Everything You Need to Know About “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” (Golden’s Version)

It’s November 12th. You’re scrolling through Twitter and Instagram and everything in between when you see posts about burning Jake Gyllenhaal’s house to the ground, returning a lost scarf, or relationship age gaps. There’s a post from multiple celebrities saying how much they love Taylor. You check Spotify, and all of your friends are listening to “All Too Well”, but now it’s ten minutes long, double its usual runtime. You ask yourself,

“What the hell is going on?”

That’s what I’m here for. 

The phrase “breaking the internet” has been used countless times, either for a Kim Kardashian booty pic or when Beyoncé announced she was having twins. But no one has mastered this art of ensuing world-wide chaos amongst fans as well as Taylor Swift has. With the re-release of her smash-hit album, “Red (Taylor’s Version)”, the 30 year-old global superstar has once again sent shockwaves through pop culture. And if you can’t keep up with the intricate, high-speed analysis that Swifties live for, then I’m here to break it all down for you.

First and foremost, we all know that Taylor is known for subtweeting exes in her albums. Red is dedicated to Daddy Gyllenhaal, after the two dated briefly in fall of 2010, just months before Swift’s 21st birthday. At the time, he was 30. This age difference, although not a big deal to most celebrities or relationships, was pivotal in their demise. Gyllenhaal ended their whirlwind romance in early spring of 2011, due to notable maturity differences and possibly the fact that he did not attend Swift’s 21st birthday party after a big fight. 

Next, what’s up with this scarf? In the first few lines of “All Too Well”, Swift sings

“And I left my scarf there at your sister's house

And you've still got it in your drawer even now”

So naturally, Swifties took to the internet to locate this scarf. Even legendary singer-turned-Twitter-icon Dionne Warwick tweeted: 

Courtesy of Twitter

Besides that, fans have been re-evaluating every picture of Gyllenhaal in a scarf ever, as fans try to decipher what scarf could be the legendary one Swift forgot at Maggie Gyllenhaal’s home. The scarf has become one key Easter egg in the Swiftie universe, along with cardigans and rabbit holes. 

Courtesy of Us Magazine

So now let’s break down the iconic short film to the ten minute version of “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)”. First off, casting. Taylor came out swinging with two powerhouse actors, Dylan O’Brien (who you know from Teen Wolf) and Sadie Sink (a Stranger Things queen). Although not actually stated, it’s obvious that O’Brien plays Gyllenhaal, with similar facial features and age gap between him and Swift. He is made out immediately as the incredibly charming villain, who feels no remorse for breaking young Sink’s heart. Sink then plays a 21 year-old, red-haired (*wink, wink*) version of Swift, who actually said that they would not have gone through with the film without Sink. Sink depicts Swift’s character with the same innocence, softness, and emotion that Swift puts into her music. You can see the pain in Sink that we can hear in Swift’s voice, especially during scenes where Sink is scream-crying at O’Brien. These two knock it out of the park with their sense of intimacy, passion, and realness. Overall, I was not-so-surprisingly impressed with Taylor’s directorial debut.

Courtesy of Taylor Swift Vevo

Remember earlier when I said that Gyllenhaal not attending Swift’s 21st birthday after a big blowout led to their breakup? Yep. Swift not-so-subtly threw that into her film, in a scene where Sink waits for O’Brien to show up as she blows out birthday candles. I think I audibly gasped at the audacity Swift brought to making sure that Gyllenhaal’s name was buried in the mud after the 15 minutes were over. She spared no feelings in this video, from making sure that O’Brien screamed at Sink just as Gyllenhaal supposedly did in paparazzi photos and reliving their fall 2012 trip upstate. At one point, O'Brien says to Sink, “I don’t think I’m making you feel that way, I think you’re making yourself feel that way”. Damn. That one got me.

Swift really threw this album out into Swiftie oblivion, blissfully ensuring that fans would rip Gyllenhaal to shreds as they re-listened to the album dedicated to his demise. So if we’ve learned anything after listening to “Red (Taylor’s Version)”, it’s that I’ll never invite a man to my birthday party, and that every Swift ex better watch his step, because no one is safe from the bitter, ice-cold revenge of songwriting. 

Courtesy of Taylor Swift Vevo