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All Too Well

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"All Too Well"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Red
ReleasedOctober 22, 2012
Recorded2011
Genre
Length5:28
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"All Too Well" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift and Liz Rose, produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman. It appears as the fifth track on Swift's fourth studio album, Red (2012). The song received widespread critical acclaim upon release, and is generally labeled by both fans and critics as the best song Swift has ever written.[2] The song also gained a cult-following over the course of time. Swift performed the track at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

Background and release

"All Too Well" was the first song Swift wrote for her album Red.[3][4] While collaborating with different writers on Red, Swift wrote the song along with Liz Rose, with whom she had written many songs on her earlier albums. Rose has said that Swift unexpectedly asked her to help write the song as a one-off project after not having collaborated with Swift for some years.[5] Swift started writing the song by herself unexpectedly:

"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.""[6]

Swift has also 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."[7] Rose also said that the song was originally "10, 12 or 15 minutes long" before cutting down to "the important pieces".[5] In a later interview, Rose described "All Too Well" as originally being "probably a 20-minute song when [Swift] called me."[8] 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).

The song's studio recording was produced by Nathan Chapman and Swift. Its secret message in Red's liner notes is "MAPLE LATTES."[9]

Critical reception

The song received universal acclaim from music critics, with many agreeing it is the best song on the album. Slant Magazine particularly lauded the song within its review, saying ""All Too Well" is arguably the finest song in Swift's entire catalogue: The arrangement slowly crescendos from coffeehouse folk to arena rock as Swift adds new details from a doomed relationship, until she unleashes one of her best-ever lines ("You call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest") and the song explodes into a full-on bloodletting."[10]

Billboard gave a positive review to the song, saying "Just like that, Swift snaps back to her core demographic: "All Too Well" is sumptuous country, with Swift "dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light" in the memory of a romance that has seemingly been buried in time. The tune would have fit snugly on Speak Now, and even touches upon some of the same themes as "Mine", but on Red it serves as a reminder that these songs will always remain in Swift's wheelhouse."[11] Idolator stated that "And yet, it’s the tense "All Too Well" that hits the hardest: Swift drops the devastating image, "We're dancing around the kitchen in the refrigerator light," before reaching an almost hysterical unraveling with the despondent cry, "I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here." It's dramatic, but with Swift, it always is. That's a good thing."[12]

”All Too Well” continues to be hailed as her best song. Insider ranked it as the 5th best song of the 2010s, describing it as a “cinematic, five-minute masterclass on narrative structure.”[13] The song was ranked 5th, as well, by Rolling Stone on their list of the 100 best songs of the 2010s. They describe the song as a “subtly devastating ballad," adding that “the brilliance of "All Too Well" is in how it makes you feel like you were right there with her, too.”[14] Rolling Stone also ranked the song 29th on their list of the best songs of the century (so far), saying it stands out amongst her catalogue because “[n]o other song does such a stellar job of showing off her ability to blow up a trivial little detail into a legendary heartache.”[15]

Chart performance

The week her album Red was released, all of the songs charted in different countries due to its strong digital sale downloads. With this, the song debuted at number 80 on Billboard Hot 100, number 22 on the Digital Song Sales chart,[16] number 59 on the Canadian Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot Country Songs.

Live performances

On January 26, 2014, Swift performed "All Too Well" at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.[17] Wearing a dramatic beaded gown with sequin detailing and a long train streaming out behind her,[18] she sang while playing piano on a low lit stage, before being joined by a live band midway through the performance. Her performance was praised and received a standing ovation.[19][20] Swift's headbanging at the song's climax gained significant media coverage.[18][21][22] Sean Thomas of The Slanted called it the "performance of the night,"[23] and Amy Sciarretto of Pop Crush hailed it as "unforgettable."[24]

Swift also performed the song live throughout her Red Tour, while playing the piano.[25]

On August 21, 2015, Swift performed the song in Los Angeles at the Staples Center, the only time on The 1989 World Tour. [26] On February 4, 2017, Swift performed the song as part of the Super Saturday Night show in Houston, Texas.[27]

Swift performed an acoustic version of the song on the first show of her Reputation Stadium Tour in Glendale, Arizona on May 8, 2018, the fifth show in Pasadena, California on May 19, 2018 and the last show of the U.S. leg of the tour in Arlington, Texas on October 6, 2018. The latter of which appeared in her Netflix concert film of the same name. On September 10, 2019, Swift performed the song as part of the City of Lover concert.[28] On October 11, 2019, she performed the song at a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music.[29]

Cover versions

In March 2014, American band Against The Current released a cover of the song. American singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly released a cover of the song in March 2019.[30]

Legacy

"All Too Well" has generally been labeled by both fans and critics as the best song Swift has ever written.[2] The song has been placed on best-of lists by numerous publications.

