This made me emotional - A New Fan Reacts to "All Too Well" - Taylor Swift 

Oh, wow. Didn't realize you already uploaded the reaction. Thank you so much Nick!! Glad you love the song. Next thing could be the short film and the behind the scenes of making the short. It gives even more depth to the song. Can't wait for next month to send you some upbeat fun pop Taylor hahaha

I am a firm believer that the repetition at the end of "I was there, I was there" is because he was such a gaslighter that she seems to be "convincing/reminding" herself that what she "thought" she saw or experienced was real even if he is trying to tell her that it was nothing more than a good time or not that serious of a relationship and she is also pointing out to him that he "was there too" so he has to remember it as well, she is not making it up they were both there.

"Did the twin flame bruise paint you blue" is a reference to the Red album opening track State Of Grace (Up in your room and our slates are clean / Just twin fire signs, four blue eyes). I think it's her asking him if the pain of their intense, fast-burning relationship has washed away the "burning red" of their relationship and painted over it with blue, cold sadness. This is also alluded to in the following lines of the outro verse where she remembers the first fall of snow that winter signaling the end of their relationship, in contrast to the autumn leaves falling at the start of it just months earlier.

"Crumbled up piece of paper" you do that do paper no matter what it will never be the same again no matter how hard you try. "You said if we had been closer in age" he knew the age difference going in and then threw it in her face.

This lyric strikes deep; it is universal for any of us who have loved deeply and lost. 'I might be ok, but I am not fine. I remember it all too well. I was there." Thanks, Nick.

You are the only reactor I've watched who gives her vocal talent credit. You wouldn't believe the amount of critics who say she can't sing. It seems like beautiful, sensitive singer/songwriter voices are not given any recognition in these times. If you don't belt a song or do runs like Jennifer Hudson or Whitney Houston, you're not a singer. Thank you for always drawing attention to her vocal abilities. I love her voice. Another super reaction! Looking forward to you getting back to Folklore and maybe Evermore? Hint, hint! Be well!

The best storyteller without question!!!

Taylor never said it herself, but i think we her fans would say that out of all her previous relationships the biggest impact on her definitely had John Mayer and Jake Gyllanhaal. Those 2 had very big impact on her psyche and how she viewed love relationships after them, her rough experiences with them formed her a lot. But the biggest impact on her 100% had her current boyfriend Joe Alwyn, they're together for over 6 years now, in September it'll be 7 years, he changed Taylor a lot, he kinda healed the damage John and Jake made on her. As a fan i'm really happy she found somebody who makes her feel loved, safe and also helps her to love herself for who she is.

When they were together Jake was 29, Taylor was only 20.

“Twin flame” is another term for soulmates but also Taylor and Jake are both Sagittarians which is a fire sign so it’s a double meaning, “Did the twin flame bruise paint you blue, just between us did the love affair maim you too?” She’s asking him if this meant as much to him as it did to her, did this break up affect him or did he just throw her away and move on

Taylor Lautner, Back to December is one that she expresses her regret for how she was in the relationship. It is a great song 😊

This song is a masterclass in songwriting

Es shes a MASTERMIND with a pen & paper and out of ALL her songs which are incredible this is a MASTERPIECE❤

"Using and then discarding." That sums it up. This was a great reaction. I am so happy you enjoyed the song. It's not just my favorite TS song, but my favorite song in general. The pictures it paints and emotions it conveys are amazing.

