It's not a song about a healthy relationship or a great love. It's about a young woman's first intense love affair with an older man, who told her it was everything and then dumped her in a really cowardly way. I think you may have really missed the lyrics on first listen if you think it's about a healthy relationship. I think this song works best, whether you like it or not, if you focus on listening to the whole story and not trying to interpret a small element before you've heard the whole song.
Taylor both wrote and directed this “short film”. There is actually a video showing behind the scenes footage of her directing that I highly recommend. It showcases her attention to detail and creativity so well.
I'm not sure there is a message. This was her way of analyzing, accepting, moving on from a bad relationship. The song was written when she was still in a grief, anger stage because the end of a relationship is like a death. Looking back 13 years, she'd found acceptance and was basically closing the door. To have a particularly bad relationship at such a young age would be hard to move on from. Luckily for Taylor, she had a creative outlet to help her heal.
@@IzzyIzenstain She actually has a song on Tortured Poets that a lot of us think is a follow up to All Too Well, "The Manuscript", which explains how going back to this song as an adult during the re-record and then the short film adaptation further shaped her understanding of this time in her life, and how looking at the past allowed her to find acceptance / closure as an adult. You should definitely check it out.
In the video, the book she’s written is titled, “All Too Well”, which is their tragic love story turned into a novel. The character’s method of processing the pain, was to write about it. I would suppose the reason he is there at the end, wearing the scarf, is representative of the theme throughout the song, that it was real and remembered, by both parties. Taylor stated in an interview that she wanted the video to play out like chapters in a book, hence the “title” before each changing scene. This song was written over a decade ago and is based on a relationship Taylor experienced when she was 20 (he was 29) and both the song and video are semi- autobiographical.
@@IzzyIzenstainhey there! I am a domestic abuse survivor. This song, to me, is trying to convince yourself you’re not crazy when you remember every last detail of a relationship when it was good and your partner manipulates you, makes you feel small and insignificant- just gaslights you in every way. She told a very vivid, intimate story that also showcases her vulnerability when a much older man broke her heart and her spirit. Her lyrical imagery is spectacular and she won awards for this short film. When someone so brutally plays mind games and leaves you crumpled on the ground (I’ve literally been there, shoved and left lying on the ground) you question everything about yourself- am I trash? Am I as unappealing as he believes me to be? Am I unworthy of real love? Did I imagine this whole thing? Thousands of people can relate to all of that - a cold, dismissive dinner, weird actions in front of others, purposely freezing you out and pretending to not know they did it. It’s a masterpiece- and Taylor said during an interview at the Toronto Film Festival screening that the scarf is indeed a metaphor. The heartbreaking thing is she lost her innocence at such a young age. How cruel to date her, draw her in, use her, knowing full well how young she was at the time, and then using that very age as an excuse as to why they can’t stay together. She’s also sending a broad message - here’s my tragic story- don’t let someone maim you like this - you ARE good. You ARE worthy. Hope this gives you a different perspective- and the music, IMO, was stripped back to mirror the despair she felt. Surviving abuse is rough - especially at such a young age. That kind of pain is visceral and I think Sadie sink does an astounding job conveying that. Have a wonderful day!
From your first pause about Pablo Neruda’s quote, to your last pause about learning to love yourself, and all the thoughtful pauses you took in-between to digest a lyric and comment with insight and reflection. It’s that, my friend. The song touched you in ways you didn’t recognize. ❤
There are guys who are just like this in relationships. They have charisma, use "us" and "we," and intimate looks and gestures, talk about the future when they're together... except when they're with his friends. This is up until the moment he decides the relationship is over and it's like he flipped a switch. It can be hard to reconcile. He wouldn't have done those things unless he was in love, unless the relationship was special, right? Actually, no. It's just how he test drives relationships, by being fully in until the moment he's not. If you've ever visited a cabin in the fall or spring, the air inside is always cold yet full of potential for the vacation/weekend. You have to turn the heat and hot water on and wait for it to warm up. It evokes a memory as much as the smell of the autumn leaves or first fall of snow.
@@Donna-C I don't know, I think Matty decided he couldn't be who he wanted to be and imagined he could be with her. He proceeded to blow it up when it became real and hard to live up to. He cut it off abruptly and avoided her in shame rather than denying it was serious. Jake seems to have pulled a "it was never serious" or a "we had fun" which is hurtful and infuriating. Of course, this is all based on lyrical analysis. But a lot of us have known guys like that and the lyrics resonate.
@@kindredanastasiaMakes sense. I also do feel like Matty may have thought he was causing TS major career problems, which he in fact was. He pulled away in an attempt to save Taylor, which he did. A fine muse also!
My interpretation is This song is about a 29 year old man taking advantage of a 20 year old girl who told her all these wonderful things, and pretended to be Prince Charming, took her virginity and then broke up with her. It’s the young female perspective. It may be hard for men to understand. Many people believe the scarf is a metaphor for her virginity
Pity, but well, not everything is for everybody. 😉 In general people think, this is her masterpiece, because everybody who has gone through a bad breakup - especially at young age - can relate to one part or another. For me the line "So casually cruel in the name of being honest" is one of my favourites. Who hasn't heard the words "I'm just being honest!". 😝😅
I think it’s popular for three reasons: she wrote it at age 22 and a lot of younger women related to how relationships feel at that age; hopeful, whimsical and exciting…so much so that when reality crashes in, it can be a shock to a naive heart. Secondly, it has a diaristic nature that feels quite intimate - this was quite rare in pop music (excluding indie stuff obviously) at the time. And lastly, everyone knew it was about Taylor and Jake Gyllenhaal and their big ‘age gap’ love affair - this added a layer of intrigue. As for the meaning behind the video - I think it was a way to show that although these experiences can feel quite heavy and dramatic in the moment, you can take those life lessons and create art from them. Like Taylor did with her music and the fictional woman in the film clip did by writing a book. I appreciate your honestly in regards to it not being all that impressive to you though. I became a fan after Taylor’s Folklore album and can see that her earlier stuff isn’t as strong as some of her other more mature works but she’s always been a sensitive, heartfelt and passionate writer….so I give her props for that. Taylor’s incredibly diverse though. She even says herself that she writes with three different “pens”: glitter gel, fountain and quill. You won’t like all her stuff but some of it will most definitely move you.
Good analysis, thanks! I think I will like her more recent stuff more, but I'm also interested to check out a variety of her stuff and see the journey and progression.
