Swift once mentioned that the initial lyrics of fan-favorite "All Too Well" were more than 10 minutes long. This spurred fans to call for the release of the full version, and Swift granted this request on "Red (Taylor's Version)," which came out at the end of 2021. This is technically a different song from "All Too Well" because it includes many additional lyrics that seem to reference Gyllenhaal.
The telling lyrics: "Sippin' coffee like you're on a late-night show"; "And he said, 'It's supposed to be fun turning 21'"; "I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age / From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones"
Why? Swift compares her lover meeting her father for coffee to how he'd act on a late-night show, which actors like Gyllenhaal often appear on. She references a disastrous 21st birthday party where her boyfriend never turned up, and Swift turned 21 during their relationship (her birthday is on Dec. 13, and they broke up sometime around New Year's). The age difference between Swift and Gyllenhaal (21 and 30) was often cited as a reason for the breakup, but his next partners were similarly young. Finally, Gyllenhaal notably lived in Brooklyn during their relationship, and the pair were often spotted out and about there. Most specifically, it was reported Swift celebrated Thanksgiving there with his family.