To answer your questions: first, note that she has never revealed who the songs were about, we're just great sleuths haha. "Did the twin flames bruise paint you blue?" is because they are both Sagittarius, which is a fire sign. She's a genius. She was 20 and he was 29, he failed to show for her 21st birthday party (that was the lyric about her dad watched Taylor who was watching the door willing him to come, and the dad said, "It's supposed to be fun, turning 21.") I have to remind myself that musical geniuses don't have to look like Bob Dylan or Tom Waites... they can be young, pretty women. She is a musical genius. She is a prolific songwriter. Just google how many songs she's had on the Billboard 100, it will blow your mind. Like most songwriters, she writes about relationships. So she has songs where she's happy, sad, angry, and even where she is apologizing for what she's done wrong. As an antidote to how sad this song was, you should listen to "We are Never, Ever, Ever, Getting Back Together," since that was about Jake, too, and it's hilarious and will make you laugh. 😉

In a couple of songs she's referred to the "twin flame" thing. It's a reference to both her and JG being fire signs in astrology. i think it's supposedly a particularly fiery/explosive combination of personalities

If there was ever a song that encapsulates Taylor's songwriting and how she infuses her music with deeply personal experiences, this is it.

This will always be my all-time favourite Taylor Swift song. I thought the original was amazing, but since she released the 10-minute version I find it hard to go back 😅 I think it's fantastic that she gave it so much attention the second time around, knowing that even though it was never a single it was a firm fan favourite. And I'm glad after years of us badgering her about the longer version after she mentioned it in an interview once, we finally get to hear it!

Also, didn't see anyone comment this, but the line "it's supposed to be fun turning 21" is about how Jake ruined her 21st birthday party, and this led to Taylor making the song "22"... "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22"

Twin flame = their relationship, as it alludes to track 1 on Red, "State Of Grace," when she says that they are "twin fire signs." The "'bruise" is essentially all the ways it went wrong and just the ending, heartbreak phase of the relationship. The whole line, "did the twin flame bruise paint you blue, just between us did the love affair maim you too?" refers to the time when it was released, she was often heavily criticized for writing songs about her ex boyfriends and people said it was shitty or she needs to get over it, or that she dates people just to ruin their lives and write songs about them. So her exes never got criticized for what they did to her, but often people joked with them about how obsessive Taylor was. That relationship, as well as her relationship with John Mayer, would ruin Taylor's reputation (along with other things) and she was made out to be like a sort of "serial dater." She has a song, "Blank Space," that like makes a mockery of it. Anyways, it's basically like, "you hurt me, but I'm the one getting backlash" sort of thing. Just me rambling

Absolutely love your reactions to Taylor. You understand her emotion so well. The first time I heard the ten minute version my relationship was ending and I just knew that this, this song more than any other, would capture everything I'd go through after he left 💔 TS is a goddess

Both Taylor and Jake are sagittarians, hence the twin flame reference.

So glad you love this. Enjoying your reactions. ❤ there is nothing I love more than watching people experience her brilliance for the first time. It’s like we get to remember our first times too and re-experience them vicariously through you.

"And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue?" Jake and Taylor are both Sagittarius - a fire sign. Twin flame is also a term used to describe two people who have a hyper-intense connection.

I don't remember how I felt the first time I listened to All too well, (I do, however, remember the feeling of listening to the 10 minutes version for the first time, it was brutal, haha) so it was interesting to watch someone listening to it for the first time and see the emotions. It's, at least to me, her best song. The progression of the lyrics, the way of telling the story is just fascinating. Great reaction!

Very emotional song for me. Really hits when you've been there before. Thanks for sharing, Nick.

@NickForell if you enjoyed this its worth watching her live performance on SNL of the 10 minute All Too Well. it is worth every minute watching - just AWESOME performance. I am really appreciating your appreciation of our girl! Another proud Swiftie here and happy you are discovering the depth and wonder if her talent! enjoy!

Twin flame also is from a gaslight, so it could be pointing at the gaslighting

The capturing of little moments in a relationship is what elevates this song, I think. Great observation!

I love your reactions. You really listen to the lyrics and take her music seriously! And, you appreciate her fabulous voice.

Just found your channel, and I'm living for the Taylor Swift reactions. ❤

She was 19 and as you can tell this was the most painful relationship we all have and learn from that kicks us into adulthood and takes our innocence away for all time. And no he never should have touched her at that age he should have known better!

11:27 exactly!! he blamed something she couldn’t change about herself and what’s even worst was the fact that this was clearly just an excuse considering the fact that to this day he’s still dating younger girls!!

