All too well
Taylor Swift
A Study Of…
Some background
Swift uses the phrase ‘I remember it all too well’ throughout the song. What does this phrase mean?
-Swift wrote this song following a breakup with an older man
-The song describes the evolution of their relationship from beginning to end
The song- Feel free to sing along!
Let’s listen to it once all the way through
The lyrics
I walked through the door with you
The air was cold
But something about it felt like home somehow
And I, left my scarf there at your sister's house
And you've still got it in your drawer even now
Oh, your sweet disposition
And my wide-eyed gaze
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
Think about how Swift creates a sense of warmth and security in the opening of the song
The scarf will be an important symbol for the beginning and end of the relationship
What do both descriptions suggest to us about Swift and her partner?
And I know it's long gone and that magic's not here no more
And I might be okay but I'm not fine at all
'Cause there we are again on that little town street
You almost ran the red 'cause you were lookin' over at me
Wind in my hair, I was there
I remember it all too well
What do you think she means?
There are contrasts throughout the song between her ex’s initial feelings for her and the pain he will eventually cause her.
Photo album on the counter
Your cheeks were turning red
You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin-sized bed
And your mother's telling stories 'bout you on the tee-ball team
You told me 'bout your past thinking your future was me
And you were tossing me the car keys
F**k The Patriarchy keychain on the ground
We were always skippin' town
And I was thinkin' on the drive down: Any time now
He's gonna say it's love
You never called it what it was
Why do you think he owns this keychain?
Does his behaviour align with his beliefs?
Do you think he did love her?
'Til we were dead and gone and buried
Check the pulse and come back swearing, it's the same
After three months in the grave
And then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you
But all I felt was shame
And you held my lifeless frame
Why do you think Swift uses the words ‘dead’, ‘buried’, ‘grave’ and ‘lifeless’?
Why does he feel shame?
And I know it's long gone and
There was nothing else I could do
And I forget about you long enough
To forget why I needed to
Cause there we are again in the middle of the night
We're dancing 'round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs, I was there
I remember it all too well, yeah
Spot the use of imagery!
(Think touch, taste, sight, smell, sound)
And there we are again when nobody had to know
You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath
Sacred prayer and we'd swear
To remember it all too well, yeah
Well, maybe we got lost in translation�Maybe I asked for too much�But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up �Runnin' scared, I was there�I remember it all too well
Simile- What is the difference between a secret and an oath?
What is Swift comparing the relationship to?
And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of bein' honest
I'm a crumpled-up piece of paper lyin' here
'Cause I remember it all, all, all
They say all's well that ends well�But I'm in a new hell every time�You double-cross my mind�You said if we had been closer in age �Maybe it would've been fine�And that made me want to die
Simile v Metaphor
Spot the difference and explain
Why do you think this upset Swift?
The idea you had of me, who was she?
A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel
Whose shine reflects on you
Not weepin' in a party bathroom
Some actress askin' me what happened: You
That's what happened: You
What kind of girlfriend did her partner want?
Think about it: what does she mean?
You who charmed my dad with self-effacing jokes
Sippin' coffee like you're on a late-night show
But then he watched me watch the front door all night
Willin' you to come
And he said: It's supposed to be fun
Turning 21
Task:
Write down three words you feel describe her ex- support with reference to the song
self-effacing= modest
What does the ‘sippin’ coffee’ line suggest?
Time won't fly, it's like I'm paralyzed by it
I'd like to be my old self again
But I'm still tryin' to find it
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone
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
The relationship occurred in the autumn/winter- thus the reference to plaid shirts
We come back to the scarf, and now, the end of the relationship
'Cause there we are again when I loved you so
Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known
It was rare, I was there
I remember it all too well
Wind in my hair, you were there�You remember it all�Down the stairs, you were there�You remember it all�It was rare, I was there�I remember it all too well
These are call-backs to memories she has already shared with us
And I was never good at tellin' jokes, but the punch line goes
I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age
From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones
I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight
And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue?�Just between us, did the love affair maim you too?�'Cause in this city's barren cold�I still remember the first fall of snow �And how it glistened as it fell�I remember it all too well
Tone is bitter- what does Swift mean here?
Alliteration
Metaphor
Imagery
Just between us, did the love affair maim you all too well?
Just between us, do you remember it all too well?
Just between us (just between us) I remember it all too well (wind in my hair)
(I was there, I was there)
(Down the stairs, I was there, I was there)
(Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there)
(It was rare, you remember it all too well)
(Wind in my hair, I was there, I was there)
(Down the stairs, I was there, I was there)
(Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there)
(It was rare, you remember it all too well)
(Wind in my hair, I was there, I was there)�(Down the stairs, I was there, I was there)�(Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there)�(It was rare, you remember it)
(Wind in my hair, I was there, I was there)�(Down the stairs, I was there, I was there)�(Sacred prayer, I was there, I was there)
Questions
Using your handout, read the song through once more and answer the following questions:
Task!
Pretend you are Swift’s ex. Write your version of their breakup in any format you like. It could be a poem, a letter, a story or a song.
The short film