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Taylor Swift performs stunning 10-minute version of 'All Too Well' on 'SNL'

After keeping the extended version of the 2012 fan-favorite song in a vault, Swift has welcomed the 10-minute version into the world in a big way.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift appeared as the musical guest on the Nov. 13 episode of "Saturday Night Live."Will Heath / NBC
/ Source: TODAY

Taylor Swift made her fifth appearance on “Saturday Night Live” as the musical guest, fittingly on Saturday, Nov. 13, to pay homage to her favorite number.

In lieu of performing the traditional two songs throughout the duration of the show, Swift had a special treat for fans. Instead, she opted for one extended slot so she could perform the 10-minute version of the fan favorite “All Too Well,” which she released on Friday, Nov. 12 as a vault track from the re-release of her 2012 album “Red.”

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift performed a 10-minute version of her song "All Too Well."Will Heath / NBC

Swift stood center stage sporting a simple black bodysuit while while her self-directed short film for the song starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink was projected on a screen in the background. While the song was originally performed as a piano ballad, Swift was accompanied by some of her band as she toted her guitar for a the first half of the performance.

As the 31-year-old singer progressed through the song and its sprawling lyrics, the lights went up to reveal the stage covered in leaves, a nod to the lyric, “Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place / And I can picture it after all these days.”

After performing the original version of the song on tours over the years, Swift debuted the new—or rather, the original — lyrics for the first time in an official capacity, giving fans further insight into the story behind the song.

"They say all's well that ends well/ but I'm in a new hell every time/ You double-cross my mind," Swift sang at point during the song, with fans believing she was referencing the age gap between her and Jake Gyllenhaal when they dated at the end of 2010. "You said if we had been closer in age/ maybe it would have been fine/ And that made me want to die."

Later in the song, Swift alluded to the infamous moment when he allegedly missed her 21st birthday party, singing, “Then he watched me watch the front door all night willing you to come / And he said, ‘It’s supposed to be fun, turning 21.’”

The “Weekend Update” segment followed Swift’s performance and the first joke of the night by co-anchor Colin Jost referenced the singer’s performance immediately.

“Well, guys, I think the lesson we all learned this week is never break up with Taylor Swift, or she will sing about you for 10 minutes on national television,” he joked, before adding in a popular reference from the song, “ At the very least, return the scarf.”

Fans have been anxiously awaiting the 10-minute version of the song after Swift mentioned it off hand in an interview years ago. They certainly were not left disappointed after the "SNL" performance, flooding social media and the comments section on YouTube, lauding Swift for her performance and storytelling ability as a songwriter.

“The fact that after almost a decade she's still performing this song and have the power to make it more magical and emotional than it used to, this woman is not just an artist of a decade, she is a true legend we will remember forever,” one fan wrote in the comments of the video.

Another fan recalled Swift’s early performances of this song following its release and the progress she’s made today, adding, “She used to perform this heartbroken and sad. Now she can smile through a 10 minute version of the song. I'm so proud of her.”

Even those who weren’t fans of Swift gave the singer props, with one fan writing, “not my type of music but her talent is undeniable, anyone else i would have stopped listening after 10s, great skill at transmitting emotion to the audience.”

Swift, a master of Easter eggs, alluded to her singular performance during her appearance on “The Tonight Show” on Thursday. At the end of their interview, host Jimmy Fallon asked Swift what two songs she would be performing on "SNL."

"I love to hint," Swift said. "Which two songs...what if it was not two songs as much as it was one song that is the length of three songs?"

During her interview the same day on “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” the "Cardigan" singer expressed how happy she was to finally have the original version out in the world.

Swift acknowledged that the length of the song didn’t work at the time, explaining to the host, “This song originally — it’s a very long song as it is — but it was originally 10 minutes long…but I was like you’ve got to fit something on an album, so that’s unreasonable for it to be 10 minutes long."

“So I had to cut out certain verses and parts of the bridge and lots of different things that I really loved,” she said. “Left some of my favorite lines on the cutting room floor and I’m really happy that people get to hear them. I’m so proud of this version of it. I think this version is the version of the song that was meant to be heard.”