A new love does not want to stop, you drive through those red lights to the speed of your heart, this is a new life a new start. It’s late nights, long drives, expensive phone bills and a healthy amount of thrill. It’s candlelights and Friday nights, its smudged lipstick and painted nails, new aftershave and freshly ironed suit. It’s the nerves that bubble like champagne in a glass that you awkwardly cheers to in the hope that this will last. But soon those candles burn out, it’s the fridge light you’re dancing too, its cold and unnatural, naked in its embrace. The stifling grip of realisation pokes at your goosebump makes you think, perhaps there is some importance to a stop light.
I am of course referencing All Too Well. A short film, a directorial debut from our talented Taylor Swift. It is known this pieces reflects on the relationship Swift shared with Jake Gylenhall when she was just nineteen whereas he was 28. While fans will be aware that this scarf is quite literal, seen frequently worn by Taylor during this time, it is now a poetic piece too, representing a metaphor.
At the Toronto International Film Festival the singer said “it’s basically a metaphor” but refrained from elaborating.
Red scarfs have been synonymous with revolutions and protest. They are also worn to provide comfort through the cold and then as a style item. Thus it could be deuced that she felt she was merely an accessory to Gylenhall, something to accessorise his outfit, his reputation with. For her this love she once shared provided great warmth, comfort a symbol of protection and care that soon become stifling, too tight to restrictive- this possession once a gift became an anchor, a restraint keeping her to him. In this film and it’s accompanying song she takes back the scarf, it symbolises her story of breaking free, the torment of heartbreak letting go and letting it be.
This of course is all unconfirmed, so what do you think the scarf could mean? Get in touch! @evolve_music_blog
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