My opinion: I’m not sure there’s a message per se, but an illustration of a young woman with a man ten years older than her in a toxic relationship. The sexual intensity along with the push away and reeling back in that takes place. The writing of the book is a catharsis for her and the reading shows that many women/men can relate or have had a similar experience and the book is a cathartic experience for the reader as well. This of course is a metaphor for her relationship with her music and her fans.❤
Fun fact… the scarf she keeps talking about…Jake Gyllenhaal was seen wearing her scarf after they had already broken up and there are paparazzi photos of that
Storytelling doesn't always have to have a "message." It only has to tell a story. I think it's a great story that so many people can relate to. If there's any "message" to the story that's it, that it's a very true feeling account.
For me, this answers why the song isn’t musically complex and why this is such a personal sing for her: Swift later opened up to Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums podcast about the experience of writing "All Too Well," explaining that the song was written while she was in a dark place. "It was a day when I was just, like, a broken human, walking into rehearsal just feeling terrible about what was going on in my personal life," Taylor told the outlet. "I just ended up playing four chords over and over again, and the band started kicking in," she said, adding that she "just started singing and riffing and ad-libbing this song." "People just started playing along with me ... I think they could tell I was really going through it."
Video is written and directed by Taylor and is pretty closely tied to the song. The song was an autopsy of her first serious relationship which really broke her heart. Wiped her out really She’s never said who it’s about but we think we know (we always THINK we know 😂) This person’s movies don’t play in my of my sister’s house 😅
I think the song is not telling a love story, its telling the remembering of a love story... first you remember the good parts and then slowly the reasons why it had to end come back also... the song is about how memories are a not a relialable narrator
Yes this! It’s also about reminding yourself that all the good times DID happen and you have every right to be heartbroken, even if the other person acts like it was no big deal.
At the end, the guy is watching his ex-girlfriend, who is now a successful writer, telling her story of their relationship and how it shaped her into the woman she becomes. She repeats over and over that he was there and he remembers the relationship. She even asks him, “between us, did the love affair maim you too?” She suspects that he was more affected by it than he claims. If you look at this song as autobiographical then it’s the story of 20 year old Taylor, who was at the time a VERY successful country star, dating an older actor. He obviously liked her enough to date her but he made it clear he didn’t like or respect her music. So now she’s one of the biggest artists of all time, highly decorated by the music industry and adored by fans. He must see all of this. I’m sure she wonders if he remembers them being together and what he thinks about her now.
Thanks, Izzy! The message...getting gaslighted is hard to see when you're in it sometimes. She's remembering the good times, but trying to process the bad times as well. And she knows that HE remembers it, too, the good and the bad.
Well you're feeding us with content ❤ About this one I guess this was her first big real relationship and heartbreak at 20/21 years old. ( She has others song about heartache but I think they were through a teenager perspective). She never has said for who is about but of course us detectives get the message and from others songs on the same album, vague interviews and so on.... So he was older and more sophisticated, was reading "difficult" books, listened to indie music and his friends were also like him and she always felt out of place and he kinda was embarrassed of her because of her age and she was doing country and many didn't took her seriously back then. They were off and on for a while. But from my understanding she was very in love from her songs, more so then him: Loving him was burning red, missing him was dark grey all alone... Fun fact: he stood her up on her 21 birthday so she spent it crying and then made a song called "22" and the next year she celebrated her 22 birthday like she should have been her 21. He didn't like her music and in anger she made a huge pop hit where he wouldn't be able to escape hearing "we are never getting back together" and it was played all the time everywhere and there is a line "you go and find your peace of mind with some indie record that so much cooler then mine" 😂 I think no matter how successful she is she's still very insecure and feels out of place at award shows. She's kinda cringe at the best way and has a lot of dad jokes but I like that. At 19 she also tried a relationship with an older musician who was very respected in the field and he was praising her a lot in the media that she in fact was writing the lyrics and the music so like I said she was searching this type of validation from an older guys. Like many young girls including me.
The message is that Jake Gyllenhall is an asshole. He caused her an eating disorder, gaslighted her, made her believe he broke up because she was too young, but he continued to date women her age. She literally just told the story of her relationship with him. This is not a fictional story. This is her life. And all her songs are based on things that se goes through. That is why her audience connects with her so much. Because although she is a superstar, she goes through so much that relates to us. Not literally of course, I don't hang out with actresses in bathrooms, but I have been gaslighted in past relationship and made feel like a "crumpled up piece of paper" as well. And this song is about knowing your truth and not dismissing your feelings as unimportant, if the other person makes you feel like it was not real.
The music is the least important piece to the song, funny enough. The point is the lyrics/story and the music is background music. It’s like listening to a story set to music rather than music with lyrics. I know that bothers you but the reason is because of how it was written. Off the cuff, on a bad day after a bad breakup and not intended to see the light of day.
I think her being 19/20 when they started and him early 30s tells the whole story here. He completely gaslit her. She had that first love feel and innocent naivety. I think he was the perfect boyfriend to her and her family initially but would act like he was embarrassed of her around ‘his’ people… We get harder as we get older but first big love hits hardest on the heart when it ends.
Maybe it doesn’t hit you the same as it hits a female perhaps. It’s relatable and heartbreaking. The whole thing is about dealing with and reflecting on the magic and devastation of your ‘first love’ and learning harsh realities
Why would Taylor write and direct a short film specifically for this film “that just fits”? This is her version of exactly what happened between her and Jake Gyllenhall while they were together and the aftermath when their relationship was over. You words just undermined her entire dedication to her body of work to get this short film made and out to us. This was a passion project for her and even though it was painful, it was worth it to finally have her closure.
This film makes me too sad but leaving a message for support! I really love Taylor’s live performance of Death by a Thousand cuts in Paris and humbly offer it as a reaction idea!xox
I think there are any songs to be appreciated because they are well written without being melodramatic. Songs that are genius and encompass more of a wide range of things.
