Taylor Swift Says Red Scarf in 'All Too Well' Is a Metaphor

Swifties can call off the search now for that dreaded red scarf referenced in Taylor Swift's "All Too Well." The singer revealed the red scarf is a metaphor!

During an appearance Friday night at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her eponymous 10-minute short film, the 32-year-old singer offered a little more insight about the scarf and the meaning behind it. But just as it seemed like she was about to dig deep on one of her most famous symbolisms, Swift stopped from doing exactly that.

"Basically, the scarf is a metaphor and we turned it red because red is a very important color in this album, which is called Red," she said. "And, I think when I say it's a metaphor ... I'm just going to stop."

Since its release, many fans believe that "All Too Well" is about Swift's brief romance with Jake Gyllenhaal. Swift wrote, directed, and starred in the short film, which also stars Stranger Things' Sadie Sink and Teen Wolf star Dylan O'Brien as the couple in the song's tumultuous love affair.

The song also mentions a scarf she left "at your sister's house and you've still got it in your drawer even now" because "it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me."

🎥| @TaylorSwift13 about the red scarf

"is a metaphor… and… stop" pic.twitter.com/VbjiSVPT8Q
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) September 10, 2022

But, according to Swift, the scarf's not literal. When she dropped "All Too Well" just about everyone got caught up in the red scarf craze. Even Maggie Gyllenhaal got sucked into the lyrical storm when she was asked about it in 2017 during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.

"I never understood why everybody asked me about this scarf," she said at the time. “What is this?”

After Cohen read aloud the "All Too Well" lyric, the actress responded, "I am in the dark about the scarf. It’s totally possible. I don’t know. I have been asked this before."

Even the legendary Dionne Warwick weighed in with an epic message for Jake.

"If that young man has Taylor’s scarf he should return it," the 80-year-old music legend tweeted. "It does not belong to you. Box it up and I will pay the cost of postage, Jake."

In other Taylor Swift news in Toronto, the singer -- on the heels of her short film -- was asked by the film festival's CEO, Cameron Bailey, during a Q&A sesh if she'd be interested in directing feature films. In short, yes!

"I'd love to keep taking baby steps forward," she said, via Variety. "And I think that I'm at a place now where the next baby step is not a baby step. It would be committing to making a film. And I feel like I would just absolutely love for the right opportunity to arise because I just absolutely, absolutely adore telling stories this way."

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