In 2019, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone ranked "All Too Well" as the best song in Swift's catalogue, writing "no other song does such a stellar job of showing off her ability to blow up a trivial little detail into a legendary heartache."[31] Sheffield also ranked the song as the number-one best song of the 2010s decade.[32] Rolling Stone placed the song at number 29 of its list of The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century and at number 5 on its list of The 100 Best Songs of the 2010s.[33][34] Uproxx,[35] Stereogum,[36] and Pitchfork[37] included the song on their lists of the best songs of the 2010s at number 10, 24, and 57 respectively. It also ranked at number 13 on NPR's list of the top 25 songs of the decade.[38] Insider ranked the song as one of the 8 best songs of the decade,[2] while Time named it one of the best 10 songs of the 2010s.[39] Parade listed "All Too Well" as one of the 50 best songs of the 2010s that "we'll be listening to for decades to come".[40]

The song references a beloved scarf that Swift lost and which was subsequently kept by the song's subject. It has become a symbol in the Swift's fandom, inspiring jokes, memes, and interview questions.[41] It has even inspired numerous fan fictions in other fandoms. Writer Kaitlyn Tiffany of The Verge described the scarf as "the green dock light of our time."[42]

The song has achieved a cult following within Swift's fanbase and despite not being a single, is one of the most widely recognized songs among the fans.[43] Swift herself mentioned this unexpected popularity during her Reputation Stadium Tour.[44] In addition, fans have asked Swift on two different occasions on the existence of the original, 10-minute version of "All Too Well", and she has admitted that she has a copy.[45] The original lyrics are included in the deluxe versions of Swift's seventh studio album, Lover.[46]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[47]

  • Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Liz Rose – songwriter
  • Nathan Chapman – producer, acoustic guitar, studio personnel
  • Justin Niebank – mixer, studio personnel
  • Hank Williams – mastering engineer, studio personnel
  • Drew Bollman – assistant mixer, studio personnel
  • Brian David Willis – assistant recording engineer, studio personnel

Charts

Chart (2012–13) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[48] 59
US Billboard Hot 100[49] 80
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[50] 17
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[51] 58