"What's the message?" That's actually a very difficult question because everyone is going to take away something different. In general terms: this was the story of an imbalanced relationship that ended up breaking due to those differences and though it was a hurtful experience it's shaped who she is now. (to give you the TLDR, because you mentioned it in the video when you said you hoped she wasn't 21: yeah, she was. They started dating when she was still 19 and he was 28. Taylor desperately tried to appear older than she was and more mature just because she wanted to fit in with him and his circle). The redhead Taylor wrote a book about her experience, just like real Taylor writes songs about hers. She had something to tell because something had happened. So what I personally take away from it is: bad shit will happen and it will hurt you, but you can actually take that experience, use your creativity and produce something that will connect your world to everybody else's. be it because they relate to the hurt, to the good times, to way it made you change or whatever. This is also something that people used to complain about in her early albums, that she always wrote about her exes and that it was lame and petty to do that. I think a lot of people would change their mind if they watched this video because clearly it was not inconsequential to her. It wasn't dumb, it fucked her up and changed how she thought about relationships. When she said "trying to be my old self but still trying to find her" because she had molded to him so much that she had forgotten who she was. And even if she tried to go back she was fundamentally a different person than she was before the relationship. Taylor has admitted in other songs that some experiences have been defining for her: the bullying she received at different stages in her life has shaped who she is and made her stronger or even allowed her to get were she is now. There's a song were she talks to a music critic that was obsessed with tearing her down when she started her career and she admits "there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you". I connect to her on that aspect because some of the creative work I'm proudest of I made out of spite or out of that feeling of proving everyone wrong. I do believe that you can transform ugly feelings when you pour them into something creative, and so for me this song is about accepting what has happened to you (can be a relationship or some other experience) and build from that to rebuild yourself. I enjoyed watching your reaction a lot, because I always like to know what other musicians think of her tracks. I'm sure there are some other of her songs that you will find more interesting musically. I'm a folkevermore fan so those are my two favourite records, but since she's done so many different styles in her career you have different sounds and levels of production. I do not like much of the sound of reputation and I think some songs in lover are too bland in their sound, but there will be people who will tear me apart for saying it 🤣 I like taylor for her storytelling tho. So I tend to like songs in which the music adds something extra to the lyrics. To me she's a poet
The line you quoted is in the song "ThanK you aIMee" and it's referring to Kim (& Kanye) and the edited phone call that Kim released, trying to make Taylor look bad and like a liar (which was later proven wrong with the full call being released after the fact by someone else) that was a big drama at the time It caused her to go into hiding from the backlash, and then she came back a year later with Reputation, and it was iconic and launched her career even higher than she already was. Which is what that line is referring to 😊
Some good take aways and in general it's also how I try to approach things. Thanks for the comment and for watching, I'm glad you enjoy the reactions. Looking forward to checking out a variety of her stuff, whether I connect with it or not.
Its all true he was even seen wearing her scarf.She had trouble with relationships her whole life and so did he.Neither one of them dodged that bullet.
Yesterday you said you wanted to get to know Taylor more. I think you should listen to her song Dear John. This song is about when she dated John Mayer. He is a singer. songwriter and was her mentor. They dated when he was 32 years old and she was 19. After you listen to Dear John, listen to her other song called Would've Could've Should've. She wrote this song 2 years ago when she was 32 years old (same age he was when he dated her).
But he absolutely needs to watch her performance of it live from The Speak Now Tour.The song has so much more impact when you can see her face, her expressions, and how young she looked at that time.
I think you would like "Cowboy Like Me" from the Evermore album. the studio version is great. She also did a live version at the Eras Tour with Marcus Mumford that was really fun and playful too. It is probably my favorite Taylor track. Great writing and very smooth.
I like your honesty, we're not supposed to like everything and it makes it better when you like a song. I would love to see you react to Maroon from Taylor Swift and I Hate It Here
What I have learned about Taylor, as I’ve only recently started to go through her music as well, (which is why it’s fun to watch other people experience her as well) is that she is a deeply sensitive, feeling person who, as an artist releases, and expresses emotions through her music. I think some of her songs represent a very specific moment in her emotional processing. She translates it into poetry, and then into music. It’s like she can’t help but do that as a way to go through things. So sometimes I see people wonder why create a big song based on this thing… Where I think when she was feeling the intensity in that moment of the break up or whatever it is, she is creating in that moment. It may be a different process from some artists who take time to experience life, and then reflect, and do some writing and create versus creating in the moment. I think that’s why she can’t help but release so much music constantly. Not sure if that makes sense.
I love your calming voice and thoughtful thinking however you missed this one totally. Not everyone of her songs has a message. Sometimes it's just her pouring her thoughts/heart out. This was a painful song for her to sing. Go back many years and watch her sing this live at the 56th Grammys and maybe you will get it. A young girl singing this song its heartbreaking and that's all it is she wrote a very personal song to her and sang it. It's we the fans that have built it up to what is it now.
Taylor being a songwriter and effectively a poet is most likely into words and semantics. I am the same way. I wasn't pissed off, angry, mad... I was irked! I'm just speculating. It wasn't necessarily a lie, just the word or phrase didn't fit the way she was feeling in her mind.
" You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath" 😢 Taylor was so young, naive, and seems to have the tendency to fall head first in love. Unfortunately her first few big loves were with older men who took advantage of this. Great reaction as always, Izzy. I was cracking up at your concerned face halfway through when the couple got back together after their fight 😂 To me the video captures how she takes her life experiences and turns them into art for her audience. In the real world, its her music, but the character in the video writes a book of her experience instead. The people who have hurt you will watch from the outside as you move on with your life.
Haha! Thanks, Melissa! Glad it's gave you that reaction! After reflection, I think I hadn't realised the age difference, and with that in mind it does paint a different picture.
Btw the actress is Sadie sink from stranger things 😊 not sure about show or movie u mentioned. And he is Dylan Obrein who I believe was in the maze runner? And teen wolf 🤔
I'd think the book in the video just represents the song itself; a record of something out in public for people to interpret for themselves. She's known for personal songs about exes. As to why it's popular with Swifties ---- I think most everyone has known someone who hit his mid thirties and went off to get a young trophy wife, or had an affair with a much much younger girl. Back in the 1960's when I was in school, they called it "the seven year itch." In America, divorce was still very difficult back then. Not too often outside of some romance novel you get the young girl's perspective, though.
Lastly I should watch the lyric video "the moment I knew" which tells about this exact moment of her b day here and exactly what happened. Yes this is based on her actual relationship/events with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Sorry I wrote so much. Theres so much more id like to say regarding things u have said But don't even know if u read these Oh one thing u touched on was what I always thought...I think this relationship for him was purely sexual. All the scenes are him wanting to be all over her. For example when she was jumping around wanting to dance he grabs her and starts kissing her And as u watch it seems like that's all he was interested in it all the scenes with him seemed to be purely sexual in nature to on extent to another while they were having "good moments". Again ty for this ❤❤❤🎉ps the scarf is a metaphor for something more than just a scarf. Think of her youth and what I said above.😮
I don’t thing there’s a message /she just made something that was healing for her ….some of her songs in general are like that…things she just has to make to get off her chest…the ending she writes the story of them I guess but in real life she wrote a song..
