The SCARF. You may have seen Taylor's 10 minute-long SNL performance, which was a first for SNL. She performed her epic hit "All Too Well," which tells the story of the early crunchy fall days of a relationship and how it all ended badly.
Taylor develops a poignant theme at the start of the song, mentioning a detail about her scarf that evokes a familiar emotional catchphrase of an ex holding onto a memento:
"I walked through the door with you
The air was cold
But something about it felt like home somehow
And I, left my scarf there at your sister's house
And you've still got it in your drawer even now"
That odd but relatable detail anchors the image in the listener's mind, which then turns into a mini brain explosion towards the conclusion of the song:
"But you keep my old scarf from that very first week, cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me."
How devastatingly revealing, we think. She knows the scarf means something to her ex. He can't get rid of it. And that simple callback is emotionally satisfying to us, the audience, and we love Taylor for it.
Whether you're writing a personal injury demand letter, a criminal defense brief, or a complaint in a real estate dispute about property lines, you need to find your scarf. What is that evocative detail that instantly sets the scene for the judge? And then, lightly bring it up again in your conclusion. They'll remember it all too well.