I love how calm and appreciative you are. You gained a subscriber.

re: the twin flame line… there’s a part toward the beginning of the song that you missed in this first listen (totally understandable, so much to take in) where she says “come back swearing it’s the same after three months in the grave” “and all I felt was shame as you held my lifeless frame” - she is referencing the fact that he broke up with her once, then 3 months later crawled back to her but she felt shameful getting back with him - assumably because he had another girl at that point (see the references to “always skipping town,” suggesting that he was constantly juggling multiple relationships, and she says “when nobody had to know. You kept me like a secret”). Anyway, the twin flame bruise references the fact that they were an item two different times, and both experiences bruised her.

A comment I’m not seeing here that is major to this song is that it’s about losing her virginity to him. The red scarf is a metaphor for it and she confirmed it in a recent interview. This is why she mentions “nights you made me your own” and reminding him of innocence. Based on her songs about John Mayer it looks like he tried or at least was very inappropriate because she asks him to give her back her girlhood but it wasn’t until jake where she took that step only for him to later say she wasn’t old enough for the long haul. This was far from her longest relationship but most impactful from the view of being her first serious one that involved intimacy.

(he said "enchanted"!!!)

I play this song everyday it’s close to my heart . The beautiful storytelling and emotion omg !!! My neighbor gets mad that I’m Always playing it lol . Such a lyrical genius ❤ I feel something every time .

I'm sure her most impactful relationship would be her current one, together for 6 years.

God I love this song. “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise/ so casually cruel in the name of being honest/ I’m a crumpled up piece of piece of paper lying here/ because I remember it all too well” I BALLED my eyes out the first time I heard that. I love that you’re doing these reactions, I love watching someone discover Taylor and especially this masterpiece for the first time. I know you posted this four months ago, I really hope you have seen the short film (written and directed by Taylor), and the the shorter version, most of us Swifties were exposed to that version first and loved it so much that when she mentioned she’d written a 10 minute version everyone basically bullied her into releasing it, 😂 and oh boy did she deliver. I got to see her perform this song (all 10 minutes) at the Glendale, PX show in March and it was STUNNING. And she did hold up the middle finger at “f*** the patriarchy keychain on the ground” AMAZING. I would love to see your reaction to a song she released during the tour for Midnights, You’re Losing Me, it’s a knife in the heart. And Better Man (Taylor’s Version- Speak Now) and Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version- Speak Now) are also *chef’s kiss* Thank you for posting these reaction videos! It’s interesting seeing a new fan discover Taylor and her lyricism, especially given that you are a John Mayer fan.

No you have to react to “the moment I knew” which reference him missing her 21st bday

You should listen to The Moment I Knew, in All Too Well she has the line “it’s supposed to be fun turning 21” in reference to a boyfriend (Jake gyllenhaal) not showing up to her birthday party and The Moment I Knew is about that party.

Dude when I listen to that song for the first time it feels like:💔😭 even tho I can’t relate to it. But still! My fave part is the bridge in this special line: “And you call me up again just to break me like a promise.” I was like: Damn! That’s a line.

"There's a tour coming up" literally posted this video the day after opening night. Also there was a congressional hearing about the TicketMaster monopoly. How did you miss that news???

"the last song I reacted to was a little bit more accusatory" lmao, only if he knew then

Thank you, so many people just watch the video and overlook the lyrics

I love your reactions and insight as someone who is new to her music. Subscribed!

Hi, Now listen to it over and over, we couldn't get enough plus watch the short film. Twin flame is astrology. I always said she is a genius!! ☮

I'm so glad I subscribed to your channel, Nick. I'm a RU-vid content creator just recently beginning to create his content and am a huge Taylor Swift fan since 2009 and plan to make Taylor Swift reaction videos primarily but also other content as well!