I find this a bit over dramatic. To blame everything on one person is what happens at times of course. Also Taylor uses her experiences to write and that works out well for her. She has never commented on questions about her songs about who she might have based them on. But then she has her fans to do that. They have fun with it I guess but forget she’s a writer who uses bits of experiences. Not unusual for any poet/songwriter. This is not a favorite for me either. I do appreciate so much of her music though.
Taylor has talked a lot about this song and short film and I don’t think it’s really about a specific message it’s about examining this moment where, to quote her you have one foot in adulthood and one foot in girlhood and you’re incredibly susceptible to everything and how things that happen to you then really calcify and shape who you are as an adult. A lot of her early discography is centered around girlhood and trying to reconcile all the idealism from the fairy tales and Hollywood romance we are spoon fed as young women with the harsh realities of life. This is kind of the climax of that narrative in her discography.
My advice would be: For these Taylor swift reactions to make sense to you, I think you should start at her career now and work backwards. I am a huge REN fan as well, and watch those reactions too. I know you really appreciate the lyrics and such but you’ll burn yourself out on her music before you make it to the stuff you’ll appreciate if you start this early in her career. I highly recommend starting with “the tortured poets department” loml or ‘how did it end’ But this early on will be tough for you to get through
Before Jake Gyllenhaal, she was with John Mayer… I don’t want to steer you towards anything else before I hear a reaction to who is afraid of little old me lmao but you should check out the lyrics to would’ve could’ve should’ve… it’s about John Mayer.
I think you need to look through the eyes of a young girl just starting out having relationships and how important first love is to them. The age difference between a young girl and older man play into the dynamics especially when you have the man gaslighting and making her seem smaller. The fun times are romantic and make her heart swell but when she wants to tell him about her feelings he makes her feel like she’s an idiot! So it’s not just the good times that make a relationship strong but having a partner that supports your feelings even if they don’t agree. It’s the power difference that we feel in this relationship and how she thought it was love but to him she was just another fling with a young women “he never called it what it was”! So she on some level felt deceived even if it was because of her naïveté! The break up then becomes soul crushing and does change you, you arnt and may never again be the person you were before! And sometimes with women this affects their relationships from then on, because they develop self esteem issues eating disorders trust issues etc. btw Taylor wrote and directed this short film and won a Grammy for this video which you can watch the behind the scenes of this short film and see how amazing she is!
I am somewhat sympathetic to Jake, because he was coming out of a relationship with Reese Witherspoon who didn't want to marry him (reportedly). I think Taylor was a rebound while he was hurting; doesn't necessarily make it right, but life happens.
I think you’re in the minority with your views as there are millions who would disagree with the song being called monotonous, and many more millions for whom the song completely speaks to. I don’t think there’s supposed to be a ‘message’ per se. It’s effectively a diary entry telling a story about her experience of a relationship during which she was gaslit (the red knobs on the oven during the argument scene) and ultimately left heartbroken by a man a decade older than her. I wonder whether it’s gone over your head slightly as you’re new to the whole Taylor Swift ‘lore’ and backstory? Knowing more about her life adds an additional level of complexity and a deeper meaning to her songs, and her songwriting is why she’s more popular than ever, 18 years into the music business. I imagine they could be seen at a very simplistic level without that, especially the bigger ‘poppy’ singles. I’m intrigued to see whether or not your view changes as you continue down your ‘Swiftie’ journey 😂
Izzy her last album TTPD is her best IMO. Especially the Anthology. I feel it will be her last album. The Manuscript makes me think this. It’s the last song.
My 30yr old self (which was about his age) compared to my 21yr old self (her age) would’ve handled that fight so differently! At 21 I hadn’t found my voice yet in terms of saying what I mean and feeling confident in my assessment of the situation. But that’s what happens with a big age gap and you’re the younger one. He’s had time to grow and experience relationships and she hasn’t. She doesn’t want to lose him so it’s scary admitting what you’re unhappy about because he might decide it’s not worth it and break up. At thirty you can see his actions for what they are…this isn’t healthy, you deserve better, time to say goodbye. Much less of what can I do to keep him liking me and much more of what does he have to offer me that makes my life better being with him. That paradigm shift as we get older is quite important. The 10 minute version isn’t even something she ever planned on releasing. She said it was just something she wrote that helped her heal and get through that, but once fans found out that a 10 minute version existed, she said they were relentless about wanting it released , so she finally obliged and it became this huge thing.
It's not a song about a healthy relationship or a great love. It's about a young woman's first intense love affair with an older man, who told her it was everything and then dumped her in a really cowardly way. I think you may have really missed the lyrics on first listen if you think it's about a healthy relationship. I think this song works best, whether you like it or not, if you focus on listening to the whole story and not trying to interpret a small element before you've heard the whole song.
Thanks, Timothy!
@@IzzyIzenstain well you buffy taught me a new expression in return ☺️
This comment comes across as a bit harsh. Good communication happened between you two, so that's what matters. 😊
to be slightly more accurate, second love affair with an older man; she was with John Mayer (age 32) when she was 19.
Taylor both wrote and directed this “short film”. There is actually a video showing behind the scenes footage of her directing that I highly recommend. It showcases her attention to detail and creativity so well.
I'm not sure there is a message. This was her way of analyzing, accepting, moving on from a bad relationship. The song was written when she was still in a grief, anger stage because the end of a relationship is like a death. Looking back 13 years, she'd found acceptance and was basically closing the door. To have a particularly bad relationship at such a young age would be hard to move on from. Luckily for Taylor, she had a creative outlet to help her heal.
Writing can be cathartic. Good stuff!
@@IzzyIzenstain She actually has a song on Tortured Poets that a lot of us think is a follow up to All Too Well, "The Manuscript", which explains how going back to this song as an adult during the re-record and then the short film adaptation further shaped her understanding of this time in her life, and how looking at the past allowed her to find acceptance / closure as an adult. You should definitely check it out.
In the video, the book she’s written is titled, “All Too Well”, which is their tragic love story turned into a novel. The character’s method of processing the pain, was to write about it. I would suppose the reason he is there at the end, wearing the scarf, is representative of the theme throughout the song, that it was real and remembered, by both parties. Taylor stated in an interview that she wanted the video to play out like chapters in a book, hence the “title” before each changing scene. This song was written over a decade ago and is based on a relationship Taylor experienced when she was 20 (he was 29) and both the song and video are semi- autobiographical.
I missed the scarf at the end! Thanks.
