's music, and i'm so glad that you appreciate her writing it's the most important thing to touch on i think in her music. if you want to know somethings about john mayer and taylor's relationship you can listen to "dear john(she wrote it when she was 19) and would've could've should've(and she wrote it when she was 32) in their relationship taylor was 19 john mayer was 32 so it's very clever to do that i think. i hope you react them and keep reacting her music i really enjoyed it.
For a song with a very, very simple and repetitive chord progression, she manages to keep you engaged and interested with little variations in the melody (and of course, her storytelling). It really does not feel like 10 minutes.
I always recommend "Cornelia Street" from Live from City of Lover (Paris). "Death By a Thousand Cuts" from the same concert is also phenomenal.