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All Too Well is a song recorded by American recording artist Taylor Swift. It was written by Swift and Liz Rose. It serves as the fifth track from her fourth studio album Red. The song has received acclaim from music critics.

Background and release

"All Too Well" was the first song Swift wrote for her album Red. While collaborating with different writers on Red, Swift wrote the song along with Liz Rose. The song is most likely inspired from Swift's ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal. The song has been produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman.

Swift has a said that the song was "the hardest to write on the album", saying: "“All Too Well” because 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. Swift allegedly announced today that she will be performing a 10 minute version of the song at the Grammys , which has not yet been released yet. "

Critical reception

The song has received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised her song writing skills, and her ability to tell a story through a song, with many highlighting it as a standout on the album. 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." About.com gave the song 4 out of 5 stars, saying that the song is "A mincing guitar figure." PopCrush praised the song, saying "Swift easily slips back into the more melancholic, confessional ballad. Sonically, it’s spare, yet it’s lyrically stuffed and dense with details." Similarly with Idolator, stating 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." 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." The Prophet Blog said that "her skill as a true songwriter shines the brightest on “All Too Well”, where Swift processes a past romance with Jake Gyllenhaal (“And you call me up again just to break me like a promise,” she wails) from which the scars have clearly yet to heal. It flies in the face of the anti-Taylor brigade who label her tunes immature by delivering the kind of emotional thwack that very few of her contemporaries are able to match."

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, at number on 59 the Canadian Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot Country Songs.

Weekly Charts

References

1. "Taylor Swift Red - Stories behind the Songs". Youtube. October 23, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
2. "Taylor Swift, Jake Gyllenhaal: Singer Likely Wrote 'All Too Well' About Actor". huffingtonpost. November 19, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
3. "Taylor Swift Reveals 'All Too Well' Hard To Write — About Jake Gyllenhaal?". HollywoodLife.com. October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
4. "Taylor Swift, 'Red': Track-By-Track Review". billboard. October 19, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
5. Silva, Robert. "Taylor Swift's 'Red' - Track by Track Review". About.com. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
6. Sciarretto, Amy (October 18, 2012). "Taylor Swift, 'Red' – Album Review". PopCrush. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
7. Lansky, Sam (October 22, 2012). "Taylor Swift's 'Red': Album Review". Idolator. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
8. Keefe, Jonathan (October 22, 2012). "Taylor Swift: Red". Slant Magazine. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
9. "[Review] Taylor Swift — Red". The Prophet Blog. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
10. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
11. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
12. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
13. "Taylor Swift Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.

External links

• Lyrics at Taylor Swift official site
• Template:MetroLyrics song

• 2012 songs
• Taylor Swift songs
• Songs written by Taylor Swift
• Songs written by Liz Rose
• Song recordings produced by Nathan Chapman (record producer)