You are a swiftie!❤

twin flames - they are both Sagittarius which is a fire sign

She keeps repeating "I was there" because she was gaslighted into thinking it wasn't a real relationship, and she had to keep reminding herself of what was real

My daughter is 19 If some guy hurts her like this I don’t know that I could handle it 😢

You need to watch the video, too. And honestly her live SNL performance. I know it’s a lot, but they’re necessary to watch.

Some background info on the "You call me up again just to break me like a promise/So casually cruel in the name of being honest" bit - I could be wrong, but from what I've heard he may have cheated on her and this is in reference to him calling and confessing to her (I believe after they'd already broken up, so it was really salt in the wound at that point). Also, she used the phrase "casually cruel" in her song Mr. Perfectly Fine which she wrote for her 2nd album Fearless, but wasn't allowed to release it at the time so she reused it for All Too Well! She later released Mr. Perfectly Fine as a vault track for Fearless (Taylor's Version). I highly recommend you listen to that song when you get the chance 😊

I feel her pain in this song about Jake, but we got some of her best songs from him. Taylor may have been quite a bit younger, but it didn't take her forever to grow up and realize she was not going to let his behavior continue (thus, We Are Never, Ever, Ever, Getting Back Together--another great song).

I’m also going to throw out “The Moment I Knew.” I love “All Too Well,” but as someone who sings, “The Moment I Knew” is perfection. It has everything someone could want from a power ballad.

please watch the film version, it’s amazing.

It's probably better that you reacted to the lyric video but I wish you had selected her SNL performance of ATW 10 minute version. It packs all the punch of the album version and then some.

John mayer is the most impactful in my opinion. Wouldve coudlve shouldve is a must listen to.

Also let me know if you still don’t understand the twin flame reference. I can explain that but figured others have already 😊

He’s certainly not going to forget her in a hurry!!!!!

Twin flame bruise paint you blue: twin flame as in destined lovers, they are also both fire signs (Sagittarius), their connection was a bruise, paint you blue as in did it hurt you, make you sad, break your heart

And you're wearing a RED sweater . . . How appropriate . . . it's not a scarf, but still . . . 😅❤❤❤❤🧣

I’d love to see a reaction to The Alcott by The National feat Taylor Swift. The lyrics video is awesome

Taylor never says who her songs are about.If your a swifty you know thou.

Jake and sister are twins I believe

Wow 😢😢😢❤️🌹💥💥👁️👁️🇭🇷✔️

I personally think that the lyric "Did the twin flame bruise paint you blue" means that she saw them as twin flames. She thought that despite the age difference he was her twin flame and she was his. Meaning he was her other half. So that lyric means since they are no longer together he has a ""bruise" from where her twin flame was next to his, and he is sad that she's gone "or feels blue" about it.

The Red Scarf was a metaphor for her virginity. She admitted to this in a live interview.

Hope you can react to the short film (all too well) before react to folklore and evermore album

The scarf represents something that was hers that she can't get back. Her virginity.

Twin towers in NYC? Maybe

I need you to stop looking into the camera. Your eyes are too kind.

You have stumbled upon what is widely considered Taylor's magnum opus, as well as one of her personal favorites. I would highly recommend watching the short film, even if just on your own time, now that you are familiar with the song. The visuals really bring the story to life in greater detail, if that's possible. This song was written as a stream of consciousness while practicing with her band back in 2011 when the memories and pain were fresh. She had to cut it down to a 5 minute song to put it on her album. When she released her re-recording in 2021, after a decade of pleading by her fans, she finally released the original 10 minute version which you heard here. She used to be very emotional whenever she performed this song, but over the years, the sadness that the song evoked was replaced by happy memories of her fans screaming the lyrics back to her. As for future recommendations, since you seem to enjoy focusing on the lyrics, you can't go wrong with Folklore and Evermore. If you appreciate All Too Well, you also might enjoy reacting to the rest of the album, Red TV, which is primarily about the many facets of this same life-altering relationship. Since you already reacted to Would've, Could've, Should've, you truly must react to her live Speak Now Tour performance of Dear John. Talk about savage at 19. So happy to see you back with more heartfelt and intelligent Taylor reactions.