@@IzzyIzenstainhey there! I am a domestic abuse survivor. This song, to me, is trying to convince yourself you’re not crazy when you remember every last detail of a relationship when it was good and your partner manipulates you, makes you feel small and insignificant- just gaslights you in every way. She told a very vivid, intimate story that also showcases her vulnerability when a much older man broke her heart and her spirit. Her lyrical imagery is spectacular and she won awards for this short film. When someone so brutally plays mind games and leaves you crumpled on the ground (I’ve literally been there, shoved and left lying on the ground) you question everything about yourself- am I trash? Am I as unappealing as he believes me to be? Am I unworthy of real love? Did I imagine this whole thing? Thousands of people can relate to all of that - a cold, dismissive dinner, weird actions in front of others, purposely freezing you out and pretending to not know they did it. It’s a masterpiece- and Taylor said during an interview at the Toronto Film Festival screening that the scarf is indeed a metaphor. The heartbreaking thing is she lost her innocence at such a young age. How cruel to date her, draw her in, use her, knowing full well how young she was at the time, and then using that very age as an excuse as to why they can’t stay together. She’s also sending a broad message - here’s my tragic story- don’t let someone maim you like this - you ARE good. You ARE worthy. Hope this gives you a different perspective- and the music, IMO, was stripped back to mirror the despair she felt. Surviving abuse is rough - especially at such a young age. That kind of pain is visceral and I think Sadie sink does an astounding job conveying that.
Have a wonderful day!
@@write2inspiresome1 thanks for sharing! love to ya! Glad it has been a valuable song for you and others.
From your first pause about Pablo Neruda’s quote, to your last pause about learning to love yourself, and all the thoughtful pauses you took in-between to digest a lyric and comment with insight and reflection. It’s that, my friend. The song touched you in ways you didn’t recognize. ❤
Very well said, my friend! True!
There are guys who are just like this in relationships. They have charisma, use "us" and "we," and intimate looks and gestures, talk about the future when they're together... except when they're with his friends. This is up until the moment he decides the relationship is over and it's like he flipped a switch. It can be hard to reconcile. He wouldn't have done those things unless he was in love, unless the relationship was special, right? Actually, no. It's just how he test drives relationships, by being fully in until the moment he's not.
If you've ever visited a cabin in the fall or spring, the air inside is always cold yet full of potential for the vacation/weekend. You have to turn the heat and hot water on and wait for it to warm up. It evokes a memory as much as the smell of the autumn leaves or first fall of snow.
That sums up Matty Healy relationship too!
@@Donna-C I don't know, I think Matty decided he couldn't be who he wanted to be and imagined he could be with her. He proceeded to blow it up when it became real and hard to live up to. He cut it off abruptly and avoided her in shame rather than denying it was serious. Jake seems to have pulled a "it was never serious" or a "we had fun" which is hurtful and infuriating.
Of course, this is all based on lyrical analysis. But a lot of us have known guys like that and the lyrics resonate.
@@kindredanastasiaMakes sense. I also do feel like Matty may have thought he was causing TS major career problems, which he in fact was. He pulled away in an attempt to save Taylor, which he did. A fine muse also!
My interpretation is This song is about a 29 year old man taking advantage of a 20 year old girl who told her all these wonderful things, and pretended to be Prince Charming, took her virginity and then broke up with her.
It’s the young female perspective.
It may be hard for men to understand.
Many people believe the scarf is a metaphor for her virginity
She was with Joe Jonas and someone else before Jake, right? Am I missing a metaphor for virginity? I wouldn't be surprised, as I miss a lot.
Oh. I should read your entire comment first! I think the scarf metaphor is a stretch. Just me.
@@kerrisouthTaylor confirmed that the scarf was a metaphor in her TIFF interview
Pity, but well, not everything is for everybody. 😉 In general people think, this is her masterpiece, because everybody who has gone through a bad breakup - especially at young age - can relate to one part or another. For me the line "So casually cruel in the name of being honest" is one of my favourites. Who hasn't heard the words "I'm just being honest!". 😝😅
I think it’s popular for three reasons: she wrote it at age 22 and a lot of younger women related to how relationships feel at that age; hopeful, whimsical and exciting…so much so that when reality crashes in, it can be a shock to a naive heart. Secondly, it has a diaristic nature that feels quite intimate - this was quite rare in pop music (excluding indie stuff obviously) at the time. And lastly, everyone knew it was about Taylor and Jake Gyllenhaal and their big ‘age gap’ love affair - this added a layer of intrigue. As for the meaning behind the video - I think it was a way to show that although these experiences can feel quite heavy and dramatic in the moment, you can take those life lessons and create art from them. Like Taylor did with her music and the fictional woman in the film clip did by writing a book. I appreciate your honestly in regards to it not being all that impressive to you though. I became a fan after Taylor’s Folklore album and can see that her earlier stuff isn’t as strong as some of her other more mature works but she’s always been a sensitive, heartfelt and passionate writer….so I give her props for that. Taylor’s incredibly diverse though. She even says herself that she writes with three different “pens”: glitter gel, fountain and quill. You won’t like all her stuff but some of it will most definitely move you.
Good analysis, thanks! I think I will like her more recent stuff more, but I'm also interested to check out a variety of her stuff and see the journey and progression.
My opinion: I’m not sure there’s a message per se, but an illustration of a young woman with a man ten years older than her in a toxic relationship. The sexual intensity along with the push away and reeling back in that takes place. The writing of the book is a catharsis for her and the reading shows that many women/men can relate or have had a similar experience and the book is a cathartic experience for the reader as well. This of course is a metaphor for her relationship with her music and her fans.❤
Thanks for that, Rose. It does make sense.
Fun fact… the scarf she keeps talking about…Jake Gyllenhaal was seen wearing her scarf after they had already broken up and there are paparazzi photos of that
Storytelling doesn't always have to have a "message." It only has to tell a story. I think it's a great story that so many people can relate to. If there's any "message" to the story that's it, that it's a very true feeling account.
Fair points, Mark!
For me, this answers why the song isn’t musically complex and why this is such a personal sing for her:
Swift later opened up to Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums podcast about the experience of writing "All Too Well," explaining that the song was written while she was in a dark place.
"It was a day when I was just, like, a broken human, walking into rehearsal just feeling terrible about what was going on in my personal life," Taylor told the outlet.
"I just ended up playing four chords over and over again, and the band started kicking in," she said, adding that she "just started singing and riffing and ad-libbing this song." "People just started playing along with me ... I think they could tell I was really going through it."
Thanks, Jill!
