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All You Had to Do Was Stay

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"All You Had to Do Was Stay" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Swift wrote the song with Max Martin, who produced it with Shellback and Mattman & Robin. The lyrics were inspired by a dream where Swift asked an ex-lover to stay when he was leaving, and the track's refrain incorporates her high-pitched voice shouting "stay". Musically, the synth-pop song incorporates an electronic groove consisting of dense synths, drum pads, and processed backing vocals.

"All You Had to Do Was Stay"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989
ReleasedOctober 27, 2014
StudioConway Recording (Los Angeles)
GenreSynth-pop
Length3:13
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
"All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album 1989 (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023
StudioPrime Recording (Nashville)
Length3:13
Songwriter(s)
  • Taylor Swift
  • Max Martin
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

In reviews of 1989, some critics praised the production of "All You Had to Do Was Stay" as catchy, but some others found the track weak and generic. Billboard included the song in their 2017 list of the "100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars". Commercially, the track charted in Australia and Canada, and it received certifications in both countries and the United States. Following a 2019 dispute over the ownership of her master recordings, Swift re-recorded the song as "All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)" for the re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) (2023).

Background

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Taylor Swift had identified as a country musician until her fourth studio album, Red, which was released on October 22, 2012.[1] Red incorporates eclectic pop and rock styles beyond the country stylings of Swift's past albums, which led to critics questioning her country-music identity.[2] Swift began writing songs for her fifth studio album in mid-2013 while touring on the Red Tour.[3] Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, she named the album 1989 after her birth year to signify an artistic reinvention: she described it as her first "official pop album".[4][5]

On 1989, Swift worked with Max Martin as executive producers. Martin and Shellback produced seven out of 13 tracks for 1989's standard edition.[6][7] The track "All You Had to Do Was Stay" was additionally produced by Mattman & Robin.[6] Speaking about the song's inspiration, Swift told GQ that it originated from a dream where she asked an ex-lover not to leave when he "showed up at [her] door, [and] knocked on the door".[8][9] She said how the idea translated into the song's refrain: "I opened it up and I was about ready to launch into the perfect thing to say. [...] Instead, all that would come out of my mouth was that high-pitch chorus of people singing 'Stay!'"[10] She recalled that the multiple "Stay! Stay! Stay!" was "mortifying" but "kind of a cool vocal part".[9]

Music and lyrics

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"All You Had to Do Was Stay" was written by Swift and Martin, who programmed and produced it with Shellback and Mattman & Robin. All three producers played keyboards, Shellback and Mattman & Robin played guitars, and the latter played bass and drums. The track was recorded by Sam Holland, assisted by Cory Bice, at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles. John Hanes engineered the song, and Serban Ghenea mixed it at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia.[6]

"All You Had to Do Was Stay" is a synth-pop track.[11][12] It begins with what the musicologist James E. Perone described as a "1967-era backward tape manipulation" that recalls psychedelic music. The song's production is aligned with 1980s musical stylings,[13] such as an electronic groove[14] consisting of dense synths, drum pads, and processed backing vocals.[15] Lyrically, "All You Had to Do Was Stay" is a breakup song[16] that samples Swift singing the word, "stay", in a high pitch throughout,[17] which is blended into the instrumental.[18] Swift's character tells an ex-lover that she will not let him back into her life.[19] Her vocals on the track are heavily processed; The New York Times' Jon Caramanica thought that the "bratty background chorus chants" exemplified this.[20]

Release

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Swift performed "All You Had to Do Was Stay" on the 1989 World Tour in 2015.

"All You Had to Do Was Stay" was released as the fifth track on 1989 on October 27, 2014, by Big Machine Records.[21] It charted at number 99 in Australia,[22] number 92 in Canada,[23] and number 14 on the United States Bubbling Under Hot 100.[24] The song received a platinum certification by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA),[25] a silver certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI),[26] and a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[27] A fan-made remix of "All You Had to Do Was Stay" containing sounds of a screaming goat became viral on the internet.[28][29] Swift performed the song on most dates of the 1989 World Tour in 2015 but left it out of the set list of a few dates.[30][31][32] Swift left "All You Had to Do Was Stay" out of the setlist of the Eras Tour (2023-2024) but performed it as a surprise song during the second Detroit show. Swift later performs the song in a mashup with "Right Where You Left Me" (2020) during the first Zurich show and "Out of the Woods" (2016) during the third Miami show.[33]

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[34] The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums released under the label.[35][36] By re-recording the albums, Swift would have full ownership of the new masters, enabling her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use in hopes of substituting the Big Machine–owned masters.[37]

