This Storytelling Tip Explains Why “All Too Well” is Taylor Swift’s Best Song

During a performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series last year, Taylor Swift addressed something I’ve known for quite some time: her best song is “All Too Well.” 

Several media outlets have ranked Taylor’s songs over the years, and “All Too Well” is almost always at #1. Here’s a quote from a write-up in Rolling Stone by Rob Sheffield:

“You can schaeden your freude all over the celebrity she reputedly sings about, but on the best day of your life you will never inspire a song as great as ‘All Too Well.’ Or write one.”

And this is not an unpopular opinion. Every Swiftie knows that “All Too Well” is an absolute masterpiece. It’s on her fourth album, RED, and it happens to be one of her longest songs at 5 minutes and twenty-seven seconds. 

From the first line, you cling to her every tragic word. Taylor said she loves screaming the lyrics together with her fans at her shows.

 

Storytelling Through Lyrics in “All Too Well” 

I recently read a book called How to Write Short by Roy Peter Clark, which has an entire chapter about storytelling through song lyrics. It’s fascinating to see how songwriters are able to paint storylines, evoke emotion, and illustrate such vivid details through a single line or verse. 

But it was another book that really helped me understand what “All Too Well” gets right. 

In Stories That Stick by Kindra Hall, she explains the components that make a great story. One of them is this: great stories ZOOM IN on the details.

A common storytelling mistake is speaking in generalities, which makes our writing too vague. When you zoom in, you drill down to the specifics. This is where the magic happens.

It’s one thing to write a song about love or heartache, but the story escalates when the listener can envision the details — faces, places, objects, and everything in between.

This is the entire premise of “All Too Well”. The title itself speaks to how Taylor remembers specific moments of her relationship “all too well.” 

Rumor has it, the song is about Jake Gyllenhaal.

Right from the first verse, Taylor sets the scene and tells us about a scarf she left at Jake’s sister’s house. 

I walked through the door with you, the air was cold
But something ’bout it felt like home somehow and I
Left my scarf there at your sister’s house
And you still got it in your drawer even now

She could have simply mentioned that she left some of her stuff there, but she zooms in on the scarf. It inspires us to think about what the scarf represents. Why would he keep the scarf? He must miss her, and the memories they made. This simple item now has meaning.

Taylor continues to illustrate objects and moments in the lyrics:

We’re singing in the car, getting lost upstate
Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place
And I can picture it after all these days

‘Cause there we are again on that little town street
You almost ran the red ’cause you were looking over me
Wind in my hair, I was there, I remember it all too well

Photo album on the counter, your cheeks were turning red
You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-size bed
And your mother’s telling stories ’bout you on a tee ball team
You tell me ’bout your past, thinking your future was me

‘Cause there we are again in the middle of the night
We dance around the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there, I remember it all too well, yeah

And then, in a heart-wrenching turn of events, Taylor zooms back in on the scarf:

But you keep my old scarf from that very first week
‘Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me
You can’t get rid of it, ’cause you remember it all too well, yeah

Although it may seem like a small detail, the scarf adds so much color and context to this love story. It helps us gain a deeper understanding of the characters and their feelings.

This same logic needs to be applied to your own writing. 

You may think no one cares about a scarf or the minute details of your experiences, but they transform a story from ordinary to extraordinary. Don’t leave them out.

How significant can a small detail be? The Rolling Stone article said Taylor’s scarf should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

 

UPDATE after Red (Taylor’s Version)

In the rerelease of her 2012 album Red, Taylor gifts us an incredible 10-minute version of All Too Well, filled with more specific details that enhance the story. We learn about new objects in addition to the scarf, and descriptive moments or dialogue that help us envision this love story. All of these elements elevate the story from a typical love song to a heartbreaking ballad where you can feel every word.

And you were tossing me the car keys, “fuck the patriarchy”
Key chain on the ground, we were always skipping town
And I was thinking on the drive down, any time now
He’s gonna say it’s love, you never called it what it was

You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine
And that made me want to die

Not weeping in a party bathroom
Some actress asking me what happened, you
That’s what happened, you
You who charmed my dad with self-effacing jokes
Sipping coffee like you’re on a late-night show
But then he watched me watch the front door all night, willing you to come
And he said, “It’s supposed to be fun turning twenty-one”

Side note: As expected, the re-release of Red set social media on fire, but the chatter wasn’t limited to Swifties. Even brands were chiming in. I compiled a list of tweets from brand accounts that were about Red (Taylor’s Version). The creativity was amazing! View the tweets here.

 

A Swift Tip: How to Zoom in on Your Own Storytelling

Whether you’re writing a novel, a song, or the copy for your “About” page, details are powerful.

So how do you pack more of them into your writing? 

It starts with remembering them… all too well.  

This is why Taylor Swift has been journaling since she was a teenager. She writes entries about her daily life, which makes every moment and emotion crystal clear. 

All of her songs start off as rough drafts in her journal, including “All Too Well.” With the purchase of her latest album, Lover, Taylor included scans of her original entries. As a fan, it was fascinating to see her process, chicken scratch and all. 

 

 

The Secret to Effective Journaling

Does anyone else have a bunch of empty notebooks lying around? 

I admit, I’ve picked up journaling many times in my life, but it never stuck. I’d get super excited, and write every day for a week, then stop. 

That all changed when I received a journal as a gift for my 30th birthday. I hadn’t recorded my twenties the way I wanted to (or maybe that’s a good thing!), but my thirties would be different.

Here’s how to make your journaling habit stick: 

This is another small detail that makes a big difference. I felt so uninspired to journal in ratty spiral notebooks and composition books. 

There are so many beautiful journals that suit your personality and get you in the mood to write. Choose a color, style, and format that you love.

 

Most people perceive journaling all wrong. It’s not meant to be stressful — it should actually reduce your stress. But it starts with giving yourself permission to do it your way.

No, you don’t have to write every day.
No, you don’t need long entries.
Yes, you can draw and add stickers and have bulleted lists and do all the things that make it yours. 

If you really want journaling to be a habit, you need to keep your journal in sight and incorporate it into your routine. Maybe you keep it next to the coffee maker, so you write after you make your morning coffee. Or after you make your bed, you place it on your pillow so you write at the end of the day.

 

If you really want journaling to be a habit, you need to keep your journal in sight and incorporate it into your routine. Maybe you keep it next to the coffee maker, so you write after you make your morning coffee. Or after you make your bed, you place it on your pillow so you write at the end of the day. 

Attach your journal to something else you do every day, so it remains top of mind. 

Attach your journal to something else you do every day, so it remains top of mind. 

 

Still not sold on journaling? 

Here are some of my favorite quotes that may inspire you: 

“Journal what you love, what you hate, what’s in your head, what’s important. Journaling organizes your thoughts; allows you to see things in a concrete way that otherwise you might not see. Focus on what you think you need to find in your art.” -Kay Walkingstick

“People who keep journals have life twice.” -Jessamyn West

 

READ MORE: Taylor Swift’s Lesson about Discounting

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