Video is written and directed by Taylor and is pretty closely tied to the song.
The song was an autopsy of her first serious relationship which really broke her heart. Wiped her out really
She’s never said who it’s about but we think we know (we always THINK we know 😂)
This person’s movies don’t play in my of my sister’s house 😅
I think the song is not telling a love story, its telling the remembering of a love story... first you remember the good parts and then slowly the reasons why it had to end come back also... the song is about how memories are a not a relialable narrator
Yes this! It’s also about reminding yourself that all the good times DID happen and you have every right to be heartbroken, even if the other person acts like it was no big deal.
At the end, the guy is watching his ex-girlfriend, who is now a successful writer, telling her story of their relationship and how it shaped her into the woman she becomes. She repeats over and over that he was there and he remembers the relationship. She even asks him, “between us, did the love affair maim you too?” She suspects that he was more affected by it than he claims. If you look at this song as autobiographical then it’s the story of 20 year old Taylor, who was at the time a VERY successful country star, dating an older actor. He obviously liked her enough to date her but he made it clear he didn’t like or respect her music. So now she’s one of the biggest artists of all time, highly decorated by the music industry and adored by fans. He must see all of this. I’m sure she wonders if he remembers them being together and what he thinks about her now.
Thanks, Izzy! The message...getting gaslighted is hard to see when you're in it sometimes. She's remembering the good times, but trying to process the bad times as well. And she knows that HE remembers it, too, the good and the bad.
Thanks, Timothy!
Well you're feeding us with content ❤
About this one I guess this was her first big real relationship and heartbreak at 20/21 years old. ( She has others song about heartache but I think they were through a teenager perspective).
She never has said for who is about but of course us detectives get the message and from others songs on the same album, vague interviews and so on....
So he was older and more sophisticated, was reading "difficult" books, listened to indie music and his friends were also like him and she always felt out of place and he kinda was embarrassed of her because of her age and she was doing country and many didn't took her seriously back then. They were off and on for a while. But from my understanding she was very in love from her songs, more so then him: Loving him was burning red, missing him was dark grey all alone...
Fun fact: he stood her up on her 21 birthday so she spent it crying and then made a song called "22" and the next year she celebrated her 22 birthday like she should have been her 21.
He didn't like her music and in anger she made a huge pop hit where he wouldn't be able to escape hearing "we are never getting back together" and it was played all the time everywhere and there is a line "you go and find your peace of mind with some indie record that so much cooler then mine" 😂
I think no matter how successful she is she's still very insecure and feels out of place at award shows. She's kinda cringe at the best way and has a lot of dad jokes but I like that.
At 19 she also tried a relationship with an older musician who was very respected in the field and he was praising her a lot in the media that she in fact was writing the lyrics and the music so like I said she was searching this type of validation from an older guys. Like many young girls including me.
Thanks for filling me in, Joanna!
The message is that Jake Gyllenhall is an asshole. He caused her an eating disorder, gaslighted her, made her believe he broke up because she was too young, but he continued to date women her age. She literally just told the story of her relationship with him. This is not a fictional story. This is her life. And all her songs are based on things that se goes through. That is why her audience connects with her so much. Because although she is a superstar, she goes through so much that relates to us. Not literally of course, I don't hang out with actresses in bathrooms, but I have been gaslighted in past relationship and made feel like a "crumpled up piece of paper" as well. And this song is about knowing your truth and not dismissing your feelings as unimportant, if the other person makes you feel like it was not real.
Jake gave her an eating disorder? That’s a big leap. I would think growing up in the music industry and the media would’ve done that.
he was a dysfunctional boyfriend
The music is the least important piece to the song, funny enough. The point is the lyrics/story and the music is background music. It’s like listening to a story set to music rather than music with lyrics. I know that bothers you but the reason is because of how it was written. Off the cuff, on a bad day after a bad breakup and not intended to see the light of day.
This song is also 68 or 69 on Rolling Stones all time greatest song list!! If ya know you know!!
I think her being 19/20 when they started and him early 30s tells the whole story here. He completely gaslit her. She had that first love feel and innocent naivety. I think he was the perfect boyfriend to her and her family initially but would act like he was embarrassed of her around ‘his’ people…
We get harder as we get older but first big love hits hardest on the heart when it ends.
Good points, Ani! Thanks!
Maybe it doesn’t hit you the same as it hits a female perhaps. It’s relatable and heartbreaking. The whole thing is about dealing with and reflecting on the magic and devastation of your ‘first love’ and learning harsh realities
Could be true also. I've found it interesting to reflect on anyway. Enjoying practicing my empathy, know.
Why would Taylor write and direct a short film specifically for this film “that just fits”? This is her version of exactly what happened between her and Jake Gyllenhall while they were together and the aftermath when their relationship was over. You words just undermined her entire dedication to her body of work to get this short film made and out to us. This was a passion project for her and even though it was painful, it was worth it to finally have her closure.
It’s more about what she did with her hurt than it is about his regret for letting her go. It’s about her.
This film makes me too sad but leaving a message for support! I really love Taylor’s live performance of Death by a Thousand cuts in Paris and humbly offer it as a reaction idea!xox
I think there are any songs to be appreciated because they are well written without being melodramatic. Songs that are genius and encompass more of a wide range of things.
This is Taylor's real experience, love this song sooooo much
"What's the message?"
That's actually a very difficult question because everyone is going to take away something different. In general terms: this was the story of an imbalanced relationship that ended up breaking due to those differences and though it was a hurtful experience it's shaped who she is now. (to give you the TLDR, because you mentioned it in the video when you said you hoped she wasn't 21: yeah, she was. They started dating when she was still 19 and he was 28. Taylor desperately tried to appear older than she was and more mature just because she wanted to fit in with him and his circle).
The redhead Taylor wrote a book about her experience, just like real Taylor writes songs about hers. She had something to tell because something had happened. So what I personally take away from it is: bad shit will happen and it will hurt you, but you can actually take that experience, use your creativity and produce something that will connect your world to everybody else's. be it because they relate to the hurt, to the good times, to way it made you change or whatever. This is also something that people used to complain about in her early albums, that she always wrote about her exes and that it was lame and petty to do that. I think a lot of people would change their mind if they watched this video because clearly it was not inconsequential to her. It wasn't dumb, it fucked her up and changed how she thought about relationships. When she said "trying to be my old self but still trying to find her" because she had molded to him so much that she had forgotten who she was. And even if she tried to go back she was fundamentally a different person than she was before the relationship.
