“All Too Well” is Taylor Swift’s best song. But what does Jake Gyllenhaal think of it?
Swift has never specifically said that the track five from Red is about the actor, but come on; it couldn’t be more about him if it was called “Dear Jake.” It was easy enough for Gyllenhaal to ignore the song (with devastating lyrics like, “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”) when it was a fan-favorite deep cut. But that became harder to do after Swift re-recorded it, along with every song from Red, and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. He was every Taylor Swift fan’s public enemy number two (number one is Scooter Braun) all over again.
In an interview with Esquire, Gyllenhaal reacted to “All Too Well” for the first time:
Swift did not comment on her fans’ reactions; while she’s always been open about using her past relationships as lyrical fodder, she’s never named names. Until now, Gyllenhaal hasn’t commented, either; that he turned off his Instagram comments was the only sign this firestorm had affected him at all. “It has nothing to do with me. It’s about her relationship with her fans,” he says when I bring it up. “It is her expression. Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”
Gyllenhaal continued, “I think it’s important when supporters get unruly that we feel a responsibility to have them be civil and not allow for cyberbullying in one’s name. That begs for a deeper philosophical question.” Has he listened to Red (Taylor’s Version)? “No.”
It’s a good read, although one question remains: where’s the “f*ck the patriarchy” keychain, Jake?
(Via Esquire)