I've been listening to "All Too Well" pretty much on repeat like everyone else here, and I think I've figured out what makes it so affecting.
The first verses, covering the happy memories of the relationship, are all written with a focus on concrete details, like "wind in my hair," "photo album on the counter, cheeks are turning red," "danced around the kitchen in the refrigerator light." Concrete details are immediately recognizable and tend to create an immediate emotional connection.
By contrast, however, when the lyrics start to drift toward the collapse of the relationship, Swift switches to abstract imagery and descriptions. "Maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much, or maybe this thing was a masterpiece before you tore it all up," "You call me up again just to break me like a promise / so casually cruel in the name of being honest." While these lyrics are heartfelt and well-written, they spare us the agony of RECOGNIZING and LIVING in the details; can you imagine if she actually recounted the "casually cruel" words that were said? We'd be slitting our wrists.
This shift allows us to live in the positive memories, and experience the nostalgia of the good days without being crushed by the ending. We're left mourning a beautiful missed connection rather than feeling like moving on was for the best. Masterful writing.
Submitted September 23, 2017 at 05:10AM by RosaPalms http://ift.tt/2xpHtDM TaylorSwift
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