Taylor has admitted in other songs that some experiences have been defining for her: the bullying she received at different stages in her life has shaped who she is and made her stronger or even allowed her to get were she is now. There's a song were she talks to a music critic that was obsessed with tearing her down when she started her career and she admits "there wouldn't be this if there hadn't been you".
I connect to her on that aspect because some of the creative work I'm proudest of I made out of spite or out of that feeling of proving everyone wrong. I do believe that you can transform ugly feelings when you pour them into something creative, and so for me this song is about accepting what has happened to you (can be a relationship or some other experience) and build from that to rebuild yourself.
I enjoyed watching your reaction a lot, because I always like to know what other musicians think of her tracks. I'm sure there are some other of her songs that you will find more interesting musically.
I'm a folkevermore fan so those are my two favourite records, but since she's done so many different styles in her career you have different sounds and levels of production. I do not like much of the sound of reputation and I think some songs in lover are too bland in their sound, but there will be people who will tear me apart for saying it 🤣
I like taylor for her storytelling tho. So I tend to like songs in which the music adds something extra to the lyrics. To me she's a poet
The line you quoted is in the song "ThanK you aIMee" and it's referring to Kim (& Kanye) and the edited phone call that Kim released, trying to make Taylor look bad and like a liar (which was later proven wrong with the full call being released after the fact by someone else) that was a big drama at the time
It caused her to go into hiding from the backlash, and then she came back a year later with Reputation, and it was iconic and launched her career even higher than she already was. Which is what that line is referring to 😊
Some good take aways and in general it's also how I try to approach things. Thanks for the comment and for watching, I'm glad you enjoy the reactions. Looking forward to checking out a variety of her stuff, whether I connect with it or not.
Its all true he was even seen wearing her scarf.She had trouble with relationships her whole life and so did he.Neither one of them dodged that bullet.
Yesterday you said you wanted to get to know Taylor more. I think you should listen to her song Dear John. This song is about when she dated John Mayer. He is a singer. songwriter and was her mentor. They dated when he was 32 years old and she was 19. After you listen to Dear John, listen to her other song called Would've Could've Should've. She wrote this song 2 years ago when she was 32 years old (same age he was when he dated her).
But he absolutely needs to watch her performance of it live from The Speak Now Tour.The song has so much more impact when you can see her face, her expressions, and how young she looked at that time.
@@MinervaLavender2371 most definitely!
I wholeheartedly agree to this!!!
Thanks, guys! I've made a note of these. I'm not sure what will be next but I will get to them.
I think she is just letting him know how he impacted her
I think you would like "Cowboy Like Me" from the Evermore album. the studio version is great. She also did a live version at the Eras Tour with Marcus Mumford that was really fun and playful too. It is probably my favorite Taylor track. Great writing and very smooth.
Thanks, Sarah! I've made a note of these.
Thanks for reacting to the short 🇧🇷❤️
Her name is Sadie Sink, Sorry if miss spelling it right.
I don't think it's a message as much as a: "I see you and I was there too". Just a form of commisseration.
I agree 👍
I like your honesty, we're not supposed to like everything and it makes it better when you like a song. I would love to see you react to Maroon from Taylor Swift and I Hate It Here
Thanks, Ivy! I will get to them at some point. They're on the list.
What I have learned about Taylor, as I’ve only recently started to go through her music as well, (which is why it’s fun to watch other people experience her as well) is that she is a deeply sensitive, feeling person who, as an artist releases, and expresses emotions through her music. I think some of her songs represent a very specific moment in her emotional processing. She translates it into poetry, and then into music. It’s like she can’t help but do that as a way to go through things. So sometimes I see people wonder why create a big song based on this thing… Where I think when she was feeling the intensity in that moment of the break up or whatever it is, she is creating in that moment. It may be a different process from some artists who take time to experience life, and then reflect, and do some writing and create versus creating in the moment. I think that’s why she can’t help but release so much music constantly. Not sure if that makes sense.
It makes sense! I get it. I can relate. Thanks!
You will probably like the original 5 minute version more. It’s the edited version and a little more country sounding.
I'll check it out.
I love your calming voice and thoughtful thinking however you missed this one totally. Not everyone of her songs has a message. Sometimes it's just her pouring her thoughts/heart out. This was a painful song for her to sing. Go back many years and watch her sing this live at the 56th Grammys and maybe you will get it. A young girl singing this song its heartbreaking and that's all it is she wrote a very personal song to her and sang it. It's we the fans that have built it up to what is it now.
Watch the documentary too - see another talent of Taylor who directed the short film
Taylor wrote and I think she did Direct it.
She beat out 3 other people for an award big award to and she beat people older than her lol
Taylor being a songwriter and effectively a poet is most likely into words and semantics. I am the same way. I wasn't pissed off, angry, mad... I was irked! I'm just speculating. It wasn't necessarily a lie, just the word or phrase didn't fit the way she was feeling in her mind.
" You kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath" 😢
Taylor was so young, naive, and seems to have the tendency to fall head first in love. Unfortunately her first few big loves were with older men who took advantage of this.
Great reaction as always, Izzy. I was cracking up at your concerned face halfway through when the couple got back together after their fight 😂
To me the video captures how she takes her life experiences and turns them into art for her audience. In the real world, its her music, but the character in the video writes a book of her experience instead. The people who have hurt you will watch from the outside as you move on with your life.
Haha! Thanks, Melissa! Glad it's gave you that reaction! After reflection, I think I hadn't realised the age difference, and with that in mind it does paint a different picture.
Btw the actress is Sadie sink from stranger things 😊 not sure about show or movie u mentioned. And he is Dylan Obrein who I believe was in the maze runner? And teen wolf 🤔
I'd think the book in the video just represents the song itself; a record of something out in public for people to interpret for themselves. She's known for personal songs about exes. As to why it's popular with Swifties ---- I think most everyone has known someone who hit his mid thirties and went off to get a young trophy wife, or had an affair with a much much younger girl. Back in the 1960's when I was in school, they called it "the seven year itch." In America, divorce was still very difficult back then. Not too often outside of some romance novel you get the young girl's perspective, though.
If you want to review a more upbeat video “You Need To Calm down” is a really fun one! I would love to hear what you think about it!💗
It's on the list, but might be a while away. I make notes and tallies every time someone mentions one.