In the “watched me watch the front door” line she references “The Moment I Knew” a song she wrote about how he never showed up to her 21st birthday. Hence why “22” exists. Great reaction 👏🏼

Amazingly, this young woman lost her catalog of music and rather than fight it, she simply re-recorded HER music. She is a wonderful story teller and a consummate professional! This is Taylor Swift she has been doing this since she was knee high to a grasshopper. BTW she doesn't just appeal to young people. I appreciate perfection as she is a wonderful musician! Another heartfelt reaction.

I could see the exact moment where you went from thinking this is a nice song about remembering a heartbreaking relationship, to realizing this is darker and angrier. That’s the difference between her original length song on the Red album and this 10 min version. She really changed the whole meaning and vibe of what I thought was an already perfect song. It had just enough anger in it. But it’s not a popular opinion as this has become the go-to version. I think it’s a perfect soundtrack to her film, which is brilliant. But the shorter track will always be my favorite.

For the most impactful relationship question: She has said in interviews that she's only ever written one actual breakup album - Red - the majority of which is about JG, including this one. Another heartbreaking song on that album is "The Moment I Knew" about him skipping her 21st birthday party. It is referenced in this song, also, with the line from her dad. It's what made me pause and cry the first time I heard this.

I still cant believe she was only 21 when she wrote this. It just blows my mind shes a credit to the US. Your so lucky to have someone like Taylor

This is a perfect example of "story telling 101"

7:30 she starved herself, more so had an eating disorder. In another song she says I starved my body for you. #swiftie. She's been in recovery for a long time. In reference to you says her being a shell from the relationship.

The “fuck the patriarchy” line is him using her feminism against her in a condescending way by saying she should drive and throwing the keys at her

Nick, you are rapidly becoming one of my favorites. I love that you are going through this process and gaining an understanding of Taylor's lyrics and how she can literally write and sing any emotion and make it real and impactful.

When she says you kept me like a secret but I kept you like an oath, and you call me up again just to break me like a promise hits hard😢😢😢😢

I've been watching some of your reaction videos to Taylor and I have to say that I am really enjoying them. You really pay attention to her lyrics which is something that I appreciate a lot. Thank you so much for making these videos :)

Taylor Swift is the QUEEN

i just want to point out that Taylor did an interview last year and said there was no scarf and that it was a metaphor…by the lyrics a lot of fans have assumed it was for her virginity.

“Did the twin flame bruise paint you blue…” They were so alike that when it exploded it scarred them both. She’s sad about it still and wonders if he is as well. Watch the short film. It’s amazing. Taylor wrote and directed it. She’s a master of storytelling.

I got all emotional with you, lol. Yes, in Swift fandom, many consider this as her best song. Strangely, was not a single. Thank you for another great reaction.

The scarf in question, there is a picture of her walking with Jake G. she is wearing a scarf ( actually was navy blue with gray and red in it), and after he broke things off, he was later pictured wearing that scarf. He is still dating younger women.

“Okay, it’s happening! Everyone stay calm, STAY F*CKING CALM!” 😂

11:15 not only is it a cop-out, but like 8 years later, he started dating a young woman who was only a year older than Taylor had been at this point, so clearly it was just an excuse.

you should do dear john! and if you do the live version hits different

A bunch of people, 80,000. This tour is called the Eras Tour.

You were completely right to do the lyrics first! It means more this way.

I seriously love most all types of music, especially singer'songwriters. And I fully think Taylor is absolutely the best songwriter of her generation ♥

You need to listen to The Moment I Knew. It ties into this song. Of course we didn’t know it back then with the five minute version but it will give you more perspective on this song and their relationship.

This is a masterpiece of music, bloody hell just listen to all the words, this should go down as one of the best tunes of all time, the emotion just gets you every time you listen to it and her voice is just mesmerising. Absolutely amazing, absolutely incredible, absolutely beautiful, WoW.

Taylor’s most impactful relationship has been with Olivia Benson, her beautiful kitty.