The re-recording of "All You Had to Do Was Stay", subtitled "Taylor's Version", was released as part of 1989's re-recording, 1989 (Taylor's Version), on October 27, 2023.[38] Swift produced "All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)" with Christopher Rowe, who engineered her vocals.[39] The re-recorded track reached the Billboard Global 200 (20)[40] and individual charts for the countries of Canada (23)[23] and New Zealand (30).[41] In the United States, "All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)" debuted and peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it extended Swift's record for the most top-40 chart entries by a female artist.[42]

Critical reception

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Rachel Sonis, writing for Time, called "All You Had to Do Was Stay" a "criminally underrated" song, applauding the story behind the song for being "vulnerable, relatable, and cutting", further elaborating that the song is "unmistakably Swiftian".[15] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called the song a "1989 banger that could have made an excellent single". He said that the track sounded quite like "Out of the Woods" but had a "livelier chorus and a stormier range of electro-Tay sound effects".[43] Erin Browne of Vulture ranked the song as eight out of ten among Taylor's "track fives", saying that it is "definitely the most upbeat of all the track fives", and it "shows Taylor's growth from her first album to her fifth".[44] Leanne Bayley of Glamour UK listed the song as one of 1989's highlights.[45]

Alex Hopper of American Songwriter ranked "All You Had to Do Was Stay" sixth out of the album's 15 tracks, calling it "as fun and blithe as one could make a breakup song" and complimenting the contrast between emotional lyrics and "dance-inducing" sounds.[46] Billboard placed the track at number 77 on its list of the 100 best songs by Swift published in 2023, saying that it had the most potentials of becoming a single out of the deep cuts on 1989.[47] The magazine ranked it third on its 2017 list of the "100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars"; its editor Chris Payne highlighted the high-pitched "Stay!" that "captures the manic desperation of a sudden split" and "the way the chorus sprawls out and lets its hook run wild".[11] Reviewing the re-recorded version, The Line of Best Fit's Kelsey Barnes praised Swift's vocals as having improved and said that it was one of the best tracks on 1989 (Taylor's Version).[48]

Mixed reviews were from Slant Magazine's Annie Galvin, who described it as one of the "repetitive diary entries that have been churned through the Swedish pop-hit-making factory";[49] and PopMatters's Corey Baesley, who considered its sound "saccharine".[50] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times deemed "All You Had to Do Was Stay" a generic song that could have been mistaken for one sung by "Kelly Clarkson or Pink or Demi Lovato".[14] The New Zealand Herald described the song as a "tiresome" depiction of early-20s "innocence, and sweet-natured wholesome fun" that left the impression of Swift being a "sweet 16 year old".[51]

Personnel

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"All You Had to Do Was Stay" (2014)

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, background vocals, songwriting
  • Max Martin – production, songwriting, programming, keyboard
  • Cory Bice – assistant recording engineer
  • Sam Holland – recording
  • Shellback – production, programming, guitar, keyboard
  • Mattman & Robin – production, programming, bass, drums, percussion, guitar, keyboard
  • John Hanes – engineering
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing

"All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)" (2023)

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, background vocals, songwriting, production
  • Christopher Rowe – vocals engineering, production
  • Dan Burns – synth bass programming, synth programming, additional engineering, drums programming
  • Matt Billingslea – drums programming
  • Brian Pruitt – drums programming
  • Bryce Bordone – engineering
  • Derek Garten – engineering, additional production, editing
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing
  • Max Martin – songwriting
  • Mike Meadows – acoustic guitar, synth keyboards
  • Amos Heller – bass
  • Max Bernstein – electric guitar

Charts

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Chart performance for "All You Had to Do Was Stay"
Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[22] 99
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[23] 92
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[24] 14
Chart performance for "All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[23] 23
Global 200 (Billboard)[40] 20
Greece International (IFPI)[52] 38
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[53] 22
Philippines Songs (Billboard)[54] 20
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[55] 5
UK Streaming (OCC)[56] 24
US Billboard Hot 100[57] 20