Lastly I should watch the lyric video "the moment I knew" which tells about this exact moment of her b day here and exactly what happened. Yes this is based on her actual relationship/events with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Sorry I wrote so much. Theres so much more id like to say regarding things u have said
But don't even know if u read these
Oh one thing u touched on was what I always thought...I think this relationship for him was purely sexual. All the scenes are him wanting to be all over her. For example when she was jumping around wanting to dance he grabs her and starts kissing her
And as u watch it seems like that's all he was interested in it all the scenes with him seemed to be purely sexual in nature to on extent to another while they were having "good moments". Again ty for this ❤❤❤🎉ps the scarf is a metaphor for something more than just a scarf. Think of her youth and what I said above.😮
Interesting stuff. Thanks! I do read the comments.
"Can you relate to this video?" Um, just the women I suppose.
I don’t thing there’s a message /she just made something that was healing for her ….some of her songs in general are like that…things she just has to make to get off her chest…the ending she writes the story of them I guess but in real life she wrote a song..
I find this a bit over dramatic. To blame everything on one person is what happens at times of course. Also Taylor uses her experiences to write and that works out well for her. She has never commented on questions about her songs about who she might have based them on. But then she has her fans to do that. They have fun with it I guess but forget she’s a writer who uses bits of experiences. Not unusual for any poet/songwriter. This is not a favorite for me either. I do appreciate so much of her music though.
That's a good point. I find writing is often inspired by things and from there takes on a life of it's own.
There age comes in the way, That's not the whole premise, You will see.
I’ve never really taken this video as trying to give us a message. It’s more like a diary entry.
Absolutely nothing Taylor does is an afterthought.
“it’s ridiculous”…typical of not acknowledging her feelings.
Taylor has talked a lot about this song and short film and I don’t think it’s really about a specific message it’s about examining this moment where, to quote her you have one foot in adulthood and one foot in girlhood and you’re incredibly susceptible to everything and how things that happen to you then really calcify and shape who you are as an adult. A lot of her early discography is centered around girlhood and trying to reconcile all the idealism from the fairy tales and Hollywood romance we are spoon fed as young women with the harsh realities of life. This is kind of the climax of that narrative in her discography.
Interesting stuff, Mary. Particularly the fairy tales stuff, it's a good point. Thanks!
Cardigan music video
Could you please react to cowboy like me by Taylor? it's kinda a bluesy country-chamber folk ballad with a very interesting story 🤎
I'll get to it.
My advice would be:
For these Taylor swift reactions to make sense to you, I think you should start at her career now and work backwards.
I am a huge REN fan as well, and watch those reactions too. I know you really appreciate the lyrics and such but you’ll burn yourself out on her music before you make it to the stuff you’ll appreciate if you start this early in her career.
I highly recommend starting with “the tortured poets department” loml or ‘how did it end’
But this early on will be tough for you to get through
Good advice! I think I'll concentrate on her later stuff and skip back now and again. Thanks!
She wrote and directed the video and it’s all based on her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal
Before Jake Gyllenhaal, she was with John Mayer… I don’t want to steer you towards anything else before I hear a reaction to who is afraid of little old me lmao but you should check out the lyrics to would’ve could’ve should’ve… it’s about John Mayer.
I'll look into it Ashley, thanks!
Yeah so she was like 20ish, and he was older so of course her idea of a relationship was skewed... his however wasn't
Bit off-topic but what's his accent?
I'm from Birmingham, England.
I think you need to look through the eyes of a young girl just starting out having relationships and how important first love is to them. The age difference between a young girl and older man play into the dynamics especially when you have the man gaslighting and making her seem smaller. The fun times are romantic and make her heart swell but when she wants to tell him about her feelings he makes her feel like she’s an idiot! So it’s not just the good times that make a relationship strong but having a partner that supports your feelings even if they don’t agree. It’s the power difference that we feel in this relationship and how she thought it was love but to him she was just another fling with a young women “he never called it what it was”! So she on some level felt deceived even if it was because of her naïveté! The break up then becomes soul crushing and does change you, you arnt and may never again be the person you were before! And sometimes with women this affects their relationships from then on, because they develop self esteem issues eating disorders trust issues etc. btw Taylor wrote and directed this short film and won a Grammy for this video which you can watch the behind the scenes of this short film and see how amazing she is!
I didn't realise the age difference in the story, I do see it differently after reflection with that fact in mind.
I am somewhat sympathetic to Jake, because he was coming out of a relationship with Reese Witherspoon who didn't want to marry him (reportedly). I think Taylor was a rebound while he was hurting; doesn't necessarily make it right, but life happens.
You never saw Sense & Sensibility… did you?
I didn't.
@@IzzyIzenstain the angst… the doing all the wrong things… thank gosh as we are older we have hindsight… but, this song was written in that moment.
I think you’re in the minority with your views as there are millions who would disagree with the song being called monotonous, and many more millions for whom the song completely speaks to. I don’t think there’s supposed to be a ‘message’ per se. It’s effectively a diary entry telling a story about her experience of a relationship during which she was gaslit (the red knobs on the oven during the argument scene) and ultimately left heartbroken by a man a decade older than her. I wonder whether it’s gone over your head slightly as you’re new to the whole Taylor Swift ‘lore’ and backstory? Knowing more about her life adds an additional level of complexity and a deeper meaning to her songs, and her songwriting is why she’s more popular than ever, 18 years into the music business. I imagine they could be seen at a very simplistic level without that, especially the bigger ‘poppy’ singles. I’m intrigued to see whether or not your view changes as you continue down your ‘Swiftie’ journey 😂
Thanks, Laura! I'm aware it's not for me, and I didn't realise the age difference, which does put a different spin on things.
I think at that point it would be fake.
Izzy her last album TTPD is her best IMO. Especially the Anthology. I feel it will be her last album. The Manuscript makes me think this. It’s the last song.
My 30yr old self (which was about his age) compared to my 21yr old self (her age) would’ve handled that fight so differently! At 21 I hadn’t found my voice yet in terms of saying what I mean and feeling confident in my assessment of the situation. But that’s what happens with a big age gap and you’re the younger one. He’s had time to grow and experience relationships and she hasn’t. She doesn’t want to lose him so it’s scary admitting what you’re unhappy about because he might decide it’s not worth it and break up. At thirty you can see his actions for what they are…this isn’t healthy, you deserve better, time to say goodbye. Much less of what can I do to keep him liking me and much more of what does he have to offer me that makes my life better being with him. That paradigm shift as we get older is quite important. The 10 minute version isn’t even something she ever planned on releasing. She said it was just something she wrote that helped her heal and get through that, but once fans found out that a 10 minute version existed, she said they were relentless about wanting it released , so she finally obliged and it became this huge thing.
Some great points, Carolynne! Thanks!