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[52] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Farley, Rebecca (November 11, 2017). "This Is The Best Taylor Swift Song, No Arguing About It". Refinery29. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Ahlgrim, Callie; Larocca, Courteney (December 10, 2019). "The 8 best and 8 worst songs of the decade". Insider. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  3. ^ jadestaylor13 (13 April 2013). "Taylor Swift - RED (Stories behind the Songs)" – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "Taylor Swift sees 'Red' all over". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  5. ^ a b Willman, Chris. "Swift Collaboration: Liz Rose Reveals Secrets Behind Taylor's Early Hits". Yahoo Music. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  6. ^ 10207037939562084 (2012-12-11). ""I Love Living a Life That I Can Write About": Talking with Taylor Swift, Artist of the Year". Popdust. Retrieved 2019-05-21. {{cite web}}: |last= has numeric name (help)
  7. ^ "Taylor Swift Reveals 'All Too Well' Hard To Write — About Jake Gyllenhaal?". HollywoodLife.com. October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  8. ^ Skinner, Paige (2019-02-06). "From Irving to Nashville to a Grammy: Songwriter Liz Rose Crushes It". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  9. ^ Dukes, Billy. "Hidden Messages in Taylor Swift's 'Red' Liner Notes Revealed". Taste of Country. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  10. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (October 22, 2012). "Taylor Swift - Red". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  11. ^ "Taylor Swift, 'Red': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  12. ^ Lansky, Sam (October 22, 2012). "Taylor Swift's 'Red': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  13. ^ Ahlgrim, Callie. "The 113 best songs of the past decade, ranked". Insider. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  14. ^ Martoccio, Will Hermes,Brittany Spanos,Christian Hoard,Suzy Exposito,Charles Holmes,Claire Shaffer,Jon Freeman,Joseph Hudak,David Browne,Jon Dolan,Rob Sheffield,Joe Levy,Nick Catucci,Simon Vozick-Levinson,Andy Greene,Brenna Ehrlich,Brendan Klinkenberg,Hank Shteamer,Angie; Portwood, Jerry (2019-12-04). "The 100 Best Songs of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Hermes, Christian Hoard,Christopher R. Weingarten,Jon Dolan,Elias Leight,Brittany Spanos,Suzy Exposito,Kory Grow,Sarah Grant,Simon Vozick-Levinson,Andy Greene,Will; Stone, Rolling (2018-06-28). "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century - So Far". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Digital Song Sales". Billboard. November 11, 2010. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Rosen, Christopher (January 26, 2014). "Taylor Swift Grammys Performance Of 'All To Well' Is Worth All Feelings". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  18. ^ a b Wickman, Kase (January 26, 2014). "How Taylor Swift's Grammy Performance Helped Fans Forgive Her Exes". MTV. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  19. ^ Marecsa, Rachel (January 27, 2014). "Grammys 2014: Taylor Swift reacts too early before losing Album of the Year award to Daft Punk". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  20. ^ Harp, Justin (January 27, 2014). "Grammy Awards 2014: Taylor Swift dazzles with 'All Too Well' - video". Digital Spy. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  21. ^ Wyatt, Daisy (January 27, 2014). "Grammys 2014: Beyonce and Jay Z open bizarre awards featuring Taylor Swift head-banging". The Independent. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  22. ^ Tucker, Rebecca (January 27, 2014). "'F–k you, Grammys': From Trent Reznor's tweet to Taylor Swift's hair, presenting the best and worst moments from the 2014 Grammy Awards". National Post. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  23. ^ Thomas, Sean (January 27, 2014). "Performance Of The Night Goes To Taylor Swift At The Grammys". The Slanted. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  24. ^ Sciarretto, Amy (January 26, 2014). "Taylor Swift Wows Us From Behind the Piano While Performing 'All Too Well' at the 2014 Grammys [VIDEO]". Pop Crush. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  25. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 18, 2013). "Taylor Swift's 'Red' Tour: Her Amps Go Up to 22 | Rob Sheffield". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 26, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  26. ^ Ginn, Leighton. "Taylor Swift has banner performance during first of five sold-out shows in Los Angeles". Los Angeles Daily News. LA Daily News. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  27. ^ Atkinson, Katie (February 5, 2017). "Taylor Swift Performs 'Better Man' & 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' for First Time at Stunning Pre-Super Bowl Set". Billboard.
  28. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 10, 2019). "Taylor Swift's The City of Lover concert: a triumphant yet intimate celebration of her fans and career". NME. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  29. ^ Mamo, Heran (October 11, 2019). "Are You '…Ready For It?' Taylor Swift's Tiny Desk Concert Is About to Drop". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  30. ^ Freeman, Jon (28 March 2019). "Ruston Kelly Covers Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  31. ^ Sheffield, Rob (December 12, 2019). "All 153 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  32. ^ Sheffield, Rob (December 23, 2019). "Rob Sheffield's 50 Best Songs of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
  33. ^ Hoard, Christian; Weingarten, Christopher R.; Dolan, Jon; Leight, Elias; Spanos, Brittany; Exposito, Suzy; Grow, Kory; Grant, Sarah; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Greene, Andy; Hermes, Will (June 28, 2018). "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  34. ^ Hermes, Will; Spanos, Brittany; Hoard, Christian; Exposito, Suzy; Holmes, Charles; Shaffer, Claire; Freeman, Jon; Hudak, Joseph; Browne, David; Dolan, Jon; Sheffield, Rob; Levy, Joe; Catucci, Nick; Vozick-Levinson, Simon; Greene, Andy; Ehrlich, Brenna; Klinkenberg, Brendan; Shteamer, Hank (December 4, 2019). "The 100 Best Songs of the 2010s". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
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  38. ^ "The 2010s: NPR Listeners Pick Their Top Songs Of The Decade". NPR. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  39. ^ Johnston, Maura (November 18, 2019). "The 10 Best Songs of the 2010s". Time. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  40. ^ Sager, Jessica (December 27, 2019). "50 Best Songs of the 2010s That We'll Be Listening to For Decades to Come". Parade. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  41. ^ "At Last Maggie Gyllenhaal Acknowledges the Most Important Taylor Swift Scarf Rumor". Time.com. 2017-09-14. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  42. ^ Tiffany, Kaitlyn (2017-10-17). "With fall comes the return of a fantastic pop culture mystery". The Verge. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
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  44. ^ "Taylor Swift Shares 'All Too Well' Teaser From Netflix Concert Film: 'Moments Like This Defined the Tour'". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  45. ^ Vargas, Jencita (2017-10-08). "Taylor Swift Finally Speaks Up About The Whereabouts of the 10min Version of "All Too Well"". Variety Beat. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  46. ^ Willman, Chris; Willman, Chris (2019-07-23). "Taylor Swift Turns 'Red' Again With Third Song from New Album: 'The Archer' (Listen)". Variety. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
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  52. ^ "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – All Too Well". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
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