Certifications

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Certifications for "All You Had to Do Was Stay"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[25] Platinum 70,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 30, 2012). "Taylor Swift's Red Sells 1.21 Million; Biggest Sales Week for an Album Since 2002". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Light, Alan (December 5, 2014). "Billboard Woman of the Year Taylor Swift on Writing Her Own Rules, Not Becoming a Cliche and the Hurdle of Going Pop". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Talbott, Chris (October 13, 2013). "Taylor Swift Talks Next Album, CMAs and Ed Sheeran". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 26, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Eells, Josh (September 16, 2014). "Taylor Swift Reveals Five Things to Expect on 1989". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Sisario, Ben (November 5, 2014). "Sales of Taylor Swift's 1989 Intensify Streaming Debate". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Taylor Swift (2014). 1989 (CD liner notes). Big Machine Records. BMRBD0500A.
  7. ^ Zollo, Paul (February 12, 2015). "The Oral History of Taylor Swift's 1989". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2024 – via Cuepoint.
  8. ^ Gibson, Kelsie (October 27, 2023). "Who Are Taylor Swift's 1989 Songs About? What She Has Said About the Inspirations". People. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Moeslein, Anna (October 19, 2015). "Taylor Swift Reveals Which 1989 Song Was Inspired by a Dream About Her Ex". Glamour. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Kreps, Daniel (October 19, 2015). "See Ryan Adams, Taylor Swift Discuss 1989, Songwriting". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "The 100 Best Deep Cuts by 21st Century Pop Stars: Critics' Picks". Billboard. November 21, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Mylrea, Hannah (September 8, 2020). "Every Taylor Swift song ranked in order of greatness". NME. Archived from the original on September 8, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Perone 2017, p. 60.
  14. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (October 27, 2014). "Review: Taylor Swift smooths out the wrinkles on sleek 1989". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Sonis, Rachel (October 26, 2023). "Taylor Swift's 'All You Had To Do Was Stay' Is Criminally Underrated". Time. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  16. ^ Aswad, Jem (October 24, 2014). "Album Review: Taylor Swift's Pop Curveball Pays Off With 1989". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Lansky, Sam (October 23, 2014). "Review: 1989 Marks a Paradigm Swift". Time. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  18. ^ Powers, Ann (October 30, 2014). "The Many New Voices of Taylor Swift". NPR. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Savage, Mark (October 13, 2023). "Taylor Swift's biggest album 1989 returns with new tracks from the vault". BBC. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  20. ^ Caramanica, Jon (October 23, 2014). "A Farewell to Twang". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Swift, Taylor (October 27, 2014). "1989". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  22. ^ a b Ryan, Gavin (November 1, 2014). "Ed Sheeran Tops ARIA Singles For Third Week". Noise11. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
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  24. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  25. ^ a b "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "British single certifications – Taylor Swift – All You Had to Do Was Stay". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  27. ^ a b "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – All You Had to Do Was Stay". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  28. ^ Ramos, Alisha (October 28, 2014). "Remember the Taylor Swift/screaming goat mashup? Here's a new one from 1989". Vox. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  29. ^ VIrtel, Louis (October 30, 2014). "Finally, Here's Taylor Swift Remixed with Screaming Goats". Uproxx. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  30. ^ Pollock, David (June 27, 2015). "Taylor Swift, Hydro Glasgow, gig review: Two-hour hyperactive spectacle is a triumph for both the artist and her fans". The Independent. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  31. ^ Masley, Ed (August 18, 2015). "Taylor Swift shakes off her country roots on '1989' tour". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  32. ^ Hon, Jing Yi (November 9, 2015). "Concert Review: Taylor Swift – The 1989 World Tour". Today. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  33. ^ Louise Smith, Katie (October 28, 2024). "Every Surprise Song Performed On Taylor Swift's Eras Tour So Far". Capital. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  34. ^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  35. ^ "Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits". BBC. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  36. ^ Finnis, Alex (November 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained". i. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  37. ^ Shah, Neil (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  38. ^ Vassell, Nicole (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift Fans Celebrate As Pop Star Releases 1989 (Taylor's Version)". The Independent. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  39. ^ 1989 (Taylor's Version) (Compact disc liner notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2023. 0245597656.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  40. ^ a b "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  41. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. November 6, 2023. Archived from the original on November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  42. ^ Zellner, Xander (November 6, 2023). "Taylor Swift Charts All 21 Songs From 1989 (Taylor's Version) on the Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  43. ^ Sheffield, Rob (October 28, 2023). "All 243 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  44. ^ Browne, Erin (October 21, 2022). "All of Taylor Swift's Famously Devastating Track 5's, Ranked". Vulture. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  45. ^ Baylee, Leanne (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift's new album 1989". Glamour UK. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  46. ^ Hopper, Alex (August 11, 2023). "Every Song on Taylor Swift's 1989 Ranked". American Songwriter. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  47. ^ "The 100 Best Taylor Swift Songs: Staff Picks". Billboard. March 16, 2023. Archived from the original on April 11, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  48. ^ Barnes, Kelsey (October 27, 2023). "Taylor Swift: 1989 (Taylor's Version) Review". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
  49. ^ Galvin, Annie (October 27, 2014). "Review: Taylor Swift, 1989". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on March 5, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
  50. ^ Baesley, Corey (October 31, 2014). "Taylor Swift: 1989". PopMatters. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  51. ^ "Album review: Taylor Swift, 1989". The New Zealand Herald. October 24, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  52. ^ "Digital Singles Chart (International)". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  53. ^ "Taylor Swift – All You Had to Do Was Stay (Taylor's Version)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  54. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Philippines Song)". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  55. ^ "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 44". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
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  57. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2024.

Sources

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  • Perone, James E. (July 14, 2017). "1989 And Beyond". The Words and Music of Taylor Swift. ABC-CILO. pp. 55–68. ISBN 9781440852954.
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